Movie Review ~ One Child Nation

One Child Nation

Documentary done by Nanfu Wang and Jialing Zhang,

This movie focuses in on the One Child policy in China and the detrimental outcome of having such a policy in place. First off, I had heard of the policy that China started in 1979 and was in full affect in their constitution by 1983. I was under the impression that if a family had a girl they could try again for a boy with a fine. I was not prepared for the reality of the situation. I knew it was a huge issue with female children as in America there was an influx of Chinese born US adopted girls. Even in small town USA middle of nowhere still had at least a child adopted this way. What I, nor I could safely assume, the parents of those children knew was the full affect of how they were able to adopt them. What was really happening in China and the aftereffects of this policy.

This documentary opened my eyes to what living in a communist country would and could potential be like. It brought up the questions that women all over the world wrestle with daily: This is my body why is someone else trying to decide what I can and can not do with it? The things that happened to the women in China is unspeakable. They had forced sterilizations, babies were stolen from them, twins were separated. They had to decide to leave their babies on the side of the road in hopes someone would take them or sell them to traffickers. Wondering 30 years later what had become of their daughters. The sheer number of children that were adopted overseas during this time is heart wrenching according to this documentary it was over 130,000 children. Those were the ones that were adopted there is no telling how many were aborted in their 8 or 9 months, or killed after birth by the midwife, or left on the side of the road to die. This documentary did a fantastic job at opening my eyes to those who were survivors both still in China and those living in the United States wrestling with the aftermath of what happened.

This film is an excellent documentary that just touches on the surface of the issues that China has faced the last 30 years. I am very interested now in seeing what the results of this policy will have long term. And in case you might be wondering China now has adopted Two Children one for the elder to play with, and one so that the elders can be taken care of.

Monday's Movie Review ~ Jurassic World

Title: Jurassic World
Released: 6/2015
Actors:
Chris Pratt
and more people you may recognize but can't play other than Nike from from New Girl

Summary: 

1. Located off the coast of Costa Rica, the Jurassic World luxury resort provides a habitat for an array of genetically engineered dinosaurs, including the vicious and intelligent Indominus rex. When the massive creature escapes, it sets off a chain reaction that causes the other dinos to run amok. Now, it's up to a former military man and animal expert (Chris Pratt) to use his special skills to save two young brothers and the rest of the tourists from an all-out, prehistoric assault.
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Thoughts: 
First off once you've seen Jurassic Park you have seen the mother load. And let me be clear the first one still holds up to this day. I made Momma G watch it first before we went to this one just in case they referenced it in this movie and yes folks they did (props to them for doing that and I added bonus points to the grade and recommendations because of it). Otherwise take the first movie add it some extra bang, move dinos, extra blood and guts and you have the new movie. Cause honestly that is all this is other than a woman running around in heels through the whole movie and well Chris Pratt... 

Who while a hawt man and all is no Jeff Goldblum from the original Jurassic Park :) just saying

That being said it was a good enough movie to keep me entertained. I was surprised about it and there were a few twist and turns that I was entertained enough to not roll my enough they got stuck. I enjoyed the action, the hunting, the *le sigh* romance that now every action movie must have, and the new dino they invented. I have to say that I saw a lot of the "twist" coming but hey it's hard to fool this old bird any more. That being said like I stated in the very beginning once you've seen Jurassic Park it's hard to surprise anyone and if you've seen Jurassic Park what's the point of watching anything else other than to see the dinos again?!?! Am I right, am I? you know I am. No one wanted to see anything other than the T-rex and we got that. We wanted to see Raptors and we got that. We wanted kids in danger cause that's what the first movie had. And we wanted 2 people who don't have kids but felt bad that 2 kids were trying to survive with a "man eating dinos" after them going into the big bad scary dark woods after said kids to "save" them because hey that's what the first movie had and you know what that's what we got. Along the way we got some new adventures, new deaths, new twists, and lots of humans being eaten WAY more than the first because hey we wanted that too. 
We may or may not have even gotten a Jimmy Buffet cameo

Alright all in all not a bad one just not the original one :)

Final Grade: B
Is this a re-watch: Sure I hated Jurassic Park 2 & 3 but this one was okay enough that I would see it again. 
Would I recommend: Yeah it was a good summer flick to keep us entertained until the next big thing. 

Monday's Movie Review ~ NIghtcrawler

Title: Nightcrawler
Released: 10/2014
Actors:
Jake Gyllenhaal
Rene Russo
Riz Ahmed
Bill Paxton

Summary:
When Louis Bloom, a driven man desperate for work, muscles into the world of L.A. crime journalism, he blurs the line between observer and participant to become the star of his own story. Aiding him in his effort is Nina, a TV-news veteran.

