Sheep Movie Review: Aquaman (2018)

Aquaman (2018)

Dec 21, 2018

Rating: PG-13 (for sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and for some language)
Genre: Action & Adventure, Science Fiction & Fantasy
Directed By: James Wan
Written By: Will Beall, David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick
Runtime: 143 minutes
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
Cast: Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Nicole Kidman, Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson, Dolph Lundgren

From Warner Bros. Pictures and director, James Wan comes an action-packed adventure that spans the vast, visually breathtaking underwater world of the seven seas, "Aquaman," starring Jason Momoa in the title role. The film reveals the origin story of half-human, half-Atlantean Arthur Curry and takes him on the journey of his lifetime--one that will not only force him to face who he really is but to discover if he is worthy of who he was born to be... a king.

Went to see Aquaman with my 17-year-old daughter. We are big superhero movie fans and we agreed Aquaman was a disappointment.

Where to start...the writing was awful. I don't know the canon Aquaman story from the comics; I grew up with the Superfriends cartoon Aquaman. In this version, Arthur Curry becomes King Arthur a la Camelot, right down to the pulling of the sword/trident from the stone/dead king. But I could have dealt with the cheesy storyline if the script had been better. The story was cliche and predictable.

The whole movie was overproduced and poorly edited. It was like they were more interested in creating sexy/badass gifs and freeze frames than a movie. One minute you are watching a fight scene and the next you are looking at Jason Mamoa (not that I don't like looking at him) posing in a photo shoot for an expensive cologne, then we go back to the action.

I might not be popular for this opinion, buuuuuut...a little Jason Mamoa in Justice League (2018) is good, but a whole movie...not so good.

My daughter likes to make video edits and she complained about the CGI lagging in places.

The action scenes had too much going on so it ended up looking like a big mess flashing across the screen.

I did like a few things about the movie. It was cool how everyone looked and moved underwater. I've always been a fan of Willem Dafoe, and Dolph Lundgren's acting was surprisingly good!

DC still can't catch that superhero magic like Marvel has.

Holly and I agreed on a generous 3 "Give Pacific Rim back their kaiju" Sheep

SharonS

Sheep Movie Review: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) Spoiler-free

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

In Theaters: Dec 14, 2018

Directed By: Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman
Written By: Phil Lord, Rodney Rothman

Cast: Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson (XVI), Hailee Steinfeld, Mahershala Ali, Brian Tyree Henry, Lily Tomlin 

Rating: PG (for frenetic sequences of animated action violence, thematic elements, and mild language)
Genre: Action & Adventure, Animation, Kids & Family, Science Fiction & Fantasy
Runtime: 100 minutes
Studio: Sony Pictures

Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, the creative minds behind The Lego Movie and 21 Jump Street, bring their unique talents to a fresh vision of a different Spider-Man Universe, with a groundbreaking visual style that's the first of its kind. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse introduces Brooklyn teen Miles Morales, and the limitless possibilities of the Spider-Verse, where more than one can wear the mask.

What a fun and heart-warming movie! I went to see Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse with my 17-year-old daughter and a friend of mine. All three of us loved it. I'll admit to crushing on dad-bod Peter Parker.

There was an intriguing story backed up with great writing. The well-placed humor broke up the darker moments but the overall tone is a positive coming-of-age story.

And let's give a big standing sheep-ovation to the animators. Wow. The mixing of animation styles could have been a visual nightmare but they pulled it off and enhanced the whole interdimensional theme.

This movie is one you want to see on the big screen.

Holly and I give it 5 "puberty" Sheep

Movie Review: The Christmas Chronicles (2018) on Netflix

The Christmas Chronicles (2018)
November 22, 2018
Director: Clay Kaytis
Writers: Matt Lieberman (screenplay by), David Guggenheim (story by)
Stars: Kurt Russell, Darby Camp, Judah Lewis
TV-PG | 1h 44min
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Family
The story of sister and brother, Kate and Teddy Pierce, whose Christmas Eve plan to catch Santa Claus on camera turns into an unexpected journey that most kids could only dream about.

Well, Kurt Russel will forever be my gold standard for Santa Claus. He rocked this role! Wearing that fur-lined red leather coat and sporting that sexy beard...RAWR! But don't get too excited, The Christmas Chronicles is a family holiday movie.

I was impressed with the quality of the movie. Everything from the script to the acting to the CGI reindeer that looked magically awesome and I want one!

The Christmas Chronicles has all the parts of an endearing holiday movie. Lots of comedy and some sappy heart-warming moments and the every useful plot device (and a Disney main-stay) of a dead parent. 

