Q’s Reviews – December 18, 2017

Ferdinand. The famous bull is back in an updated and charming animated feature.  Ferdinand is a young bull who loves the smell of flowers. He lives in a training facility that grooms bulls for the Corrida in Madrid. When his father leaves for the bullring and never returns Ferdinand figures out that he should flee. He escapes to a beautiful farm where the young Nina adopts him. He grows into a huge, strong but gentle bull who catches the eyes of his former captors and he is spirited away for the Matador to do his job. Assisted by a smart aleck goat, hedgehogs and some fellow bulls Ferdinand breaks free as he challenges the matador, El Primero, in the ring and becomes the champion of the crowd with his artistry and gentle manner. The film will tug at your heart and bring a few tears. Note; if you take the kids be prepared to discuss where meat comes from and what really happens at a bullfight. Rated PG for rude humor, action and some thematic elements.

Wonder Wheel. The revered auteur, Woody Allen, should not be allowed to make a serious film. His latest offering is a dark drama without even a small chuckle. Set in the commotion of Coney Island in the 1950s, a lifeguard (Justine Timberlake) is having a summer fling with a much older Ginny (Kate Winslet). She is a sad waitress at a Clam House on the wharf. She is in a bad marriage with a coarse carousel operator, Humpty (Jim Belushi).  Humpty’s young, buxom and estranged daughter, Carolina (Juno Temple), shows up trying to avoid the mob. This mix turns toxic and explosive as the characters scream and yell at one another. Think Blanche Dubois and Stanley Kowalski meet Eugene O’Neill and emote. The whole mess is left hanging. As a Fan of Woody Allen I was quite disappointed. Rated PG-13 for thematic content including some sexuality, language, drunkenness and smoking.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi. The beloved franchise is safe. The latest installment starts out slowly, but builds to a tremendous finale. Rey (Daisy Ridley) pursues the last Jedi – Luke Skywalker – to assist her to fully develop The Force in her. She finds her new abilities unsettling as the dark side starts to draw her in. But the Resistance is battling the First Order and needs the help of Rey, Luke, Princess Leia and others to keep the First Order at bay until the final confrontation – wait for the next installment. The film has many stories, old and new, that it weaves together in classic Star Wars style. Rated PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi action and violence.