The original 1966 Batman TV series took decades to see a release on DVD and Blu-ray, but the wait was definitely worth it! The first 30 episodes from the series’ second season are now available on DVD and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment graciously provided a copy for my review for this Throwback Thursday installment.

I grew up watching the original Batman series in reruns on cable television. It was always one of my favorites because it was so wondrously colorful and wacky. Everywhere you look in any given screenshot, your senses are bombarded by psychedelic, eye-popping costumes that only a 1960s series could pull off so well. It’s like a live-action cartoon with campy music, zany guest stars and playful puns and punches flying left and right. Don’t get me started on the delightful variety of villains the series also offered! From familiar comic book favorites like The Joker, Penguin, Catwoman and Mr. Freeze to crazy, new villainous concoctions such as Egghead, King Tut, The Clock King, The Archer and The Minstrel, the second season is full of fiendish foes and perilous plots. I’m having trouble deciding which villain is my all-time favorite because they’re all so interesting and diabolical in their own unique way!

The Second Season, Part One has many big-name guest stars, including Cesar Romero, Julie Newmar, Burgess Meredith, Vincent Price, Van Johnson, Art Carney, Shelley Winters, Liberace, Walter Slezak, Carolyn Jones, Victor Buono and Cliff Robertson. One interesting thing about the series was that they used various actors to play the same villain from season to season. Season two features Julie Newmar as a purrrrfect Catwoman and Otto Preminger as a space cadet-looking Mr. Freeze with a ray gun. In addition to the main guest stars, there are also numerous cameos from other notable stars, including Dick Clark, Sammy Davis, Jr., Werner Klemperer (Colonel Klink from Hogan’s Heroes), Ted Cassidy (Lurch from The Addams Family) and musical group Paul Revere and the Raiders among these episodes. Just don’t blink, or you’ll miss ‘em!

Egghead (Vincent Price) is the only villain I remember being smart enough on the series to almost figure out that Bruce Wayne was Batman, so that makes him credible in my book (despite all of his “eggs-cruciating” puns every five seconds). The Archer (Art Carney) is awesome because he steals from the rich and gives to the poor a la Robin Hood and his Merry Men, while The Minstrel (Van Johnson) oozes charm and romantic lyrics that make you fall in love with Van Johnson and his velvety voice all over again. Not only is The Minstrel a musical genius, but he’s also equally versed in electronics and probably the only villain worthy of facing Batman in a technological showdown of wits.

I was delighted to discover that one of the most memorable episodes from my childhood was included in this set — “The Spell of Tut” — the one in which King Tut (Victor Buono) tries to resurrect ancient Egyptian scarabs to wreak havoc upon Gotham City’s water supply. Also look for horror icon Sid Haig as the Royal Apothecary in the King Tut episodes. Another old favorite of mine, “The Greatest Mother of Them All,” featuring Shelley Winters as criminal matriarch Ma Parker and her gang, is also included. The Parker clan has always reminded me of the Beagle Boys on Duck Tales, another beloved show from my childhood and perhaps the subject of a future Throwback.

An unexpected surprise was seeing footage from the Indianapolis 500 used as a racing event held in Gotham City in “Come Back, Shame,” an episode with Cliff Robertson as Shame, “The Conniving Cowboy of Crime,” a cowpoke/car thief who looks like he was lifted out of a spaghetti western complete with his sidekick Okie Annie (Joan Staley from The Ghost & Mr. Chicken fame). Of course, Shame and crew don’t look quite as tough as your traditional cowboys with their polka dot handkerchiefs and etc., but that’s beside the point when you can “get angrier than a hyena with laryngitis.” Another hidden gem was “Hizzonner The Penguin,” an episode in which Penguin runs for Mayor of Gotham City against Batman. It was the weirdest political debates I’ve ever seen, but I’ll be damned if I didn’t want all of Penguin’s cute, clever campaign paraphernalia. He had lovable, furry penguins all over his campaign buttons, posters, stickers, etc. I wonder if anyone ever made any of that stuff collectible because I would buy a lot of it for my personal collection of pop cultural oddities!

All of Batman’s gadgets in the Bat Cave, Batmobile and utility belts have never looked better — every detail has been completely remastered in this DVD box set. While reviewing the set, I realized that there are two types of people in this world — those who can appreciate the campiness of this series and those who simply cannot. Neither my mother or boyfriend could make it past more than a handful of episodes before they were begging me to turn it off, but I could have gone on for hours (the set has a total running time of 755 minutes), and my 21-year-old brother and his friends seemed amicably interested as well.

Every “Splatt!,” “Pow!,” “Biff!” and “Zok!” (yes, you read that right: Zok!) practically pops out of the screen at you in amazing comic book color as do the fabulous glittering outfits worn by Chandell (Liberace), and I had a lot of fun reviewing this set. The Season Two, Part One DVD box set features beautiful artwork from the eye-catching covers to the four discs depicting the iconic ’66 Batman logo on each. The only disappointment I had with the set was its lack of bonus features, but that’s what the expensive, all-inclusive Blu-ray collector set is for I suppose. I’ve read the Blu-rays come with an episode guide, Adam West scrapbook, vintage trading cards, digital copies of the episodes and an exclusive Hot Wheels replica of the Batmobile. The discerning collector would be better off saving their pennies for the Blu-ray set, but if you’re yearning to get your hands on some of the episodes in the meantime or if you’re introducing the series to a new generation of fans, this box set is a good starting point. If I’m ever lucky enough to review another Batman set, I’ll catch you at the same Bat time, same Bat channel.

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When Fifty Shades of Grey made its way through my circle of friends back in 2012, I picked it up and read it mostly so I would know what it was all my friends were talking about on Facebook. I was mildly curious, and it was this mild curiosity that kept me reading it until the final page. However, by the time the novel was over, I felt a closure with the characters. I didn’t care enough about their fates to pick up either of the two sequels. It was this same mild curiosity that caused me to accept the review invitation for the film, released today by Focus Features, and I have to say watching the film adaptation was even more painful to sit through than reading the first novel.

I think my biggest problem with Fifty Shades of Grey is that it’s billed as this great, sweeping love story that couples should want to watch unfold on the big screen this Valentine’s Day weekend. It’s about as romantic of a notion to me as Pretty Woman. Much like I never understood why a story about a rich man using a prostitute to his advantage and then taking her off the streets on a whim is considered an epic romance, I don’t understand why this one is billed as such either.

