Starring: Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Richard Kind, Bill Hader, Lewis Black, Mindy Kaling, Kaitlyn Dias, Diane Lane, Kyle MacLachlan

"We should lock the door and scream that curse word we know. It's a good one!" - Anger

Why watch this? This may be the most creative film yet from Disney and Pixar.

Dad's Review: This wonderful Pixar offering barely missed being in Dad's <Prime 200>. Its creators take us into the mind of a teenage girl, just as her simple, happy life is about go haywire thanks to a move from Minnesota to California. Her first day of school does not go well. Meanwhile, we travel into her the control room that is her brain. There, the five emotions, Joy, Anger, Fear, Sadness, and Disgust are in charge, well, sort of. These five are voice by some great stars. Trust me, you will love this film, and the creativity regarding how the mind works. 

Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Elizabeth Banks, Greg Kinnear, Kevin Conway, Kirk Acevedo, Dov Davidoff, Michael Kelly, Stink Fisher

"These are the toughest fans there are. They threw snowballs at Santa Claus." - Carol Vermeil

Why watch this? It's one of the most inspiring sports film, and I hate the Eagles.

Dad's Review: This is the story of Vince Papale, a local bartender who made the Eagles team when new coach, Dick Vermeil, held "open" tryouts. The rest is Philadelphia Eagles history. This may be the greatest underdog story ever! Wahlburg is superb as the film’s hard-luck case, as is the rest of a stellar cast, including Greg Kinnear as Coach Dick Vermeil, and Elizabeth Banks as a sassy Giants fan who falls for Papale. My son and I met Vince at an Eagles game in 2012.

Starring: Jennifer Aniston, Eli Marienthal, Harry Connick Jr., Vin Diesel, Cloris Leachman, James Gammon, Christopher McDonald, John Mahoney

"I know you feel bad about the deer, but it's not your fault. Things die. That's part of life. It's bad to kill, but it's not bad to die." - Hogarth Hughes

Why watch this? A boy finds a friend when a giant robot becomes sentient.

Dad's Review: One of the best non-Disney animated efforts from the 90’s. When a giant iron man crashes on earth, it somehow becomes "alive". It is discovered by a fatherless boy, Hogarth. Their interactions are wonderful to watch, as the robot becomes more "human". Of course the Army wants to reclaim their "project", even to the point of destroying it. The voice cast is stellar.

Starring: Clark Gable, Claudette Colbert, Walter Connolly, Roscoe Karns, Alan Hale, Jameson Thomas, Arthur Hoyt, Blanche Friderici

"Any guy that'd fall in love with your daughter ought to have his head examined. " - Pete Warne

Why watch this? It's one of those sweet, innocent films that they just don't make today.

Dad's Review: As innocent as this little Rom Com appears today, it caused quite a ruckus back in 1934. Men and women never slept in the same room, certainly not on the silver screen! Gable and Colbert are so fun to watch. The film won the Best Picture Oscar. My mother old me that this is the film that started her lifelong crush on Clark Gable.

Jesus (1999), Director: Roger Young, rated TV-PG

Starring: Jeremy Sisto, Jacqueline Bisset, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Debra Messing, Gary Oldman, David O'Hara, G. W. Bailey

"If I were a man I'd be your most loyal disciple." - Mary Magdalene

Why watch this? This film portrays Jesus as more man than God, and I like that.

Dad's Review: My favorite film depiction of the Christ story because He is portrayed as human. I feel this is how He would have appeared and presented himself while on Earth. It’s so wonderful to see him form relationships, and actually have a good time with his disciples. The crucifixion is powerful, but my favorite scene is the temptation by Satan in the desert.

Starring: Sam Neill, William H. Macy, Téa Leoni, Alessandro Nivola, Trevor Morgan, Michael Jeter, John Diehl, Bruce A. Young

"Great, just great. We're in the worst place in the world and we're not even being paid." – Dr. Grant

Why watch this? To again feel some of the excitement of the first film.

Dad's Review: Jurassic Park II (1997) just felt like a money grab; it was uninspired. Here we welcome back Sam Neill, and this film's plot, and pacing is much better. There are lots of run-for-your-life scenes and revelations the audience will love. Most importantly, its characters are developed. Plus we FINALLY get to see Pterodactyls make their terrifying appearance!

Starring: Fay Wray, Robert Armstrong, Bruce Cabot, Frank Reicher, Sam Hardy, Noble Johnson

"He was a king and a god in the world he knew, but now he comes to civilization merely a captive - a show to gratify your curiosity. Ladies and gentlemen, look at Kong, the Eighth Wonder of the World!" - Carl Denham

Why watch this? It is a classic. It's the first great monster film, and so fun to watch.

Dad's Review: This is the original Kong created using stop-motion animation by Willis O'Brien. It opened to rave reviews and audiences could not believe their eyes. It's the fantastic tale of a giant ape who falls in love with a girl (the screaming Fay Wray) sacrificed to him. The beast is then captured and transported to New York City. Kong escapes, grabs the girl and scurries to the top of the iconic Empire State building. There we witness the film's tragic aerial finale.

