Mar 4 2016

Zootopia

Ever since she was a little bunny Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) wanted to be a cop in Zootopia, the land where predator and prey live together peacefully, evolved to reject their primal instincts. A far fetched idea that a little bunny could possibly become a crime fighter, but with tenacity and can do determination Judy’s dream comes true. But, when she directly disobeys an order from Chief Bogo (Idris Elba), Judy finds her job is on the line. With 48 hours to make good it’ll take the help of the cunning fox Nick Wild (Jason Bateman). Solving a recent crime spree that’s been reverting tamed animals back to their wild nature will take every resource they don’t readily have. Can they do it, or will officer Hopps be turning in her badge for good? zootopia With two separate directors Byron Howard and Rich Moore, along with one co-director Jared Bush, Disney aims for a fun and lightly adventurous romp through a strange and wonderful land. And, to their credit, they’re more or less on target, while not perhaps hitting the highest mark or joke quotient/complexity we’ve come to expect from animated features, there’s certainly enough to carry this family friendly film through to the finish line. And, the all star cast behind our creatures, simply put, the shoe fits, well played by all. Worthy of your family matinee dollar this weekend, Zootopia is rated PG.


Mar 4 2016

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

Based loosely on the events journalist Kim Barker experienced in Afghanistan here’s Whiskey Tango Foxtrot; the story of Kim Baker (Tina Fey) and her warp speed progression from a desk bound copy editor in New York, to war correspondent in the midst of chaos. Befriended by fellow journalist Tanya Vanderpoel (Margot Robbie), Kim has a lot of learning to do if she’s ever going to succeed. Meanwhile, she also happens to be the apple of the eye for both Iain MacKelpie (Martin Freeman) and Ali Massoud Sadiq (Alfred Molina). But, leveraging politics and work is always a tricky balance. Will she cut the mustard?whiskeytango Directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa this moderately slow burn through three years in the Middle East works to balance comedy and drama in a way that doesn’t entirely meet the needs of the comedy seekers and fails to tell a compelling enough story for the drama fans. Meanwhile, from an acting standpoint, the ensemble seems to be a fair fit, it’s unfortunate they aren’t given richer material to work with. Maybe worthy of a matinee if you’re already caught up from Oscar season, otherwise this can wait to rent later. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot is rated R.