Movie #1185 "The Nice Guys"

Movie #1185 "The Nice Guys" was a fun oddball film that stands alone in its style.  Here's the thing:  it tries to go in the opposite direction from where the audience thinks it will go.  I liked that a lot, but then at times, I felt it went a bit too far and manipulated the story so that the characters weren't true to themselves ---- but that happened just occasionally.  More with Russell Crowe's character, than with Ryan Gosling.  That might be because Crowe was left doing more of the heavy duty acting; whereas, the humor comes more easily to Gosling, who has done some comedies in the past.  What's fun is watching these two work off each other --- some of the bits are funnier than others, but as a whole, the film is action packed and creative (and a tad violent) , and I found it enjoyable, esp. the second half of the film.  There's a little girl that is a very strong character here, almost steals the movie from the likes of Crowe and Gosling.   Almost.  Lots of good secondary characters.  I'd give this 4 out of 5 stars.

The Nice Guys

2016 R Rated R

rated 3.7 stars

3.7 I

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Set in 1970s Los Angeles, this noirish mystery tracks a private eye who teams with a hired bruiser to investigate a missing persons case and a porn star's suspicious suicide. In the process, the pair stumbles onto evidence of a vast conspiracy.

Cast: Ryan Gosling, Russell Crowe, Matt Bomer

Movie #1184 ........................."The Jungle Book" 2016

MOVIE #1184 "THE JUNGLE BOOK" (2016)  -- we took our in-laws to see this film the other day because they are huge fans of Bill Murray, and we had heard nothing but good thing about it, and we were not disappointed.  I have to admit that I have never liked this book in any way shape or form that I have experienced  it---- whether it was the stories themselves, the animated version,  or the musical on stage when we saw it in Chicago.  But this was an amazing piece of entertainment from beginning to end.  I enjoyed the story (this time), the acting was strong, the voices were terrific, and this film made me jump out of my chair at least 3 times (I was that involved!) Over everything else, though, I was enthralled with two strong points --- the background and the little kid.  I kept wondering how Favreau did the filming!  I had read bits and pieces and I still sat in awe at how it was all put together and so well!  And that little boy!  So natural, in 100 percent of the movie, in every way.  He made the film for me, and I am so glad I went to the theatre to see this wondrous film.  I didn't opt for 3D, but I'm thinking it might have been even better!  One drawback, and it's big --- the movie is pretty violent and way too scary for young kids.  I'm not sure what it is rated but it is definitely PG and I'd say PG 13, although some older 10-12 year olds might be able to handle it.  So, parents, this is well done film (90+ percent on rotten tomatoes scale!) , but too violent for the little ones!

The Jungle Book

2016 PG I'd give tis 4.5 stars out of 5.Rated PG

rated 3.4 stars

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Inspired by the animated Disney classic, this live-action adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's beloved novel follows young Mowgli as he navigates a jungle full of wonder and peril with his animal allies Bagheera the panther and Baloo the bear.

Cast: Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley, Idris Elba, Christopher Walken, and Neel Sethi as Mowgli