Ralph Breaks The Internet

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! 

Ralph is funny, or rather John C. Reily voicing him is hilarious.  It is stupid humor, but it works.  Parents will no doubt get more of these jokes than their kids, because I was laughing out loud in the theater with my family and didn't care if it was just me expressing the reactions.  

Disney has always provided a solid story with a lesson in their movies.  This one is no different.  The backdrop is the internet and kids at least 11 or 12 would be more in tune with what is going on.  My kids 9 and 7 were still in the dark on mostly everything with internet related humor.  The lesson is sometimes more is not always the best with all of the thousands of apps, ease of internet choices and danger of putting yourself out there as a "viral star"  insults are real in the internet and it is a fantasy world when you totally get locked into it.  Put the animated characters of John C. Reily, Sara Silverman, Gal Gadot as "Shank" and plenty of other great analogies internet characters including the villainous "Computer Virus" and you have a great story, hilarious internet related material with a family themed Disney touch and you have a great family movie.  

Parents - make your reserved seats on line with your kids, plan on getting a glass of wine before hand or during the movie and have fun this Thanksgiving weekend in between food, football and family.  Enjoy.

85.9 B+

Thanks for reading.. the family man.  

The Grinch

Ahhh YES... the chill in the air, snow flurries and accumulation in Missouri on the second weekend of November, perfect settings for a holiday family movie... which reminds me 😊 The Grinch!! Yes of course!  The great holiday movie and baritone bass song you hear year, after year, after year, on the radio!  

It is back my family friends and YES you and your family should buy tickets and go see it TOGETHER.  A holiday staple that does not miss any chords with this latest version from "   " Entertainment.  The computer graphics are spot on along with Benedict Cumberbatch our star voice of the GRINCH.  

Good story, good characters, good kid characters, good music, humor and overall satisfaction.  This will be a great start to the holiday season and I have no doubt will add it's name to the select few core of must see holiday movies.

86.8 B+

As always thanks for reading.. The Family Man

OVERLORD

OVERLORD.  Note: U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower gave the order to Allied Forces in World War II called "Operation Overlord" to invade the Germany enemy forces in the largest amphibious military operation in history.

Not since the opening scene of Savings Private Ryan have I ever felt like YOU were actually in the US LCVP's (Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel) or also called "Higgins" Boats with the cold sea spray splashing you in the face on a grey morning on D-Day June 5, 1944 off the coast of France and puking your guts out because you were so nervous.  Take away the LCVP's and substitute US C-47 Transport planes filled with paratroopers ready to invade France over the air on the eve of D-Day and carry out a mission to destroy radio towers so the Germans could not see the Allied forces coming.

Probably one of the best opening sequences you will see all year.  You are actually IN the planes with the soldiers and ready to jump to your death.  My advice to you is, get to your seats early, have a couple cocktails before hand, settle in and immerse yourself into the Army in this movie.  It's incredible, the realism and how in gods green earth do they do the special effects, crazy!  What also makes this movie great is that you cannot recognize any of the actors.  This makes it like you are along with the platoon and meeting everybody for the first time like the soldiers are in the movie. 

How to summarize: you are in the Army on a mission and survive death through the air.  You regroup, and then are a witness to insane acts of mankind from the German Army and Secret Lab.  That's right folks a lab that does it's way with experimenting and torturing real people until they can find the magic formula that creates a "1000 year old army."  If you have ever scene the movie "Hostile" directed by Eli Roth, this movie definitely takes a page out of that movie with the closed corridors and steel doors not knowing what is behind them.    

Awesome, awesome movie.  Incredibly INTENSE, VIOLENT, not sure how in the hell they did these special effects but they look as real as you can imagine, and you honestly think you are in the same room with these people fighting for your life with bullets whizzing by you, Germans tracking you down and the fear of what if I get caught and what are they going to do with me!?

Produced by J.J. Abrahams this is a BIG TIME action/horror flick and delivers in all categories. One warning: the scene with the US Camera man..watch IT.. If you dare. This movie is SICK! 

93.91 A

As always..thanks for reading.  The Family Man.

Avengers Infinity War

Avengers Infinity War Happy Avengers Weekend readers! I’m not going to spoil as much as I want to, but man what a great movie to continue the Avengers and Marvel movies franchise. THANOS IS THE MAN. Harrison and I had a great dinner out and then had our “MX4D” Experience screening of this. Highly recommend you find a theatre that gives this option (B&B Theatre in Lee’s Summit), incredible vibrating seats, mist, wind blown in your face, you are a part of this movie. It picks up where Captain America Civil War finishes, and brings in the next wave of Full Team Avengers now adding from the individual movies of Dr. Strange, Black Panther and Thor. I’ll just tell you this.. respect all the word of mouth that u hear in this one, make your advanced movie tickets purchases and see it. Next summer, for Infinity War Part 2 will be EPIC. 91.3 A. P.S. Stay until the end of the final credits. Thanks for reading, The Family Man

LIFE

I loved it.  As a sci-fi fan and enthusiast of space, and fiction but realistic movies.  This is a real treat of entertainment. 