The relationship between Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele isn’t romantic, nor is it even healthy. But I get the way it’s romanticized on the big screen because it’s an escapism/fantasy for some and it begins innocently enough like a conventional love story for others. Anastasia is an awkward but intelligent college senior majoring in English lit who fills in on an interview with the successful Christian Grey as a favor for her sick roommate. It turns out that not only is he the incredibly rich and powerful owner of his company, but he’s also young and handsome. He is the type of man with a commanding presence, beautiful eyes and a boyish smirk that can make a woman swoon just by passing her by. Once you throw in that he can also pilot his own private helicopter to fly you to a different city to wine and dine you, I can see why that would make most women weak in the knees. To that end, he was cast well. Actor Jamie Dornan is easy on the eyes. I really didn’t have a problem with Dakota Johnson cast as Anastasia. She’s awkward but pretty like her parents (Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith). She bites her lip in a suggestive way during the appropriate scenes, and overall I think she’s a better young actress than the one they found to be in the Twilight films. She’s capable of showing a range of emotions, reacting to things like she was an actual human being and not just a caricature of one.

Anastasia is drawn to Christian because she finds him enigmatic and mysterious. Behind all the wealth and the prying eyes of the public is a man who shields the secrets of his private life to even those who are supposed to know him best. In turn, Christian is drawn to Anastasia because she’s like a blank slate waiting to be filled – in more ways than one (terrible pun inserted because it’s really nothing more than a terrible story line that you’d find in a poorly written porno). It seems Christian is a control freak with a capital “C.” His need to dominate trickles all the way from the boardroom of his corporate empire down to his personal relationships. This intense desire to be in control carries over to the bedroom, as Anastasia soon discovers.

Christian introduces Anastasia to the world of BDSM: doms and subs, whips and chains, handcuffs and playrooms filled with sex toys designed to inflict pain and desire until they’re maddeningly one and the same. However, their relationship is not even considered a healthy dom/sub relationship according to the rules of the BDSM community. Both individuals have to know upfront clearly what is expected of them and be comfortable with their roles. Anastasia is clearly not comfortable in her role, and I can’t say that I blame her. I don’t care what kind of upbringing he had or how much of a control freak he is, there are no excuses for the way he treats her in the book or the film. You don’t treat someone you love in that manner. Christian comes across as very one-dimensional and selfish. Anastasia is seen as an object of lust to dominate in his “Red Room” instead of a strong, intelligent, beautiful woman. I realize three things about Fifty Shades: (1) the sex has been watered down for consumption by the masses (even the old ladies next to me were not terribly offended), (2) it does not depict how the BDSM lifestyle probably really is (based on mutual consent) and (3) I don’t understand why anyone would want the “Christian Grey Experience,” which is apparently a thing now. If the experience is anything like it is in the film, it’d be awkward, frustrating and degrading.

One of the biggest problems plaguing this film is the coming together of Dornan and Johnson as Christian and Anastasia – they lack chemistry during the sex scenes. This is a pretty unforgivable blunder when like a third of the film is them having sex. Another major hurdle is making the story believable in an unabsurd kind of way, something I think it does a poor job of in the final product. Scenes that should be emotionally charged and powerful come across as nothing short of ridiculous, and I think this is perhaps heightened by the ultra-serious musical score provided by Danny Elfman. I love Danny Elfman, but in this particular case, his music just didn’t seem to fit certain scenes quite right. The lines are often corny and delivered so woodenly by the actors you’re not sure if they don’t understand what they’re saying or if they just didn’t want to be there that day. The negotiations for the contract between the two makes the entire thing so stilted that it takes all the spontaneity and excitement out of the relationship. Wait, isn’t marriage itself a contract that also takes some of the spontaneity and excitement out of some relationships? The jury is still out on that one.

However, all things considered, I do not feel this is the “worst film of all time.” The awkwardness of it makes it actually kinda funny in spots. The audience laughed at things that were probably not meant to be funny and there were some “hot and bothered” audience members in my showing who would shout out unexpected exclamations that also made it a funnier experience. But it is my humble opinion that the best thing about Fifty Shades of Grey is its soundtrack. It’s full of haunting refrains from the likes of Annie Lennox, AWOLNATION, Ellie Goulding and Beyonce. Leave it to Beyonce to take a Beyonce song and actually make it a better Beyonce song. It’s sort of like a musical Inception. What she does with the new arrangement for “Crazy in Love” left me breathless. I think people will be talking about the music much longer than they will be talking about the acting or the story. The only thing worse than the abrupt ending is the knowledge that there are two more novels lurking out there, and presumably, two more films waiting to be released.

Valentine’s Day is once more upon us, and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate than with a classic romantic comedy starring the legendary Clark Gable and Doris Day as this week’s Throwback Thursday. Courtesy of the Warner Archive Collection, Teacher’s Pet (1958) is an enjoyable rom-com about Erica Stone (Day), who is an effervescent journalism professor, and James Gannon (Gable), a hardboiled city newspaper editor who doesn’t believe a good journalist needs to be educated in the classroom.

In the grand tradition of all rom-coms that have come before and since, there is a meet-cute (boy and girl meet in a memorable way), followed by boy deceives girl and girl finds out and resents him for it, and then in the end, the two are able to forget about their misunderstanding because they realize they’re crazy about one another. In the case of Teacher’s Pet, the meet-cute occurs when Stone sends a letter to Gannon asking him if he would be a guest speaker in her classroom to inspire her students. Gannon scoffs at the letter and sends a rather scathing reply saying that he doesn’t subscribe to the concept of teaching journalism when individuals who want to be reporters should be knocking about as hangers-on in the newsroom, learning from seasoned veterans such as himself as they go.

However, not all newspapermen seem to agree. When the managing editor gets wind of the letter, he encourages Gannon to go and help Stone, but when Gannon arrives to the classroom, Stone mistakes him for a new student. I guess it’s his instant attraction to her/his desire to prove her wrong that causes him not to correct her and one can hardly blame him for not wanting to after she reads aloud his letter mocking him in front of the class. If this film had taken place in modern times, she probably would’ve recognized him as Gannon thanks to his social media profile photos, but back in the ‘50s, I guess it’s plausible she didn’t recognize a city editor she’d never met in person before.

