WALL-E

Rating:  A+

WALL-E is the last robot on earth, doing his job picking up the trash.  His happy little life is disrupted when another robot, Eve, comes to town.

I had no idea what to expect out of this movie.  The last two Pixar films I thought were good but not the greatest.  This little movie is WONDERFUL!!!   More than a robot movie, it’s a love story.  I would see it again and again.  It is definitely for all ages.

Oh, and there is no dialog for the first 45 minutes.  You don’t miss it.

The short they play prior to the movie, Presto, is genius.  LOL funny.

Technorati Tags: WALL-E, Pixar, John Ratzenberger, Andrew Stanton, Presto

Summer Magic

Rating: B

Disney movie from the 1960s.  A widow and her three children must give up their affluent life in Boston and move to the country in Maine due to a money issue.  They reinvent their life in the country with the help of Burl Ives.

I hadn't seen this before and I thought it was cute.  Not one I must own but it is worth a look.  Has a song in it "The Ugly Bug Ball" that I had heard before but not known where it came from...very cute.  I wasn't expecting this to be a musical but they broke into song with regularity.

Technorati Tags: Summer Magic,Hayley Mills,Burl Ives,Michael J Pollard,Ugly Bug Ball

Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At World's End

Rating: C+

The gang is back and on the hunt for Capt. Jack Sparrow.  They find him and then things get interesting.

I'm not sure how to summarize this movie.  I thought it was really strange and quite boring when Johnny Depp wasn't in it.  Not that I love all things Depp but Jack Sparrow is the most interesting thing about these movies.  There were too many twists and turns and characters selling out other characters and it got quite confusing.  Some good battle scenes.  Unless you have to see it - take a pass.

Technorati Tags: POTC, Pirates of the Caribbean, Johnny Depp, Kiera Knightly, Orlando Bloom, Geoffrey Rush, Bill Nighy, Jerry Bruckheimer

Ratatouille

Grade:  B

Premise:  A rat named Remy hooks up with a wanna be chef, Linguini, and cook up some food.

Recommend:  I want to say "YES"!  But I can't .  The first 1/2 of this movie is SO BORING.  I love all things Pixar and I was wondering if I should leave or stick with it.  Fortunately, I decided to stick with it because the second half of the movie was fantastic!  I can actually remember the scene in the movie where I noticed that I was enjoying it.   The kids in the audience were laughing through the whole movie but, if you are an adult, rent it.  Hate to say it.  I will still buy it but it really isn't that great.   I must say that the Pixar short "Lifted" that shows prior to the movie is genius.  The animation, of course, is unbelievable.

Technorati Tags: Ratatouille, Disney, Pixar, Remy

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

Grade: B-/C+

Premise: Captain Jack Sparrow is looking for the chest that contains Davy Jones' Heart. Unfortunately, he isn't the only one.

Recommend?: Yes. The only reason I recommend this is because there are some (few) interesting scenes and the effects are great. Unfortunately - only about 20% of the movie is good..the rest is pretty boring. There is sort of a suprise ending that points to what the third movie is about. Keira Knightley is still annoying.

Johnny Depp Orlando Bloom Pirates

Cars

Grade:B+

Premise: Race Car gets stuck in a town full of hicks on Route 66.

Recommend?: Not my favorite of the Disney/Pixar films but I did enjoy it. Probably on par with "A Bugs Life". The racing sequences are fantastic and some of the animation looks real until you see the faces on the cars.

Snowball Express

Grade: A

Premise: A New York accountant inheirits a hotel in Colorado and decides to move his family there

Recommend?:Yes, This is a great old Disney movie - from early 70s I believe. Stars Dean Jones and Nancy Olson. Really cute and holds up for the 2000s.

Snowball Express

Sky High

Grade: B

Premise: Power-less child of two superheroes becomes a freshman at a high school for superheroes kids.

Recommend?: Yes. DH & I went to see this just to get out of the heat of the afternoon and really enjoyed it. It's not going to change your life or anything - just a lighthearted and fun FAMILY movie. There were kids of all ages there and they all seemed to enjoy it. There are some laugh out loud moments. Kurt Russell looks like he is have a good time with his part. Appropriate for kids of all ages.

Tags: Sky High Kurt Russell Kelly Preston Disney Movie Review

Brother Bear

Grade: B-

Premise: Native American boy loses his brother to a bear - then becomes a bear.

This was on cable and, being the Disney fan that I am, decided to suck it up and watch it. I expected it to be terrible. Surprisingly - it wasn't. I even got a little teary eyed at the end. If you've been on the fence about this one - check it out...you may be pleasantly surprised!

The Incredibles

Grade: A

Premise: Family of retired superheroes come out of hiding to save the day.

The movie starts out slow (could have shaved off 15 minutes of the first 1/2 hour) but the rest of the movie just flys by. The animation is Pixar's best. The story is great - a LOT of laugh out loud moments. I would rate this up with Toy Story. It has a PG rating for the following (that I could figure out): some sexual overtones (light), lots of guns, characters dying. I think that you could still take a young kid to see this.

Ella Enchanted

Grade: C
Premise: based on a children's book, Ella of Frell is given the gift of obedience from her nutcase fairy godmother. On her way to get it the curse lifted she meets a prince.

Well it ended up being a lot cuter than I thought it might. Like Anne Hathaway a lot. Did the thing from A Knight's Tale of using current songs in the movie and for the most part it worked. The ending sucked (another song)... If your kids drag you to this you will be entertained but glad it's over.

Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement

Grade: C
Premise: Princess Mia has to get married in order to be queen of Genovia.

Hmmm...Could have been much better. First one was great. Cool scene where Julie Andrews sings again. Little girls will like this a lot. The cat "Fat Louie" is probably the best character! Will buy it to complete the series but I could have passed on seeing it in the theater.

The Happiest Millionaire

Grade: A
Premise: Eccentric Millionaire has to deal with his daughter getting married.

Definitely a Disney film. This flick is excessively long - almost 3 hours. It's got some great catchy songs and introduces John Davidson of all people. Fred MacMurray is great.

The Haunted Mansion

Grade: D
Premise: The Evers family goes to Gracie mansion thinking they are going to sell it. Turns out the old ghost that lives there wants to marry Mrs. Evers.

Meh, this movie was really short on funny moments. The best parts are less than a few minutes long and that is with the singing heads in the cemetary. Kids might like this but I was bored to tears...Don't bother. If you have to bother - you will be able to get through it.

Freaky Friday (2003)

Grade: B
Premise: Spoiled brat of a daughter switches bodies with her uptight mother...then they "understand each other".

I was expecting this to really suck but I have to say that I enjoyed it. I really like the original 1970s version but this held up. So far, Disney has done really well with their updated remakes. I also enjoyed "the Parent Trap" remake, also with Lindsey Lohan. Although I must clarify that I don't own any of the remakes...I only own the originals. Jamie Lee Curtis is wonderful.
Definitely a renter if you want a lighthearted movie, have kids and are a chick.