BEAUTY AND THE BEAST [2017]

Twilight: Breaking Dawn director Bill Condon faithfully adapts Disney's animated classic Beauty and the Beast into a live-action musical.
The story of a young woman who falls in love with a monstrous fella that lives within a magical castle keeps Alan Menken & Howard Ashman's iconic songs firmly intact much to the pleasure of fans of the original film.  However heavily auto-tuned Emma Watson's flat-lining performance is far too dull to equal the strength of her character's beliefs.  Dan Stevens does his best as the Beast underneath a heavy layer of poorly rendered CGI fur but it's simply never enough to ignore it's artificial look.  Thankfully Luke Evans & Josh Gad are entertaining bad-boy scene-stealers, while Ewan McGregor & Emma Thompson's voice-work an absolute delight.  For an extravagant musical the camerawork is an absolute bore that never quite elevates the film to majesty it should have been.  Close but no cigar.

2½ really annoying singing wardrobes out of 5

PIXELS [2015]

With lowered expectations Chris Columbus' Adam Sandler sci-fi/comedy, Pixels, is actually pretty watchable as something mildly entertaining.
It is indeed a fantasy universe when it's folks like Sandler, Josh Gad, Peter Dinklage & U.S. President Kevin James saving the world from aliens who have taken the form of classic '80's arcade characters.
It'd be too easy to dismiss Pixels as simply dumb but it really is just that.   Sandler steps back, yawning, and allows Gad & Dinklage to steal every scene they're in which makes for the best bits in the movie (which still isn't much).  There was a lot of potential to get something as hilariously imaginative as Ghostbusters but instead we get another Evolution.
Funny how all three films mentioned in this review feature Danny Aykroyd.  Coincidence?

2 Paperboys out of 5

WISH I WAS HERE [2014]

The humorous drama Wish I Was Here has passion project for actor/director/co-writer Zach Braff written all over it.
Braff plays a down-in-the-dumps family man who's struggling as an actor that finds himself at a huge turning point in his life when he discovers his father is dying of cancer.  Through all the cookie-cutter timed indie-rock songs, smug observations on everyday life and "edgy" cuteness, Braff explores some pretty heavy themes that ground it with fluffy grace.  I appreciated the comfort zone laughs and tears but found it did nothing to make it stand apart from all the other films like it.  It's a good film but I wish it were great, considering the acting talent and other potentials it had going for it.

3 swear jars out of 5

FROZEN [2013]

Disney loosely adapts Hans Christian Anderson's The Snow Queen for it's 53rd animated film, Frozen.
It goes without saying that it's visually astounding, the voice acting is energetically entertaining and several of the songs are very likeable.
However it lacks in a well-fleshed out story, that makes it very apparent that Disney tried to bury many of the darker undertones and conflicts of the characters underneath a heavy helping of animated glee.  The lack of a memorable villain hurts the impact of the tale as well and in that makes for a boring finale that leaves much to be desired when all is said and done.
Criticism aside, it's a perfectly fine film for the kids and I would gladly watch it again in the company of my niece and nephew.

3 trading posts...and saunas out of 5

LOVE & OTHER DRUGS [2010]

Director Edward Zwick takes a bit of a turn for himself in the romantic drama genre with Love & Other Drugs.

Anne Hathaway and Jake Gyllenhaal have a fantastic chemistry together, that I fear without them, the whole film might have fallen apart.  The story is predictable, although there are some interesting new elements thrown into the tired formula, but the relationship between the two is so well written it kept my interest.  It's not everyday a film perfectly captures an adult relationship like this and not come off as overly phony.

Not a great film but in the end, you realize it could have been A LOT worse.

3 crutch drugs out of 5