The rest of the film pans out about as you’d expect it would. He of course continues to pose as a student and she sees “promise” in him as a budding journalist despite his age (which brings me to another key point). When the film first came out, critics didn’t like the 20-year age gap between Day and Gable, saying he was miscast in the role due to his age. Why would she be attracted to him as a student protege when he was obviously closer to retirement age? I read some fascinating trivia via IMDb that said both Cary Grant and Jimmy Stewart turned down the role because they felt they were too old for it, and the film was shot in black-and-white to try to make Gable appear younger. While the gap is definitely noticeable, he seemed so spry in the role that it’s actually hard for me to believe that he died a few years later in 1960.

Teacher’s Pet also features some other familiar faces among its supporting cast, including fan favorite Gig Young as Dr. Hugo Pine (Gable’s adversary in pursuit of Day); Mamie Van Doren as a singer/casual love interest for Gable; Jack Albertson (Grandpa Joe from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory) as a newspaper plant tour guide; Charles Lane (What isn’t that man in? He guest-starred in numerous television programs and films over his long-spanning career but I recognized him mostly as Potter’s right-hand man in It’s a Wonderful Life); and Marion Ross from Happy Days fame.

Being a former journalism student myself, this film interested me for more reasons than one. I semi-agree with Gable’s character’s belief system that the only way one can learn to become a good reporter is to be thrown into a fast-paced newsroom environment. I know I, for one, learned so much more being active in multiple publications than I did in the majority of my journalism classes during my four years of college. The semester I served as editor-in-chief of our weekly campus newspaper opened my eyes to the world around me more than half of my lectures did. You can spend a lifetime in the classroom discussing technique, writing tips, ethics and the like, but until you’re actually hands-on in that field, I’m not sure how much that education means. There’s a great one-liner in Teacher’s Pet stating, “To me, journalism is, ah, like a hangover. You can read about it for years, but until you’ve actually experienced it, you have no conception of what it’s really like.”

I also believe a reporter’s basic instincts as a captivating storyteller are something an individual is born with and not something that can be successfully taught. You can learn the techniques all you want, but if you’re not good at connecting with a reader, all those fancy techniques are in vain. Crafting an article is so much more than the “who, what, where, when and why.” It’s hard to believe that the wise gem “Newspapers can’t compete in reporting what happened any more, but they can and should tell the public why it happened.” comes courtesy of a film all the way from 1958 because that seems so relevant in today’s world!

I found Teacher’s Pet to be a hidden gem that I’d never heard of, let alone seen before. Poor Gig Young just never seems to get Doris Day. Another of my favorite classic rom-coms also pairs the two stars as a couple that’s never meant to be (Young at Heart) because another leading man (Frank Sinatra) sweeps in and takes her away from him. I guess his role is to be the affable, intelligent, handsome but nonetheless forever second-best man in Doris’ life – a role that does suit him to an admirable tee. While Gig shines in his supporting role, I guess if a girl can land a man like Clark Gable – whether he’s aging or not – she’s gotta go for it! Despite what the critics said, Gable still oozes charm from every pore in this film and proves he still had what it took to be a handsome leading man.

Mankind has long held a fascination with eerie things that go bump in the night and the mysterious fraternal orders that are bound by duty to keep us safe from such creatures. In Universal Pictures’ latest offering Seventh Son, we’re introduced to The Wardstone Chronicles (UK)/The Last Apprentice (US), a young-adult series written by author Joseph Delaney. This book series follows the supernatural adventures of Thomas “Tom” Ward (Ben Barnes), who is the seventh son of a seventh son, and therefore the apprentice of Spook John Gregory (Jeff Bridges). In this fictional world, a Spook is the title given to a knight who is bound by duty to fight against supernatural evil.

Only the seventh son of a seventh son is deemed strong enough to fight the good fight against a gaggle of ghosts, ghasts, witches, boggarts and the like. It seems this is a dying breed, as Gregory is the last of the Spook Masters. All of his apprentices have ultimately failed, having been killed by dark forces during their extensive training process. This is all bad enough for Gregory to contend with, but when you throw in the fact that the blood red moon is rising – an event that only happens once a century – and Mother Malkin (Julianne Moore) is once more free and gathering her evil minions to take over humanity, well it becomes a dire situation not for the faint of heart indeed. Mother Malkin is the evil queen of the witches. She is very powerful and dangerous with bloodthirsty, vengeful feelings for the Spook. She will stop at nothing to see that the Spook and his young apprentice fail their quest to undermine her uprising.

After Gregory’s latest protégé (Kit Harington) is killed by Mother Malkin at the beginning of the film, he is tasked with finding a suitable replacement immediately, for the ominous blood red moon is coming in just a week’s time. His travels lead him to young Tom, who is the seventh son of a simple farmer who was also a seventh son. There is more to Tom than meets the eye. He has haunting visions – mostly about Mother Malkin – that he doesn’t understand. One gets the impression that destiny has brought the Spook to his last apprentice, for maybe, just maybe, he is the key to Mother Malkin’s undoing.

While I haven’t read any of the book series, I was instantly drawn to the character of Tom. I love stories about humble, reluctant heroes; stories about people coming of age, meeting their destinies and embarking upon a noble quest or two. I think we all like to believe there is something deep-down special about us and that’s why we look to these types of heroes. I’m also a sucker for just about anything supernatural. When you throw in a good monster or two, I’m definitely down for the fight.

Seventh Son throws an abundance of monsters on the screen to delight the audience. Some of them are funny, some of them are creepy and some of them are cool to look at. The 3D effects enrich the overall experience, but it felt like the effects could have been better at times. When Mother Malkin summons her evil cronies, one is almost overwhelmed by the variety of creatures being presented. There’s Urag (a man who transforms into the most vicious-looking bear you’ve ever seen), Radu (the fearsome leader of a band of ninja assassins who also transforms into a dragon), Sarakin (a lady who transforms into a fierce jaguar), a four-armed, sword-yielding maniac known as Virahadra and Mother Malkin’s twisted witch sister, Bony Lizzie, who also (yawns) transforms into a dragon of a different color. By the end, it feels more like a dragon fight instead of a fight between good vs evil.

A friend of mine suggested I go into the film picturing everything Jeff Bridges says in his Dude voice from The Big Lebowski to make it more enjoyable if my interest started to wane. I don’t have the heart to tell him that this would be almost impossible because Bridges’ character mumbles almost unintelligibly throughout the film and sometimes I’m not even sure what he was saying, yet alone did I have the time to picture someone else saying it.

