A Mile in His Shoes (1:31) 2011

Dean Cain stars as Murph, a coach of a midwestern minor league baseball team. A car accident causes Murph to stop at a farm and discovers a pitcher with fantastic heat. The teenage boy Mickey comes with a  powerful throw. Cain wants to bring back to his team, the Rats, who are in desperate need of a pitcher. Mickey's parents are very protective of Mickey because he has been diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome. Murph promises to look out for him and soon the players on the team bond with Mickey. There is one exception - Lefty, the team's other pitcher who is jealous of Mickey's success. Lefty is up to no good when he invites Mickey to a party and has a girl lure him away from the party. Mickey is traumatized by his night in the woods alone and is not able to pitch just as the team is heading to the Championship. Will Mickey pull himself together in time to pitch in the Big Game?  This is an OK movie, its strength is in portrayal of Mickey and the challenges he faces - noise, crowds, and social relationships. I thought that Mickey's father was rather harsh but the ending showed that his dad was protective because he was afraid for Mickey. I love baseball movies so if your game is rained out someday, my suggestion is to stream this for an afternoon's entertainment.

Moonrise Kingdom (1:33) 2012

Think about the quirkest movie you have ever seen. Moonrise Kingdom will out quirky it. Bruce Willis, Ed Norton, Bill Murray and Frances McDormand are residents of an New England island community. (BTW, the film was shot in Rhode Island.) The Bishops' (Murray and McDormand) twelve year old daughter falls in love and runs away with a Khaki Scout named Sam. Once they are discovered missing, the entire island is out looking for them. Norton is the Scout Leader Ward who takes his troop to find Sam. The Sheriff, Captain Sharp (Willis) is looking for Suzy and Sam. This all takes place as a 1965 hurricane is about to strike making search and rescue attempts dangerous. When the truth about Sam is uncovered, Willis is willing to have Sam live with him if Sam and Suzy will be discovered and saved from the storm. Will Captain Sharp be a hero? Moonrise Kingdom is an odd little movie but it is fun. The setting and soundtrack support the cast,  both the veteran and young actors. It is hard movie to describe because it is so different but it is well done. It may not be everyone's cup ot tea but I do recommend it to all fans of quirky movies.

Magic Mike (1:50) 2012

Channing Tatum is Magic Mike in all his glory. Inspired by Tatum's early life, Mike is stripping to earn money to open his custom made modern furniture business. Along the way he meets Adam, soon to be known as The Kid. Adam joins the male revue of a Tampa club owned by Dallas (Matthew McConaughey). And when he comes to McConaughey, he is the power and the glory. Adam is young (nineteen) so Mike promises Adam's disapproving sister that he will take care of him. Adam succumbs to the darker side of the exotic dancing business - drugs, drink and women. This causes tension between Mike and the sister, to whom Mike is attracted. Dallas, with business thriving, decides to expand his revue by moving to Miami. Will Mike, who will receive a percentage of the business, move with the revue or has he had enough? The dance routines and the soundtrack were great and all the guys were stud muffins. This afternoon's matinee were all women and we all left smiling. There is a serious storyline and the behind the scenes look at this raunchy business reminded me of the movie Burlesque. For a ladies night out, I suggest Magic Mike.

The Double (1:28) 2011

Richard Gere and Topher Grace team up in the spy thriller. Gere is a retired CIA operative who pairs with a young FBI agent (Grace) to capture Cassius, a Russian spy long thought dead. The story has many twists and turns as the audience starts questioning who may be a double agent from Russia, now considered a threat. Gere and Grace are great together as the loner Gere tries to keep the newbie away from danger. If you are a Gere or fan of the spy thriller genre, it's worth a rental.

Brave (1:33) 2012

Disney's latest animation has it strengths and weaknesses. Merida, the Scottish princess, has locks of fiery red hair with a need for independence just as fiery.  But she is a teenager, and King Fergus and Queen Elinor have arranged a competition among the clans. The prize is Merida's hand in marriage.  Merida rebels and asks a witch for a spell to change her mother. Merida gets what she asked for. And we all know that we have to be careful what we wish for. Her mother does change but not in the way Merida anticipated. The clans are fighting amongst themselves because they want a resolution to whom will chosen for Merida. Merida soon realizes that she needs to make things right for the sake of her family and the clans. Will she put things right before the second sunrise? This is a visually stunning movie with a top notch Paddy Doyle soundtrack. There are two weaknesses or drawbacks, the first being the Scottish accent. I missed some of the dialogue due to the Scottish accent and wondered if young children would have the same problem. The second weakness is the plot. The movie went in a direction I wasn't prepared for and it lacked the action adventure expected of a warrior princess movie. However, the strength of  Brave is with the warrior princess. Merida wants to be strong and independent, a princess who chooses her destiny and not one whose destiny is chosen. Young girls should absolutely love this movie. Parents will love the message of the absolute importance of the family bond.

Madagascar 3: Eurrope's Most Wanted (1:33) 2012

Madagascar 3 is a children's movie. It's fun and cute  and containis some humor aimed at adults. The children in the audience really seemed to enjoy the escapades of Alec, Marty, Gloria and Melman as they t\o get back to their home at the Central Park Zoo. Posing as circus act, they join up with a circus traveling through Europe. At the same time, they need to stay ahead of a Cruella DeVille like character, Captain DuBois, who wants Alec's head literally and figuratively. With the runaway gang infusing new ideas into the struggling circus, returning home begins to actually be possible. But then there is the saying, you can never go home again.  Madagascar 3 is a big hit with the children, less so with the adults. There is one beautiful scene, which I could see time and time again, the opening of the new circus act - Cirque du soleil style. It's think it is time for Madagascar to quit while it's ahead.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2:03) 2012

Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Tom Wilkinson, Bill Nighy and other well known senior British actors comprise the residents of the Exotic Marigold Hotel. The residents have left England to spend their golden years in an Indian retirement hotel. To paraphrase one, just like Florida without the golf courses but with elephants. Most of the residents have come to India because living in England is too expensive but they are also looking for new experiences. Muriel Donnelly  (Smith) has come to have a hip replacement, Graham Dashwood (Wilkinson) is a retired judge returning to look for an old love. When they arrive, there are surprises. The hotel is not in the best of conditions, the weather is hard to adjust to, and the culture shock for some is extremely hard. The sights and sounds of India are fantastic on the big screen, with some residents particularly Wilkinson and Dench embrace the changes. As the days pass the group form relationships amongst each other. When it looks like the Hotel must close, the individuals find they have to again make a difficult choice, will they stay or return? Three of us went to see this movie last night, two of us seniors and one adult in her thirties. We all liked the movie very much. The acting was excellent, the dialogue was witty and funny and very touching in parts. It was recommended to us by two of my retired teacher friends whom also raved about the film. This is a must see for the baby boomer and senior citizen sets!