This is definitely worth a watch no matter your age and will get you a little teary-eyed and full of warm and fuzzies, not just the kind from seeing Kurt Russel play a sexy silver-haired Santa ;) And if you're a kid from the 80s you'll be able to guess who cameos as Mrs. Claus.

5 "Ho, ho, ho" Sheep

SharonS

Sheep Movie Review: Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018) Spoiler-free

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
16 November 2018
Director: David Yates
Writers: J.K. Rowling, J.K. Rowling (based upon characters created by)
Stars: Johnny Depp, Jude Law, Ezra Miller, Carmen Ejogo, Eddie Redmayne, Zoë Kravitz, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Kevin Guthrie, Wolf Roth
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 2h 14min
Genre: Adventure, Family, Fantasy
The second installment of the "Fantastic Beasts" series set in J.K. Rowling's Wizarding World featuring the adventures of magizoologist Newt Scamander.

Went to see The Crimes of Grindelwald with my 17-year-old daughter. We've both been waiting all year for this! And we weren't disappointed. This movie sheds light on a lot of Potter-verse history. It got a little confusing at some points trying to keep straight the different subplots and who is related to who but by the big reveal—Plot twist, there is a bigger reveal afterward—at the end, you know what's going on.

The special effects are big and fantastical and best suited for the big screen. And the fast-paced action starts in the first few minutes of the movie. Some of the action scenes get a little chaotic and you don't know where to look, but I would expect any fight involving magic to be a wild ride. I don't remember if this was the case in the first movie but there are a lot of close-ups in this one.

Newt Scamander is one of my favorite Potterworld characters. He is so charming and the actor does a great job with him. Jude Law isn't what I envisioned a younger Dumbledor to look like but I like looking at him so I went with it :) The character Nagini (you can guess what kind of creature she is by her name) is a cool character, but there was no point to her. She just followed Credence around. Nothing would have changed storywise if she had been left out. Johnny Depp as Grindelwald was a good choice. They finally let him play a character with no Jack Sparrow quirks. He does crazy well.

Can't give any details about the plot, but there are old and new beasts and lots of Potter-verse magic.

Holly gives it 5 Sheep

I give it 4 1/2 "Picking sides" Sheep

SharonS

Movie Review: Overlord (2018)

Overlord (2018)

Nov 9, 2018
Directed By: Julius Avery

Written By: Mark L. Smith, Billy RayCast: Jovan Adepo, Wyatt Russell, Pilou Asbæk

Rating: R (for strong bloody violence, disturbing images, language, and brief sexual content.)

Genre: Action & Adventure, Horror, Mystery & Suspense

Runtime: 109 minutes
Studio: Paramount Pictures 

With only hours until D-Day, a team of American paratroopers drop into Nazi-occupied France to carry out a mission that's crucial to the invasion's success. Tasked with destroying a radio transmitter atop a fortified church, the desperate soldiers join forces with a young French villager to penetrate the walls and take down the tower. But, in a mysterious Nazi lab beneath the church, the outnumbered G.I.s come face-to-face with enemies unlike any the world has ever seen. From producer J.J. Abrams, Overlord is a thrilling, pulse-pounding action adventure with a twist.

Went to see Overlord with my 17-year-old daughter. If you are looking for a monster horror movie you might be disappointed.  The monsters are truly horrifying and the way they move :shudder: but you really don't get to see them until the last 30 minutes of the movie. It is all about the suspense of what the Nazi's are doing in their lab. The viewer discovers what's going on along with the characters. And the movie has plenty of suspense and does a good job of immersing the viewers in the action. But they go a little overboard with the jump scares.

The movie focuses a lot on the horrors of war and what it might have been like to fight in WWII. The most intense scene is in the very beginning when the soldiers are flying into France and parachute to the ground. 

I thought the movie could have been a little shorter and the female character, while badass, really wasn't necessary to the plot. The special effects rocked and if you're squeamish you might want to skip Overlord.

If lots of suspense and a good dose of horror are your thing then you will probably enjoy it. Seeing it on the big screen will help you appreciate the action scenes better.

Holly gives it 4 Sheep

I give it 3 1/2 Sheep

SharonS

New Book Releases in Speculative Fiction for October 2018

I haven't posted a new release update in a loooong time. But there are so many awesome books out today...it's a wallet buster kind of day.