That’s not to say I didn’t like Seventh Son. I’d be lying if I said that my inner 10-year-old who often ponders such questions as “what do monsters have nightmares about?” wasn’t satisfied on some level. There are elements to it that interested me, and I especially enjoyed the fact that Ben Barnes was in it. In fact, I just crushed on him a couple of weeks ago in the historical television miniseries Sons of Liberty in which he played the affable Sam Adams. There’s also a love angle involving Tom and one of the witches (Alice played by Alicia Vikander) that is tender and playful and provides nice breaks from the effects-heavy action sequences. I also believe the villains were all well cast, especially Djimon Hounsou as Radu. He was a badass.

However, much like The Hobbit, I think some of the richness of the fictional world was perhaps lost in this film adaptation. While I enjoyed it, I felt it never quite managed to transcend into the film it possibly could have been given the imaginative subject material (and perhaps some of the higher-ups felt this too, for I read the film’s release date was pushed back). Upon reading an online synopsis of the first book, it seems the story was almost completely changed (including the addition of new characters), and I’m not sure it was for the better. While I won’t bash the film as much as some of the other reviews I’ve seen, I can certainly understand why fans of the book series might be disappointed with the final product. I think Seventh Son had lofty goals of being the next great supernatural fantasy, but it fell more than a little short of the prize. If you’re looking for a cheesy fantasy a la the ones of your childhood, it should be right up your alley.

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The atrocities of war are ugly, but the resiliency of the human spirit to survive against all odds is nothing short of beautiful. Based upon the remarkable true story of Louis Zamperini, Universal Pictures’ Unbroken has taught me these life truths. If you ask me, it couldn’t have come at a better time than Christmas, a time of the year when we’re supposed to care about the plight of our fellow man – even if that plight and suffering occurred some 70 years ago.

Directed by Angelina Jolie, Unbroken is based upon the 2010 bestseller Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption, which was written by Laura Hillenbrand (who also penned the bestseller about Seabiscuit). Although Louis Zamperini died this past summer at the ripe old age of 97, his spirit lives on – reaching an almost legendary status – thanks to the book and film about his life.

The film begins up in the puffy, white clouds over the vast Pacific Ocean, where we’re first introduced to Louis: a young, charismatic World War II bombardier (portrayed by Jack O’Connell). One of the strongest attributes about Unbroken that I observed from its beginning is its convincing realism. It’s as if you’re actually right there in the cockpit with Louis and crew, part of the dizzying action of the war, wondering if (or when) this rickety plane is going to finally be submerged into the watery depths waiting below. In fact, the effects were so good at the beginning that if this film had been shown in 3D, I’ve no doubts I might have thrown up in my theater seat.

While Louis’ fate in the plane hangs precariously in the balance, we’re given flashbacks from his youth, which are designed to give you insights about his character and the likely causes for his unbroken spirit in the film’s latter half. The son of Italian immigrants, it seems Louis led a troubled youth full of thievery, underage drinking and fighting because he was constantly being bullied due to his immigrant status. However, his older brother Pete was always looking out for him. After observing how fast he is able to run away from the bullies, it’s Pete who encourages him to try out for the school’s track team. A natural athlete, Louis sets all kinds of records for running and is deemed good enough to represent the United States in the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. He was slated to return to the 1940 Olympics in Tokyo, but of course, World War II cancelled those and caused Louis’ life to take a different direction. Enlisting in the war was what most able-bodied, patriotic young men of the 1940s did, and Louis was no exception.

This brings us back to the surmounting action on the plane. After Louis’ plane goes down in the Pacific, he spends 47 days in a raft in shark-infested waters, only to be rescued by the Japanese. Considered an enemy of Japan, Louis is sent to a prisoner-of-war camp. It’s hard to say which is a worse fate: the days spent starving, dehydrated, sunburned and almost stark-raving mad while drifting aimlessly about on the tiny raft with two of his fellow survivors (Domhnall Gleeson and  Finn Wittrock) or the days spent freezing, malnourished and beaten – either for information about the Allies or just for the seeming sheer fun of it – while he’s a prisoner in the camp. One thing I didn’t enjoy was the seemingly endless torture/beatings. It felt like Louis was never going to get a break.

Because of his “celebrity status” as a former Olympic athlete, Louis is quickly singled out by the camp’s ruthless leader, Mutsushiro “The Bird” Watanabe (portrayed by musician Miyavi), to endure additional hardships on his cruel whims. It seems “The Bird” is angry because he comes from a life of privilege and he feels it is beneath him to be the commander of a lowly prison camp (he wants to be promoted). I’d never heard of the musician Miyavi, but he gives an amazing performance as the film’s villain. You will truly grow to hate him by the climax. I didn’t read the book, but I overheard some women discussing it after the film ended. While they enjoyed the film, they felt that the character of “The Bird” didn’t come across as clearly from the book to the film adaptation. It seems they were left wanting more. If that’s the case, perhaps I’ll be reading the book next year.

My personal take on “The Bird” is that he is oddly fascinated by – and begrudgingly respectful of – the resiliency of Louis’ spirit. He attempts to break him because I think he perceives that Japan is losing the war and Louis has become a sort of twisted symbol of his hatred for the Allies at-large. In a weird way, I think “The Bird” almost feels like the two of them are equals or friends, and perhaps he secretly wishes he possessed more of Louis’ inner strengths. While he gets frustrated that he cannot break him, I think inwardly he respects that. If he were to break him, I think it would expose fragilities about himself and the rest of mankind that he is not willing to face.

While undergoing the routine tortures of “The Bird” and his men, Louis becomes almost a mascot to his fellow prisoners. As long as he remains strong of character in the unrelenting face of adversity, it gives them a flicker of hope. His mantra, “If I can take it, I can make it,” resonates true for all of the prisoners in the camp. While it’s not really fair to expect one individual to be that brave, it’s a fact of life that sometimes we all need a hero to cling to so that we do not give up and lose all hope in the darkest of times. Louis is remembered as a hero to many in his generation, and his inspirational story has introduced him to millions of people in a new one. Perhaps “A minute of pain is worth a lifetime of glory.” However, I can’t say that with any unwavering certainty.

