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I am sure that many of you, like me, did not envision Guy Ritchie, the man who brought us such movies as Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch or even Sherlock Holmes, as the first choice to direct a Disney live-action remake of Aladdin. Yet Disney’s daring move paid off, as Ritchie delivered a very rewarding remake to the animated classic.

Probably the most daunting of tasks of making the 2019 version of Aladdin must have been how to recreate the iconic Robin Williams portrayed character of Genie. In the pantheon of memorable Disney characters, Genie probably stands out as unforgettable. Rather than casting another Caucasian Comedian in the role, Ritchie made a 180 and transformed Genie in his movie into an African-American contemporary character portrayed by Will Smith.

Honestly, there would not have been any logical reason for Disney to touch its classic animated treasure, if not for the fact that those live-action remakes have made a gazillion dollars in the box office. And from the looks of it, Aladdin is definitely headed in that direction too.

Being the original movie came out 27 years ago, contemporary adaptations to the plot had to be implemented, especially to the character of Jasmine. In the original, she was but a beautiful princess to be had, in the current version she actually has a voice and a purpose: she wants to fulfill her destiny in succeeding her father to become the new ruler of Agrabah.

I doubt the 2019 version of Aladdin will be as timeless as the 1992 one. Yet it is adapted close enough to the original where it still makes it a lot of fun to watch. I give it a Thumbs Up!

The biggest issue of coming out of a movie like The Avengers Endgame is that it raises the bar so high for future franchise movies that it would almost be impossible to ever reach it, yet it is undoubtedly a very worthy conclusion for the trilogy. And with all the banter about it being over three hours, to me it felt as if they it was just minutes!

Even though you would think the very bombastic and overdone special effects are the essence here, actually it is the small comedic scenes, especially the ones with Robert Downey Jr., that made this movie most memorable for me.

You got to give it to co-directors, Anthony and Joe Russo, for creating a movie that is convincing, logical, well told and epic in so many ways with the ability to bring so many of our favorite Marvel Universe characters into one film, without losing it clarity and aim to bring this story to a reasonable conclusion.

Endgame really brings it home with its thrilling classic comic-book twists and reversals. There will be very few that will leave the theater less than gratified. This a very easy to give: Thumbs Up!

 

Shazzam! is definitely not as popular as Superman, Batman, or Wonder Woman when it comes to the DC Comics universe but he is undoubtedly the sweetest, most innocent, and probably the funniest one in the expanding comics movie characters. Shazzam! feels like light years away from the other self-involved DC Comics characters who tend to live in a darker, bleaker, and cold world.

Director David F. Sandberg, who has made a name for himself in the horror genre, is making with Shazzam! his first foray into superhero movies. He is attempting to create here a very different superhero movie, it feels like almost intentionally small, goofy, and emphasized on the human drama.

And what about our superhero himself? Zachary Levi is the perfect embodiment of his character. Levi who has now been in both a Marvel and D.C. Comics flicks admitted in his junket interviews he actually enjoyed being in the later a lot more.

Bottom line, If you are looking for a movie that is silly, fun, and entertaining with no extra baggage to take home, Shazzam! is a perfect choice for you. I really had a good time with the kids and am giving it a Thumbs Up!

The movie follows the story of Carol Danvers, who is destined to become one of the universe’s most powerful heroine. Captain Marvel brings the previously unseen period in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

It took quite a while for the Marvel Universe to let a woman be at its top, so the question is did Brea Larson deliver? the answer is yes, she is both grounded and otherworldly at the same time.

The script made Carol Danvers feel more like a supporting character in the grand scheme of things than the main act, which felt almost a bit awkward to watch. Also, for the launch of a brand new character in the cinematic universe of Marvel, it didn’t feel fresh and adventurous enough.

Like every Marvel movie, so far, Captain Marvel is also a crowd pleaser, as it puts together a great balance of spectacle, action, heart, and inspiration for almost anyone who will come to see it.

For me Captain Marvel does its job and that means a Thumbs Up.

When I first heard they’re making a comedy about Dick Cheney, immediately it felt like a beginning of a very bad joke, yet when I learned that the movie is going to be directed by Adam McKay, who just two years ago brought us the memorable mortgage crisis comedy, “The Big Short”, and that he convinced his star, Christian Bale, to portray the former Vice President… I became curious…

If you are expecting a two-hour-plus Oscar biopic, this is not that movie. It’s a wild (vicious) black comedy, which tells the story of Dick Cheney, but in a very hateful kind of way. “Vice” is a portrait of a man who’s greed for power overtook his life.

The flick has an all a-lister cast including Amy Adams as Lynne Cheney, Sam Rockwell as President George W. Bush, Steve Carrell as Donald Rumsfeld, Tyler Perry as Colin Powell and Academy Awards winner, Christian Bale, in an electrifying portrayal of the 46th Vice President of the United States. And yes, he is very much deserving of all the awards attention he is receiving these days. It will be quite fascinating to watch if Bale is going to give Bradley Cooper (“A Star is Born”) a run for his money in the best actor category this awards season. The one thing which is certainly going to give the movie an advantage, with academy voters, is going to be how much liberal Hollywood detests the current Republican President.

It’s not quite clear what director, Adam McKay, is trying to accomplish for the audience to take away, whatever it might be, it is likely not going to stain Cheney’s legacy, as most the events portrayed in the movie are generally common knowledge.
“Vice” is very entertaining (and horrifying at the same time), I am giving it a big THUMBS UP!!!