December In The Dark

I have been battling a very nasty virus over the last couple of days so I haven't had the energy to do much of anything. That includes writing a post. 

But I'm feeling better today so now it's time to catch up with you. 

I have already shared with you in detail where I spent a few days last month including visiting with my sister and her family and time in the Smokies with my wife. 

But Paula and I also spent a lot of our December time together in the dark. Well, not totally in the dark, there was the flicker of the light from the projector. 

Over the course of a two week period, we saw 5 movies. Here's a list of what we was and what I thought of them. 

Collateral Beauty: Will Smith is billed as the star of this movie and he does play the main character but this film is packed with stars. I found this film somewhat predictable and emotionally manipulating. Because I liked the actors I enjoyed the movie. Paula liked it more than I did. If we buy this on home video it will be at her request.

Moana: This holiday release under the Disney name is visually enjoyable. The main character is not as strong as some of Disney's recent female leads. But newcomer, Auli'i Cravalho does a good job as the title character. As always, Dwayne Johnson as the Demigod, Maui, is very entertaining. I didn't care at all for Moana's pet rooster.
  
Because of the polytheistic theme of the film I wouldn't recommend it for kids. I will own this one but only to keep my Disney collection intact. 

Passengers: Take Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence, put them in a si-fi situation that makes them a type of interstellar Adam & Eve and you can't lose right? Wrong. Even though it's visually pleasing and there's a ship that's like a hybrid of the one from "The Martian" and "WALL*E" the movie leaves a lot of potential on the table. Again, I liked the stars so that made the 2 hours somewhat enjoyable. However there's a surprise plot twist that is extremely disturbing. I'd say this is a good date movie. Guys will like the si-fi and the gals will appreciate the romance.

Sing: An animated animal version of American Idol that I think was either too late or too early depend on your perspective. Because of all the singing based reality TV shows over the last decade or so I think that I have become a bit desensitized about "rags to riches" stories of talent show contestants. That's why I think this this movie is about 10 years too late. It would have been a much bigger hit back when "Idol" was the most popular show on TV. 
I also think that because Zootopia was a way much better movie. "Sing" shouldn't have been released until sometime in 2017. By then the Disney box office hit would out of the public's mind and there would be a bit of nostalgia for "American Idol". Still, it's a good movie for the entire family. 

Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them: Although we saw this one back in November, when it was first released my wife wanted to see it again. Just like Harry Potter movies, I was more interested in the world that this move takes place in than the overall "good vs evil" plot. 

I think the main characters were okay but not very impressive. I like the relationship between Chastity Barebone and Kolwalski, the "No-Mag" more than anything else. Still if you are a JK Rowling fan you will enjoy this one. I can assure you this will be our home the very day it comes our on BluRay.

So there you have my impressions of what we saw during December. I'm interested in what you think about any or all of these movies. Feel free to comment on my Facebook page (if you're not already a "FB friend" send me a request) or sent me an email (RHavens1423@aol.com). 

With the start of 2017 there's a list of several movies I'm looking forward to but a lot of them are months away from release. 

I'm usually a bit apprehensive about movies that are released in January.  Historically it's the time of the year that studios release their projects not predicted to do well at the box office. 

But there are a couple that may be worth going to see. I'm looking forward to, Hidden Figures. It tells a portion of NASA's history that has gone untold until now. 

"Patriots Day" which was a December release is also one I wouldn't mind seeing. 

"A Dog's Purpose" looks promising and I will probably go see it. But I'm not expecting much except blatant pulling at my heart strings.   

Going to the movies in 2017 is going to be a bit of a challenge for me. In an effort to be healthier, I have made a resolution not to eat popcorn at the theater until I've made my goal. That's going to be hard but I've done it before just not for so long. Wish me luck.