What I found most remarkable about this film is the fact that it hadn’t already been made. I read on IMDb that Universal secured the rights to Louis’ story for a film all the way back in 1957, when they were eyeing Tony Curtis to possibly portray him. Imagine what that film would have been like!

Unbroken is probably the best film I watched in a theater in 2014 (although at times it can be cringe-worthy). I’m sure it’s not perfect, and if you read the book, you might not feel it deserves quite as much praise. But I think it’s beautiful to watch for the scenery and the overall message about not giving up, and the musical score is equally alluring. What I found most interesting about Louis is the fact that he was able to eventually forgive his captors and go back to Japan to be a torch-bearer in a later Olympics ceremony. I’m sad knowing he passed away this year before the film came out. It would have been nice to have seen him at the premiere being celebrated for being such an extraordinary human being.

Editor’s note: Zamperini was able to see the film privately before he died. He and Jolie became very close friends and she downloaded a copy of the film to her laptop and drove to the hospital to watch with him.

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Although it’s been nearly five months since Robin Williams died, the devastating ripples his death left on the entertainment industry – and really the world at large – are still being felt. Ever the busy entertainer, Williams had five films released posthumously, the latest being 20th Century Fox’s Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb. I think the only other film with Williams that has not yet been released is Absolutely Anything, which is due in February according to IMDb but he is credited for voice work only in that film. To my knowledge, Night at the Museum marks the final time one can view him on the silver screen, which makes it somewhat special despite what other film critics are saying about it.

I’ve been a longtime fan of the Night at the Museum franchise since the first installment came out in 2006 for several reasons. One, I really love that it makes history come alive in a fun, meaningful way that children especially can relate to (for if we don’t learn from the past, we’re doomed to repeat it). I know I’ve said this before, but anything we can do to get kids interested in – and actually revved up – about history from an early age should be done. When I was a kid, one of my favorite TV shows was a Canadian children’s program titled Today’s Special, which featured a department store at night. The main characters were Sam Crenshaw, a night security guard, Muffy the talking mouse, Jodie the store’s window dresser and a mannequin named Jeff who magically came to life each night as long as he was wearing his special magic hat. The premise of the Night at the Museum franchise has always reminded me a lot of that old TV show. Each night, the magic of Ahkmenrah’s tablet brings all the inanimate objects in New York’s American Museum of Natural History to life and only the night security guard Larry Daley gets to witness it all.

Secondly, these films feature great casting, from Ben Stiller as the affable Larry Daley and Williams as a stoic President Teddy Roosevelt to Ricky Gervais as Dr. McPhee (the museum’s stuffy, not-a-clue director), Patrick Gallagher as a hilariously over-the-top Attila the Hun, the hunky Rami Malek as Ahkmenrah and Owen Wilson and Steve Coogan as the miniature best buds duo Jedidiah and Octavius. Finally, the special effects are amazing each time. In my opinion, the third film is no exception. This time I was blown away by the constellations in particular. Being able to see Orion the Hunter and the various other star clusters that make up the zodiac dance over the heads of the museum benefit-goers was nothing short of bedazzling.

Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb welcomes back all your familiar favorites, including Dick Van Dyke, the late Mickey Rooney and Bill Cobbs as former museum security guards Cecil, Gus and Reginald, who give helpful advice to Stiller. Even Dexter (Crystal the Monkey) is back for the final curtain bow. The only characters noticeably missing are Amy Adams as the plucky pilot Amelia Earhart, Bill Hader as George Armstrong Custer and Christopher Guest as Ivan the Terrible. It also introduces a few new characters that I instantly loved – Rebel Wilson as Tilly, the London museum’s night security guard, Dan Stevens as Sir Lancelot and Ben Kingsley as Ahkmenrah’s pharaoh father Merenkahre. Skyler Gisondo has stepped in as Stiller’s now grown-up son Nick. Also look for Stiller portraying an additional character – one of the cavemen named Laaa. At times, this character can grate on your nerves, but I think your kids might love him.

The plot is a relatively simple one. We learn that the power of Ahkmenrah’s tablet is fading and Stiller and crew must travel to the museum in London where Ahkmenrah’s parents’ mummies are located to discover the secrets of the tablet from the only person who knows them all (his father), including why it was created, how it works and what can be done to prevent its power from fading away completely.

There’s a finality about the third film that makes me believe it was planned to end the trilogy long before Williams’ unexpected death. The goodbye that Stiller’s character delivers to Williams’ Roosevelt in the end felt painfully real to me. It brought tears to my eyes, along with the dedication. It was fitting that the series began with Williams and ended with him. Williams was Stiller’s right-hand man, always there to dole out kind, intelligent words of advice when things looked despairing or particularly out of hand. I honestly can’t visualize anyone else filling the role of Roosevelt, so I hope the powers-that-be leave this franchise alone. It felt like it came full circle with the trilogy and I don’t need to see another Night at the Museum. I’m afraid they might wear out the magic and wonderment of it all if they did so.

There’s a dedication at the end to Rooney and Williams that brought fresh tears to my eyes as the credits rolled, mostly because of Williams. Don’t get me wrong, Rooney is equally missed, but he lived a long, rich life. His death wasn’t quite as shocking as that of Williams. He also only appeared in the film in one brief scene. No, it was the touching tribute to Williams that made me shed more tears. I believe it said something like, “And for Robin Williams … the magic never ends.” It’s Stiller and Williams – their chemistry and their heartfelt performances – that make this franchise shine. While I don’t feel this film is the strongest of the three, I enjoyed it for what it was – the ending to an imaginative trilogy that made being a dork who revels at the prospect of visiting a museum seem so much cooler. Although Williams may have departed this Earth, his memory will live on in the lives of all those he touched with his prolific acting career, and especially, in all those children who grew up watching this magical series.

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I’ve always found humans with disabilities that don’t allow themselves to become hindered by them as inspirational, whether they’re as humble and cheerful as the fictitious Tiny Tim in Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol or as fiercely competitive as real-life Olympian athlete Amy Purdy. However, it wasn’t until I was sent a copy of Dolphin Tale and Dolphin Tale 2 by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment that I found animals with disabilities could be equally inspirational.

