Pixar's The Good Dinosaur Movie Review

After taking 2014 off, Pixar is back with its second film of the year, The Good Dinosaur. But before I get into the review, let's take a look at the short in front of the movie, Sanjay's Super Team!

This short is as charming and heartfelt as any of Pixar's best shorts. It is very different in terms of animation style but the heart and soul of a Pixar short is there. This is a very personal story from director Sanjay Patel. It shows the difference between little Sanjay and his love of Saturday morning cartoons, while his father holds on to his Hindu beliefs and wants his son to embrace his culture and heritage. Who will win out? Watch this heartfelt short to find out.

And now to the review of The Good Dinosaur!  Here, the premise is, what if the asteroid that destroyed the dinosaurs never hit the earth? The answer is that the dinosaurs would have been the dominate form of life on the planet and learned to speak. So, with that, we meet a family of apatosaurs, who are farmers and have three children who are learning to carry on the work.

The smallest child is Arlo, who is afraid of his own shadow. His father is set to make his son believe in himself. But Arlo cannot even do the job that his poppa created for him, which was to keep "critters", in this case humans, away from their corn. A human gets caught in the trap Arlo and his poppa made but Arlo can't bring himself to get rid of the human.

This sends the two along a raging river during a storm and the two become separated. Arlo finds himself far away from home. He makes a friend with a human, who Arlo names Spot. Now this becomes a classic boy and his dog story with Arlo being the boy and Spot being the dog.

Arlo and Spot slowly become friends and the two now set off to get Arlo home.

Visually, this is Pixar's finest effort. The photo-realistic backgrounds are stunning. It is almost as if the animators took real footage. The effect is convincing and adds to the vastness of the space making even a dinosaur as large as Arlo look tiny in comparison. This adds to how lost Arlo is and how far away home is.

Arlo and Spot encounter several dinosaurs on their journey but none with a greater impact than a family of  T-Rexes. They help Arlo discover that it's not only ok to be afraid, but how to face that fear.

The Good Dinosaur is a truly heart-warming and emotional family film, with some great humor that I cannot wait to see again.

Sasaki Time Review of Avengers: Age of Ultron Disney Movies Anywhere

This is my first time reviewing a solely digital format movie. Here is my review of Avengers: Age of Ultron on Disney Movies Anywhere!

Three years ago there was a lot of doubt that Joss Whedon had what it would take to take six superheroes in one film and have it make sense to more than just the die hard fans. Well, we know how that turned out.

Get ready to assemble once again for Avengers: Age of Ultron! The 11th film in the already incredible Marvel Cinematic Universe is here! Does Whedon raise the bar yet again? Let's gear up and dive into the review!

The opening sequence is the most explosive, exciting sequence ever! We immediately jump into the action and into a world where S.H.I.E.L.D. has collapsed and the Avengers have take over with global security. Captain America leads the team while Stark is doing the financing. The team has assembled to take down one of the last HYDRA cells where Baron Strucker has not only Loki's scepter but has the twins, Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch who possess incredible superpowers.

At the end of the opening battle, Stark returns to work on his dream, Ultron, an artificial intelligence program to help with global peacekeeping. But Ultron becomes self-aware and believes that in order to preserve humanity he must erase it.

The team finds themselves racing around the world in order to stop Ultron and his army of robots. Along they way, Ultron is doing his best to break the team apart.

The epic battle between Hulk and Iron Man in his Hulkbuster armor is the most significant scene of the team getting ripped apart. But this is because of the power of Scarlet Witch. She implants each Avengers worse fears. In turn, we also learn about the start of a romance between two of the members and well as discover a huge secret about another member.

The action is fast paced and frantic at times! There are tons of edge-of-your-seat moments throughout! The cast has become much more relaxed and comfortable with one another! The new cast fits right in and the addition of Paul Bettany as Vision is a powerful addition. But it is James Spader as the voice of Ultron that steals the show! He gets some of the movies best lines and delivers them in a frightening manner!

In the end the team is changed forever. Avengers: Age of Ultron is a film that is as fun and entertaining as the first with some darker moments as well.

Avengers Assemble!

Video Quality:

For a digital movie release, the video quality is exceptional. There is no lag or type of fuzziness. Colors are bright and crisp. Skin tones are lifelike. The video even looks better than it did in the theaters.

Audio Quality: 

Audio quality is exceptional. The surround sound mix is dynamic. The front channels provide crystal clear dialogue and the rears create an immersive environment.

Bonus Material:

• Gag Reel – the gag reel here is actually quite entertaining.

• Featurettes:

  • From the Inside Out – Making of the Avengers: Age of Ultron – A behind the scenes look at the making of Avengers: Age of Ultron. We see how much the cast loves working with one another as well as see how some of the special effects were created. 
  • The Infinity Six – Legend tells us one thing; history, another. But, every now and then, we find something that belongs to both. – Nick Fury. Learn about the Infintiy Stones and how the MCU is all connected to them. 
  • Global Adventures – Take a look at all of the filming locations from around the world! 

