Rating: Overflowing

Cast: Kelly Marie Tran, Awkwafina, Izacc Wang, Gemma Chan, Danial Dae Kim, Benedict Wong, Sandra Oh, Thalia Tran, Lucille Soong and Alan Tudyk

Directors: Don Hall and Carlos Lopez Estrada

Writers: Paul Briggs, Don Hall, Adele Lim, Carlos Lopez Estrada, Kiel Murray, Qui Nguyen, John Ripa and Dean Wellins

Producers: Peter Del Vecho and Osnat Shurer

Music by: James Newton Howard

Rated: PG for some violence, action and thematic elements

Release Date: 03/05/21

Favorite Character: Sisu

Tagline: N/A

Quote: “It may feel impossible, but sometimes, you just have to take the first step, even before you’re ready.”- Sisu

Fun Facts: In Malay and Insodianan, Raya means ‘great’ 

It’s original date was 11/25/20 but because of covid, it was moved to 03/05/21.

It is on Disney Plus for $30.

Cassie Steele was the original voice for Raya but was replaced due to the Disney policy of not letting white actors voice non-white characters.

Summary: Hoping to bring peace to Kumandra, a princess sets out to find the last dragon.

The Review: Raya really takes the stakes with beautiful animation and a new type of storytelling Disney has to offer (and a fantastic character Sisu is enough to get Overflowing).

Rating: Empty

Studio: Warner Bros/Legendary Pictures/Cruel and Unusual Films

Genre: Action, fantasy, Psychological

Cast: Emily Browning, Abbie Cornish, Jena Malone Vanessa Hudgens, Jamie Chung, Carla Gugino, Oscar Issac, Jon Hamm and Scott Glenn

Director: Zack Snyder

Writers: Steve Shibuya and Zack Snyder

Producers: Deborah snyder and Zack Snyder

Music by: Tyler Bates and Marius Devries

Rated: PG-13 for thematic material involving sexuality, violence and combat sequences, and for language

Release Date: 03/25/11

Favorite Character: Sweet Pea

Tagline: Feed your head.

Quote: “This was never my story. It’s yours.”- Babydoll

Fun Facts: A young Rorschach from Snyder’s other film ‘Watchman’ appears as a boy in the bus.

There is an R rating extended cut version of the film.

The five leading actresses had to go through training for the film that’s so grueling that Vanessa Hudgens broke down a lot.

Summary: After being checked into the mental institution, a girl escapes into her fantasy worlds while trying to escape.

The Review: During the beginning: This looks so promising;) During the end: Oh what a letdown 😦

Rating: Full

Studio: Netflix/Basque Films/Mr. Miyagi films/Platforma la Pelicula A.I.E

Genre: Social/Horror/Sci-fi/thriller

Cast: Ivan Massague, Antonia San Juan, Zorion Eguileor, Emilio Buale and Alexandra Masangkay

Director: Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia

Writers: David Desola and Pedro Rivero

Producer: Carlos Juarez

Music by: Aranzazu Calleja

Rated: R for graphic violence and foul language

Release Date: 03/20/20

Favorite Character: Goreng

Tagline: N/A

Quote: “There are three types of people: Those at the top, those at the bottom, and those who fall.”- Trimagasi

Fun Facts: There is a game on the Apple app store based on the movie called ‘Food Platform 3D’ (which is free).

The film is a metaphor for society (the prisoners on the top floor represents the upper class and the prisoners down at the bottom represents lower class).

The original title is ‘El Hoyo’ (meaning ‘The Hole’ in spanish)

The screenwriters appear as the two men in the tub.

Summary: In the future, there is a prison where there is one cell per floor with only two prisoners per cell and everyday, the table of food lowers down to the bottom. The higher levels get food while the lower level starves.

The Review: A very well crafted story about society, the Platform will make you think twice about breaking the law.

Rating: Half-Full

Studio: Hollywood Pictures/Lightmotive/Allied Filmmakers/Cinergi Pictures

Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Family, Fantasy

Cast: Bob Hoskins, John Leguizamo, Dennis Hopper, Samantha Mathis, Fisher Stevens, Fiona Shaw and Richard Edson

Directors: Annabel Jankel and Ricky Morton

Writers: Parker Bennett, Terry Runte and Ed Solomon

Based on: the Nintendo game

Producers: Jake Eberts and Roland Joffe

Music by: Alan Silvestri

Rated: PG for sci-fi action, mild language and sensuality

Release Date: 05/28/93

Favorite Character: Mario Mario

Tagline: This ain’t no game.

Quote: “No. It’s Luigi Mario. See because we’re brothers, we gotta have the same last name.”- Luigi Mario

Fun Facts: Bob Hoskins didn’t know who Mario was when he signed on to play him (and he also regretted playing him later)

Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo were drunk most of the time.

The ‘De-Evolution’ gun was a Nintendo accessory ‘Super Scope’

Listen carefully, there were a few sounds from the original game.

Summary: In the universe where there are two dimensions, two plumbers must rescue the princess from the world where people evolved from dinosaurs.

The Review: I wouldn’t say this is the best (by a long shot) but Hoskins performance, the special effects and its story does seem to be entertaining and (mostly) silly enough to keep the film from being ‘Game Over’

Rating: Full

Studio: Walt Disney Pictures/21 Laps Entertainment

Genre: Family, Comedy

Cast: Steve Carell, Jennifer Garner, Ed Oxenbould, Dylan Minnette, Kerris Dorsey and Bella Thorne

Director: Miguel Arteta

Writer: Rob Lieber

Based on: the children’s book by Judith Viorst

Producers: Lisa Henson, Dan Levine and Shawn Levy

Music by: Christophe Beck

Rated: PG for rude humor including some reckless behaviour and language

Release Date: 10/06/14

Favorite Character: Alexander Cooper

Tagline: Get ready for the best worst day of your life.

Quote: “If you hadn’t left the battery out of my car all night Dick van Dyke wouldn’t be mad at me Chim Chimminy wants to kill me. Can you imagine?”- Kelly Cooper

Fun Facts: In the Book, Alexander has two brothers, but in the movie, he has a brother and a sister.

In the book, Alexander wishes to move to Australia. In the Movie, he is obsessed with Australia. In real life the kid who plays Alexander is from Australia. 

Summary: A middle schooler has a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day but the next day, his family experiences the same thing.

The Review: Would this movie make your day better? I don’t know, but it is still a fun time with your family.