DOOLITTLE

DOOLITTLE:  Robert Downey Jr. stars in this re-imagined tale of the Doctor who could talk to animals.   And the animals?   A splendid array of stars do the voices of these CGI wonders.  They include Emma Thompson, Rami Malek, John Cena, Octavia Spencer, Tom Holland, Ralph Fiennes, Selena Gomez and Marion Cotillard.  Other stars giving "real life" performances are Antonio Banderas, Michael Sheen and Jim Broadbent.  In a nutshell, Doolittle has become a recluse following the death of his wife (All told in an animated sequence at the beginning of the film).  The plot concerned Doolittle being dispatched to find a cure for the ailing, young Queen Victoria.  And so begins a voyage to find a magic tree whose fruit will save her.  And he his accompanied by his animal friends, a parrot, a polar bear, a gorilla, and ostrich and so on and so on.  We also get some whales and even a dragon thrown in for good measure.  But sadly, it feels like too much was simply "thrown in."   The movie, I would guess was intended for the Christmas holidays but too many hands spoiled the broth and so it is basically a film without the heart is so desperately needs.  The CGI animals are quite well done and some of it is, indeed, breathtaking but it eventually sags under it's own weight.   And when an added scene is tacked on after the closing credits just to let you know what happened to the villain, well you know you're in trouble.   The younger set will most likely forgive all the errors that the filmmakers indulged it, but it is still not what it should have been.

1917

1917:  The winner of two Golden Globe awards (Best Picture-Drama and Best Director-Sam Mendes), this epic look at WW1 is a brilliant piece of movie making.  The story of two young British soldiers assigned a nearly impossible task of going behind enemy lines to deliver a message that could potentially save countless lives including the brother of one of them.  Newcomers (to me) George MacKay and Dean-Charles Chapman portray the two men (Schofield and Blake).  The supporting cast includes Colin Firth and Benedict Cumberbatch in minor roles.   Director Mendes has delivered a film that is edited in such a way that the whole thing seems to be in one continuous shot and it is a wonder to behold.  Brutal, at times, but always honest in its portrayal of the horrors of war. There are no big battle scenes here, but rather an intimate look at soldiers doing their duty, making this a war film like no other.  Touchingly poignant at times, I found myself in tears more that once.  This is arguably one of the best films of this genre ever made.  No surprise if it also gets an Oscar nomination.

CATS

CATS:  The long-running Andrew Lloyd Weber musical has made it to the big screen.   And it's not nearly as bad as some critics would have you believe.   In fact, I found it rather charming and weirdly whimsical .  With an all-star cast including Dame Judi Dench, Sir Ian McKellen, Jennifer Hudson, Taylor Swift, Idris Elba, James Corden and Rebel Wilson, their individual "moments" worked much better on film that it did in the stage production.   Star power has it's upside after all.  The choreography by Christophe Ross is imaginative and downright thrilling at times.  The book has been reworked from the stage production and all to the better, thanks to a wonderful dancer and actress, Francesca Hayward.  While this may not be everyone's taste and it takes a bit of getting used to cats with human faces, by the time Dench appears as old Deuteronomy, I was hooked.  (There was a bit of overkill early on with the introduction of singing mice and cockroaches, but they soon were a thing of the past.)  To sum it up, if you have an open mind and believe in the wonders of film,  I think you might be pleasantly surprised.  I know I was.

LITTLE WOMEN

LITTLE WOMEN:  This retelling of the Alcott classic is definitely for a new generation and well it should be. This new batch of March women are a strong lot, particularly Jo, played beautifully by Saoirse Ronan who garnered a Golden Globe nomination.   Her sisters are portrayed equally as well....Meg (Emma Watson), Beth (Eliza Scanlen) and Amy (Florence Pugh).  Filling the role of Marmee (and doing it admirably) is Laura Dern while Aunt March is brought to life by the incandescent Meryl Streep (who brings magic to her every performance).  With Timothee Chalamer as Theodore "Laurie" Laurence and Chris Cooper as his grandfather.  While the plot is familiar, it is told with such love and caring that it becomes a fresh take on how women were pigeonholed in earlier times.  Unless you married well...…..(you get the drift).  Beautifully photographed, this film is absolutely exquisite.  It does however dart back and forth in flashbacks but they are never disconcerting.  And the ending which is totally new to this telling, feels remarkably perfect.  An extremely satisfying movie!

BOMBSHELL

BOMBSHELL:  And the nominees are...………..well, you decide...…….Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, Margot Robbie and John Lithgow are clearly in the running and certainly Theron will get a nod portraying Megyn Kelly in this look at the sexual misconduct by Roger Ailes (Lithgow) at FOX television. Told with bits of humor, the film still packs a wallop displaying the beginning of the "Me, too" movement (before Weinstein and all the others). The film is chocked full of actors portraying the likes of Rudy Giuliani, Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reillly, Judge Jeanine Pirro, Geraldo Rivera, Chris Wallace and the list goes on and on.   Among the other supporting actors are Allison Janney, Connie Briton and Malcom McDowall as Rupert Murdock.   Whatever your beliefs in politics and/or FOX news, this is a first rate portrayal of a not too bygone past.   Never boring, always madding, and worth your attention.

JUMANJI,THE NEXT LEVEL

JUMANJI, THE NEXT LEVEL:  The original cast is back and the basic formula is here as well, but given a boost with more of everything, including an ostrich stampede, attacking baboons, and some of the best CGI work you will ever see.  The plot concerns the teenagers getting sucked back into the video game where they become Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Karen Gillan, Nick Jonas, and Awkwafina,   Also on board this time around is Danny DeVito and Danny Glover as well as brief appearances by Colin Hanks and Bebe Neuwirth.   As they all switch avatars at various time, you would think it would be hard to follow, but to the credit of the screenwriters, it isn't and you are always aware what character is inhabiting which body.  And it all makes for great adventure and great fun with some witty dialogue and even an homage (in the music) to "Lawrence of Arabia."  For pure escapism, this one will be hard to beat.  An extremely entertaining trip into the land of Jumanji.

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FROZEN 2

FROZEN 2:   The long awaited sequel, has wonderful moments and some brilliant animation but the plot will be hard to follow for the younger set.   It's all about an enchanted forest with stone giants, horses made out of water, a cute little creature that carries fire on his/her back and a bunch of swirling leaves called Gale. The regulars are back, Elsa (the snow queen) voiced by Idina Menzel, Anna (Kristen Bell) Olaf, the snowman (Josh Gad) and the Disney Magic.  The musical numbers are varied and memorable as is the beautiful animation which harkens back to the Disney classics. It is quite a lovely film and one worth seeing.

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