"Dumbo"

Director Tim Burton ("Big Eyes") stamps his brand of fantastical world into Disney's live action remake of 1941 animated classic, "Dumbo."

World War I soldier Holt Farrier (Colin Farrell; "Saving Mr. Banks," "Winter's Tale," "Total Recall")  returns to his two kids, Milly (Nico Parker) and Joe (Finley Hobbins).  His wife passed away during his absence.  The family also returns to circus life, the Medici Brothers' Circus owned by Max Medici (Danny DeVito), where Holt is assigned to be an elephant caretaker.

Jumbo the elephant gives birth to a baby elephant with oversized ears, later to be called Dumbo.  The baby animal, cute as it maybe, is viewed as a freak, which stretches credibility.  He's painted as a clown and casted aside as a minor attraction.

A chaotic accident leads to a heartrending separation of Jumbo and Dumbo.  Milly and Joe strike a friendship with Dumbo.  They find that Dumbo is naturally drawn to feathers and he can flap his ears and use them as wings.  It takes a fire rig incident at the show for Dumbo to soar, much to the bewilderment of the audience.  There's a sense of wonder when Dumbo flies around the tent.

As Dumbo's star is rising, he's attracting a cutthroat circus mogul, V.A. Vandevere (Michael Keaton, "The Founder," "Spotlight").  He buys Medici's circus and incorporates the group into his theme park attractions, Dreamland.

The plan is to have his trapeze artist, Colette Marchant (Eva Green, "Perfect Sense") rides Dumbo as he flies in the Dreamland's  show.  Dumbo and Colette eventually fly, although it doesn't go smoothly and  the show is botched.  Meanwhile, Vandevere has another plan as well, one that doesn't bode well for the Medici troupe.

The movie drags on for the first half and honestly feels rather bland, but it takes flight in the last third act with a suspenseful rescue mission adventure.  The entire crew is determined to foil Vandevere's plan.  Vandevere here becomes a caricature scoundrel, but it fits with the theme of a kids  movie. 

The theme park retro-futuristic design and Cirque-like costumes are a visual treat.  Dumbo will make you believe that an elephant can fly.  While it doesn't look exactly real, the CGI-rendered elephant goes for magical realism and looks believable enough.  He's got childlike, loveable eyes and demeanors that can elicit emotions.

The movie has a message about truly believing in oneself, especially when the situation is critical and calls for it.  This affects not only Dumbo, but also his human friend, Milly.

While "Dumbo" doesn't soar quite high, it's a delightful flight and you'll end up smiling from ear to ear.

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Upcoming Movies: November 2019

[Originally posted on 10/25/19]

November 1
"Terminator: Dark Fate" (https://tickets.terminatormovie.com/) - Sarah Connor and a hybrid cyborg human must protect a young woman from a newly modified liquid Terminator from the future.

"The Irishman" - A mob hitman recalls his possible involvement with the slaying of Jimmy Hoffa.

"Harriet" - The extraordinary tale of Harriet Tubman's escape from slavery and transformation into one of America's greatest heroes, whose courage, ingenuity, and tenacity freed hundreds of slaves and changed the course of history.

November 8
"Doctor Sleep" - Years following the events of "The Shining," a now-adult Dan Torrance meets a young girl with similar powers as his and tries to protect her from a cult known as The True Knot who prey on children with powers to remain immortal.

"Last Christmas" - A young woman subscribed to bad decisions accept to work as Santa's elf for a department store. She meets a guy that takes her life to a new turn.

November 15
"Charlie's Angels" (https://www.charliesangels.movie/) - When an engineer blows the whistle on a dangerous technology, Charlie's Angels are called into action, putting their lives on the line to protect  all.

"Ford v Ferrari" (https://www.foxmovies.com/movies/ford-v-ferrari) - American car designer Carroll Shelby and driver Ken Miles battle corporate interference, the laws of physics and their own personal demons to build a revolutionary race car for Ford and challenge Ferrari at the Le Mans in 1966.

November 22
"Frozen 2" (https://movies.disney.com/frozen-2) - Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, Olaf and Sven leave Arendelle to travel to an ancient, autumn-bound forest of an enchanted land. They set out to find the origin of Elsa's powers in order to save their kingdom.

"A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood" (https://www.abeautifulday.movie/) - Based on the true story of a real-life friendship between Fred Rogers and journalist Tom Junod.

"Dark Waters" (https://www.focusfeatures.com/dark-waters) - A corporate defense attorney takes on an environmental lawsuit against a chemical company that exposes a lengthy history of pollution.

November 29
"Knives Out" (https://knivesout.movie/) - A detective investigates the death of a patriarch of an eccentric, combative family.

Upcoming Movies: October 2019

[Posted on 10/02/19]

October 4
"Joker" (http://www.jokermovie.net/) - A gritty character study of Arthur Fleck, a man disregarded by society.