Inspired by the true story of Winter, a young dolphin who lost her tail due to an infection and was given a new life and a second chance thanks to a specially-fitted prosthetic tail, Dolphin Tale was a runaway family hit in 2011. I had heard of it and wanted to see it, but just never had the opportunity to do so until now. And it was just as heartwarming as I’d expected it to be, making my mother and me laugh and cry. I always knew dolphins were a highly intelligent species, but I gained a newfound respect for them after watching this series.

Dolphin Tale 2 picks up a few years after the original and was written and directed by Charles Martin Smith (who also directed the first movie and has a cameo in the sequel as the government agent threatening to take away Winter). Everyone in the original cast is back, from the kids Sawyer and Hazel (Nathan Gamble and Cozi Zuehlsdorff – though they’re teenagers going through puberty now), to their respective parents (Ashley Judd and Harry Connick Jr.) and all your other favorite characters portrayed by Morgan Freeman, Austin Stowell, Austin Highsmith and Kris Kristofferson. Even Rufus the bird is back, and up to mischief as always!

What’s perhaps most amazing about this 2014 sequel (aside from Winter herself that is) is that it’s another true story about the dolphin’s inspirational journey. After the death of her surrogate mother, Panama, Winter becomes disconsolate and unwilling to engage with anyone, even her best friend Sawyer. Because of a government mandate that dolphins in aquariums must be paired due to their social nature, the Clearwater Marine Aquarium & Hospital risks losing Winter unless a suitable companion dolphin can be found quickly.

While this may sound easy enough, we discover how tricky the process of pairing can actually be. Just as not every human being is compatible with every other human being (with marriage success and fail rates speaking volumes about compability studies), dolphins are also not always compatible. While the aquarium could have chosen to try and pair Winter with Mandy, another dolphin they rescued, Dr. Clay Haskett (Harry Connick Jr.) makes the ethical decision to release Mandy because she’s been rehabilitated and no longer requires care in their facility. It’s not always easy making the responsible decision with your mind when your heart wants to pull you in the opposite direction. Just when things look their bleakest, a baby dolphin named Hope shows up at the aquarium … but is Hope the answer to everyone’s prayers?

If you can watch either of these movies without shedding at least half of a tear, that’s commendable (though not something I’d applaud you for). I, for one, couldn’t do it. The dolphins were adorable, and I couldn’t help but feel compassion for them whenever they were in danger. What I find so captivating about both stories is that so many people (especially children) with disabilities are given inspiration and hope just by watching them. It was emotionally uplifting to see the children come and be able to interact with the dolphins and other marine life in such a profound way.

There is something extraordinary about this dolphin that goes far beyond her prosthetic tail. One could make the argument that she simply adapts in order to survive, but I feel there’s more to it than that. What separates a quitter from one who is perseverant and refuses to give up? I think it comes down to an inner drive and a personal zest for life, but what I never stopped to think about was that animals can also possess these personality traits – they’re not exclusive to humans. Smith does a wonderful job telling Winter’s story in a compelling, yet realistic manner in both movies. I was able to emotionally connect with the animals on a level much deeper than I ever thought was personally possible.

I also liked the character development from the original to the sequel. Everyone has come full circle in a meaningful way, not just Winter. Sawyer has emerged from the shy loner he was in the first movie into this blossoming young man who now leads the volunteers at the aquarium, while Hazel seems to enjoy the spotlight as an enthusiastic public speaker when visitors come to observe the animals. Dr. Clay Haskett is still making the important – and often difficult – decisions that define him as a respected professional in his field. Dr. Cameron McCarthy (Morgan Freeman) continues to amaze with his advances in the study of prosthetics and how they relate to humans and animals alike, while Sawyer’s older cousin Kyle (Austin Stowell) has embraced his new life working with animal rescues at the aquarium after his injury in the previous movie temporarily set him back.

The Dolphin Tale 2 Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack is jam-packed with bonus features that I think you and your children will enjoy watching together, including a blooper reel, footage of surfer Bethany Hamilton meeting Winter, an incredible underwater look at the making of the movie, and a couple of other behind-the-scenes featurettes that you won’t want to miss. And if you can’t make a pilgrimage to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium in Florida to visit the real Winter and Hope, I must confess I also visited the website www.seewinter.com to see what it was all about. The website allows you and your children to learn more about the dolphins’ escapades, including updates, visitors’ information and information on how to make a donation to their noble cause of “rescuing, rehabbing and releasing” marine life. There’s even a gift shop where you can purchase your very own Winter or Hope plushie just in time for the holidays.

Any time you can interact with a child using such a unique inspirational story is a good thing in my opinion. I hope to hear more about this amazing dolphin – and facility – for many years to come.

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Fewer things in life are more adorable than a cuddly, chubby penguin. Penguins have long been my favorite animal ever since my city’s zoo invested in a state-of-the-art penguin exhibit in which you can watch the graceful black and white birds playfully frolic and swim underneath your feet (looking through a glass floor) as they go from one side of their arctic backdrop to the other. Last year, a childhood wish finally came true for me – I finally had a behind-the-scenes, one-on-one personal penguin encounter at an aquarium in which I was given a half-hour with several penguins and actually got to pet some of them.

The cuteness of penguins and the amount of attention and special exhibits such as the aforementioned ones that are given them is very much the heart of the plot of DreamWorks Animation’s Penguins of Madagascar. That’s right – the hilarious penguins who pretty much stole the show for me in the previous Madagascar movies were finally given their own full-length feature. Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private are back in full throttle as furry agents of international espionage, and their antics are as funny as ever. I especially enjoyed the beginning of the movie, which sets the background for how this lovable quartet first came to be by showing them as baby penguins who don’t want to continue aimlessly marching in formation across the frozen tundra, as an overzealous penguin documentary crew looks on.

It was apparent right from the start that Skipper was a natural-born leader, for he always possessed that certain necessary charisma and audacity to question nature and the status quo. It was equally apparent that Kowalski was meant to be the “brains” of the outfit, while Rico was clearly meant to be their demolition expert due to his unique ability to swallow random objects that could be of use as weapons later on. And just as clearly, much to his dismay, it was evident that Private was meant to be their mascot. For what Private seemingly lacks in brains, he more than makes up for with a noble heart, an unwavering sense of loyalty and his irresistible cuteness. (Seriously, I just want to squeeze him!)

