Divergent 3: Allegiant

Divergent 3: Allegiant (2016)

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Tris and Four take their small group beyond the wall trying to escape a return to the Factions under Four's mother, Evelyn. In the process, they learn more about Chicago and what their lives mean to those beyond the wall, forcing them to return home once again to save their city and hope to once again make a stand that all of their lives matter. There are some hints through the series that make it somewhat reminiscent of The Hunger Games.

Divergent 2: Insurgent

Divergent 2: Insurgent (2015)

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Tris is on the run with Four, but you can't run forever when all of the other Factions have been forced under Erudite's control. It seems a stroke of luck the Candor is willing to give them refuge only after undergoing their truth trials to prove their innocence. Jeanine couldn't have expected that her hunt for Tris would not bring her the ultimate control and return to regiment she craves, but instead brings her entire world crashing down with questions of what lies beyond the city wall now at the forefront as Divergents are no longer feared and hunted.

Divergent 1

Divergent 1 (2014)

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Tris knows she's different, but it's only as her world turns upside down that she discovers just how much. She has to learn very quickly that her parents knew of her difference and her closest ally, Four, who helps her fit in with Dauntless after she chooses to leave Abnegation, will have to learn how to escape and search for a way to return back home. A task that will be increasingly difficult as Jeanine has taken over Erudite and the rest of the Factions from there.

Saban's Power Rangers

Saban's Power Rangers (2017)

My rating: 1.5 of 5 stars


This is a reboot of the old series, which aired back when I was a child. Somewhere along the way, my kids saw an episode on TV at Nana's house and are now obsessed asking to see more of the series all the time. Given the updates in movies since the series first came out, it appears more high tech and alien in origin than the original. The uniforms are also a lot more form fitting and designed to appear more like armor as they are referred to than just suits. Being a reboot, we're also back to the original dinosaur zoids. Even Alpha and Zordon get facelifts for this reboot. Zordon comes across as being more judgmental and self serving in the beginning, though he slowly shifts to more of the mentor/director personality that is known originally towards the very end of the movie, about when Rita makes her move directly against the team themselves.

The Horse Dancer

The Horse Dancer (2017)

My rating: 1.5 of 5 stars


This is a low budget film with mediocre actors, but there is some good riding involved along with a somewhat predictable emotional plot. Sam is an exceptionally talented gymnast.... but she's always alone. Aside from her grandmother, she doesn't really have any emotional connection to speak of, let alone any experience with friends. Of course that will backfire on her spectacularly. Wouldn't be a horse drama without a happy ending however, and the end film with the uniformed vaulting is actually some good riding.

Alpha & Omega 8: Journey to Bear Kingdom

Alpha & Omega 8: Journey to Bear Kingdom (2017)

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


There are traitors among the bear kingdom who are teaming up with rogue wolves. Luckily, the bears have many allies, including Winston's pack. Kate and Humphrey and up helping the queen while their pups protect the princess and the birds locate the king. Meanwhile there are squirrels and caribou taking front and center positions in helping protect the queen and adding to the bear army's charge to take back their territory. We even get to see probably the strangest song and dance ever when Humphrey goes in as a "Trojan wolf" to try and turn the bear traitors and rogue wolves against each other.

Alpha & Omega 7: The Big Fureeze

Alpha & Omega 7: The Big Fureeze (2016)

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Food as scares as winter is in full swing and the caribou have all disappeared. Kate and Humphrey are missing as they went looking for the caribou in the snow storm. Of course it wouldn't be an Alpha & Omega movie without some adventure for the family. The pups decide they need to find their parents before the big storm comes in, but their parents are trying to escape a pack of angry bears just as they finally find the caribou. Nothing is ever easy for this family. Good thing they have a few bears on their own side, including a cub who's pretty much glued to their pups ever since the Great Wolf Games.

