Western Wednesday: The Big Trail

Another Wednesday means another Western!

Today's film is The Big Trail, it was released in 1930 and was one of John Wayne's earliest starring roles.
John Wayne plays Breck Coleman, a trapper who has returned to Missouri to avenge the death of a fellow trapper. He was killed for his furs by a man named Red Flack and his associate Lopez along the Santa Fe trail. While in Missouri, Coleman is asked by a group of settlers headed West to scout their caravan. He initially declines, but he soon changes his mind and agrees to scout for the train after he learns that Flack and Lopez were just hired to boss a bull train along the Oregon Trail to a trading post north of Oregon. Coleman figures that he can keep an eye on Flack and Lopez and kill them as soon as they reach the trading post. As the wagon train heads West, Coleman falls in love with a settler named Ruth (played by Marguerite Churchill), Flack does everything he can to have Coleman killed before he finds any proof of what he had done, and the group of settlers faces several hardships and obstacles along the way. Eventually, as expected, the villains meet their end and Coleman and Ruth presumably settle down together in Oregon.

Overall, though not as well know or iconic as some of John Wayne's others like 1956's The Searchers, 1962's The Man Who Shoot Liberty Valance, or 1969's True Grit (you can read my review of that one here) I'd argue that The Big Trail should still be placed among that top tier of his films.

Whether you're a John Wayne fan or just a fan of Westerns in general, I'd definitely recommend this one. I give it a 4 out of 5.


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Tangled (2010)

I had recently gone to see Disney's newest film Moana (you can check out my review of that film by clicking here). Afterwards, I got into a conversation about Disney's other computer-animated films and realized I hadn't seen 2010's Tangled since it was in the theaters, so I decided to re-watch it.

Walt Disney Animation Studios had previously released a few computer-animated feature films like 2005's Chicken Little and 2008's Bolt, but this was a cut above. 

The plot isn't anything mind blowing: A magical golden flower with the power to reverse aging, and heal illness and injury, etc. is used to heal a sick Queen and, soon afterwards, the Queen gives birth to Princess Rapunzel. But it isn't long before Rapunzel is kidnapped by an old woman named Gothel (voiced by Donna Murphy) who had been using the flower to temporarily regain her youth and has discovered that Rapunzel's hair has the flower's same magical properties. The only problem is that if Rapunzel's hair is cut, it loses it's healing powers, so Gothel keeps her locked away in a tower in the forest. However, as Rapunzel grows up, she eventually wants to leave the tower and see the world a little bit, particularly the lanterns that the whole kingdom releases into the air once a year on Rapunzel's birthday. Gothel, of course, wants to keep Rapunzel's magic hair all for herself and doesn't allow her leave the tower. Eventually, a thief named Flynn Ryder (voiced by Zachary Levi) who is on the run from both the authorities, as well as, two other thieves that he double-crossed ends up finding the tower. From there, the rest of the film pretty much plays out as you'd expect. Flynn and Rapunzel have a wild adventure, and while being pursued by Gothel, and the Kingdoms soldiers, and the two other thieves, they fall in love and eventually live happily ever after.

This is Disney's bread and butter, as Tangled is a film very much in their classic fairy tale formula: There's a princess, an evil old woman, a fall-in-love in just a couple of days love story, an animal sidekick, the songs are good, the animation is good etc. So, it could've easily been a forgettable, paint-by-numbers family movie. However, there are things that do set this apart from many other movies with similar plots. It's entertaining all the way through with some really funny moments along the way, Rapunzel's pet chameleon Pascal in particular that provides quite a few laughs. The voice-acting of Zachary Levi and Donna Murphy is solid, but it's Mandy Moore that really stands out as the voice of Rapunzel and brings that character to life. Overall, It's not my all-time favorite Disney movie but, there's a lot to like about it and it is thoroughly enjoyable.

I give this one a 4 out of 5.

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Today's Movie: Don't Say A Word

Don’t Say a Word is a 2001 thriller with a halfway decent premise and a pretty solid cast. It’s apparently based on a novel of the same name, but I’ve never read it so I won’t be making any comparisons to the book. 