Thoughts: 
Okay first off this one got a lot of great reviews and in hindsight that should have been a tip off for me that I wasn't going to like. 9 times out 10 if the critics love it I end up hating it and sadly while I din't hate this one per say it wasn't my favorite. Maybe it was the topic or maybe it was the fact that I just don't do well with drama, but this movie just was too much for me. I though the actors and actress did well in don't get me wrong. Jake played a very convincing creepy guy that hey I bought and well Rene did very well playing a role that I believed. But lands I just did not enjoy this movie. It was like a Gone Girl for me I felt dirty watching it and wanted nothing to do with it. The difference was with Gone Girl there was something there that held my attention and kept me wanting to know what would happen next while with this movie I just got to a point I didn't care enough to want to know what would happen next. I found myself fast forwarding through parts and wishing upon wishing this had been about the Xmen Nightcrawler and not whatever the hell this ended up being about instead. (they psyched me out with the titled not going to lie) needless to say this wasn't a favorite for me.

Final Grade: D
Will I re-watch: Nope
Would I recommend: Not really unless  I hear of someone who loves one of the actors listed above works and hadn't heard of it. 

Monday Movie Review ~ TinkerBell and the Legend of the NeverBeast

Title: Tinkerbell and the Legend of the NeverBeast
Released: March 15, 2015

Summary:

Fun and talented animal fairy Fawn believes you can't judge a book by its cover, or an animal by its fangs, so she befriends a huge and mysterious creature known as the NeverBeast. While Tink and her friends aren't so sure about this scary addition to Pixie Hollow, the elite Scout Fairies set out to capture the monster before he destroys their home. Fawn must trust her heart and take a leap of faith if she hopes to rally the girls to save the NeverBeast. 

Thoughts: 

I have to say this was one of the saddest Tinkerbell movies I have ever seen. I cried like a freaking baby when watching it and SPOILER alert it is freaking sad and doesn't end on a happy ever after note. Good night I'm not sure this is one that I will ever watch again for that reason. Add to it what the what Walter when did fairies get soldiers? We are introduced to a new group of fairies the new one is Nyx an she is the new "anti-Fawn" so like Vivian was anti-Tink this one is the same but with Fawn. It was nice to see someone else in trouble other than Tinkberbell for once but I have to admit it was weird how little Tinkerbell played a role in this one. This is mainly about Fawn and her weird obsession with animals that are a threat or dangerous to Pixie Hollow and yet she can't seem to get it through her head why. But, in the end we all see that she was right and once again everyone was wrong. So no lesson was learned. I do have to say that it was okay as a movie not as strong as previous ones. There was no real lesson to be learned here and like I mentioned above there is some sad parts. But, it was a decent filler until they figure out what else they want us to know about Pixie Hollow. We did get little glimpses of the other fairies and this one did show us more about Fawn so we did learn about a different character and for a change it was nice. 

Final grade: B
Will I re-watch: No I think I will just stick to the one watching normally these are a an automatic re-watch cause I love the Tinkerbell movies but this one was too sad.
Would I recommend: Yes it was still part of the family world and it is still a cute kid movie.

Monday Movie Review ~ 3 Days of the Condor

For this week's review I watched

3 Days of the Condo 
Released: 1975
Actors/Actresses:
Robert Redford
Faye Dunaway
Max Von Sydow
Cliff Robertston
John Houseman

Summary:

1. On a seemingly ordinary day, Joe Turner (Robert Redford), a quiet CIA code breaker, walks into his workplace and finds that all of his coworkers have been murdered. Horrified, Joe flees the scene and tries to tell his supervisors about the tragedy. Unfortunately, he soon learns that CIA higher-ups were involved in the murders. With no one to trust, and a merciless hit man (Max von Sydow) close on his tail, Joe must somehow survive long enough to figure out why his own agency wants him dead.

Thoughts:

I have to admit when I first started watching it took me a minute to catch on to what was happening. This is my mom's favorite movie and she was dying for me to watch it. She kept claiming that this was the "father of all spy movies" and I told her there was no way that all "spy movies are based on this movie" and she disagreed. Needless to say I may have to bow to her because as it turns out a lot of the things I enjoy in spy movies are indeed in this move. For example the twist and turns. The everyday guy trying to figure out what is going on, who is the "real" bad guy and who can I "actually trust" plot twist was all in this. There was a love scene that while not as graphic as our scene now and days still uncomfortable to watch with your mother (just saying) There were a lot of times I was like (HOLY CRAP are we sure Robert Redford and Brad Pitt aren't related? I seriously couldn't get over the resemblance) but when I was able to push past it there were other times I was like man this is a great movie. 

I was intrigued by it and it held my attention. There were many times I wanted to roll my eyes but I think that is because I am cynical in nature (I know shocking) and I had many moments where I was like "He's not a field agent remember this he is not a field agent" pep talks with myself. All in all I thought they did a great job with the twists and turns and whose on what team and whose at first and whose is running home. I liked the over all job of where will Turner end up and I have to say I wanted there to be more movies. I actually found myself thinking "oh my gosh this is the baby daddy of the Bourne Identity isn't it?" I even went so far to look up the book that this whole movie is based on.

