Reviews of Classic and Modern Movies in a Flash!
Bringing Shakespeare to the whole family, this story has the lawn gnomes of two feuding old neighbors play out the timeless tale of Romeo and Juliet. Gnomeo (James McAvoy) is a Blue (his yard’s color scheme is blue) and Juliet (Emily Blunt) is a Red. And Red and Blue just can’t be together…or can they?
1hr. 24min.
Disney’s first movie about a lovable car, tells the story of Herbie a VW Bug who turns the life of down-on-his-luck racer Jim (Dean Jones) upside down. As the duo win race after race it’s only Jim’s best friend Tennessee (Buddy Hackett) who realizes there is something different about this little car.
1hr. 48min.
Probably one of the most well known musicals of all time, this tells the story of young nun in training Maria (Julie Andrews), who is sent to be the governess of widower Captain Von Trapp’s (Christopher Plummers) 7 children. After their initial wariness of her, the children quickly grow to love Maria as she shares her love of music and life. It isn’t long before the stern captain begins to realize that he needs Maria there as much as his children do. Things could easily settle into a happy-go-lucky tale, but it’s set in Austria in 1938 and the world is about to change.
Based on a true story, this film along with winning 5 Academy Awards also broke many box office records around the world.
2hr. 54min.
Zootopia is a city of the future where all animals can live and work together in harmony. That’s what Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) is led to believe as she makes her way to the big city to realize her dream of becoming a police officer. There she realizes that there are plenty of prejudices (including her own) to overcome if she really wants to make the world a better place.
This film deftly mixes, comedy, mystery and drama as it tells it’s simple but relevant message of “not judging a book by its’ cover”.
1hr. 48min.
Set during WWII, the story centers around Livy (Keri Russell) a young unwed mother who is sent to the country by her stern father, where she will marry single farmer Ray (Skeet Ulrich). The two enter into the arrangement warily, but are determined to at least be friends. As the two tentatively get to know each other, she is accepted into his family and experiences the love she’s never known before.
1hr. 38min.
Based on Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic novel, this film tells the story of young Jim Hawkins (Bobby Driscoll) who is entrusted with a treasure map by a dying pirate and gets caught up in a high seas adventure to Treasure Island. There he must fight to survive and match wits with the wiley Long John Silver (Robert Newton).
This was Disney’s first all live-action feature film, and the first color version of the story.
1hr. 36min.
The film chronicles Victoria’s (Emily Blunt) ascension to the throne as well as her courtship by Prince Albert (Rupert Friend). Their hoped for arranged marriage, surprises the both of them when they realize they’re falling in love.
The costumes, locations and cinematography makes this movie a feast for the eyes.
1hr. 45min.
Based on the classic fairytale and set to the stunning music of Tchaikovsky, this animated feature tells the story of an innocent princess and the vengeful fairy who curses her to an eternal sleep, that can only be broken by ‘true loves kiss’.
This epic film took an unheard of (at the time) 6 years and 6 million dollars to make, but was well worth it.
1hr. 15min.
Arguably the best Superman film of all time, Christopher Reeves plays the titular superhero from Krypton who is sent to Earth by his parents in order to escape the fate of his doomed planet. On earth he discovers his powers and is determined to use them for good.
He finds love with the reporter Lois Lane (Margot Kidder) and his nemesis in the criminal mastermind Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman).
2hr. 23min.
Set in 14th Century Europe, this fairytale focuses on the star-crossed lovers Navarre (Rutger Hauer) and Isabeau (Michelle Pfeiffer) who are cursed by the insanely jealous Bishop to be ‘always together, eternally apart’; Navarre is a wolf by night and Isabeau a hawk by day.
On their travels they meet the thief Philippe ‘The Mouse’ (Mathew Broderick), that comes up with the scheme to break the spell and unite the two.
2hr. 1min.