DVD’s Making Their Way to You
“Annie”
Quvenzhané Wallis (Oscar nominee for “Beasts of the Southern Wild”) stars in this remake and update of “Annie”.
Annie is a young, happy foster kid who’s also tough enough to make her way on the streets of New York. Originally left by her parents as a baby with the promise that they’d be back for her someday, it’s been a hard knock life ever since with her mean foster mom Miss Hannigan played by Cameron Diaz.
But can everything change for Annie when the hard-nosed tycoon and New York mayoral candidate Will Stacks crosses paths with her?
Mostly the film is a pleasant update with good energy. Quvenzhané Wallis sparkles as the title character. And Jamie Foxx is endearing. Cameron Diaz is a bit over-the-top as Miss Hannigan, but again this film is aimed at a younger crowd.
But it could have been so much better. It gets a B- it’s rated PG.
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“Exodus: Gods and Kings”
The story of Moses is reexamined in “Exodus: Gods and Kings.”
Director Ridley Scott (“Gladiator”, “Prometheus”) uses state-of-the-art visual effects and 3D immersion, to the story of the defiant leader Moses, played by Christian Bale, as he rises up against the Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses, played by Joel Edgerton to free 600,000 slaves from Egypt and its terrifying cycle of deadly plagues.
“Exodus: Gods and Kings” proves even Ridley Scott isn’t immune to being plagued. We recently witnessed Russell Crow sink in “Noah”, now Christian Bale has to deal with a poorly thought out re-write of the Moses saga making him more like Hercules or Conan the Barbarian.
I will admit there are some good special effects in the film, but a film should be about the story.
And for that reason “Exodus: Gods and Kings” deserves a D. It’s rated PG-13.
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“Penguins of Madagascar”
A spin-off of the popular “Madagascar” animated films; the Penguins have become their own popular quartet with a TV show of their own as well as a movie franchise.
Smartly written and brilliantly animated, “Penguins of Madagascar” offers up some terrifically funny moments as secrets are revealed and allegiances are tested.
It gets a B and is rated PG.
