Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle

PG-13
1h 59min
Action, Adventure, Comedy

Cast:
Dwayne Johnson
Kevin Hart
Jack Black
Karen Gillan
Rhys Darby
Bobby Cannavale
Nick Jonas

Four high school kids discover an old video game console and are drawn into the game’s jungle setting, literally becoming the adult avatars they chose. What they discover is that you don’t just play Jumanji – you must survive it. To beat the game and return to the real world, they’ll have to go on the most dangerous adventure of their lives, discover what Alan Parrish left 20 years ago, and change the way they think about themselves – or they’ll be stuck in the game forever.

Thoughts:
I didn’t have to work Saturday so my son Anthony asked me if I wanted to do something. We decided we’d go out to eat and then a movie. We asked my other son Jeremy and his wife Susie if they wanted to go with us and ended up going to Outback Steak House and then to see Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle. My grandson Jordan went to Outback with us but then had to go to work.

I saw the first Jumanji years ago when it came out and liked it so I figured I’d like this too.

I didn’t just like it, I loved it! It started out good and just kept getting better. I loved the actors and they all did a great job with their characters. It was really funny but also had some white knuckle moments, and I enjoyed every second of it. I think it was a lot better than the first one.

This movie is so good that I plan on buying it so I can watch it over and over.

Have you seen it? If not I recommend you do. Fantastic movie!

A delightful comedy that stars two-time Academy Award winner Sally Field as Doris, a shy accounting clerk who has never ventured out of her comfort zone and lives vicariously through her colorful daydreams. Life throws her a curveball when a new co-worker, John (Max Greenfield), joins the company. Doris is inspired finally to take control of her life, and her newfound courage takes her on an extraordinary adventure more exciting than anything she could dream up.

Sally Field: Doris Miller
Max Greenfield:John Fremont
Tyne Daly: Roz

Thoughts
Two weeks ago my friend Nancy and I went out to eat and saw the movie Hello, My Name Is Doris. I’ve loved everything I’ve seen with Sally Field so I was sure I’d love this movie.

Doris has spent many years taking care of her ailing mother so she’s very much an introvert who only has a few friends. When her mom passes, she attends a self help seminar. She tells the host she has feelings for her new coworker but thinks it’s impossible for them to have a relationship. He tells her nothing is impossible, and instead to change the word impossible to I’m possible. That starts a change in Doris who breaks out of her shell and becomes a very quirky new Doris. She starts getting dating advice from her friends 13 yr. old daughter. Things go from funny to hilarious as Doris makes her way out of her shell.

The ending left room for a sequel, and hopefully one will come out soon.

This was one of the best movies I’ve seen in a long time. I love Sally Field and she played Doris perfectly. If you haven’t seen this yet, I hope you decide to. I love it!

Big Driver by Stephen King

Maria Bello: Tess Thorne
Ann Dowd: Ramona Norvell
Will Harris: Lester
Joan Jett: Betsy
Olympia Dukak: Doreen
Jennifer Kydd: Patsy
Andre Myette:Lester’s Brother

Now a Lifetime original movie, Stephen King’s haunting story about an author of a series of mystery novels who tries to reconcile her old life with her life after a horrific attack and the one thing that can save her: Revenge.

Tess Thorne, a famous mystery writer, faces a long drive home following a book signing engagement. Advised to take a shortcut at the suggestion of the event’s planner, Tess sets out for home, well after dark. On a lonely stretch of New England road, her tire blows out, and when a man in a pick up stops, it is not to help her, but to repeatedly assault her and leave her for dead. Tess survives, and she plots a revenge that will bring her face-to-face with another stranger: the one inside herself, capable of gruesome violence.

This story was originally published in Stephen King’s acclaimed collection, Full Dark, No Stars.

Thoughts
Big Driver by Stephen King was made into a Lifetime movie and while I enjoyed watching it, the book was so much better. I know they have to cut stuff out for the sake of time, but as far as King’s books are concerned, the less they cut out the better. The rape scene was definitely a part they should have toned down some. It was far too explicit. I know that stuff doesn’t bother some people, but it does me. My thoughts are that if a child shouldn’t see it, it shouldn’t be on tv. And yes, I watched this movie on tv, not in the theater.

I liked seeing how Tess planned and executed her revenge. It was hard for her to do but she did it anyway. She was an emotional wreck from the time she was attacked and all through, and after, she got her revenge. She was a force to be reckoned with for sure. I love strong female characters like Tess.

All in all I loved this movie. It had a lot of action and kept my eyes glued to the tv and it was scary.

The movie was very good, but as usual I liked the book more than the movie since they cut so much out due to time.