A gang of thieves pull off a heist and steal a $10million gem but, two of the gang members double-cross their leader, Patrick Koster (played by Sean Bean) and take off with the gem. Some years later, a psychiatrist named Dr. Nathan Conrad (played Michael Douglas), is invited by his former colleague to examine a disturbed young woman named Elisabeth Burrows (played by Brittany Murphy) who is in an asylum. After he is released from prison, Patrick kidnaps the psychiatrist's daughter with the hope that he can force the doctor to acquire a 6-digit number from Elisabeth's memory. Elisabeth’s father was one of the gang members who double-crossed Patrick and the number is, of course, the key to finding out where hidden the gem is hidden. So, Dr. Conrad has to earn Elisabeth’s trust, get the numbers from her, and rescue his daughter.

This is one of those movies that seems like it should pretty good, but for whatever reason kinda falls flat. Maybe it’s just too predictable to be a really great thriller, or maybe they just couldn’t get what worked for the novel to translate well in a 2hr film. It’s definitely not horrible, just underwhelming. 

I give this one a 2.5 out of 5.

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 ...and don't forget to check out my review of Disney's newest film Moana by clicking here.

Today's Movie: Moana (2016)

I had mixed expectations going into this one as I'm not a fan of the last few Disney animated feature films. I was unimpressed with Zootopia (2016) and Frozen (2013), and Big Hero 6 (2014) had some fun moments but I wouldn't call it a great movie. Nevertheless, I wasn't going to skip out on Moana just because I didn't care for those others.

I've always found Disney movies to be more memorable for their characters, quality and style of animation, and music rather than the details of their plots. So, I'm going to approach this review a little differently and examine those three elements individually without giving the story away.

The Characters: The film's focus is on Moana (played by Auli'i Cravalho) and Maui (played by Dwayne Johnson) and I really liked both of those main characters. I liked their personalities, thought they were well written, and had a good chemistry. Even in a voice-acting role Dwayne Johnson's charisma is a force to be reckoned with, and I found Moana to be a really well-rounded, likeable character that I enjoyed much more than I expected.

The Animation: Wow. There are moments in this film that are absolutely breathtaking. The animation is solid, vibrant Disney quality throughout, but there are some moments in particular that are just incredible to look at. This is one of the very rare instances that I recommend seeing the film in 3-D if you have the opportunity.

The Music: The music is a little bit of a mixed-bag. I don't think any of the songs in this one will become one of those super memorable Disney melodies like 'When You Wish Upon a Star', 'Under the Sea' or 'Be Our Guest', but I did think the music was solid for the most part. Most notably, I thought 'You're Welcome' and 'How Far I'll Go' were both pretty catchy tunes.

Overall, I really enjoyed Moana. I thought the film was a ton of fun and it did exceed my expectations. Any issues I have are just little nitpicky things. So, I give this one a 4.5 out of 5.


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Western Wednesday: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is a 1969 Western starring Paul Newman as Butch Cassidy and Robert Redford as the Sundance Kid. The film has a unique blend of comedy and all the common things you'd expect from a film in this genre.

The plot is straight forward and entertaining: Butch and Sundace, as well as their gang (The Hole In The Wall Gang) are outlaws who are quite fond of robbing trains. It's decided early on that they'll rob a Union Pacific train on both its eastward and westward runs, thinking that no one would expect a second robbery of the same train.The first robbery goes as planned but, unfortunately the second train robbery does not. Butch accidentally uses a bit too much dynamite to blow open the safe, and ends up blowing up an entire baggage car. While the whole gang scrambles to pick up the money that has been blown everywhere, another train arrives. This one is carrying a group of lawmen, so Butch and Sundance make a run for it. Unfortunately for them, the team of lawmen is being lead by a legendary Indian tracker. So, Butch convinces Sundance  that they should escape to Bolivia, where they do actually become successful bank robbers. But it's only a matter of time before the law catches up to them.

 On it's own the plot would make for a decent Western, but it's the chemistry between the two leads (Newman and Redford) that really takes this film from good to great.

Overall, I highly recommend this one and I give it a 4.5 out of 5.


