Ebert Did It Better: Gasbag Reviews

Category: Family

  • Blended (***) This is not an example of my behavior

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    Blended – 2014 Director Frank Coraci Starring Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore, Bella Thorne, Alyvia Alyn Lind, Shaquille O’Neal, Terry Crews, Joel McHale, Wendi McLendon-Cove, Kevin Nealon, Emma Fuhrman, Braxton Beckham Screenplay Clare Sera, Ivan Menchell The 3rd time out for Sandler and Barrymore gets started in a women’s bathroom stall at Hooters.  Yes this is intentional.  We are well past…

  • How To Train Your Dragon 2 (****1/2) continues a progression of wonderful characters

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    How To Train Your Dragon 2 – 2014 Writer & Director Dean DeBlois Starring Jay Baruchel, Cate Blanchett, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, T.J. Miller, Kristen Wiig, Djimon Hounsou, Kit Harington Screenplay based on How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell There was a real concern when How To Train Your Dragon was followed by a television series.  So much talent was…

  • Rio 2 (***1/2) First, do no harm

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    RIO 2 – 2014 Director Carlos Saldanha Starring Jesse Eisenberg, Anne Hathaway, Leslie Mann, Bruno Mars, Jemaine Clement, George Lopez, Jamie Foxx, will.i.am Screenplay Don Rhymer, Carlos Kotkin, Jenny Bicks, Yoni Brenner Rio was a beautiful success in 2011, despite having an all to familiar story and some ridiculous characters.  The film has one of the most beautiful color palettes in recent memory and it’s sequel is even…

  • CPE & Em: Muppets Most Wanted – The Unnecessarily Extended Edition (***1/2)

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    Muppets Most Wanted – 2014 Director James Bobin Starring Ricky Gervais, Ty Burrell, Tina Fey Written by Nicolas Stoller & Bobin I never thought I needed to see Ricky Gervais break into song, talking about being #2. I never thought I needed to see Tina Fey pretend she had a really bad Russian accent. Never did…

  • CPE, Em and El: The Princess Bride – As You Wish

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    The Princess Bride – 1987 Director Rob Reiner Starring Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin, Chris Sarandon, André the Giant, Christopher Guest, Fred Savage, Wallace Shawn, Billy Crystal, Carol Kane, Mel Smith, Peter Cook, Peter Falk Screenplay William Goldman There may be no more perfect story told for the benefit of an entire family than The…

  • The Lego Movie: Applied to our lives like so much Kragl

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    The Lego Movie – 2014   Directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller Starring (voices) Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Nick Offerman, Alison Brie, Charlie Day, Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman Screenplay Lord and Miller Where the heck did this film come from?  They’ve been releasing Lego movies for years straight to DVD, and for some reason, someone got the extremely bright idea to apply…

  • Despicable Me 2 (***): The great average

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    Despicable Me 2 – 2013 Directors Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud Starring Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Benjamin Bratt, Miranda Cosgrove, Elsie Fisher, Dana Gaier, Russell Brand, Steve Coogan, Ken Jeong Screenplay Cinco Paul, Ken Daurio It’s a simple premise.  Put a threadbare story involving super criminals, make one a loveable doof who can’t resist cute kids (who can?), throw in some adorable Igor types and then you’ve…

  • Planes is straight arrow

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    Planes – 2013 Director Klay Hall Starring Dane Cook, Stacy Keach, Priyanka Chopra, Brad Garrett, Cedric the Entertainer, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Roger Craig Smith, John Cleese, Carlos Alazraqui, John Ratzenberger Screenplay Jeffrey M. Howard So Dusty Crophopper wants to be the fastest slug in the – er, wait.  That’s a different movie.  Not that much different, though.  Dane Cook gives us as generic performance as his…

  • Frozen: I love warm hugs!

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    Frozen – 2013 Directors Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee Starring Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff, Josh Gad, Santino Fontana, Ciarán Hinds, Chris Williams, Edie McClurg Screenplay Jennifer Lee based on The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen I hope I never get too old to appreciate the effect of a magical story on a child-like heart.  Watching this movie with my daughters was a transformative event for…

  • Percy Jackson Sea of Monsters: Harmless Bite

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    Percy Jackson Sea of Monsters – 2013 Director Thor Freudenthal Starring Logan Lerman, Brandon T. Jackson, Alexandra Daddario, Douglas Smith, Leven Rambin, Jake Abel, Stanley Tucci, Nathan Fillion Screenplay Marc Guggenheim based on the book by Rick Riordan Logan Lerman was around 15 when he made the first Percy Jackson movie.  By the time he made this one, he was a fully developed 20-year-old and had considerably…