"Tully" Review by Tim Hellman

'TULLY': Four Stars (Out of Five)

A comedy-drama starring Charlize Theron as a mother of three (including a newborn baby) who is gifted a young nanny by her brother. The story focuses on the two women's relationship. It was directed by Jason Reitman, and it was written by Diablo Cody; the two previously worked together (in the same duties) on 2011's 'YOUNG ADULT' (also starring Theron) and 2007's 'JUNO'. The movie also costars Mackenzie Davis, Ron Livingston and Mark Duplass. It's received nearly unanimous positive reviews from critics so far, and I enjoyed it as well.

Marlo (Theron) is an emotionally struggling and overworked mother of three, including a newborn baby. Her husband, Drew (Livingston), is also very busy with work, and he's unable to help with the kids at all (or so he says). Marlo's brother, Craig (Duplass), offers to pay for a night nanny for the children, so that Marlo can get some more rest. Marlo is at first very resistant to the idea, but she eventually gives in to it. Once she meets the nanny, named Tully (Davis), a very unusual relationship develops between the two women.

The movie is a pretty serious and depressing look at motherhood, and getting older. There is some optimism in it, but ultimately it's pretty gloomy. The film also has a pretty surprising twist at the end, and some insightful commentary on sleep depravation and mental illness (two serious issues that I often battle with regularly as well). Theron gives another great performance in it too. Overall I'd say the movie is really well made and effective. It's not as fun or entertaining as 'JUNO' or 'YOUNG ADULT' though.

"Atomic Blonde" Review by Tim Hellman

'ATOMIC BLONDE': Four Stars (Out of Five)

The new spy thriller starring Charlize Theron (who also served as a producer of the movie) and James McAvoy. It's based on the 2012 graphic novel 'The Coldest City' (by Antony Johnston and Sam Hart), and it tells the story of an elite MI6 agent that's tasked with taking down an espionage ring in Berlin (during the collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1989). It was directed by David Leitch (who also co-directed the first 'JOHN WICK', uncredited, and the upcoming 'DEADPOOL 2') and it was written by Kurt Johnstad (who also co-wrote'300' and it's sequel (which were also both based on popular graphic novels). The movie costars John Goodman, Toby Jones, Sofia Boutella, Eddie Marsan and Roland Moller. It's received mostly positive reviews from critics, and it's also a mild hit at the Box Office. I had a lot of fun watching it.

It's 1989, during the eve of the collapse of the Berlin Wall. An Undercover MI6 agent has just been murdered in Berlin, and a powerful espionage ring is believed to be responsible for it. An elite MI6 agent named Lorraine Broughton (Theron) is sent to Berlin to retrieve a list of double agents there, that are being moved into the West secretly. She's ordered to work with a Berlin station chief, named David Percival (McAvoy), who she does not trust in the slightest. A lot of very bloody action ensues.

The movie is really well directed by Leitch, and Theron once again gives it her all in the lead (and she makes an amazing, and very sexy, action heroine). I had a lot of fun watching the very violent (and quite bloody) fight scenes, car chases and shootouts, but the story just didn't interest me at all. I didn't find it involving in the slightest, except for a few brief scenes. Still if you love amazingly well constructed action scenes, and Charlize Theron, you should definitely get a kick out of this film.

"The Fate of the Furious" Races its Way to DVD & Blu-Ray

Universal Picture Home Entertainment recently released information for the box office hit "The Fate of the Furious". The film stars Vin Diesel, Charlize Theron, Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, and Michelle Rodriguez.

Special features on the DVD & Blu-Ray includes All About the Stunts - Go behind the scenes to witness how The Fate of the Furious accomplished the most epic stunts in franchise history, Extended Fight Scenes, Feature Commentary with Director F. Gary Gray and extended director's cut of the film.

Features exclusive to the blu-ray includes The Cuban Spirit - As the first major studio motion picture to shoot in Cuba in decades, the country's effusive spirit permeates the making of the film.,In the Family - In The Fate of the Furious, family ties are put to the ultimate test. Get an inside look at the family divide. and Car Culture - It's time to put yourself in the driver's seat of the supercharged vehicles showcased in The Fate of the Furious.

