philipmater

Paul Rudd, the main actor, plays the same role he has played in many movies before, a bumbling version of himself. From that I can assume he is very charming and lovable in real life and that personality is the anchor of this film. If you cannot stand Paul Rudd, you will not enjoy this film. Strangely enough, a film that could have been very enjoyable gets weighed down by the female characters, his sisters, who are very one dimensional stereotypes with no personality and undertones of mysogyny everywhere. And it was written by a woman. Go figure. That aspect of the film damages the validity of the plot and makes major parts of it painfully unrealistic. The film at heart has some heart and wants you to to find your heart in it but it hates and makes you hate so many of the other characters that it is hard to find that good piece. Funny at times, but not enough. Also terrible Hollywood ending. Wait until it comes out on TV.

Planet of the Apes is a franchise that I have been a fan of since my teenager years. I saw the original 70's 5 classic films, the TV show and the animated show. In my opinion it is better than Star Wars and should be and is at that level. They even had action figures and I had a few. This new film is a modern adaptation that also serves as a prequel to the 5 original classics. This film has great animated computer graphics and has the best of it in quite some time. I enjoyed the action but the great thing is the subtext of animal rights cruelty that brings heart to the center of the story and makes you understand what happens ultimately. It makes you care for the main ape Cesar. Very moving. A little King kong, a little Frankenstein, a great adding to the Planet of the Apes franchise and I thank them for also paying many homages to the original films in the dialogue and script. Very well paced film, a bit over the top at times but it was worth it. Do yourself a favor and go and see the origianal 5 classics and then see this masterful and smart blockbuster. Not many out there with smarts and action.

We took our infant grandson to see this wonderful retelling of the classic Walt Disney original thinking that it was a rerelease of the original beloved story. To our surprise this new version is as fresh, lovely and funny as that original and even more so since I had not seen that original version since my daughter and son were very young. All the original characters are in tow for this new adventure with winnie the pooh once again as the main character. Without giving anything away, I can say that this will keep the youngsters entertained with the great music and very colorful animation and the fact that it is so short, an hour at best, will keep their attention from drifting while not boring the parents or guardians who will also enjoy the pacing of the story, the great voice work of the actors and the wonderfully funny and witty script that bounces with wordplay. An excellent little gem to stand with the original. For all ages to enjoy. Highly highly recommended for children and its parents. There even was teenagers in the theater.