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Reviews
The Ultimate Legacy (2016)
Decent movie, but be sure to watch the prequels first
"The Ultimate Legacy" is the last movie of the Ultimate trilogy. The movie is OK, but not as good as the original. It is a Hallmark-quality movie, definitely not a blockbuster.
In order to understand everything that's going on you will need to watch "The Ultimate Gift" and "The Ultimate Life" before this movie, possibly more than once. If you haven't seen the prequels you will be missing a lot of information about the characters and may be confused when people, places, events, and concepts from the first two movies are mentioned. For this reason "The Ultimate Legacy" does not work well as a standalone film. Each film in the trilogy is missing some information that can be found only by watching all of them.
Angels in the Snow (2015)
Has potential but just OK
The movie is your typical made-for-TV Christmas movie most of the way through - predictable plot and (for the most part) a feel-good movie. The kids are cute - the Montgomery parents are not very nice people. It is good seeing how well the two families get along despite being different in almost every way. The ending could hardly be more tragic - the fact that no one in the Montgomery family showed any emotional reaction is unrealistic.
The Ten Commandments (1956)
Great Biblical epic, good for anyone to see
When watching The Ten Commandments, I repeatedly thought, "they just don't make movies like this anymore." The huge sets and details are great, especially for their time (consider that this was made all the way back in 1956). The fact that the movie is old and made in a different period of time should not discourage you from watching it (just remember to make plenty of time in your schedule - It's almost 4 hours long). The movie does not exactly follow the Biblical text in Exodus, but it is similar. The first half of the movie can be a little slow - Most of my favorite moments (like the parting of the Red Sea and God giving Moses the Ten Commandments) are in the second half of the movie. This is a great movie to watch, especially near Passover.
National Lampoon's European Vacation (1985)
Not the best movie in the series, but not as bad as some people say
By now I've watched all 4 vacation movies. Depending on your sense of humor, you might find some funny moments in European Vacation, or not find anything funny at all. The movie begins with the Griswalds winning a vacation to Europe in a game show. Although Clark and Ellen are looking forward to the vacation, the kids don't want to go, but end up going anyway. The vacation has a problematic beginning (staying in a hotel that's not as good as advertised), and for the Griswalds, it only gets worse. Unlike in Vacation, there is no specific destination the family is trying to reach, though there are references to some past events once they reach their final destination (Rome). Some of the things they discover in Rome are the following:
(1) Before leaving home Clark made a video of Ellen, which she wanted him to erase. It becomes clear that the recording was not erased. (2) Throughout the movie Audrey has complained about leaving Jack. She sees him, or someone very similar to him, with another girl from a distance. (3) The bike rider Clark ran over in London shows up. It turns out that the accident caused more than a "flesh wound."
My least favorite thing about the movie is Audrey complaining about being away from Jack (who didn't care much about her), especially because it happens at every destination. Some people might object to the nude scenes (there are more than in the other vacation movies).
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
A classic film for people of all ages to see
I recently watched The Wizard of Oz again after not seeing it for a while. It is interesting to see how a movie made back then is still appealing to so many people, and as an adult (I was introduced to the movie as a kid) I can see how some songs like "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" are still recognized by many people, if not as well-known as before. It is also quite common for the movie to be featured in trivia, and when watching it again I noticed how it's made an impact on our culture (I've heard the expression "you won't melt" before, there's a small street named "Yellow Brick Road" in my town). The Wizard of Oz is showing its age (you can tell everything is painted, special effects we're used to seeing in newer movies weren't invented yet, and the entertainment style is old-fashioned). I've noticed a drop in the number of people who know this movie and some of our other classics like The Sound of Music (a movie made during the 1960's that has a story set during the late 1930's), but unlike other 70+ year old movies it hasn't been forgotten.