Starring: Naomi Watts, Jack Black, Adrien Brody, Thomas Kretschmann, Colin Hanks, Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis

"That's the thing you come to learn about Carl, his undying ability to destroy the things he loves." – Jack Driscoll

Why watch this? A worthy remake of the original 1933 classic.

Dad's Review: Peter Jackson tackled this right after Lord of the Rings, and went all out. He faithfully remakes the original, and more. He coaxed some wonderful performances out of the fine actors, then turned his CGI gurus loose. They delivered, almost too well (the vine-swinging T-Rexs were a bit much). Regardless, it's a great film as a whole and very enjoyable for a nerdy guy like me. Naomi Watts continues to impress. 

Starring: Tadao Takashima, Kenji Sahara, Yū Fujiki, Ichirō Arishima, Mie Hama, Michael Keith, Harry Holcombe

"King Kong could kill us all. You wouldn't care. Publicity's all you want! Publicity!" - Furue

Why watch this? This may have been the first Godzilla film I ever saw. Still love it.

Dad's Review: I recorded this film's audio on a cassette tape at a drive-in. This film started Godzilla's (and Toho Films in general) popularity in the U.S. It is a huge grudge match between America's giant ape, Kong, and Japan's Gojira. The first third of the film covers the discovery of Kong on Faro Island. He's captured and brought to Japan, just as Godzilla emerges from an iceberg. After two epic battles both behemoths plunge into the sea causing earthquakes and tidal waves. YES!

Starring: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter, Guy Pearce, Timothy Spall, Derek Jacobi, Jennifer Ehle, Michael Gambon, Claire Bloom

"This family's been reduced to those lowest, basest of all creatures. We've become actors!" - King George V

Why watch this? Some British films are so delightful. This is one of them.

Dad's Review: This wonderful period film centers on King George V and his stuttering problem. To help, he hires an Australian speech therapist. At the Oscars, it won Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. Not too bad, eh?

Starring: Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, James Cromwell, David Strathairn, Kim Basinger, Danny DeVito

"If we're going to figure this out, we need to work together." - Ed Exley

Why watch this? This neo-noir crime film is as gritty as sandpaper. Enjoy!

Dad's Review: It took me awhile to find my way to this film, but it was worth the wait. Set in 1953, this follows a group of LAPD officers at the center of police and Hollywood corruption. Crowe and Pierce are the film's central characters, but Spacey is likewise great as a corrupt police officer.

Starring: Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Nick Offerman, Alison Brie, Charlie Day, Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman

"Hey, I can be dark and brooding too - Guys, look, a rainbow!" - Emmet

Why watch this? A movie... using Legos... to make characters... and I love them. Wow.

Dad's Review: There is no way a mature film critic such as myself can become emotionally involved with a bunch of LEGO creations. Wrong! It is so easy to enjoy fall this film. It’s crazy, chock full of pop and comics references, witty... and so darn funny! Hats off to the script writers and animators. And Will Arnett may be the second best Batman voice in all of nerd-dome. In this film everything is awesome - literally. Pew, pew, pew!

Starring: Jean Reno, Gary Oldman, Natalie Portman, Danny Aiello, Michael Badalucco, Ellen Greene, Peter Appel, Adam Busch

"The closer you get to being a pro, the closer you can get to the client. The knife, for example, is the last thing you learn." - Léon

Why watch this? The story is so honest and unique, and Natalie Portman - she's amazing!

Dad's Review: One of the rare films that dared to be bold and skirt the edge of what many might think controversial. It’s a beautiful story about a friendship that forms in a dire, horrible situation. Throw in an amazing, villainous performance by Gary Oldman, and this film is a classic. I first saw Jean Reno in Ronin, but I fell in love with him for his performance here.

Starring: Jodi Benson, Christopher Daniel Barnes, Pat Carroll, Kenneth Mars, Samuel E. Wright, Jason Marin, Buddy Hackett

"Hm. Teenagers. They think they know everything. You give them an inch, they swim all over you." – Sebastian

Why watch this? This film revitalized Disney's animated film business.

Dad's Review: Disney animated films had lost something. This felt like they returned to basics, and found the magic again. It has humor and loveable characters, but it is the music that stands out as iconic. Those numbers just make you want to stand up, sing and even dance! So my youngest son did just that - he was select to portray Sebastian in his high school musical. And, yes, He killed it - we were so proud of him!

Starring: Eleanor Bron, Liam Cunningham, Liesel Matthews, Rusty Schwimmer, Vanessa Chester

"Even if they live in tiny old attics, even if they dress in rags, even if they aren't pretty, or smart, or young, they're still princesses - all of us! Didn't your father ever tell you that?" - Sara Crewe

Why watch this? Many films are called "magical". This one really is!

Dad's Review: This film is a remake of the classic 1939 film starring darling child actress Shirley Temple. I feel this one is much better. When a wealthy young girl, Sara, is separated from her father, she is sent to a boarding house run by the cruel Miss Minchin. Though this new life is rough, Sara keeps her spirit's up, helps others, and holds onto hope that her father will return for her. Cinematically, it's wondrous soul-food to behold.  