"The Fate of the Furious" hits retail on July 11th.

Press Release:

The #1 action film in the world, The Fate of the Furious, goes full-throttle on Digital HD on June 27, 2017, and on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray™, DVD and On Demand on July 11, 2017, from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. The latest exhilarating installment of the nitro-fueled blockbuster action franchise features a gripping new storyline, the most outrageous collection of vehicles yet, and an all-star cast of fan favorites and series newcomers. From the shores of Cuba and the streets of New York City to the icy plains off the arctic Barents Sea, the close-knit crew criss-crosses the globe to stop an anarchist from unleashing world chaos — and to bring home the man who made them a family. With more than an hour of never-before-seen bonus features and an Extended Director's Cut, The Fate of the Furious will be the crowning glory of every fan's collection.

Now that Dom (Vin Diesel, XXX, Riddick), and Letty (Michelle Rodriguez, Avatar, Resident Evil) are married, Brian and Mia have retired from the game, and the rest of the crew has been exonerated, the globetrotting team seems to have found a semblance of a normal life. But when a mysterious woman (Oscar® winner Charlize Theron, Mad Max: Fury Road, Snow White and the Huntsman) lures Dom back into the world of crime and convinces him to betray those closest to him, the crew faces new trials that will test them as never before.

The Fate of the Furious reunites Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson (Baywatch, The Other Guys), Jason Statham (The Transporter, The Expendables), Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson (Transformers, Ride Along 2) and Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges (No Strings Attached, Max Payne) in a heart-stopping new adventure that also features Charlize Theron, Kurt Russell (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, The Hateful Eight) and Scott Eastwood (Gran Torino, Suicide Squad).

"The Fate of the Furious" Review by Tim Hellman

'THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS': Four Stars (Out of Five)

The eighth installment in the immensely popular blockbuster franchise, and only the second chapter not to include the late Paul Walker (following 2006's 'TOKYO DRIFT'). Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris Bridges, Nathalie Emmanuel and Kurt Russell all reprise their roles from the other films; while Charlize Theron, Scott Eastwood and Helen Mirren join the cast. F. Gary Gray (who's best know for helming 2015's 'STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON') directed this installment (he's also worked with Diesel before on 2003's 'MAN APART', and with Theron on 2003's 'THE ITALIAN JOB'). It was once again written by Chris Morgan, who also wrote the last 6 chapters in the series. The film is also (once again) a huge hit at the Box Office, and it's also gotten mostly positive reviews from critics as well (like all of the other recent installments in the series). I enjoyed it too.

Dom Torretto (Diesel) and Letty Ortiz (Rodriguez) are on their honeymoon in Havana, when Dom is approached by a cyberterrorist known as Cipher (Theron). She seduces him into working for her, by showing him a picture of something that's obviously very important to him. Dom then betrays his team, and steals an EMP device from them. Agent Frank Petty (Russell) then recruits Letty, Luke Hobbs (Johnson), Deckard Shaw (Statham) and the rest of Dom's team to help them catch Dom, and stop Cipher.

The movie is action-packed, but it's also way too long (at over 2 hours and 15 minutes). For me, it definitely starts to drag a little in the middle of the film. I wasn't a big fan of the series when it first started, but I've been really impressed with the last several installments, and I think this is one of the best ones yet. It's not as good as the last chapter in the series, because that was a really fitting (and quite beautiful) tribute to Paul Walker, but it might be the second best one yet. And I really respect how diverse a cast this franchise has always employed; it's probably the most diversely cast blockbuster franchise in cinema history (but 'STAR WARS' is catching up to it though).

