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 Dark Tower (2017)

The Dark Tower (2017)

Aug 4, 2017

Rating: PG-13 (for thematic material including sequences of gun violence and action)
Genre: Horror, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Western
Directed By: Nikolaj Arcel
Written By: Nikolaj Arcel, Akiva Goldsman, Anders Thomas Jensen, Jeff Pinkner
Cast: Idris Elba, Matthew McConaughey, Tom Taylor

Studio: Sony Pictures

There are other worlds than these. Stephen King's The Dark Tower, the ambitious and expansive story from one of the world's most celebrated authors, makes its launch to the big screen. The last Gunslinger, Roland Deschain (Idris Elba), has been locked in an eternal battle with Walter O'Dim, also known as the Man in Black (Matthew McConaughey), determined to prevent him from toppling the Dark Tower, which holds the universe together. With the fate of the worlds at stake, good and evil will collide in the ultimate battle as only Roland can defend the Tower from the Man in Black.

I went to see The Dark Tower with my 16 year-old-daughter. I've read the whole series, the last book in 2004, so it's been a while. Holly hasn't read the books.

We both enjoyed the movie. I don't know why everyone is hating on it. They made it clear that this movie isn't based on the book series. They take a lot of elements from it, and it was a lot of fun to see the book easter eggs. But it was a different take on the story...and honestly there is no way anyone could capture Stephen King's world...so this was kind of a tribute to the story more than anything.

The star of the movie was Tom Taylor as Jake. The writers/director did a great job with him.  He was a convincing representation of the Jake from the books. Matthew McConaughey was a perfect fit for Walter, and the writers/director got the character right.

Holly made this connection...and she's right.

I love Idris Elba...but he didn't represent the Roland from the books, and I think this is more the writers/director's fault...there are traits that are very "Roland", especially his speech and mannerisms, and those were missing. But I was willing to overlook this and appreciate the story they wanted to tell.

I'm not sure what kind of music score I would have picked, but for the big "Gunslinger powers-activated" scene, the music didn't fit.

In spite of the small things, we both had a great time. I would like to see it again...this time paying more attention to the background and all the Stephen King novel references. Holly even caught one about Pennywise. And the movie made her want to check out the first book in the series!

If you love the movie experience and like fantasy action movies, you won't be disappointed. But you can still appreciate the film on the small screen too.

I hope they make the TV version. I'm always up for more Idris and would love it if they cast Tom Taylor as Jake.

Holly gives it 4 1/2 Sheep

I give it 4 "I kill with my heart" Sheep

SharonS

Sheep Movie Review: Baby Driver (2017)

Baby Driver (2017)

Directed By: Edgar Wright
Written By: Edgar Wright
Jun 28, 2017 Wide
Cast: Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Lily James, Eiza Gonzalez, Jon Hamm, Jamie Foxx Rating: R (for violence and language throughout.)
Genre: Action & Adventure, Comedy, Drama

Runtime: 113 minutes
Studio: Sony Pictures

A talented, young getaway driver (Ansel Elgort) relies on the beat of his personal soundtrack to be the best in the game. But after being coerced into working for a crime boss (Kevin Spacey), he must face the music when a doomed heist threatens his life, love and freedom.

Well, I'm a liar. I told a flock member I didn't put this on my new releases for July post because I had no plans to see it...oops!

I went to see Baby Driver with my sixteen year old daughter with the reasoning that Jamie Foxx was in it and he has a pretty good track record. And...wait for it...liked it! It was a damn good action movie. I pre-judged and it was nothing like I thought it would be. Sorry, Baby! The opening car chase was amazing! Unfortunately, it was the best one of the movie. There were some other mini car chases and one big on-foot chase, but nothing like the opening. But that was okay. There was a lot of blow'em up, shoot'em up going on too. Baby Driver deserves its R rating for violence. Which was at odds with the PG cheesy, young adult romance going on, but maybe that was the point. There was a 50's sort of vibe to the romance.

There were some twists I didn't see coming, so yay on avoiding some clichés. The movie is worth seeing, either at a matinee price or on demand.

Holly gives it 4 Sheep. She was surprised and impressed (she loves car chases)
I give it 3.75 "We're on the same team" Sheep

SharonS

Movie Review: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (2016)

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (2016)
Rating: PG-13 (for zombie violence and action, and brief suggestive material)
Genre: Horror, Romance, Comedy
Directed By: Burr Steers
Written By: Burr Steers
Cast: Lily James, Lena Headey , Jack Huston , Douglas Booth, Matt Smith (XI) , Sam Riley

Feb 5, 2016

Runtime: 1 hr. 40 min.

Sony Pictures

A zombie outbreak has fallen upon the land in Jane Austen's classic tale of the tangled relationships between lovers from different social classes in 19th century England. Feisty heroine Elizabeth Bennet (Lily James) is a master of martial arts and weaponry and the handsome Mr. Darcy (Sam Reilly) is a fierce zombie killer, yet the epitome of upper class prejudice. As the zombie outbreak intensifies, they must swallow their pride and join forces on the blood-soaked battlefield.

I don't think I've ever read Pride and Prejudice (I know!), just not my cup of tea, but I did read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies a long time ago. I remember liking it, but not loving it. The trailer just looked too good to not give the movie a go.

What a lot of freaking fun this movie was! Regency makes me throw up in my mouth a little, but  this one had me cheering for the Bennett sisters and swooning over Col. Darcy. It was a great combination of action, romance and zombie killing mayhem. Perfect Valentine's Day movie.

The costumes were beautiful and Col. Darcy wore a sexy, black, long leather coat. The violence and gore are just this side of PG-13. Heads explode, and appendages are hacked off, but you don't really see a lot of blood. Matter of fact, the Bennett sisters plow through a ball room of zombies and don't get a speck on their beautiful gowns.

This is a must see if you like the trailer, you pretty much get what you see. I prefer seeing this one on the big screen...did I mention Col. Darcy?

4 "head-stomping" Sheep

SharonS

Movie Review: The 5th Wave (spoiler-free)

The 5th Wave (2016)
Directed By: J Blakeson
Written By: Susannah Grant, Akiva Goldsman, Jeff Pinkner
Cast: Maika Monroe, Liev Schreiber, Chloë Grace Moretz, Nick Robinson, Maria Bello, Maggie Siff
Rating: PG-13 (for violence and destruction, some sci-fi thematic elements, language and brief teen partying)
Genre: Action & Adventure, Mystery & Suspense, Science Fiction & Fantasy
Runtime: 1 hr. 52 min.
Sony Pictures - Official Site
16-year-old Cassie Sullivan tries to survive in a world devastated by the waves of an alien invasion that has already decimated the population and knocked mankind back to the Stone Age.
After hearing such bad things about this movie I was a little hesitant, but my daughter read the book and really wanted to see it. It wasn't as bad as I was lead to believe. The beginning, when the world was being destroyed by an alien force, was dark, intense and well done. It was based on a young adult book, so the cast is full of pretty kids who look good even after running for their lives through the woods. And not really a spoiler, but all of their parents are dead.

There are some pretty good twists, if you don't think too hard...I kind of figured things out, but the big mystery is what the 5th wave will be. Pretty freaking clever of the aliens to think of it. This is pretty much a drama, but there are a few lighter moments.

When it comes to YA action movies, the writers tend to screw up the "love story." In the book, the love story happens over hundreds of pages and makes sense. In movies, short cuts are taken to get the romance aspect included. If they had just concentrated on the action and used a subtler touch with the romance, this would have gotten a better rating from me. But...they did try to include it and even my 14 year old daughter was rolling her eyes at how corny and awkward it was. And it didn't escape her attention that it was implied that the hero and heroine got "busy" in the back of a car. My daughter looked at me and said "She's only 16." The hero is at least 18...just saying...

The movie was entertaining and had its moments. The big action scenes are fun on a big screen and if you have teenagers who like these types of movies (and cute actors) then they will enjoy going. Adults...it is a good story, but wait for the DVD. And you might throw-up in your mouth a bit at the proclamation of love by the hero.

3.5 "glowing green" Sheep

SharonS

Movie Review: Goosebumps (2015)

Goosebumps (2015)
Rating: PG (for scary and intense creature action and images, and for some rude humor)
Genre: Horror, Kids & Family, Mystery & Suspense
Directed By: Rob Letterman
Written By: Mike White, Darren Lemke,Scott Alexander, Larry Karaszewski, R.L. Stine
Oct 16, 2015
Runtime: 1 hr. 43 min.
Sony Pictures - Official Site
Upset about moving from a big city to a small town, teenager Zach Cooper (Dylan Minnette) finds a silver lining when he meets the beautiful girl, Hannah (Odeya Rush), living right next door. But every silver lining has a cloud, and Zach's comes when he learns that Hannah has a mysterious dad who is revealed to be R. L. Stine (Jack Black), the author of the bestselling Goosebumps series. It turns out that there is a reason why Stine is so strange... he is a prisoner of his own imagination - themonsters that his books made famous are real, and Stine protects his readers by keeping them locked up in their books. When Zach unintentionally unleashes the monsters from their manuscripts and they begin to terrorize the town, it's suddenly up to Stine, Zach, and Hannah to get all of them back in the books where they belong. Note: Scholastic has sold over 400 million Goosebumps books worldwide in 32 languages since the series introduction in 1992, earning critical acclaim and dominating global best seller lists. R.L. Stine has been recognized as one of the bestselling children's authors in history. (c) Sony

I will start this by saying I've never read a Goosebumps book, but I'm guessing this would be a fun trip down memory lane for those who have. It was a cute movie, but very predictable (there was one twist I didn't see coming). It was one big cliche, including the dialogue, but I am not their target audience. The CGI was good and the movie was action packed. While I wasn't blow away by it and would have been just as happy to have seen it on DVD, my husband and 14 year old daughter loved it. They gave it 4 sheep. 

If you are looking for something entertaining for your young teens to do on a weekend or rainy day, this will fit the bill and worth a matinee price. Be sure to check out the cute cameo by R.L. Stine at the end of the movie.

3 1/2 "Slappy" Sheep

SharonS

Movie Review: Hotel Transylvania 2

Hotel Transylvania 2

Release date: September 25, 2015 
Director: Genndy Tartakovsky
Production company: Sony Pictures Animation
Distributor: Columbia Pictures

Now that Dracula (Adam Sandler) has opened the Hotel Transylvania's doors to humans, things are changing for the better; however, Drac is secretly worried that his half-human grandson, Dennis, isn't showing his vampire side. So, while Mavis and Johnny are away, Drac enlists his friends to help him put the boy through a "monster-in-training" boot camp. But things really get batty when Drac's cantankerous, old-school dad (Mel Brooks) pays an unexpected visit.


If you plan on seeing this movie...just...don't. *shakes head and walks away*

1/2 sheep (cause I might have laughed once)

 

Movie Review: 22 Jump Street

22 Jump Street (2014)
R, 1 hr. 50 min.
Action & Adventure, Comedy
Directed By: Phil Lord , Chris Miller (VII)
In Theaters: Jun 13, 2014 Wide
Box Office:$57.1M
Sony Pictures After making their way through high school (twice), big changes are in store for officers Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) when they go deep undercover at a local college. But when Jenko meets a kindred spirit on the football team, and Schmidt infiltrates the bohemian art major scene, they begin to question their partnership. Now they don't have to just crack the case - they have to figure out if they can have a mature relationship. If these two overgrown adolescents can grow from.

*giggle,snort* I'm still laughing. This was a hilarious movie. Jonah Hill and Channing (OMFG) Tatum have great comedic chemistry. We took our 13 year old daughter and she loved it too. It is rated R for language. One of the funniest scenes is when Tatum is running around the 22 Jump Street shouting the F-word over and over. Can't tell you why because it is one of the biggest Oh Snap! moments of the movie. Some of the funniest scenes are during the ending credits.

Do you need to see it on the big screen to enjoy it? No, comedy is funny no matter where you see it, but if you are looking for something to do to avoid the summer heat and have fun with some friends then this is a must.

gratuitous Tatum pic

4.5 "bromance sheep"

Sharon Stogner

Movie Review: Hotel Transylvania

Hotel Transylvania 
Director: Genndy Tartakovsky
Writers: Peter Baynham , Robert Smigel
Starring: Adam Sandler, Kevin James and Andy Samberg
Hotel Transylvania (2012) 91 min
Animation | Comedy | Family
28 September 2012 

Welcome to the Hotel Transylvania, Dracula's lavish five-stake resort, where monsters and their families can live it up, free to be the monsters they are without humans to bother them. On one special weekend, Dracula has invited some of the world's most famous monsters - Frankenstein and his wife, the Mummy, the Invisible Man, a family of werewolves, and more - to celebrate his daughter Mavis' 118th birthday. For Drac, catering to all of these legendary monsters is no problem - but his world could come crashing down when a human stumbles on the hotel for the first time and takes a shine to Mavis. http://www.welcometohotelt.com/ 

“I didn't do that” and "Blah, blah, blah" are phrases your kids will be saying after watching Hotel Transylvania. We took our 11 year old daughter to see this and we all enjoyed ourselves. It is the typical kid movie troupe; parent afraid to let their 118 year old child grow up and go out in the world by themselves, but with monsters. 

Dracula built a hotel 118 years ago so monsters would have a place to go where the mean evil humans couldn't hurt them with pitch forks and fire. What Drac doesn't realize is the world is a very different place now. When Jonathan, a slightly clueless backpacking adventurer stumbles into the hotel on the eve of his daughter Mavis’s birthday Dracula panics and tries to pass him off as a monster. Jonathan turns Dracula’s very dull and repetitive birthday celebration, Drac is a bit of a control freak by the way, into something fun and exciting and making friends with all the monsters. Of course he and Mavis “zing!” when they meet and Dracula is not happy. 

Murry, Frank, Drac,Wayne and Griffin

Dracula is a loving doting dad. His lost his true love to an angry mob right after Mavis was born and vowed to protect her from humans, even if that meant deceiving her. All of Dracula’s friends: the wolf man, Frankenstein, the mummy and invisible man are hilarious. There is even sheep in the movie! I kid you not…of course they don’t fare very well, but I don’t want to spoil that for you. The movie score is pop with rapping and techno parodies that your kids will recognize. 

This movie is a lot of fun, with great dialogue, a sweet family theme and a sappy love story. The voice casting was perfect and it is a visually fabulous movie. A must see. Oh! there are lots of zombies...but if you are a card carrying member of P.E.T.Z (People for the Ethical Treatment of Zombies) you might not like what you see <G>.

5 “get out of the road!” Sheep

Sharon Stogner (edit BAK)

Sheep Movie Review: Men In Black III

PG-13, 1 hr. 45 min.

Action & Adventure, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Comedy

Directed By: Barry Sonnenfeld

Written By: Lowell Cunningham

Sony Pictures

official movie site

In Men in Black 3, Agents J (Will Smith) and K (Tommy Lee Jones) are back...in time. J has seen some inexplicable things in his 15 years with the Men in Black, but nothing, not even aliens, perplexes him as much as his wry, reticent partner. But when K's life and the fate of the planet are put at stake, Agent J will have to travel back in time to put things right. J discovers that there are secrets to the universe that K never told him -- secrets that will reveal themselves as he teams up with the young Agent K (Josh Brolin) to save his partner, the agency, and the future of humankind. -- (C) Sony

Everyone wants to know…is it worth seeing? Yes! At least I think so, but it started out a little awkward for me. Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones have aged a lot since the last film. It was kind of jarring, but they didn’t try and pretend the movie happens right after the end of the second one; Agents K and J have been working together 15 years when this movie begins. I think the writers came up with a clever story angle with this one and pulled it off beautifully. Watching Josh Brolin as a younger Agent K was definitely worth the price of admission. Agent K of the past is much more lighthearted and optimistic than future K and Agent J has always wondered why K acts the way he does. The answer was touching and added a nice twist to the story.

scary dude with freaking hands

 One thing to be careful is taking younger kids if they get scared. The bad guy, Boris the Animal, is pretty bad and he kills lots of aliens and people by impaling them with spikes...in the head. I like the darker edge to the villain but small children might not. One of my favorite characters was Griffin, he is the last of his kind and can see infinite futures. He is such a lovable character and even though he dresses and acts silly, there is a deeper message there.

Here is Griffin, isn't he cute!

The film is full of snarky one liners, lots of action and a great ending that will warm your heart. I feel it was worth the matinee price. I don’t think seeing it in 3D would have enhanced my experience though so you might want to save that money.

4 “You must have come from the planet DAMN!” Sheep

Before you leave, do us a favor and look at the flashy thing....

...you will pledge loyalty to I Smell Sheep, send us moon pies and Kool Aid *Katie pokes Sharon* OUCH! Okay...and smexy men, send lots of smexy men. be nice to sheep and people, have a nice day.