The Sound of Music (1965)
Great movie for the whole family
This movie is about a family (Von Trapp) living in Salzburg, Austria just before WW2. Maria wants to be a nun, but this is clearly not the type of life that she's meant to live. Captain Von Trapp is a widower with 7 children and is having difficulty finding a governess who wants to stay (the kids run everyone else off). At first, the kids try to make Maria leave by playing pranks on her, but they quickly find that she's different and like being with her as she finds fun things for them to do (something their father has not done), and the Captain also considers her special. To everyone's surprise, Maria disappears during a party. I won't say anything else about the plot (that's for you to find out).
The movie is great for the whole family if you like the older movies, especially musicals. You wouldn't find a new movie like this classic (entertainment has changed a lot, and many people living today were born after WW2 ended). The music and storyline make it more re-watchable than many movies I've seen, some of which I don't care to see more than once or twice (but I might become tired of this movie if I watched it every week or every month, as a few people say they do).
The Ultimate Life (2013)
If you have to choose between The Ultimate Life and The Ultimate Gift, watch The Ultimate Gift instead
When The Ultimate Life was released, I decided to go to the theater to watch it, thinking that it would be as good as The Ultimate Gift (I've watched that movie a few times, including shortly before going to see The Ultimate Life) - The Ultimate Life ended up being an unnecessary addition to the original, unless you're interested in the family's background and don't like the ending of the original movie. If you haven't seen The Ultimate Gift, be sure to watch that movie before viewing The Ultimate Life. Once again Jason is learning how to be a model citizen, but this time through reading his grandfather's journal. The prequel (most of the movie) shows Red at a young age, how the family became rich, and how his mistakes led to some of the family's problems (more money was never enough to him, he neglected his family). Red's change in character is shown, but unfortunately it came too late for his own children (most followed the bad example he set for them when they were younger). The sequel is predictable to anyone who's watched The Ultimate Gift. Some people think that this movie is Christian - The truth is that there is very little mention of God or anything else associated with Christianity (most people would agree with the movie's message, regardless of religion).
Ben-Hur (1959)
A great movie for history and old-time action scenes
I recently watched this movie again after not seeing it for many years. It was a history lesson in a way, showing the brutality of the Romans, conflict between Rome and nearby nations, a chariot race, and well-known characters from the era (such as Pontius Pilate and Jesus). The action scenes are quite interesting, especially the chariot race - Remember that it wasn't as easy to do these back when the movie was made (no CGI during the 1950's). There are also a lot of themes in the movie (such as love, hate, death, healing, sadness, joy). The movie is long (more than 3 hours), and there are moments without much action, but I never felt bored while watching it. The movie is best appreciated by someone who knows about ancient Rome and Judea, and their culture (if you don't know any of this information the movie will be difficult to understand).
George of the Jungle (1997)
Movie with humor geared toward kids
"George of the Jungle" is an earlier example of CGI movies (the jungle images here look fake compared to the ones in present-day movies). The characters are nice enough, and there are some funny moments, but the movie probably won't get many laughs from adults (George crashing into trees gets old quickly because it happens so often, and the bathroom humor is also repeated more than once), and the end of the movie is not surprising considering the plot of the story. For me, the funny parts are where George is having so much trouble adjusting to civilization (making animal calls while riding in the car, not knowing what some common items are because he's never seen them before, not knowing how to interact with other humans). Overall, this is an OK movie but not a great one. Kids will probably laugh at the humor in this movie, but most adults won't find it nearly as funny.
Remember Sunday (2013)
Some romance, but not as happy as you might think
I watched this movie when it first came out. The main characters are Gus and Molly. Gus has suffered from a brain aneurysm that destroyed his short-term memory and forced him to give up his old job, so he's moved back to his hometown (New Orleans) where his family can help him. Molly is a lonely waitress who meets Gus and starts to like him, not realizing that he has to write and record things everyday so that he doesn't forget her or things that she has told him (this causes a few conflicts along the way). Although Gus loves her, the absence of short-term memory makes it very difficult to build a relationship. Gus's family eventually reveals the problem to Molly (and the fact that it cannot be fixed), and she learns more about his background. The cycle of Gus forgetting Molly, and falling in love with her again the next day, continues all the way to the abrupt ending (not my favorite way for a movie to end, but it's realistic in this case).
