The Jungle Book (2016)

I was really skeptical when this was announced because I didn't want to support unnecessary live-action remakes of Disney movies. (We're getting TONS of them. Really? Think of original stuff. Movies like "Zootopia" and "Wreck-it Ralph" prove you can if you just try hard enough.) However, it was the cast list that sold me on the movie. Everyone is perfectly cast. Bill Murray sounds just like Baloo when he speaks. (But not so much when he sings. When he sang it sounded too much like Louis Armstrong. It was way too throaty, and felt forced and out of place.) Idris Elba as Shere Khan was an absolutely perfect choice! Every time he spoke it was terrifying and sent shivers down my spine. The CGI blends with the live-action perfectly! Not once did it look fake. I forgot it was CGI. It's the most realistic CGI I've ever seen! I'm glad this wasn't just a retelling of the animated version. It's actually original. The only times I was reminded it was a remake of the Disney version was during the songs, and even then, the remakes of the songs were fantastic! It is a bit darker than the Disney version, so I would advise not to take a little kid to this. It really earns the PG rating. My one complaint plot-wise was the idea that "man is bad." I'm so sick of Hollywood pushing this agenda with films like "Avatar," "The Lorax", and "Rio 2." It's absolutely stupid and was certainly not needed here. I agree with the message that it's important to respect nature, but stop beating us over the head with it. 

Grade: A-   9/10  4/5 stars

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

I wasn't expecting much from this movie. When you read the title "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies," you think "how silly." I was expecting this to be "meh" at best and downright awful at worst. I was wrong. Having been forced to read the "Pride and Prejudice" book in high school, I'm glad they finally made a version where I could understand what was going on and didn't bore me to death. It's the same classic story, but with zombie attacks thrown in. And as bizarre as that sounds and as different as these genres are, they synergize really well. The zombie elements affect the original plot and vice versa. I do have one complaint and that is Matt Smith's performance. As much as I love Matt Smith on "Doctor Who", that's just the problem. Whenever he's on screen I feel like I'm watching "Doctor Who." He is the comedic relief and he is really good at it but it feels like watching an exact copy of the 11th Doctor, right down to the personality. The zombie elements work really well. The action is over-the-top, without being too over-the-top, and while some parts of the movie look fake at times (blood), it actually works in the movie's favor because it emphasizes that it's supposed to be silly. It's just a parody of "Pride and Prejudice" and is in no way supposed to be taken seriously. 

Grade: A-   9/10. 4/5 stars