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Today's Movie: Cutthroat Island (1995)

Cutthroat Island is a 1995 action/adventure flick with a reputation as being a 'bad movie', but is that a fair assessment? Now I'm not going to try to make an argument that's it's a great film, because it's not, but I will say that there are enough redeeming qualities to make it worth watching.

So, what's the film about? Well, it's a pretty generic plot: Genna Davis plays a pirate named Morgan Adams, who's father (also a pirate) has been killed, so she takes over as Captain of his ship and sets off to find the treasure buried on 'Cutthroat Island'. However, she only has one piece of the treasure map and thus, sets out to find the other two pieces. She rescues and, over the course of their adventure, falls for a thief named William Shaw (played by Matthew Modine). They eventually learn the location of the island, but there is another pirate crew led by Dawg Brown (played by Frank Langella) that is also after the treasure. In the end, after a big high seas pirate battle, it's Morgan that defeats Dawg and gets the gold.

Overall, there aren't a great number of really good pirate movies in the world, and Cutthroat Island is far from the worst. The movie does have a really good score, as well as, some fun action scenes with big sets, sword fights, cannons, and pyrotechnics. The acting is decent and there's also a bit of humor thrown in and some of it works. The film moves along at a brisk pace and, if nothing else, it'll likely keep you entertained during it's 2hr runtime. Sure, the plot is thin and predictable and many of the characters are underdeveloped but, again, there are far worse pirate films out there.

 

I give this one a 2.5 out of 5

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Western Wednesday: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

"You see, in this world there's two kinds of people, my friend: Those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig."

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly was released in 1966 and is the third film in Sergio Leone's 'Dollars Trilogy', with the others being A Fistful of Dollars and For a Few Dollars More*.

This one takes much of what worked from the previous two installments and puts it all together into a 3hr epic Western. The plot really isn't too complicated; Set during the Civil War, it's essentially about three gunslingers (played by Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, and Eli Wallach) who are competing with one another to find a large sum of Confederate gold that is buried in a grave at the Sad Hill Cemetery.

So, what makes the film so good? Well, a couple of things: The cinematography is top-notch and Leone's signature style of long shots, and tension filled close-ups, not only works well in this film, but has since become synonymous with the genre. This is by far the longest of the three movies, but it clicks along at steady and entertaining pace. The score perfectly compliments and enhances the mood of the film throughout. The final showdown at the Sad Hill Cemetery is a thing of beauty, and one of my favorites in any Western. Also, like the other films in the trilogy, Clint Eastwood's performance is fantastic.

  Add all of that up and the result is not just one of best Westerns ever made, but one of the all-time great films in general. Whether you're a big fan of the genre, or just enjoy occasionally watching a Western, this one is a must-see.
   

 I give this iconic film a 5 out of 5.


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*Click here for my For a Few Dollars More review: http://onlyinthemoviesblog.blogspot.com/2016/10/a-look-back-at-for-few-dollars-more-1965.html

A Look Back At: The Big Lebowski (1998)

The Big Lebowski is one of those movies that, depending on who you talk to, is either a masterpiece or just dumb. That's kind of the beauty of this 1998 comedy, it seems like everyone gets something else out of it.

The setup seems simple enough; An unemployed, slacker, and avid bowler named Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski (played by Jeff Bridges) is mistaken for a millionaire also named Jeffrey Lebowski. The millionaire Lebowski's wife is kidnapped, and he hires The Dude to deliver the ransom money to the kidnappers. However, things don't go as planned and from there the film is off to the races.

The movie is filled with a great and memorable cast of characters, especially the Dude's friend Walter Sobchak (played by John Goodman), funny dialogue, and creative dream sequences. But, one of the unique things about the film is that from Sam Elliot's opening narration all the way through until the end of the movie nothing ever seems to get resolved. The film is compelling and you want to know what this series of events is all leading up to. By the time you reach the end credits you realize that,  any number of scenes and characters could've been cut from the film entirely without it changing the final result, and plot threads that were started never really lead to an end. The only necessary element is The Dude and even he has no real character arc. The Dude is the same guy at the end of the film as he was at the beginning, he's not better for the experience, and he doesn't learn any sort of lesson. In the end "The Dude abides".

