It’s boxing and magical beasts as we review real-life comeback boxing story Bleed for This and Harry Potter spinoff Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Did it have to be Miles Tellar? Aaron Eckhart is great, though. If you like Harry Potter and old silent films, you’ll really like this, otherwise. . .
Only one movie this week– Sully by Clint Eastwood and starring Tom Hanks and Aaron Eckhart. It’s one of Eastwood’s best and one of Hanks’s best too. Andy was worried it was going to be American Sniper Clint Eastwood who yells at empty chairs, but instead we got Unforgiven / Mystic River Clint Eastwood who is a great director.
London Has Fallen is a sequel/lazy rehash of the first movie. The production delays and “creative differences.” Laughable script. Ridiculous premise. “Time of the month” jokes. A dick flick, not a chick flick. But stuff blows up, and there’s Gerard Butler, so there’s that. Brooke gives it 2/10.
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot is Tina Fey producing an adaptation of a memoir of a television journalist about her time on Afghanistan from 2003-2007. It’s not a comedy– it’s real life, with real humor interjected to lighten the mood. Like M*A*S*H. Lots of talk about Afghanistan. Tina Fey delivers an amazing performance that’s both emotional and funny. Andy and Brooke both give it 7/10.
Zootopia is possibly the best movie of the year so far. A cute story about a bunny who wants to become a cop becomes “48 Hours” when she gets paired with a streetwise fox. Sooooooo much deep meaning in this movie about prejudice, bullying, etc, but maybe too much? Andy’s pancake analogy– Adam prefers waffles. Trump. Hillary. Not quite as good or straightforward as Wreck-It Ralph, but almost. Andy gives it 8.5/10, Brooke gives it 9/10 and says Andy is wrong about Tangled.
Oscars wrap-up! We were mostly right! Except that Best Picture thing. Andy’s idea about Spotlight– we need a new Oscar category for acting or “Best Ensemble” and one for “Best Special Performance in Motion Capture, Voice Over or Animation” and how it would be good for diversifying the Oscar nominees and winners.
Next week! Cloverfield sequel and Andy will be at SXSW!
This week we review The 33, My All-American, and Love theCoopers. They’re. . .moving pictures! (Barely)Content warning: This episode may contain graphic descriptions of a horrible Christmas movie and includes Christmas music. . . luckily all by Stephen Colbert. Also, if you hate the Texas Longhorns football team. . .or coal mining. . . you have been warned.
My All-American – Plays more like a made-for-tv movie they would show to people to try to recruit them to come to the University of Texas football program. From the writer of Rudy and Hoosiers, so you can guess where this is going. Andy re-enacts the opening scene featuring a doe-eyed reporter from The Daily Texan student newspaper and old coach Aaron Eckhardt in old man makeup. We hate to call your life a cliche, Freddie Steinmark, but. . . Still, not terrible. Just not great. 4/10.
The 33 – True story of the Chilean miners trapped below ground. Should’ve been more heroic, but was mostly just boring. There’s still a few good things in here. 5/10
We don’t have any recommendations, except to go back and listen to last week’s episode. Because James Bond.
The podcast so you don't end up bored as hell at the movies