Sheep Movie Review: The Predator (2018)

The Predator (2018)
Sep 14, 2018

Directed By: Shane Black
Written By: Shane Black, Fred DekkerCast: Boyd Holbrook, Trevante Rhodes, Jacob Tremblay, Keegan-Michael Key, Olivia Munn, Sterling K. Brown, Alfie Allen, Thomas Jane, Augusto Aguilera, Jake Busey, Yvonne Strahovski

Rating: R (for strong bloody violence, language throughout, and crude sexual references)
Genre: Action & Adventure, Horror, Science Fiction & Fantasy
Studio: 20th Century Fox

From the outer reaches of space to the small-town streets of suburbia, the hunt comes home in Shane Black's explosive reinvention of the Predator series. Now, the universe's most lethal hunters are stronger, smarter and deadlier than ever before, having genetically upgraded themselves with DNA from other species. When a young boy accidentally triggers their return to Eart only a ragtag crew of ex-soldiers and a disgruntled science teacher can prevent the end of the human race.

Went to see The Predator with my husband and 17-year-old daughter (she was the control since she's never seen any of the previous Predator movies—I know, parenting fail). The Predator has gotten a lot bad reviews, but come on it's The Predator! All three of us enjoyed the flock out of the movie.

Don't get me wrong, there were a lot of things so wrong with it, but that made it so right. There are a lot of references to the original movie and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Including this gem...

Yes! They used this line. I won't spoil how but it was pretty clever.

The movie is just as if not gorier than the other Predator movies with lots of action and stupid humor that we laughed at in spite of.

The biggest failing was the representation of an autistic child. He was a major plot device but the autism only presented itself when convenient. They aren't disrespectful of autism, just unrealistic. But so is the Predator having hunting dogs...which they do!

Bottom line, it is exactly what you think it will be and if you love that kind of thing, go see it.

Don gives it 4.5 Sheep
Holly gives it 4 Sheep
I give it 4 "Welcome to the Loony bus" Sheep

SharonS

Sheep Movie Review: Bleach (2018)

Bleach (2018)
Initial release: July 20, 2018 (Japan)
Netflix release: Sept 14
Director: Shinsuke Sato
Writers: Tite Kubo (manga), Daisuke Habara (screenplay)
Stars: Miyavi, Hana Sugisaki, Sôta Fukushi 
Distributed by: Warner Bros. Pictures
Adapted from: Bleach
Genres: Adventure fiction, Occult Fiction

Ichigo Kurosaki is a High School student, living in Karakura town. He is able to see ghosts, as well as hollows. Later, he meets up with Rukia Kuchiki, a Death God or Soul Reaper (Shinigami in Japanese). Later, he finds out that he himself is a Soul Reaper as well. Ichigo Kurosaki, now with the power of a Soul Reaper, is able to protect Karakura town from hollows.

For those who don't know, Bleach is a Shōnen manga (teenage boy demographic) written and illustrated by Tite Kubo that started in 2001. There are currently 696 chapters collected into 74 volumes. It is the ninth best-selling manga of all time.

Bleach is about Ichigo Kurosaki, a high schooler, who can see ghosts. His ability lets him see Rukia Kuchiki, a Soul Reaper (Grim Reaper, Shinigami). She gets wounded fighting a Hollow (vengeful spirit) and must transfer her Soul Reaper powers to Ichigo to save them both. This leaves him with powers he doesn't know how to use and her in a human body. The new live-action movie is about how this happens and the repercussions for Ichigo, Rukia and a couple of others drawn into the story.

Ichigo and Rukia

Before watching the live-action Bleach movie, I knew nothing about the manga. I've seen it around, it is pretty iconic in the manga world and the characters are popular with cosplayers. So I went into this with zero expectations, except to see some awesome fantasy action. I enjoy live-action adaptations of manga/anime and love the Japanese film-making style. It can be a hit or miss, but Tokyo Ghoul live-action blew me away. Avatar: The Last Airbender...WTF?

 Ichigo from the manga

Ichigo, Rukia, and others from the anime

Bleach didn't have the killer special effects like Tokyo Ghoul, but it made up for its lack of CGI budget by focusing on the emotional side of the story. The connections between the characters and with the moviegoer.

Ichigo as a Soul Reaper. Rukia as a Soul Reaper vs human form

I should mention the movie is in Japanese with subtitles. Some people don't like subtitles.

I enjoyed the movie. There is a balance between the humor and the darker moments. I had no problem picking up on the world building mythos. So if you aren't familiar with the manga, you will have no problem understanding what's going on. There are cool weapons and sword fights. My favorite is the spirit-weapon used by the Quincy (humans that fight Hollows), a magical bow.

4 "Zanpakutou-wielding " Sheep 

SharonS