Alpha & Omega 6: Dino Digs

Alpha & Omega 6: Dino Digs (2016)

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Kate and Humphrey have moved from their cave in the valley to a new artificial cave with the hope that it will be "safer" for the pups. They didn't expect it to be so near a dinosaur dig that literally brings the carnivores back to life. Luckily the first one is friendly, leading to yet another adventure for the pups before they have to figure out how to drive the humans away from the dig site and get the dinosaurs back home to their own time. Maybe and artificial cave isn't as safe as they'd first thought... (doesn't help any that it's destroyed in the t-rex's rampage).

Alpha & Omega 5: Family Vacation

Alpha & Omega 5: Family Vacation (2015)

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Hunters are back in the valley again, making for a rather harrowing escape for Kate and Humphrey to actually take the pups on vacation. Not only does this add to the difficulty, but the pups friends all decide that they need protection from the hunters and invite themselves along for the ride. This unlikely pack ends up retracing many of their parent's original adventure from Idaho to Canada in reverse from the first movie. Good thing they always have their goose and duck friends giving them a birds-eye-view of things.

Alpha & Omega 4: The Legend of the Saw Tooth Cave

Alpha & Omega 4: The Legend of the Saw Tooth Cave (2014)

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Stinky ends up being the unofficial king of the forest after discovering the blind wolf that is protected by the forest and several of the animals within. He ends up helping her discover what happened to her own family before helping her request to join his grandfather's pack. The rest of the wolves seem to have a bad habit of thinking they can just claim whatever they want to and take out anyone who stands in their way. Thank goodness for some sassy porcupines that help keep them in line.

Alpha & Omega 3: The Great Wolf Games

Alpha & Omega 3: The Great Wolf Games (2014)

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


The pups learn about the great wolf games, which their parents competed in when they were "juniors" but apparently their pack has declined to participate in the one year the pups are old enough to play. They take matters into their own paws, making unlikely friends to get their required 5 members for the team, and enlisting their father was their coach since their mother is out on a hunting trip. Fleet, the pup who tells them about the games, is under some rather high expectations from his own father/coach to win the games, especially as he lost to Kate when he was a junior. The pups have their own plans for the games though and do the best they can with a bad situation, turning everything out for the best and having fun in the process.

Alpha & Omega 2: A Howl-iday Adventure

Alpha & Omega 2 - A Howl-iday Adventure (2013)

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Runt, one of three pups belonging to Kate and Humphrey from the original movie, goes missing as the family prepares for the "howlidays." Of course this is not what the family had originally planned. The rescue brings the family together again as they make some unexpected alliances along the way and save their pup from some rogue wolves that would rather take the territory for themselves.

Alpha & Omega 1

Alpha & Omega 1 (2010)

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


The whole alpha and omega trope has been overused in a variety of fanfiction lately, making me wonder exactly where it was coming from and landing on this series. Apparently alphas and omegas kept to their own within their packs, though Humphrey has always liked Kate. Kate's omega sister, Lilly, however, is invisible to him. Somewhat ironic perhaps as Lilly ends up taking a liking to Garth, Kate's betrothed alpha partner from the neighboring pack. War almost breaks out between the two packs when Kate goes missing during the Moonlight Howl, not knowing humans have relocated her and Humphrey to Idaho. The two end up on a rather epic adventure with some unexpected help from unlikely fowl friends as they find their way back to Jasper Park in Canada. Somewhat predictable once the two groups are split up, though I suppose the ending could be considered cute. Not the best animation or artwork style I've seen. Their attempts at making the animals seem more human in ways just ends up with odd and disjointed movements that seem even more foreign.

Leap!