LIFE, is a movie to see in IMAX on a date night.  I took my wife and told her that Ryan Reynolds and Jake Gylenhall were going to be in a space "suspense" movie.  She took the bait, and this movie delivers but in a terror filled, suspense gripping and awesome science fiction and fun movie experience!

Case in point, in the middle of the movie, my wife says to me "I'm going to the bathroom."  My reply, "Now?!, are you serious, you're going to miss the best part."  She goes.. "Good."  This is from a non sci-fi and scary movie fan.  It's ok, she saw it and was pissed at the end because it was so scary.. but it was great!!

Ryan Reynolds, Jake Gylenhall and Rebecca Fergusson (The main actress in Mission Impossible: Rouge Nation) and some other key actors make up a claustrophobic group of astronauts that willingly take the first steps to discovering LIFE beyond Earth.  The movie is done in a way that makes you think this could actually happen, which makes that much better of a movie.  I'm going to hold off on all the spoilers, believe me I would love to share some things to expect.. but you got to go see this movie to see for yourself. 

It's a great thrill ride and plenty of twists and turns that will leave you ready to go the nearest bar and grab a stiff drink and talk to you whoever you saw it with and recap the film.  This movie was originally supposed to be released during the Memorial Day Weekend, but changed the date to late March, probably to make sure audiences experienced it without to much competition.  I liked the move and it will surely be a word of mouth movie. 

I never saw the original "Alien" 1979 directed by Ridley Scott in theatres.  "LIFE" is the closest that my generation (Generation X) will get to experience that same shock and awe.  Great Flick, see it on the big screen and have fun with it!!

LIFE is a terrific sci-fi terror thriller - A-

Kong: Skull Island

Just saw this big monster movie. I liked it, a lot. One thing I highly recommend is seeing this in IMAX 3D, it really immerses you into the movie and with the epic scale of King Kong and all the creatures on the island, combined with the sounds and squeals of everything, really really adds to the experience.

I'm glad I didn't take my seven year old son Harrison with me. It's a little much for the young mind to process, even though it's a monster movie.  I was very tempted but opted out because of the PG-13 rating.

Samuel J. Jackson is a good all in Army character and leads his troops to battle with the other side of Tom Hiddleston's tracker role and Brie Larson who is a tag along photographer.  Add in John Goodman and his scientific theories that "Monsters exist." and all of the random soldiers, and extra team of scientists it makes for a good tropical jungle monsters excursion.

The special effects are top notch, the sound makes it even better.  There are hardly ever any slow parts and each scene leads into the next, but always throws something new at you and keeps you engaged with the characters until they get picked off of by the various unearthly island inhabitants. My compliments to the director who lulls you in and then...SNAP!!  There goes that guy.

You know there will be more of these movies just how the story line ends up (not a big surprise). They didn't end it, rather then keep many unanswered questions left to be put in place. This is great entertainment and check it out in IMAX 3D, you will enjoy the monster ride that much more.  Kong is great and worthy of a couple hours at your local theatre.

Have a good week and thanks for reading.

Kong: Skull Island is a low A-

The Corner Restaurant, Westport KC, MO

Good morning everyone, hope you all had a good week-

If you have not been to the Corner Restaurant for breakfast in Westport, KC, MO my advice is to make plans ASAP for your next early morning out with your friends or family.

Wonderful first experience at this eclectic farm to table restaurant.

The coffee is freshly brewed from Kansas City's own local The Roasterie and you always get quick hot refills from your servers.

I ordered the eggs Benedict with braised short ribs with hollandise sauce, house made extra crispy potatoes. I crushed it. Followed by eating the rest of my sons short stack pancakes that were light and fluffy and sweet with real maple syrup. The winter special, Pastrami Hash, consisted of vegetables and house made pastrami that was also fantastic.

Can't say anything bad about this place plus they have a tucked away bar in the back where I'm sure their bloody marry's equal the deliciousness of everything else I tasted.

Plan on getting there early, this is a definite word of mouth place to be, and this place fills up fast!  Get up out of bed early and get your crew moving to this place, and enjoy. 

The Corner Restaurant for breakfast is an A+