And Seen Again

We just got back from a Disney Cruise. One of the perks of cruising with Disney is that you get to see a bunch of Disney movies for free. (Well, as free as "included with your $1000 a day vacation" can get.) This time around, it happened to include the premiere (*cough* actually called Prem-EAR *cough*) of Inside Out (reviewed here). But I wanted to cover a few of the others I had a chance to see (or at least see most of).

Inside Out

Short version: This movie easily lives up to the Pixar standard. It is a fairly obvious and standard plot, but executed with grace and style that gives it fresh appeal. The characters are wonderfully sketched out, especially considering that they are intentionally one-dimensional. And, yes, you will cry. If you don't, you're a monster.

Go see it. Now.

Tomorrowland

Short version: It's a classic Disney movie. Which means that it has a fantastic message, but a bit of a Pollyanna view. Great messages for young girls, but a very limited racial mix. The effects are amazing. The acting is superb (except, weirdly, for the evil robots). There are some really fun park references, but not enough for my taste.

Go see it, unless you hate happiness.

Mad Max: Fury Road

Short version: If you want to see it, you definitely need to see it on the big screen. The action and effects just cry out for it. Do you want to see it? That entirely depends on how you feel about intense, violent, dirty action movies. Because make no mistake, this movie will have you gripping the armrests.

Avengers: Age of Ultron

Short version: Duh. I've been waiting MONTHS for this. I saw it twice this weekend. It was everything I could have hoped for. Get off your ass (Steve doesn't like that sort of language) and go see it. Now. You can read the rest later.

Ex Machina

Short version: This is a twisted, tense, multi-layered exploration of what it means to be human. And it turns out, being human is not exactly the laudable goal we assume it to be. I highly recommend seeing this movie, though it is not one that requires a theater viewing. For those worried about it being horror, it is. But it is horror as Ray Bradbury or Rod Serling would write it.

Woman in Gold

Short version: It is exactly the movie you expect from the trailers. It follows the plot, hits the emotional beats, and features some damn fine acting. It does not stray from the formula, but within the formula it does some wonderful things. I highly recommend watching it, but there is no need to rush.