Month: July 2017

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“Emoji” Dances To Second

Sony’s The Emoji Movie is having audiences question what is happening inside their phones.  Similar to what Disney Pixar did with Inside Out, The Emoji Movie centers around Alex’s phone as an adolescent teenage boy just entering high school must now experience all knew firsts as his emoji’s in his phone try to anticipate his every click.

One of his emoji’s, Gene a.k.a, Meh also is experiencing firsts as he is given the opportunity of sitting in the square for the coveted opportunity of being scanned for the text messages, but Gene is too excited and can’t contain his enthusiasm to just one emoticon.  When he finally gets chosen, he uses the wrong expression that starts his human Alex to question what is happening with his phone as the emoji’s scramble to keep him from erasing everything.

At just an hour and twenty-six minutes, the Emoji movie stars T.J. Miller as Gene along with James Corden as Hi-5, Anna Faris as Jailbreak, Maya Rudolph as Smiler and Patrick Stewart as Poop, as well as Jake T. Austin as Alex and Tati Gabrielle as Addie, Alex’s first crush.  The movie features all the emoji’s that we have come to know and love as well as iconic apps from the inside out including Candy Crush, a dance app, and the notable social media apps including Facebook and Instagram.

All in all, the emoji movie is a good old clean family friendly movie, that has a few adult jokes, but nothing out of the ordinary and kids and adults will enjoy the funny humor and tech savvy nature as Gene journeys to be a normal non multifuntional emoji.

In addition, as an added interest, audiences get to see Count Dracula and Mavis with her son in a new animated short called, “Puppy”, that will have audiences laughing as they see the adventure of adding animals to the Hotel Transylvania family.

Opening weekend, the Sony Animation movie did fairly well, coming in number 2 at the box office with just over 25.6 million domestically.  Though it still was not a match for Chris Nolan’s Dunkirk which topped the box office with 28 million. It’s currently playing in a theater near you.

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“Valerian” Review

The latest Sci Fi blockbuster for the summer is bringing in small crowds as it opened last weekend with 17 million domestically, finishing at number 5 for its opening weekend.

Luc Breeson’s Valerian and The City of a Thousand Planets unites two Comic book stars, Dane DeHaan from The Amazing Spiderman 2 and Cara Delevingne from Suicide Squad in an adventure 400 years in the future.  They are special agents working to recover a lost item from a band of scavengers, Igon Sirus, voiced by John Goodman, but the item is far more valuable then expected as Agent Valerian dreams of planet Maul being destroyed by something dangerous.

Now it’s a fight to return the item to its rightful place in order to restore peace to the galaxy.

Valerian and The City of a Thousand Planets contains stunning 3D CGI that will have audiences in wonder over the realistic and virtual reality that our characters travel through.  It’s so awesome one doesn’t even need 3D glasses to enjoy the experience.  There is also a hint of playful romance brewing between Agent Valerian and Sgt. Laureline, though one might find it a bit on the over rushed as the two young adults try to balance their affections with that of saving the galaxy.

More over, its an entertaining movie that will have you on the edge of your seats not knowing exactly what will happen next as Valerian attempts to show Laureline that his intensions are as pure as they come.  And the shocker at the end is who is really responsible for the near destruction of an entire species.

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets also co stars, Clive Owen as Commander Filitt, Ethan Hawke as Jolly the Pimp and Rihanna as Bubble.

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets came out in theaters, July 21 and is currently showing in one near you.  If Sci Fi and romance is your forte, make sure to see this before it’s too late.

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Festival of Love in No Ho

On July 23, 2014, the residents came out to Valley Plaza Park for a day of cultural dancing at the Vardavar Festival.  For just five dollars, one could go into the area and sit in the shade while enjoying various groups dancing various styles from traditional Armenian to more contemporary forms.

There were also food trucks, jumpers for the children and of course the event ended with a water balloon fight meant to cleanse the soul.

All the proceedings collected went to the Armenian Genocide foundation.

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Spider-man Reaches Over 200-million

Sony’s Spider-man Homecoming has passed the 200-million mark this weekend at the box office bringing in another 45 million for its second week though it was still knocked to second because of this week’s new blockbuster War of the Planet of the Apes that barely managed to take first with just 10 million over.

The third reboot within the turn of the century, follows Peter Parker as an awkward teen who is trying to balance school life with that of being a superhero.  He goes to the Avengers Headquarter on a “retreat” where we briefly see Captain America, Hulk and the other Marvel superheroes. Then he is sent home with his own suit and given instructions to take it slow.

Frustrated that he can’t do more, Parker sets out on adventures on his own, after school looking for crime fighting opportunities.  He ends up uncovering a heist, that was 8 years in the making, but the Avengers still can’t take his 14-year-old self seriously.

At 2 hour 13 minute run time, will Peter Parker be able to prove himself to the Avengers and be able to save New York from the Vulture?  Spider-man Homecoming stars newcomer, Tom Holland as Peter Parker, along with Marisa Tomei playing is Aunt May, with cameos from of course comic creator Stan Lee as well as the Avengers themselves, Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, and Chris Evans as Captain America, as well as Michael Keaton as the Villain “Vulture” and Gwyneth Paltrow as the reporter Pepper Potts.

Overall, Spider-man Homecoming will have audiences laughing at the awkward comedy as well as cheering for Spider-man when he finally realizes who he is on the inside.  Make sure to see Spider-man Homecoming in a theater near you.