Leap! (2016)

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars


Also known by the title of Ballerina, this is a cute little animated film about two orphans who escape the orphanage to follow their dreams. Felicie wants to be a ballerina while Victor wants to be an inventor.... so long as he gets to keep Felicie in the process (which she seems a little oblivious to). They learn a lot of lessons along the way, though perhaps the biggest lesson is learned not only by Felicie, but by Camille, her biggest dance rival. Lucky for Felicie, she has Odette on her side, which somehow translates to Merante (the dance instructor) being able to see Felicie's potential instead of just a little orphan liar who doesn't deserve a chance. Camille's mother is beyond creepy though and takes things to extremes that are more than a little frightening.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987)

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Watching these now with our own kids is somewhat nostalgic. I even remember "meeting" and getting autographs for these characters when we went to Disney World and Universal Studios for family vacations as a child. It's amusing to see how the "old school" series are making a comeback in popularity once again. This was one of the few series that both my brother and I enjoyed growing up. There are several obvious differences between the TV and movie versions aside from just animated vs. live action. Still, I have to admit being partial to this original form.

The Hunger Games 4: Mockingjay Part 2

The Hunger Games 4: Mockingjay Part 2 (2015)

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


For the ending of a rather popular series, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. Haven't gotten around to reading the books yet, so I have no comparison there. It seems as if one dangerous situation or close call follows another. Some that aren't even real, but are chosen to be portrayed as deadly to build up the "Mockingjay." Katniss, on the other hand, goes off the deep end a bit and is determined to kill Snow. Only... it's not really Snow she plays executioner for in the end (though I suppose it doesn't hurt that he's already dying). The ending is a little disjointed as Katniss goes nearly instantly from idolized hero to escaped criminal. That's not even adding the time jump with Peta back in their District - which is conveniently left abandoned besides their little family. Convenient? Really, I think the whole story is just one example after another of just how messed up Panem and all it's citizens really are. Kind of feeling disenchanted with all the hype at this point.

The Hunger Games 3: Mockingjay Part 1

The Hunger Games 3: Mockingjay Part 1 (2014)

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


We weren't incredibly interested in seeing this one "on time" given it's part one of two, and you have to wait another year for the ending. This first part, while sometimes rather dramatic, is very slow in it's pace. Likely this is because, being part 1 of 2, it is primarily meant to set the stage for the ending rather than really being it's own stand alone film. We'll likely re-watch this just before the sequel comes out and see if that helps with the attention span and draw any, or if it at least does help set up things in the final film.

The Hunger Games 2: Catching Fire

The Hunger Games 2: Catching Fire (2013)

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Katniss and Peeta are dragged back into the Games thanks to a rather vindictive President Snow. Greasy surprised me this time around with her support of Katniss and Peeta. Peeta pulls out yet another last minute stunt trying to sway the public in Katniss' favor with the pregnancy ploy. Interesting twist at the end that so many tributes were joining forces to save her, as well as her anger over leaving Peeta behind. Looks like their story might not be as fake and forced as she portrays, despite her frazzled nerves and obvious fish-out-of-water approach to what she's doing.

The Forbidden Kingdom

The Forbidden Kingdom (2008)

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


While I typically am not a fan of the invisible wire old-film style martial arts that this employed, the film did successfully draw and keep my attention - a very rare thing for this style of fighting feature. Jason, the young American who gets drawn into ancient China, has to learn kung fu precepts in order to return a fabled weapon to the imprisoned Monkey King and stop the Jade Warlord. Interesting that his very adventure is what results in his "uncle's" immortality. Also glad to see Sparrow at the end of the film - had a feeling about that after the line about immortality. An interesting twist that made the film far more enjoyable, despite still not really caring for this form of martial arts.

The Expendables 2

The Expendables 2 (2012)

My rating: 1 of 5 stars


Originally watched the first one just to get the premise for this one as it was advertising it's upcoming release. As with the first one though, it seemed to have little going for it than big name actors playing similar roles they are well known for in action films all together shooting and blowing things up. In this case, they managed to catch my attention so little that at one point I actually fell asleep. That doesn't speak well for an action film, especially when watching it in the middle of the day and not at night when you might doze off anyways. Too bad as the previews did look somewhat interesting.