The Makeover (2013)
Not a romantic movie at all
I remember watching The Makeover earlier this year. Hannah, one of the main characters, has lost her bid to be elected to Congress - This isn't particularly surprising, since she's not a likable character. In an attempt to advance her agenda, she looks for someone who may appeal more to Boston's voters - A beer vendor named Elliott, and works hard on turning him from someone who is unrefined (and has a very strong accent) into a successful politician. You might think the process would change both characters, but the only one who really shows much change is Elliott - Hannah never becomes likable, and it's surprising that Elliott still wants anything to do with her (she can be so mean to him, even later in the movie). Unlike some of Hallmark's other movies, there is no romance is this one, or any connection between Hannah and Elliott (the characters kiss at the end only because that's the way a Hallmark movie has to end).
Cast Away (2000)
Excellent movie - Very touching
Cast Away is one of the few movies that I had watched multiple times. It begins with Chuck (Tom Hanks) who works for FedEx and is always rushing around the world and living by the clock, often against his girlfriend's wishes. At Christmas he is called to travel to Malaysia to solve a problem, just before he can pop the question. He promises to return, but a storm and resulting plane crash change his life forever.
While on an uninhabited island for four years Chuck lives on his own, learning survival skills during this time, with Wilson (a volleyball) as his only companion. Despite his situation, he has hopes that one day he will escape and return to his family and to Kelly. After building a raft, he manages to escape the island, but loses the companionship of Wilson (the only friend he's had during his time on the island).
When Chuck finally makes it back to society, he encounters problems just as great as the ones he had on the island, finding that no one was as loyal as Wilson (Kelly has married someone else, his family held a funeral a while back, etc). Once again, Chuck is stuck on an island, but on an emotional (not physical) one, since everyone has left him behind. At the end of the movie, he is left at a crossroads, having to decide where he will go to start a new life.
World's Worst Tenants (2012)
Just another fake reality show
I just watched several episodes of this show - Unfortunately, it's all fake, just like Operation Repo and Lizard Lick Towing (in real life, the people could not be touched by anyone other than the cops, and more faces would be blurred out). Most of the stories are hard to believe anyway (who hides decomposing bodies in a funeral home for 10 days without someone else noticing the smell, or runs a generator in their apartment without getting additional noise complaints or CO poisoning). Don't waste your time watching this or another fake reality TV show - Look for something that isn't scripted (unfortunately, a lot of crime shows fall into the category of being "reenactments," rather than real footage).
Christmas with Holly (2012)
Not bad, but not fantastic either
I watched this movie on TV when it came out, and came away with rather mixed feelings. On the plus side, most of the characters are likable, and the message about the importance of family is good. On the other hand, there isn't much of a plot, and except for a few moments the movie isn't very interesting. Hallmark has produced excellent movies in the past, such as the year-round "Front of the Class," but "Christmas with Holly" isn't one of them.
There are three characters - Mark, Holly, and Maggie - Who are facing different challenges. Mark has suddenly become the guardian of the young Holly, who lost her mom three months ago. Holly is so upset about the loss of her mom that she won't speak, causing additional trouble for Mark. Maggie was planning on getting married, but her fiancé never showed up at the wedding. All these characters move to the small town of Friday Harbor, WA to start new lives. Maggie opens a new toy store, which is discovered by Holly right away. Mark starts to slowly build a connection with Maggie, but is still in a relationship with someone else - This relationship goes downhill because his girlfriend doesn't like the fact that Holly is now in the picture, and is not happy when she finds out that Mark has made a new friend in town.
All three main characters come together at the end of the story, but the ending is not certain (Holly is speaking again, but you can make up your own story as to what eventually happens with Mark and Maggie).