Familial love is really what fuels the penguins on their adventurous pursuits. They operate as a cohesive unit because of how much they care for and look out for one another. When you mess with one penguin, you unleash the fury and unstoppable force of all four, as the movie’s villain – Dr. Octavius Brine – quickly finds out when he kidnaps Private. Dr. Brine, a.k.a. Dave the Octopus (voiced by the remarkable John Malkovich), has suffered a lifetime of misery and penguin envy, being forced from zoo to zoo to make room for more penguin exhibits because that’s really what the people want to see (guilty as charged!). Dave has spent years upon years formulating his ultimate plan of revenge, finally developing a secret weapon that will rid the world of penguins and their cuteness once and for all. Is there really a super villainous plot more dastardly than that?

Naturally, it’s up to the penguin quartet to thwart his plans with some much-needed help from some other arctic animals-turned-espionage experts known as The North Wind. The North Wind is led by Agent Classified, a wolf voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch. One of the most adorable things about this movie is the fact that Cumberbatch has trouble pronouncing the word penguin in his sexy British accent. (It really shouldn’t be as funny as it is.) The group also consists of a clever snow owl named Eva (Annet Mahendru), a feisty explosives specialist seal named Short Fuse (Ken Jeong), and a protective polar bear named Corporal (Peter Stormare) who loves the penguins as much as humans do. The North Wind and the penguins must put their egos aside and learn to work together to stop the evil genius and his minions of brightly-colored, at-times hilarious cephalopods.

The plot was actually perfect if you’re a penguin-lover like me, and the voice actors are all superb. Malkovich portrays an excellent villain who you know is in the wrong but you can’t help but feel more than a little sorry for in his misguided attempt to become adored. I think it’s interesting that Skipper is voiced by Tom McGrath, who codirected the first three Madagascar films and also served as this one’s executive producer. Apparently, he meant to merely fill in until a “real actor” was picked for the part in the original Madagascar movie, but once everyone involved heard him as Skipper, it became obvious that there was no other Skipper for the part. McGrath is joined in the penguin brotherhood by Chris Miller as Kowalski, Christopher Knights as Private and Conrad Vernon as Rico.

Penguins of Madagascar is another wonderful holiday gem from DreamWorks that is meant to be enjoyed with your entire family. The antics are a kindred spirit to the cartoons of yesteryear, paying homage to the animated world of falling anvils, zany pratfalls, visual gags, witty one-liners and colorful characters that don’t take themselves too seriously. One of the funniest jokes is the repeated usage of celebrity name puns uttered by Dave, which include, “Nicolas, cage them!” and “Drew, Barry, more!” Your kids aren’t likely to pick up on all of those, but I’m sure they will make you chuckle in your seat. I know I did, anyway.

Penguins of Madagascar proves there’s so much more to penguins than just that cuddly exterior. At the very least, I kept giggling at their shared affinity for cheesy poofs despite the mess they make when you eat them. Overall, the movie moves along at a fast pace that actually left me wanting more after roughly 90 minutes. Maybe they’ll be given a sequel now?

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Music is such a powerful entity. There are songs you associate with certain people, places and moments in your life that stick with you as long as you live. Sometimes those songs are associated with a film because it’s so ingrained in its soundtrack that you can’t help but make the mental association between the two whenever you hear it. For what is Pretty in Pink without Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark’s “If You Leave” or Wayne’s World without Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody?” As soon as I heard the hauntingly familiar strains of Apache Indian’s “Boom Shack-A-Lack” at the beginning of Universal Pictures/New Line Cinema’s Dumb and Dumber To, I knew this was going to be a fun, nostalgic ride for me with my favorite feebleminded pals, Lloyd Christmas (Jim Carrey) and Harry Dunne (Jeff Daniels), once more behind the wheel.

With that song playing over the credits, I was immediately transported back to 1994-95 and the first time I glimpsed Lloyd behind the wheel of the limo and Harry behind the wheel of the Mutt Cutts van as that same song played over the credits, and all these powerful feelings washed over me. I know what you’re probably thinking – fond feelings for a film with the words Dumb and Dumber in the title? When the first film came out, I was 12 and an impressionable youth in middle school. Jim Carrey was suddenly a comedic tour de force that was present – and seemingly relevant – everywhere in my world. He made his ass talk as Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. He was ssssmokin’ in The Mask. And he was the endearingly dim-witted, chip-toothed Lloyd Christmas in Dumb and Dumber. All of my friends – and even a few of my crushes – were discussing him and his zany antics both inside and outside of the classroom. And my 12-year-old heart was smitten with a fervent adoration that has never quite left me no matter how much older I get or what real boyfriends have miraculously come – and regrettably gone – in my life since.

My love for Jim Carrey has certainly had its peaks and valleys within the past 20 years, but that’s to be expected with any relationship, whether real or imagined. When I heard they were making a second Dumb and Dumber film, I knew two things. First, it was good to see Jim Carrey not taking himself too seriously and returning to a role that made him a bona fide star. He’s already proven how versatile he can be by taking on various roles that required more emotional depth of him throughout the past two decades, including Andy Kaufman in Man on the Moon, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Truman Show and The Majestic. But there is something irresistible about Lloyd Christmas that makes him one of Carrey’s best beloved characters and a fan favorite among many. Secondly, it was good to see Carrey appearing in a film, period. It feels like he’s been taking longer breaks in-between films since he became a grandfather and a published children’s book author.

And the fact that he was reuniting for a sequel just because he enjoyed making the first one so much and because he knew it would mean a lot to the fans? Well, that just makes me love him all the more. I enjoyed following the social media and seeing behind-the-scenes photos from the set during the production phase. It allowed me to have a more personal relationship with Lloyd and Harry – a fan could not ask for more. And I recently read that the Farrelly Brothers couldn’t get in touch with Brady Bluhm to reprise his role as Billy, the blind kid with the pretty bird, for the sequel until they found him through Facebook and asked him to come back that way. A lot has certainly changed in 20 years!

While it was panned by many film critics as being too sophomoric in its content, Dumb and Dumber was a film that spoke to my generation. While the humor is decidedly crude at times, it made no pretenses to be anything else. After all, the word dumb is right there in the title for the naysayers. But that “dumb” little movie had a lot of heart. There was a strong bond of friendship between Harry and Lloyd that you just don’t see every day. And the laughs kept coming! Jim Carrey’s unique physicality and brilliant improvisational abilities paired with his natural chemistry with Jeff Daniels allowed the film to reach a different stratosphere than it would have with anybody else in the lead roles. With so many memorable one-liners, many of us in our 30-somethings still find ourselves quoting it to this day.

