EMMA
Rated: PG-13
Release Date: February 21, 2020
Director: Autumn de Wilde
Stars: Anya Taylor-Joy, Johnny Flynn, Bill Nighy, Mia Goth
Plot: A wealthy, young woman spends much of her time playing match-maker, while trying to avoid those that would want to marry her
Clint Says: Save some money and see a matinee
Fans of Jane Austen will know that this film is based on one of the first romantic comedies to ever be written in book form. It helped to lay the groundwork for the tried and true Rom-Com formula we see in so many films, shows, and books today. By that account alone this is a film worth seeing.
It is very early in the year, but it would not surprise me in the slightest if this movie ends up being nominated for a couple of Oscars for hair and makeup and for costume design. This film does masterful work in both of those categories.
If you are a fan of Jane Austen, you should make it a point to see this soon. If you were hoping for a period piece that has current-day flair, you’ll need to readjust your thinking before you see this, otherwise you might find it a bit too slow for your liking.
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THE CALL OF THE WILD
Rated: PG
Release Date: February 21, 2020
Director: Chris Sanders
Stars: Harrison Ford, Cara Gee, Omar Sy, Dan Stevens
Plot: A dog in unfamiliar surroundings, and a man in the same situation, find each other and learn from one another
Clint Says: Wait for the digital release
There is a saying in Hollywood, “never do a movie with kids or animals.” Well, the good news for Harrison Ford is that he didn’t have to work with any animals in this one. I know that sounds impossible, but it is true. The dog in this movie is 100% CGI. As far as I could tell, there wasn’t a single real animal in this entire movie.
I know this because the computer animations were so bad that it kept pulling me out of the story. All of the dogs moved in odd ways, or too fast, or just looked off in some way. There were several scenes that could have easily been shot with a real dog, but for some reason they chose not to do that. Instead we end up getting nearly two full hours of Harrison Ford looking in the general direction of where a dog should be.
As for the story, it is okay. It’s a PG movie, so it is mostly safe for the entire family, but that also means the conflict is muted, making it a fairly bland film. The bad guy is almost cartoonish in the way he acts. I kept on waiting for him to break out into a Yosemite Sam skit.
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BRAHMS: THE BOY II
Rated: PG-13
Release Date: February 21, 2020
Director: William Brent Bell
Stars: Katie Holmes, Christopher Convery, Owain Yeoman
Plot: A family is terrorized by a creepy-looking doll
Clint Says: Don’t even bother
I am so bummed that this movie is such a bust. When I saw the trailer for the first movie in this franchise I thought it looked kind of silly, but then I saw the movie and was blown away at how scary it was and how amazing the twist at the end was. I never saw it coming, and it was fantastic.
This second installment basically takes the awesome ending of the first, crumples it up, tosses it in the trash, and goes full tilt towards the ridiculous. Instead of leaving it alone, or working to come up with a plot that tied in well to the first film, the studio just went with a mind-numbingly stupid script in order to do a quick cash grab.
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