"Lucy in the Sky" (http://www.foxsearchlight.com/lucyinthesky/) - An astronaut returns to Earth after a transcendent experience during a mission to space and begins to lose touch with reality in a world that now seems too small.

October 11
"Gemini Man" (http://skydance.com/film/gemini-man/) - An over-the-hill hitman faces off against a younger clone of himself.

"Jexi" - A comedy about what can happen when you love your phone more than anything else in your life.

October 18
"Maleficent: Mistress of Evil" (https://movies.disney.com/maleficent-mistress-of-evil) - Maleficent and her goddaughter Aurora begin to question the complex family ties that bind them as they are pulled in different directions by impending nuptials, unexpected allies, and dark new forces at play.

"Jojo Rabit" (http://www.foxsearchlight.com/jojorabbit/) - A young boy in Hitler's army finds out his mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their home.

October 25
"Countdown" - When a nurse downloads an app that claims to predict the moment a person will die, it tells her she only has three days to live. With the clock ticking and a figure haunting her, she must find a way to save her life before time runs out.

"The Last Full Measure" - 34 years after his death,  an airman is awarded the nation's highest military honor, for his actions on the battlefield.

"Captain Marvel"

“Captain Marvel,” one of the most anticipated movies of the year, bridges last year's “Avengers: Infinity War” with the ending of the Avengers founding members' stories, “Avengers: Endgame,” set to premiere on April 26, 2019.

Directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, the first Marvel's female-led movie is curiously set in the 1990s, more than 10 years after “Iron Man” birthed the interconnected superheroes universe.  The main question is of course Captain Marvel's whereabouts.  Where has the most powerful superhero been in the last two decades, and especially when all could really use a lending superhand before Thanos decimated half of the universe's population?  MCU gives an explanation that makes sense in this origin story.

Speaking of origin story, in addition to traveling into the past, the movie adds a fresh spin by opening the story in the middle of a hero's journey.  Living in Planet Hala, Brie Larson is Vers, a noble warrior of a humanoid alien race Kree.  She's a part of an elite squad Starforce, led by Commander Yon-Rogg (Jude Law, “Sherlock Holmes”).  The Krees have been locked in battles against shape-shifting aliens, Skrulls, with Talos (Ben Mendelshon) as their leader.  The Skrulls appear to have been gallivanting across galaxies, taking the forms of native inhabitants and invading planets.

Vers has had recurring nightmares, flashes of images that she couldn't understand.  Yon-Rogg teaches her to control her emotions and impulses in order to be the best version of herself.  While escaping from a space battle with the Skrulls, Vers crash lands on Planet C-53, or Earth as we know it.  Los Angeles, 1995 is chock full of nostalgia.  Blockbuster videos, Radio Shack outlet, Pacific Bell pay phone, Alta Vista web browser, paper map, and all the retro style and music.

Vers runs into fresh-faced, two-eyed Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.S., Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson, "Kingsman: The Secret Service," "Oldboy") and Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg).  The digitized de-aging of the two are surprisingly believable.  Not the hardened agent we know, Fury here has more of a laid-back attitude and humor.  He's never seen a superpowered being prior to Vers.  The duo quickly and comfortably fall into buddy cop roles in their effort to thwart the Skrulls who follow Vers to Earth.

The Skrulls are after a light speed engine created by a Kree scientist, Mar-Vell, or also as known as Dr. Wendy Lawson (Annette Bening) of the United States Air Force.  The device is said to have a vital role in ending wars.  Dr. Lawson has a connection to Vers' past life as a USAF test pilot, Carol Danvers.

Vers and Fury trace Carol's life back to the last person who saw her alive six years ago, fellow pilot and best friend Maria Rambeau (Lashana Lynch).  Carol's close bond with Maria adds dimensions to Vers' character, reminding her of who she is, her humanity and indefatigable spirit as strength.  Carol discovers how fierily powerful she truly is when she sees the truth and frees herself from what's holding her back.  Having ties to the Air Force and the space inevitably take the action higher, further and faster into the skies. 

If the story seems straightforward, it's not.  A phenomenal twist flips everything on its head.  Larson's Carol is very low-key, defying a typical portrayal of a hotshot pilot.  She's more reserved than brash, placid than cool, wistful than cheerful.  Law's Yon-Rogg may be more than meets the eye.  Mendelshon's Talos is one-of-a-kind foe, utterly sympathetic and humorous.  The future is not black or white.  An adorable fury friend named Goose steals the scenes with her hilariously indescribable power.  The post-credits pick up where 'Infinity War' ends and a prequel to how a certain cosmic cube appears on Earth.

The movie has all the familiarity of a Marvel movie and is cleverly tied to the cohesive and expansive Marvel Universe.  Yet from a storytelling perspective, it's refreshingly different, which is quite a feat for being the 21st movie.  "Captain Marvel" is an entertaining blast from the past and marvelously empowering.

https://www.sdentertainer.com/movies/movie-review-captain-marvel/

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