I give this one a 4 out of 5.
 If you've never seen it, go check it out. You'll definitely be entertained.


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Today's Movie: True Memoirs of an International Assassin (2016)

 True Memoirs of an International Assassin is a new Netflix original movie starring Kevin James. Overall, I like Kevin James but have frequently been underwhelmed by his movies, so my expectations were not high going into this one.

Kevin James plays Sam Larson, an amateur author who's fictional novel, 'The Memoirs of an International Assassin', accidentally gets published as a non-fiction titled 'The True Memoirs of an International Assassin' and he is soon mistaken for an actual assassin. That's the basic setup. Shortly after, Sam gets abducted by some rebels that want him to kill the President of Venezuela. 

While in Venezuela he meets and teams up with a DEA agent named Rosa who needs Sam's help on a mission to take down the President and a Russian drug lord. Of course, both of these men want the other dead and they want Sam, who they think is an assassin, to do it. This leads to a series of twists and turns, with some funny lines scattered throughout, and Sam ultimately having the kind of adventure he thought he'd only ever write about.

 Surprisingly, this action comedy wasn't half bad. It's predictable but fun. I wouldn't call it a great film by any means, but it was at least entertaining and maybe Kevin James' best to date. I definitely, found it more enjoyable than some other of James' movies like 2009's Paul Blart: Mall Cop or 2011's Zookeeper.

Overall, I give this one a 2.5 out of 5.

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Animation Double Feature

I don't often review animated films, but I have two recent releases for this entry: Storks and Trolls. 

First let's take a look at Storks. 

This one mixes solid fast-paced animation with some fun characters. The movie throws what feels like a million jokes at you, but not all of them hit their mark. Overall, while Storks isn't spectacular or groundbreaking, it is an entertaining family flick. 

I give it a 3 out of 5.

Next up, Trolls. 

Colors! Yea sure it lacks a decent story, and developed characters, and clever humor, and the musical numbers add little to nothing to the plot... But at least it's bright. I'd recommend skipping this one. It's a straight-to-DVD quality movie that somehow got a big screen release.

I give this one a 0 out of 5.

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Western Wednesday: True Grit (1969)

It's Western Wednesday! Last week's review was of a slightly lesser known film River of No Return from 1954. (you can check out that review here: http://onlyinthemoviesblog.blogspot.com/2016/11/western-wednesday-river-of-no-return.html) However, this week's title is one of the most famous Westerns, and one of my all-time favorites, 1969's True Grit. There was a decent remake of this film in 2010, and I may do a review of that one at a later date, but today my focus is on the original.

The plot is pretty simple but enjoyable. After her father is murdered by a man named Chaney, Mattie (played by Kim Darby) seeks out an aging, U.S. Marshal named "Rooster" Cogburn (played by John Wayne) to bring her father's killer to justice. It takes some convincing but Cogburn eventually agrees, and they set out to capture Chaney. They soon come across, and join forces with a Texas Ranger, named La Boeuf (played by Glen Campbell), who is also pursuing Chaney. So, all three of these people are off to track down the 'bad guy', and each has slightly different motivations, but it works well. And, of course, they eventually find Chaney, Cogburn shoots him, and Mattie's father's killer meets his end.

There's a lot to like about this movie, I find all the characters likable and memorable, the chemistry is solid, and the movie overall is very entertaining. It's also one of the all-time greatest John Wayne performances, and it even won him the Academy Award for Best Actor.

True Grit is a true classic, and I give it a 5 out of 5.

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Leave it in the comments below, and be sure to check back for a new review every 'Western Wednesday'

Ranking The Muppet Movies

I've been a huge Muppets fan for my entire life, so in this entry I'm going to be ranking the Muppet movies.

That being said, this will only be a ranking of Muppet films that had a theatrical release, so not included will be TV movies like “Muppets Wizard of Oz” or direct-to-video/DVD movies such as “Kermit’s Swamp Years”. Additionally, although characters from things like Sesame Street and Fraggle Rock were developed by the late Jim Henson the only films that qualify are the ones that center around the group of characters that are referred to as "The Muppets"; Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo, etc. So films like Follow That Bird and Christmas Eve on Sesame Street also won't be on this particular list.