Final grade: A
Will I re-watch: Yes I actually think I would re-watch this one
Would I recommend: Yes I enjoyed it enough that if I did a spy movie night I would put this one on the list of recommendations. 

Movie Review ~ Imitation Game

Man I haven't done a movie review in like FOREVER... mainly b/c I haven't watched a movie in forever. Anyway on today's Monday movie I wanted to review the 

The Imitation Game 
Released: November (2014)
Actors/Actresses:
Benedict Cumberbatch,
Keira Knightly,
Matthew William Goode,
Mark Strong
Allen Leech.

Summary:

1. In 1939, newly created British intelligence agency MI6 recruits Cambridge mathematics alumnus Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch) to crack Nazi codes, including Enigma -- which cryptanalysts had thought unbreakable. Turing's team, including Joan Clarke (Keira Knightley), analyze Enigma messages while he builds a machine to decipher them. Turing and team finally succeed and become heroes, but in 1952, the quiet genius encounters disgrace when authorities reveal he is gay and send him to prison.

Thoughts:

Let me start by saying I went into this movie expecting a drama and a slow moving pace. I did not under any circumstances expect to be time hopped around through Alan Turing's life from "present day 1952" back to "1939" and so forth so for a few minutes it took me a minute to catch on. Add to all that my counseling side kept kicking in going dang yo he's autistic and wow he could use some ABA therapy and oh poor boy if only, kind of thinking so I had to shut that thinking down. Then I started it on a Sunday night at like 10 pm which in all actuality wouldn't be bad except it's like a 2 hour movie that is a drama so it is a slow movie.

Now that all the negative is out of the way. I can say this. It is a beautifully done movie about a misunderstood man who did nothing but save a country who was born at the wrong time to be understood and yet born at the right time to end a war. The movie was so brilliant I had to go and buy the dang book it is based on simply because I had to know more about this man and his thinking process. I wanted to know more about Mr. Turing and how he made sense of his world. I felt for him and I can only say it was because of Mr. Cumberbatch's acting because honestly (and I work with a lot of autistic kids that may or may not act like Mr. Turing, b/c we do not know that he was autistic) and they are difficult even in their easiest of moments. My heart broke with his, I sympathized with his lack of understanding at social etiquette and I just wanted him to make friends so much. I was excited when it worked and I leaped for joy when it finally did. I even wanted him to succeed even further and I wish the movie could have gone further and shown his work for the US and even more so (yes I am reading the book) but alas it was only to show his work with classified information during that particular time. But I am glad that they were able to show even that small amount.

I highly recommend this movie if you haven't seen it. It was a movie I was hesitant to watch simply based on the fact of it being a period piece and a drama but I am glad that I did.

Final grade: B
Will I re-watch: No I don't re-watch a lot of dramas
Would I recommend: yes

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Blast from the Past ~ Honey I Shrunk the Kids Movie Review

Title: Honey I Shrunk the Kids
Date of release: 1989
Method of Watching: Netflix

Summary:
The scientist father of a teenage girl and boy accidentally shrinks his and two other neighborhood teens to the size of insects. Now the teens must fight diminutive dangers as the father searches for them.

Cast:
Rick Moranis: Wayne Szalinski (Spaceballs and Ghostbusters)
Marcia Strassman: Diane Szalinski
Amy O'Neill: Amy Szalinski (took a long break and then came back in 2008 and nothing since)
Robert Oliveri: Nick Szalinski (hasn't been in anything since 1994)

Matt Frewer: Russ Thompson (TAGERT from EUREKA)
Kirstine Sutherland: Mae Thompson (BUFFY's MOM)
Thomas Wilson Brown: Little Russ Thompson (seems like a lot of small parts in a lot of movies)
Jared Rushton: Ron Thompson (kid in Big) hasn't been in anything since 2000

These were the main characters...

Thoughts:
 I can't believe how much I loved this film when I was little. Seriously I would watch it every time it came on. It was my Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter all wrapped up in one for me. And oh man did I have a crush on Russ LOL.
I have to say looking back on it this film was pretty modern for it's time. The special effects now are laughable but for 1989 they were pretty good. Also the computer is laughable (that was a side note). That being said the movie is still entertaining, still has a good over all story line and I have to say was enjoyable. I rolled my eyes very little and I admit that I even cried when Anty died (seriously was a heart jerking moment for me).
It was a flashback to my younger days and made me appreciate where I got my love of "science fiction" not to mention the dreams I had about this story. After all who didn't think it was cool. Although I did find that as an adult I did ask why would anyone want a shrink ray?!?!