If you like Stephen King and scary, watch this if you get a chance.

Rating: PG
Genre: Musical & Performing Arts , Kids & Family
Runtime: 2 hr. 5 min.

As the result of the curse of a once-beautiful witch, a baker and his wife are childless. Three days before the rise of a blue moon, they venture into the forest to find the ingredients that will reverse the spell and restore the witch’s beauty: a milk-white cow, hair as yellow as corn, a blood-red cape, and a slipper of gold. During their journey, they meet Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel and Jack, each one on a quest to fulfill a wish.

Thoughts
I loved this movie. It was neat seeing all the characters from different classic fairy tales coming together and interacting with each other. The story is at times cute and funny, but also has some more serious scenes. It was very easy to follow. At one point I thought the movie was gearing down to end, but it picked back up and kept going. The movie seemed a bit long, but I don’t know how they could have cut anything out. Each scene was important to lead up to the next. The ending wasn’t what I expected, but I liked it.

Somehow we missed that this was a musical. Since I’m not really a fan of musicals, I didn’t expect to like that aspect much, but it grew on me. I was amazed at how well everyone could sing (all the cast members did their own singing). They all did a great job of acting their parts too.

Meryl Streep did an awesome job of playing the witch. Of course she did, she’s amazing in everything. I also think the other actors were perfectly cast. The one that stands out in my mind the most was Depp as the wolf, but like Streep, he is awesome in everything he does. I wish his part in the film would have been longer.

James Corden as the Baker and Emily Blunt as the Baker’s Wife were perfect. I’ve never seen Lilla Crawford or Daniel Huttlestone in anything before, but they too did awesome jobs as Little Red Riding Hood and Jack. The rest of the cast were also very good. In fact, there wasn’t anyone I didn’t think did a great job.

This would be great for families to watch together, and I would recommend it to everyone.

Cast:
Meryl Streep ~ Witch
Johnny Depp ~ Wolf
Anna Kendrick ~ Cinderella
Daniel Huttlestone ~ Jack
James Corden ~ Baker
Emily Blunt ~ Baker’s Wife
Christine Baranski ~ Stepmother
Tammy Blanchard ~ Florinda
Lucy Punch ~ Lucinda
Tracey Ullman ~ Jack’s Mother
Lilla Crawford ~ Little Red Riding Hood
Billy Magnussen ~ Rapunzel’s Prince
Mackenzie Mauzy ~ Rapunzel
Chris Pine ~ Cinderella’s Prince
Frances de la Tour ~ Giant
Tug ~ Milky-White

Frozen

Animated
Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
DVD Release Date: March 18, 2014
Run Time: 102 minutes

Featuring the voices of Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel, “Frozen” is the coolest comedy-adventure ever to hit the big screen. When a prophecy traps a kingdom in eternal winter, Anna, a fearless optimist, teams up with extreme mountain man Kristoff and his sidekick reindeer Sven on an epic journey to find Anna’s sister Elsa, the Snow Queen, and put an end to her icy spell. Encountering mystical trolls, a funny snowman named Olaf, Everest-like extremes and magic at every turn, Anna and Kristoff battle the elements in a race to save the kingdom from destruction.

Thoughts
This movie is probably the best Disney film I’ve ever seen, and since I’m an animated movie lover, I’ve seen a lot. The animation is amazing, the songs are wonderful (and stick in your head), and the story is heartwarming.

I watched this movie with my grandkids Harley and Alecia. They both loved it. In fact, it’s the first time I’ve ever known Harley to sit still through a whole movie. That kid is full of enough energy for 10 kids, so he’s always moving and talking. But he was quiet, and his eyes were glued to the screen during the whole movie. I was amazed!!

This is a movie that I think everyone would enjoy. Moms, dads, kids, grandparents…everyone!

The animation was beautiful. The movie was funny, it has a few sad parts, and it showed how much love and loyalty family members can have toward each other. It also had some bad guys and a cute, hilarious snowman. And a snow monster. A BIG snow monster.

The only negative I saw in this movie was the way Elsa’s  “special powers” affected most of her and Anna’s lives.  I don’t want to say anymore about this in case you haven’t seen the movie, but if you do watch it, you’ll know what I’m talking about.

If you haven’t seen this movie yet, buy a copy or rent it. I rented it but now want to buy a copy so we can watch it again and again. It’s that good!!

Here is a link to the book @ Amazon

 Kid Konnection is a regular weekend feature about anything related to children’s books. If you’d like to share a post related to children’s books(picture, middle grade, or young adult)from the past week, visit Booking Mama.