The Good Dinosaur - 7 stars out of 10

The Good Dinosaur - 7 stars out of 10

Disney should probably just steer clear of movies about dinosaurs.  Their last attempt was 2000's average-at-best "Dinosaur" which followed an abandoned dinosaur on an epic journey through a vivid live-action setting.  Similarly, "The Good Dinosaur" takes us on the coming-of-age journey of a dinosaur who doesn't quite know his place in the world but learns to survive in order to get back to his family.  The story is awfully similar to “The Lion King” and I found the film to be underwhelming in comparison to the rest of Disney/Pixar's output.  The timing of this film's release does it a disservice as it didn't have a prayer of living up to the creativity and popularity of "Inside Out."  We usually get one Pixar movie a year and they released this one just five months after arguably their best film to date.  I didn’t care for the placement of dinosaurs into human classifications (farmers, cowboys, etc.).  I understand what the writers were trying to do but I felt like it just made it feel more cartoony.  It just doesn't feel like a Pixar movie.  The animation certainly does, but it's missing the heart of "Toy Story" and "Monsters Inc." (though I still cried).  Aside from my issues with the story, “The Good Dinosaur” offers some of the most realistic computer animated backdrops and elements of nature that I have ever seen.  It is hard to believe that these are not live action shots of water and foliage, but we run into the issue that they are TOO realistic for the cartoonish dinosaurs.  To clarify, the animation of the dinosaurs is amazing.  They have lifelike movements and their skin even has a lifelike texture.  But the dinosaurs don’t look like real dinosaurs so they don’t fit in with the stunning backdrops of each scene.  I did love the style and animation of Spot.  I felt like he perfectly fit into the settings and he was the perfect cute counterpart to the main dinosaur.  This really isn’t a bad film, but it had the potential to be amazing and just fell short.  Actually, I would like to retract what I said earlier about Disney straying away from films about dinosaurs.  They haven’t quite found a way to mix Disney magic with this setting and these unique characters, but the third time’s a charm!  “The Good Dinosaur” may not live up to other films on Pixar’s resume but it offers a heartfelt story and delivers the story through amazing animation.

 [Pictured: The disparity between the realistic backdrops and cartoony characters is a distraction from start to finish]

Concussion (2015) - 8 stars out of 10

Concussion (2015) - 8 stars out of 10

"Concussion" is Will Smith's finest performance.  Ever.  His accent is flawless and every line that he delivers resonates with conviction and emotion.  This film may not have been good enough to earn any Oscar nominations on its own, but it is robbery that Will Smith was not nominated for his performance.  You can’t even tell that he is acting.  He completely embodies this character and you'll never believe that this is the same guy from "Fresh Prince" and "Men in Black."  Aside from being a disappointing nomination snub to Will Smith, “Concussion” is a truthful telling of the events surrounding the NFL and CTE.  They didn't have to add any extra drama to this true story to make it interesting as it paints the NFL in a pretty ugly light, particularly commissioner Roger Goodell.  If you are not familiar with Iron Mike Webster's death, this story will shock you (as it shocked me) and make you question whether football should even be legal.  I am a big fan of football but most fans agree that restrictions need to be put in place to prevent permanent physical damage to these players.  The acting is pretty average outside of Smith and Alec Baldwin, but the true focus of this film is awareness of CTE and the uphill battle fought by forensic pathologist Bennet Omalu.  There isn’t a ton of action but I appreciate that Peter Landesman’s script sticks to the facts without adding in a bunch of fictional farfetched/overdramatic events.  The rumor is that the film was watered down to avoid creating a battle with the NFL and that could account for the lack of a "punch" that we were all expecting.  It may have even cost the film some Oscar nominations.  “Concussion” did not live up to the expectation set by its controversial content but it has to been seen for Will Smith’s best performance since “The Pursuit of Happyness.”

[Pictured: The best moment of the film.  "Tell the truth.  TELL THE TRUTH."]

Joy (2015) - 7 stars out of 10

Joy (2015) - 7 stars out of 10

For a movie called "Joy," this film certainly is a downer.  When you see a film with the names David O. Russell, Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, and Robert DeNiro attached to it, you automatically think "Silver Linings Playbook."  This film is not "Silver Linings Playbook."  The style feels awkward, the comedy is lacking, and we're all waiting for a quirky but cute love story that doesn’t happen.  Jennifer Lawrence shines with an inspirational and emotional underdog performance but the rest of the cast just trudges along without adding much.  I think that is more of a script issue that under-uses the talented cast instead of an acting issue.  Melissa Rivers' portrayal of her mother is clever and cool.  I keep mentioning how much if a downer this film is and the irony of the title isn't lost on me; however, even your run of the mill everything-goes-wrong,-even-the-good-things,-but-she's-going-to-win-in-the-end story has a few happy moments.  Aside from two wisecracks by DeNiro, there isn't even much to laugh about in this film.  The sole reason to see this film is for Lawrence’s stunning (and likely Oscar-nominated) performance.  In spite of her impressive acting, I was disappointed that her accent seemed to drift in and out sporadically throughout in the film.  To the point that I didn't even realize that she was supposed to have an accent until the film was halfway over.  I am also disappointed with the number of factual inaccuracies in this film.  The director of the film even referred to it as "half-fiction."  Joy Mangano's onscreen alter ego is stripped of her real life college degree, her mother’s actual personality, and even one of her children!  Plus one of the main antagonists of the film, her half-sister, is entirely fictional.  It's fine to make a film inspired by a real person, but at least call it like it is.  “Joy” is an interesting film that is worth seeing to learn about Joy Mangano’s success but its execution and lack of accuracy prevent it from reaching its full potential.

[Pictured: Lawrence manages to be amazing in every role that she takes.]

Amy (2015) - 8 stars out of 10

Amy (2015) - 8 stars out of 10

“Amy” explores the life and career of Amy Winehouse with a focus on her drug and alcohol addictions.   The narrative is interspersed with long musical sequences of the songs that were relevant during specific life events.  It is almost as if the film explores Amy's life through the lens of her music, one song at a time.  It isn't as compelling as a documentary like "Man on Wire" (which reads like a thriller), but if you love the music of Amy Winehouse, you will love this film.  Her voice was 100% unique and this was a tragic loss for the music industry.  They could have played "Rehab" about 5 more times and that would've been fine by me (not sarcastic).  When you watch this, you must be prepared for strong language.  Winehouse was never known to be a gentle speaker and there are plenty of f-words to drive the point home.  Then again, what do you expect from the story that is mostly drugs, alcohol, and eventually death?  One of the saddest moments of the film occurs when Amy has just won the Grammy for Record of the Year (along with 4 other Grammys) and she shares with a friend that the moment is boring without drugs.  It is tough to watch the gifted musician’s career slowly collapse from drug and alcohol abuse, but I find the shots of the paparazzi harassing her to be even more disturbing.  These are the sort of things that cause a celebrity to lose any sense of normalcy and get pushed over the edge.  I pray that this documentary and Winehouse's story can be a wake-up call to some about the dangers of alcohol and drug abuse.  It has its high points, like her acoustic audition at Island Records in 2003 and the recording of “Body and Soul” with Tony Bennett, who was one of her idols.  But if you watch this film, be prepared for the majority of its two-hour runtime to be a sad fight against addiction.  “Amy” will likely win the Oscar for Best Documentary but that won’t make it any easier to watch.  The loss of Amy Winehouse was tragic, unnecessary, and way too early.

[Pictured: Winehouse's glamorous looks did not always line up with her chaotic lifestyle]