#8 Muppets from Space -1999

Keep in mind that I love all of these movies so it's not to say this one isn't enjoyable, it's just not the strongest of the bunch. There are some funny moments, but the central plot of Gonzo being an alien may have worked better as a subplot in another Muppet movie.

#7 Muppets Most Wanted -2014

The direct sequel to 2011's The Muppets was a decent follow up. However, the cast isn't as strong, the songs aren't as memorable, and the story lacks the heart of it's predecessor. A fun movie but there are better ones.


#6 The Muppet Christmas Carol -1992

The #5 and #6 picks basically came down to a coin flip honestly. They're both based on classic stories, both are a ton of fun, and I highly recommend both. For a story that's been told and retold as many time as Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, this is actually my favorite film version of that story.


#5 Muppet Treasure Island -1996

 While this one only came in at #5, it's not to say that it isn't worth watching. It's jam packed with wall-to-wall jokes, and I think it's actually one of the funniest of all the Muppet movies. Plus, Tim Curry as Long John Silver is just amazing.


#4 The Great Muppet Caper -1981

Though not quite as strong or as well remembered as the previous film The Muppet Movie or the film that would follow this one The Muppets Take Manhattan,this one is still really enjoyable. There are probably more really funny moments between Kermit and Fozzie in this one than in any of the other films.


#3 The Muppets -2011

After Muppets from Space, there was a pretty significant gap between big-screen Muppet films but when Kermit and the others finally returned to theaters it was well worth the wait. The Muppet brand of humor is as strong as ever in this one and both Jason Segel and Amy Adams are fantastic.


#2 The Muppet Movie -1979

Not only is this a solid movie, but it showed that people will go see a major motion picture starring Muppets because the movie is fun and full of lovable characters. This is the foundation for all the Muppet movies. Although Jim Henson passed away in 1990, the spirit and tone of all the films that have come since then, have always circled back to what made the original so great.


#1 The Muppets Take Manhattan -1984

Every Muppet movie needs three key ingredients good songs, humor, and heart and this one has the best balance of that. They're all really enjoyable, but if you're only going to watch one Muppet movie this is the one I'd recommend.

Today's Movie: Hacksaw Ridge (2016)

I wasn't 100% sure what to expect going into this one. I had seen some trailers but didn't look into the movie much ahead of time. In fact, if you would've asked me a few months ago to gauge my excitement for this movie, I probably would have said something to the effect of "It looks like a typical WWII movie, but I'll probably check it out". It's safe to say that I was pleasantly surprised.

The film is based on the true story of a 'conscientious objector' named Desmond Doss (played by Andrew Garfield) who enlists in the Army because he sees it as his duty to serve despite not only refusing to kill, but to even carry a weapon. He instead becomes a medic and, armed with only courage, determination, and his faith in God, he bravely saves the lives of 75 injured soldiers. All the acting, from Andrew Garfield, to Vince Vaughn, to Sam Worthington, to Teresa Palmer is solid throughout and I found the story really compelling.

Overall, if you want to see something that is well acted, well written, well directed, inspirational, with intense battlefield scenes, and really good cinematography then you need to see Hacksaw Ridge. Unfortunately, because it's directed by Mel Gibson this one probably won't get the award recognition it deserves, but it really is a fantastic movie. Once we get to the end of the year I plan to write a "10 Best Film of 2016" list, and this one is likely to make that list.

I give this one a 5 out of 5.
Go check it out, you won't be disappointed.


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Today's Movie: Doctor Strange (2016)

 

The film Doctor Strange is a based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name, and stars Benedict Cumberbatch. The film has only recently come out so for those who have yet to see it, I'll do my best to give a review without spoiling it.

My expectations going in were pretty high, and I felt the film lived up to those expectations.