Starring: Michael York, Jenny Agutter, Richard Jordan, Roscoe Lee Browne, Farrah Fawcett-Majors, Peter Ustinov

"I've never seen a face like that before. That must be the look of - of being old." - Logan, when looking at an old man's face for the first time.

Why watch this? A very fine sci-fi entry from the 1970's.

Dad's Review: This film is set in a utopian future where everyone is "renewed" when they reach age 21. If anyone tries to escape, they are pursued by Sandmen, an elite assassination squad. I read this short paperback in 7th grade, and thought, "Whoa". It will get you thinking about humanity, and how sheepish humans can become if we blindly follow along. 

Starring: David Keith, Robert Prosky, G. D. Spradlin, Rick Rossovich, Michael Biehn, Mark Breland, Bill Paxton

"The Institute's code of honor is a simple one. A cadet will not lie, cheat, steal, nor tolerate those who do. It is a simple code, but it is a stern code." - Gen. Bentley Durrell

Why watch this? A real leader fights for the "different" person that others hate and abuse.

Dad's Review: A powerful film about a military academy in the Deep South, where racial tensions still run high. This is about secret groups and brutal cadet hazing, which is silently condoned by most of the administrators. One Cadet chooses to stand up to them. The film is intense and complicated, but a pleasure to watch as it unravels. 

Starring: Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Colin Firth, Laura Linney, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Keira Knightley, Martine McCutcheon, Bill Nighy

"Hiya kids. Here is an important message from your Uncle Bill. Don't buy drugs. Become a pop star, and they give you them for free!" – Billy Mack

Why watch this? Bill Nighy shines as the sassy old rock star who retains the charisma of a teen idol.

Dad's Review: A darling British holiday film that features multiple stories that are loosely tied together. I must admit that this film has grown on me and now, well, here it is. I really love each smaller story, however it's Hugh Grant, as the young Prime Minister with a crush on his aide, that really gets me. Put this on for the holidays and you will not be disappointed.  

 Lucy (2014), Director: Luc Besson, rated R for language, violence

Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Morgan Freeman, Choi Min-sik, Amr Waked, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Pilou Asbaek, Analeigh Tipton

"I feel everything. Space, the air, the vibrations, the people, I can feel the gravity, I can feel the rotation of the Earth, the heat leaving my body, the blood in my veins. I can feel my brain. The deepest parts of my memory." – Lucy

Why watch this? This is excellent science fiction to get fully engrossed in.

Dad's Review: When Lucy is injected with a too much of a psychedelic drug, she acquires new psycho-kinetic powers. As she changes, she becomes both hyper-inquisitive, and physically super-heroish, dispatching thugs like Black Widow. The ending is really mind-blowing, as she takes a final step to merge with massive super-computers and breach the space-time continuum! Johansson delivers an amazing performance.

Starring: Mel Gibson, Tina Turner, Bruce Spence, Frank Thring, Robert Grubb, Angelo Rossitto, Paul Larsson, Angry Anderson, Helen Buday

"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls... Dyin' time's here." – Dr. Dealgood

Why watch this? This is Gibson's last turn as Max. He does not disappoint. 

Dad's Review: Our favorite post-apocalypse wander winds up in Bartertown, which is ruled by Auntie Entity. She requires that he kill the man who controls all the methane gas. To do this me must face the man's mighty protector, Master Blaster inside Thunderdome. This film is crammed full of explosive action. It is singer Tina Turner really surprises as she shows some serious acting chops. "Two men enter, One man leave."

Starring: Yul Brynner, Eli Wallach, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, Robert Vaughn, Horst Buchholz

"Running a farm, working like a mule every day with no guarantee anything will ever come of it. This is bravery. " - O'Reilly

Why watch this? It's awesome to see all these stars in one film!

Dad's Review: A small town, besieged by Mexican bandits, hires a group of gunfighters to rid themselves of the gang. The seven are led by the stern Chris (Brynner). The showdown is very memorable, as the seven alone stand against a horde of assaulting bandits and their leader, the devious Calvera (Wallach). This film was inspired by Akira Kurosawa's masterpiece Seven Samurai.

Starring: Antonio Banderas, Anthony Hopkins, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Stuart Wilson, Matt Letscher, Tony Amendola

"He is trained to kill. You seem trained to drink. Oh, yes, my friend, you would have fought very bravely, and died very quickly. Who then would avenge your brother?" - Don Diego

Why watch this? This is a fun, action-packed romantic romp. Viva Zorro!

Dad's Review: Man, I do love a well-done film with lots of sword-play. This updated version of the Zorro story is exciting with a lot of hot Mexican romance thrown in. This is the tale of Mexico's greatest vigilante, standing up for the oppressed Mexican people under Spain’s corrupt rule. Years before Batman, literature had Zorro! Plus, my dear sister loved this movie!

Starring: Dana Carvey, Brent Spiner, