What to Watch in the Theater:
What Men Want (R) is in theaters now. This story is about Ali, the only female sports agent at her firm. She’s worked hard to be part of this boy’s club, but still can’t relate to men, and it costs her the partnership she’s been expecting. After some weird tea at a psychic reading, followed by a bump on the head, she can magically hear men’s thoughts. She uses this to her advantage, but also hurt some people in the process. Although Taraji does a great job in the role, we didn’t see enough character development in Ali. Overall we were disappointed in this gender-flip remake of What Women Want (from 2000), and it wasn’t even as funny as the trailer led us to believe.
Our rating: 2.83 out of 5
Alita: Battle Angel (PG13) is in theaters now. This dystopian science fiction, set 300 years in the future, is the brainchild of James Cameron, who partnered with Robert Rodriguez to finally bring it to life. It’s a fantastical story about a world where people routinely have cyborg implants, but Alita is different. She’s patched together and brought to life by a doctor/father figure who cares for her as if she were his own daughter. She tries to learn more about her identity and past life, while becoming involved in the dangerous sport of Motorball and and even bounty hunting. It’s a thrilling adventure with heart, as we watch Alita’s humanity take control of her high-tech body.
Our rating: 4 out of 5
What to Watch at Home (Or Not):
mid90s (R) is available on DVD. We applaud Jonah Hill for getting into writing and directing, but this just wasn’t our cup of tea. The story, about a young boy who joins a group of older teen skateboarders in Los Angeles in the mid-1990s, was difficult to watch, and we’re not sure who the intended audience is. Thirteen-year-old Stevie has an abusive older brother, and admires this group, but their influence on him is destructive, and we only get a glimmer of improvement later in the film.
Our rating: 1.67 out of 5
The Goonies (PG) is available on DVD. This 1985 adventure film about a group of kids is rated a 1980’s PG, which means there is swearing and some adult references. So parents be cautioned, this is a solid PG13 in today’s market. They call themselves The Goonies, and they’re looking for one last adventure before they’ll all be forced to move out of their homes. While looking for treasure, they encounter a hideout full of bad characters, so they’re also running for their lives. Some of the characters are annoying, it’s silly and somewhat dated, but there’s a lot of good fun too. And Josh Brolin as a teenager!
We recommend this movie.
Plus box office results, what’s new on DVD and Blu-Ray, Jen’s pink carpet report for Isn’t It Romantic & more!
Watch the video from the Isn’t It Romantic premiere here.