"Kubo and the Two Strings" Review by Tim Hellman

 'KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS': Three Stars (Out of Five)

The new stop-motion animated fantasy flick, from director Travis Knight (the son of Nike co-founder Phil Knight). Knight is a debut director, who was also the lead animator on 'CORALINE', 'PARANORMAN' and 'THE BOXTROLLS'. Like all of those movies, this film was produced by the Portland animated film studio Laika Entertainment, LLC. (which Travis is the CEO of, and Phil Knight owns). This movie tells the story of a young boy, named Kubo, who must find a magical suit of armor, owned by his late father, in order to defeat the vengeful spirits of his grandfather and evil aunts. It was written by Marc Haimes, Chris Butler and Shannon Tindle; Butler and Tindle also worked on 'CORALINE' (as storyboard supervisor, and character designer), and Butler also wrote and co-directed 'PARANORMAN'. The movie features the voice talents of Art Parkinson, Charlize Theron, Matthew McConaughey, Ralph Fiennes, Rooney Mara, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa and George Takei. It's received almost unanimously positive reviews from critics, but that didn't stop it from bombing at the Box Office. I think it's an OK kids' flick, but it's also severely overrated.

The story is set in Ancient Japan, where Kubo (Parkinson) lives with his mother (Theron); in a cave on top of a mountain. He goes into the local village, every day, to tell the residents mystical stories; using magical pieces of origami. One day Kubo stays out past sunset (which he's never supposed to do), in order to try and communicate with his deceased father; in a special ceremony. He's attacked by the spirits of his evil aunts (Mara), who can only come out at night. Kubo's mother saves him, just before she's killed, by giving the boy magical wings and sending him far away. Kubo then begins a mission to find a magical suit of armor, owned by his late father, in order to fight his evil aunts and defeat them. He finds aid from a talking monkey (also Theron), and a samurai beetle man, named Beetle (McConaughey).

I love the film's visuals (like all of Knight's films) and it's creative (and pretty imaginative) story; but the movie is also extremely slow-paced and uninvolving. I was bored almost the entire time I was watching it. The comedy isn't funny, and I just didn't care enough about the characters (or story) to stay with it (although I had to). I got really sleepy while watching this movie, as a result. The voice actors are good, and fun to hear, but it's also pretty offensive; that it's almost all white American actors, playing Asian parts. The movie is kind of a disappointment, that's for sure.

"The Huntsman: Winter's War": Review by Tim Hellman

'THE HUNTSMAN: WINTER'S WAR': Three Stars (Out of Five)

A spin-off to the 2012 fantasy adventure flick 'SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN'; which serves as a sequel, and a prequel, to that hit film. The story was once again based on characters from the classic fairy tale 'Snow White' (by the Brothers Grimm), as well as 'The Snow Queen' (by Hans Christian Anderson). It was scripted by Evan Spiliotopoulos and Craig Mazin (this time around), and directed by first time feature filmmaker Cedric Nicolas-Troyan (who also did visual effects on the first movie). The story deals with the Huntsman (once again played by Chris Hemsworth) taking on a vengeful ice queen, named Freya (played by Emily Blunt); who's also the sister of the evil queen from the first movie, Ravenna (once again played by Charlize Theron). He has help from another female warrior, he also loves, named Sara (played by Jessica Chastain). Nick Frost also reprises his role, as the dwarf Nion. Kristen Stewart does not return as Snow White, although the character is mentioned (and briefly seen, from behind). I was a big fan of the original movie, when it came out, not so much this one.

The film begins before (most of) the events of the original movie; with the sorceress Ravenna (Theron) becoming queen, by killing her husband (Robert Portal). Ravenna then also kills her sister's baby, in fear that she'll grow to become more beautiful than her (as her magical mirror warns). Ravenna's sister, Freya (Blunt), then becomes a powerful, and very vengeful, queen (of her own kingdom); ruling with deadly ice powers. She begins enslaving children, and training them to be obedient warriors; while also forbidding them from falling in love. When two warrior Huntsmen, Eric (Hemsworth) and Sara (Chastain), defy Freya's orders, she casts a powerful spell; which makes Eric believe Sara is dead. Eric then makes it his mission to stop the evil ice queen.

The film has great visuals, and the cast couldn't be better (I'd trade Kristen Stewart, for both Jessica Chastain and Emily Blunt, any day). They're all wasted in this movie though, and Charlize Theron is barely in it (despite her demands for a $10 million payday; equal to Hemsworth's, who's on screen about four times as much). Theron was the best part of the original film, and she's awesome in this follow-up as well; I just wish they would have used a lot more of her. As it is, the movie is very slow-paced; and completely uninvolving. I hope the next spin-off is all about Queen Ravenna!