The Mummy
The reviews have been quite mixed. Some have as low as 16% approval ratings. Others rated as high as 60% approval from audiences. While we generally do not pay too much attention to the review ratings, we would tend to rate this on the lower end of the spectrum.
This movie has a large cast. Over 20 actors. The lead, Tom Cruise, was a surprise. Perhaps that is why it felt more like an action film. In any event, it was different. It was not at all like the previous renditions with the exception of the storm effect, right out of the first couple of Mummy films.
I suppose the “human element” was new and inventive. We were surprised with the PG-13 rating as it is not suitable for younger children. The gore, creepy, and violence factors were pretty intense. The genre is listed as a Fantasy/Thriller. Run time was a long 1 hour, 51 minutes.
Megan Leavey
This movie is a true story about Megan Leavey who completed more than 100 missions in Iraq along with Rex, a military combat explosives dog.
Kate Mara plays the Megan character. Her performance is believable and realistic. Edie Falco plays a shrill Mom, Bradley Whitford is the divorced Dad, and Will Patton is the stand in male figure.
Other notable performances that help make this film work are Common and Tom Felton as Marine Corp mentors.
Overall, the story gets better as time unfolds. The rating is PG-13 but much of the subject matter is not appropriate for youngsters under 13 or 14. The genre is Drama/Biography. It runs 1 hour, 56 minutes.
The Book of Henry
We loved this movie, blemishes and all. No surprise we disagreed with the majority of critics who poo pooed this film. Naysayers called it flamboyant, tedious, and weepie. We think those descriptions are callous, jaded and misguided. And what is wrong with weepie and flamboyant?!
We prefer to think in terms of caring, innovative and inspiring. (Did we see the same movie?!)
The acting was impressive. Naomi Watts plays the insecure Mom. It was nice to see Jacob Tremblay (from The Room) as the little brother to Jaeden Leiberher who delivers a solid performance beyond his years.
It is accurately listed as a Drama/Thriller and rated PG-13 though much of the subject matter is not suitable for young children. It runs 1 hour, 45 minutes. We thought it was worth it. For those who saw it, what did you think?
I’ll opt to see the last two, and forget about “The Mummy.”
Still waiting for “The Boys in the Boat” movie to come out. The book was fascinating, and based on fact. Have you two read it, or heard of it?
Thanks for the comment and a heads up for “The Boys in the Boat”. That is the story about nine Americans on the Rowing Team in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. We think we saw a preview clip but do not recall a release date. Sounds like a great story. We’ll keep an ear open. Hopefully more to come.