• Deleted & Extended Scenes

  • The Man in the Church 
  • Watch Your Six
  • Bruce And Natasha Talk
  • The Norn Cave

Solid bonus features here and  Disney Movies Anywhere (DMA) also offers an exclusive extra “Connecting the Universe." You will learn how the MCU is all connected including it's connections into Agents of SHIELD.  

Final Thoughts:

A solid film with solid bonus material! A welcome addition to the entire library of MCU films and makes me even more excited for Captain America: Civil War next May! 

DisneyNature's Monkey Kingdom Blu-Ray Review

Disneynature brings us its eighth film and this time takes us to Sri Lanka where we meet a macaque monkey named Maya. She is an adult with no partner or children, thus making her one of the lowest on the monkey's social ladder. Maya also has to stay on the ground as she is banned from the giant fig tree which is controlled by the alpha-male Raja. Plus, she is harassed by Raja's harem of females nicknamed The Sisters. It's not like Maya does not try to get accepted into higher society but she remains Raja's groomer and is more of a plaything for The Sisters children. Then she meets a rogue male named Kumar. They have a baby named Kip and now Maya has to not only be careful of the dangers of the area but she also has to worry about the safety of her baby.

The movie is narrated by comedienne Tina Fey who brings a fun, light-heartedness to the film. And while there are a few moments of danger and peril with a hungry monitor lizard and a war over territory, it's handled delicately enough for kids without getting too scary.

Video Quality:

The 1080p picture is stunning! Vivid lifelike colors and details will blow you away. Another stunning transfer from Disney that really makes you feel as if you are in the jungles of Sri Lanka.

Audio Quality:

The 5.1 DTS-MA Surround is actually more impressive than the video quality. The ambient sounds of the jungle create an impressive atmosphere. Combine this with Tina Fey's narration and the music score, the surround sound is used to it's full potential.

Bonus Features:

There is a fairly decent amount of bonus features included on the disc:

• Tales from the Kingdom (12:11) directors Mark Linfield and Alastair Fothergill discuss what it took to pull off some of the more difficult shots in the film
• On the Set of Monkey Kingdom with Jane Goodall and Wolfgang Dittus (5:49) - this featurette showcases the two naturalists invited to Sri Lanka to observe some of the filming
• Disneynature Monkey Kingdom: A Conservation (7:54) - a look at efforts to make a wild "buffer zone" between jungles and developed areas in Sri Lanka and other Asian locales
• "It's Our World" Music Video Performed by Jacquie Lee (3:15) - a simple montage-driven music video
• A Special Thank You from Disneynature (2:14) details how some of the profits from each film in the Disneynature series have benefited a specific conservationist movement

Final Thoughts

Gorgeous photography, a beautiful score, fantastic narration from Tina Fey, Monkey Kingdom is an entertaining and educational movie for kids. The video and audio quality is what we have come to expect from Disney. Plus, there are some great bonus features.

Movie Review: Marvel's Ant-Man - Bringing Fun and Comedy into the MCU

At the last D23 Expo (2013) a group of friends and I were talking about how will Marvel keep changing the game with the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and avoid superhero burnout from just too many superhero films. I suggested that they just need to tell stories that fit the various genres of film already out there, the political thriller (Captain America: The Winter Soldier), the space opera (Guardians of the Galaxy) and now the comedy (Ant-Man). But does the comedy work? Read the review and find out.

We are immediately introduced to a younger Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) whose particle research is highly sought after by S.H.I.E.L.D. and wait until you see the two characters from the MCU that are here! I want to spoil it but you really should be surprised!

Then we shift to San Quentin and meet Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) who is being released from prison. We also learn that he has a daughter Cassie (Abby Ryder Fortson) and a very disapproving ex Maggie (Judy Greer).

Scott's former cellmate Luis (Michael Pena) picks him up from prison. Luis is definitely a scene stealer. Luis wants Scott to do one more heist but Scott refuses as he wants to keep his nose clean and reconnect with his daughter.

Scott finds a suit during the heist and takes it with him. Curiosity gets the better of Scott and he tries on the suit only to find that it shrinks him down to the size of an ant.

It turns out the heist was all part of the vision of Dr. Hank Pym to make Scott the new Ant-Man. Pym along with his daughter Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) train Scott in how to get the most from his suit.

They are training Scott because Darren Cross (Corey Stoll), who Pym was once the mentor to, is now running Pym Technologies and has come up with his own suit. Pym is afraid that this new suit will fall into the wrong hands.

Now the battle for supremacy is on. Who will win?

The film never takes itself too seriously as the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe tends to do. It works because it never loses sight of what it is - simple and at times silly.