I think it’s a gross understatement for me to say it was good to see Harry and Lloyd reunited on the big screen for Dumb and Dumber To. I know 20 years have passed and we’ve all gotten older, but they really don’t look it. Harry and Lloyd look almost identical to how they looked when we last saw them. The laughs may still be crude, but they’re definitely still there in spades. For example, there’s a scene in which they are driving down the highway in a hearse and they pass a bus full of children and Lloyd smears a jelly donut’s powder and red jelly all over his face and he peeks out at the kids from the back of the hearse like he’s a zombie. I also couldn’t stop chuckling when they addressed Katherine Turner as a “sir.” You will find yourself laughing at the dumbest and most unexpected things in the sequel, just like you probably did when you saw the original film, and I think that’s a beautiful thing.

The plot is not very far-removed from the first one, and overall, it’s an enjoyable romp through familiar territory with some new friends along for the ride, including bad guys Laurie Holden and Rob Riggle, and Rachel Melvin as the adorable but dumb Penny, who’s supposed to be Harry’s daughter after a one-night stand with Fraida Felcher (Kathleen Turner). There are also some unexpected fun cameos along the way (Mama June from Here Comes Honey Boo Boo and Bill Murray as Ice Pick … who knew? But that’s what IMDb reports, although they still have Jennifer Lawrence listed too, so I take that with a grain of salt until I can watch it again.) A word to the wise: Be sure to stay past the credits for a special bonus scene: “Kick his ass, Sea Bass!”

While I wouldn’t go out on a limb and say the sequel is better or funnier than the original, it was better than I honestly expected it to be. It’s obvious Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels had a blast filming it, for they both radiate a pure, unadulterated joy from the beginning to the end, which is not only necessary for their characterizations but is also definitely not something you observe every day. I read somewhere that the word nostalgia is made up of two Greek words meaning “return” and “suffering,” so it really means a suffering caused by an unappeased yearning to return to something. In the case of Dumb and Dumber To, I believe my yearning to return to the Golden Age of Jim Carrey has been appeased. I don’t really care what the other critics have to say. It’s like a childhood dream just came true for me being able to see Carrey’s Lloyd Christmas up on the big screen and being able to write about him now that I’m an adult with a more compelling voice. Thanks for making this, Farrelly Brothers (and for making it better than the excruciatingly painful film that was Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd), and thanks for indulging the inner kid in me. “I like it a laaht!”

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I love musicals, and I love biopics. My eyes (and ears) have adored Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons since I was a kid and heard “Oh, What a Night” reverberate over the radio for the first time. I actually didn’t realize that it was an “oldie” as a kid because it seemed to enjoy quite a bit of radio time around the time the group must have reunited for their Rock ‘N’ Roll Hall of Fame induction. Needless to say, I had high hopes for Clint Eastwood’s film adaption of Jersey Boys, the musical based on the Broadway hit about their legendary rise to fame. However, I didn’t ever go see it in the theater partially based on the seemingly unfavorable reviews it received, including CliqueClack’s review.

I liked the way the film began, with Tommy DeVito (Vincent Piazza) telling you how the group first came to be and explaining to you the ways of New Jersey and what it’s like being a Jersey boy. Actually, the asides from various members of the group throughout the film are a nice authoritative touch. While I also enjoyed the costuming and musical performances, I would agree that the film seems to lack a certain energy. At a little over two hours in length, I spent most of it waiting for Frankie to sing “Oh, What a Night” and really for the film to pick up with some major revelation or point of action. It feels like what should be big life-changing moments are quickly glossed over, such as when Frankie gets married to or even divorced from Mary (Renée Marino). There was the hint of delving further beneath the surface in the scene in which Frankie comforts his little girl on the stair, but it’s almost as if they were afraid to take anything in this film too seriously. John Lloyd Young does a convincing portrayal of Frankie Valli, but I didn’t see as much emotional depth with the role as I’ve seen in other biopics.

Spoilers: I don’t know that I understand the financial troubles of the group or what Christopher Walken’s character had to do with anything. I expected him to either bail them out of the debt instead of making Frankie do it alone or I expected him to order a hit on Tommy (that seemed like the proper Jersey way of dealing with it in my opinion). When neither of those happened, that’s about where I gave up. Nothing exciting really ever seems to happen … it feels like Jersey Boys just keeps ambling aimlessly along hoping you’re just in it for the songs. Perhaps they should’ve utilized Christopher Walken’s talents more. He didn’t appear in nearly as many scenes as I expected he would based upon the trailer and commercials.

Perhaps it’s difficult to make a biopic when the main subject is still alive. Not saying that I think Frankie Valli has led a boring life by any means or even that I necessarily expect there to be juicier details about the problems plaguing the Four Seasons, but it just felt like something epic was missing. While it moves along in a more chronological order than the other biopic I watched this year – Get On Up – it didn’t dazzle me quite as much as the other one did. The film does make for good eye and ear candy though.

The bonus features in the Blu-Ray/DVD Combo Pack are decent. There is a fun vignette showing why Clint Eastwood chose to save “Oh, What a Night” for the ending dancing sequence in the streets (which was my favorite part of the film), as well as an interesting look at the challenges of bringing a big Broadway hit to the big screen and even one about what it was like working with Christopher Walken in his preparation for his “Godfather-like” role as Gyp DeCarlo. That man is an acting genius, but not even he was capable of saving Jersey Boys for me.

The tagline reads, “Everybody remembers it how they need to.” Perhaps that’s also accurate of the audience and their collective memories after watching Jersey Boys. My boyfriend’s parents gave it an enthusiastic “A+” rating upon viewing it, while my boyfriend felt it was closer to a “C” grade. He noted that it didn’t contain anything personally offensive to him, but he felt it lacked anything that was likely to make him want to recommend it to other friends or family. I’d probably rate it at a “B” or “B-“ myself, with the main redeeming quality being the exceptional music and that I couldn’t get those wonderfully catchy songs out of my head even over a week later (of course that speaks more volumes about the tremendous talent of Frankie Valli and the original Four Seasons than it does about those in the film). I’d probably be more inclined to recommend the soundtrack more than I’d recommend the film, but I did enjoy it. Maybe this is one of those that you have to see for yourself, as your opinion could fall further along either end of the spectrum.

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