The plot is very similar in structure to one of my favorite MCU films: Iron Man. Like that movie this features a main character that is brilliant but also quite arrogant. Then, after a tragedy, he sees the error of his ways, and by the end of the film he's a hero. Simple idea but when it's done well make for an enjoyable viewing experience. One of the unfortunate things, as with many MCU movies, the villain wasn't great. However, despite a lackluster villain the movie does have a lot of positives going for it. First off, the film is visually stunning, with a ton of really cool effects. I really liked Benedict Cumberbatch as Dr. Stephen Strange, and I thought they did a solid job of bringing that character to life while also keeping the film moving along at a decent pace. There are some lighthearted moments scattered throughout and most (but not all) of the jokes and quips hit there mark.

Overall, I'm not quite sure where I'd rank this film among the others in the Marvel Cinematic Universe after only one viewing, (a ranking of all the other MCU films can be found by clicking here: http://onlyinthemoviesblog.blogspot.com/2016/10/the-marvel-cinematic-universe.html) but it's a fun, enjoyable film and I definitely recommend going to the theater and checking it out.

I give it a 4.5 out of 5

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Western Wednesday: River of No Return (1954)

  

River of No Return is a 1954 film that focuses on Matt Calder (played by Robert Mitchum),who recently has been released from prison and is looking to reconnect with his young son Mark, and a singer named Kay (played by Marilyn Monroe). Now, you may be saying to yourself "I usually don't think of Marilyn Monroe when I think of Westerns". Yeah me neither, but she's actually not half bad in the film.

So here's the story. Kay and her fiance, Harry Weston (Rory Calhoun), are headed to Council City to file the deed on a gold mine that he won in a card game. So, they head down the river toward Council City river on a log raft, but they eventually encounter some rough rapids right near Matt's cabin. Harry doesn't think he can make the rest of the trip by raft, so he offers to buy Matt's rifle and horse. Matt refuses so Harry just knocks him out and steals the horse and rifle. However, Kay decides to stay behind with Matt and Mark, so Harry can get to Council City quicker.

Soon after Harry leaves, some Indians attack the farm and the three have no other choice then to hope on the raft to escape. The next big chunk of the movie involves traveling down a river and Matt and Kay arguing. Matt questions why Kay would choose to marry a jerk like Harry. Kay reminds Matt that Harry never killed a man and went to prison like he did... But along the way, they deal with whatever problems come along, (including a cougar attack) and they end up resolving there differences.

Eventually, they all arrive in Council City. Matt intends to confront Harry but instead gets shot at, and in a fairly predictable twist, Mark ends up shooting Harry to save his Dad. Shortly after, Kay, Matt, and Mark ride off together and the movie ends.

Overall, I definitely wouldn't call this one of the all-time great westerns, but it's a decent movie and worth checking out.

I give it a 2.5 out of 5.

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Coming Soon: Western Wednesdays

Starting this week, I'm going to add something new to the 'Only in the Movies' blog. In addition to my regular movie reviews, movie franchise rankings, and the '10 Movies Everyone Should See' lists, I'm going to start 'Western Wednesdays'. It's one of my favorite movie genres, and there are a ton of great films to talk about.

 In recent years our theaters have been filled with comic book movies and computer animated family films, and that's not a bad thing, but when there are a few genres really dominating the market some others get pushed to the side. For Westerns, this has been happening for a long time. Occasionally there is a good one, but we are long past the days of John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart, Gary Cooper, and Golden Age of Westerns. Some of this is because American Westerns aren't big box office draws in foreign markets. I think political correctness has damaged the genre, and Westerns simply fell victim to history. Once the "Space Race" came about in the 1960's, American film goers became less interested in the American frontier and more interested in the next frontier.

All of this isn't to say Westerns will eventually die off completely. Like I stated earlier, decent ones are still being made. I thought the 'True Grit' remake from a couple years ago was decent, last years 'The Hateful Eight' was fun, and I really enjoyed 'In a Valley of Violence' which was just released recently (You can check out the review for that one here: http://onlyinthemoviesblog.blogspot.com/2016/10/todays-movie-in-valley-of-violence-2016.html). I'm going to try to have a decent mix of classic Westerns and modern ones for these 'Western Wednesday' reviews and, hopefully, my appreciation of the genre introduces some people to films they may have otherwise not checked out.