But the last of the two end credit tags return you into the serious world that the Marvel Cinematic Universe is set in. I won't spoil anything but as always, it's all connected and is leading us into the next Marvel adventure, Captain America: Civil War.

Ant-Man is Marvel showcasing a film that is never boring, laugh-out loud funny and still has warmth and heart. I cannot wait to see Ant-Man at least one more time on the big screen.

Ant-Man is in theaters July 17th.

Marvel's Avengers: Age of Ultron Movie Review

Three years ago there was a lot of doubt that Joss Whedon had what it would take to take six superheroes in one film and have it make sense to more than just the die hard fans. Well, we know how that turned out.

Get ready to assemble once again for Avengers: Age of Ultron! The 11th film in the already incredible Marvel Cinematic Universe is here! Does Whedon raise the bar yet again? Let's gear up and dive into the review!

The opening sequence is the most explosive, exciting sequence ever! We immediately jump into the action and into a world where S.H.I.E.L.D. has collapsed and the Avengers have take over with global security. Captain America leads the team while Stark is doing the financing. The team has assembled to take down one of the last HYDRA cells where Baron Strucker has not only Loki's scepter but has the twins, Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch who possess incredible superpowers.

We first saw the twins in the end credit scene of Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Quicksilver has blinding speed and Scarlet Witch has psychic powers that can take over minds or show people their deepest fears.

At the end of the opening battle, Stark returns to work on his dream, Ultron, an artificial intelligence program to help with global peacekeeping. But Ultron becomes self-aware and believes that in order to preserve humanity he must erase it.

The team finds themselves racing around the world in order to stop Ultron and his army of robots. Along they way, Ultron is doing his best to break the team apart.

The epic battle between Hulk and Iron Man in his Hulkbuster armor is the most significant scene of the team getting ripped apart. But this is because of the power of Scarlet Witch. She implants each Avengers worse fears. In turn, we also learn about the start of a romance between two of the members and well as discover a huge secret about another member.

The action is fast paced and frantic at times! There are tons of edge-of-your-seat moments throughout! The cast has become much more relaxed and comfortable with one another! The new cast fits right in and the addition of Paul Bettany as Vision is a powerful addition. But it is James Spader as the voice of Ultron that steals the show! He gets some of the movies best lines and delivers them in a frightening manner!

In the end the team is changed forever. Avengers: Age of Ultron is a film that is as fun and entertaining as the first with some darker moments as well.

Avengers Assemble!

Marvel's Avengers: Age of Ultron hits theaters May 1st!

Movie Review: McFarland, USA - A Moving Story about The American Dream

McFarland, USA is another in a long line of sports themed movies to come from Disney. Disney has such an amazing track record when it comes to sports movies that I will gladly watch every sports themed movie they release. From Cool Runnings to Remember The Titans, Disney keeps bringing wonderful true stories to the silver screen. Will McFarland, USA continue this great tradition of Disney sports themed movies?

Based on a true story, McFarland, USA tells the story of Coach Jim White and how his shortcomings lead him and his family to his final shot at not only teaching but coaching as well. Coach White and his family end up in the small farming community of McFarland in Central California, a town made up of poor, mostly Hispanic laborers and their families. A community that has pretty much give up hope on itself and the people that live there.

After an on-field disagreement with the McFarland High School football coach, Coach White finds himself off the football team and his back literally up against the wall. As the P.E. Teacher he notices that several of his students are fairly fast runners. Coach White thinks that he can start a cross country running team though he himself has no background in the sport.

Jim puts together a ragtag team of seven young boys who lack discipline and respect for one another. Slowly, Coach White puts the team together and opens his mind to what these young boys are going through. They come from homes where they are laborers and work long hours besides going to school and training for the cross country team. One fateful night, Jim saves the life of Thomas, one of his most troubled students.

Coach White even goes out to the field with three of his runners, the Diaz brothers, and sees first hand how difficult a job it is to harvest the fields and then still go to school and to train for the team. Jim is finally opening his eyes to the people around him. The community embraces him and his family.

The team begins to grow closer to one another and they begin to win. They are now the most watched cross country team in the state.

Despite all of the success of the cross country team, Jim finds himself not spending as much time with his family. He even forgets to pick up the cake for his daughter Julie's 15th birthday. Along the way Jim learns about what a quinceanera is and arranges this coming of age party for his daughter and the community comes out to celebrate.

That night Julie is involved in an accident that changes Jim's mind about the community and thinks about something better for himself and his family.

Meanwhile the team makes it to the State Finals. All the while the team believes that their coach is leaving after this race no matter the outcome. What will happen?

Fantastic performances from Kevin Costner and all the boys on the cross country team. This story is about Jim finding himself. This is a story about family and community. This is a story about the American Dream.

McFarland, USA is in theatres now.