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.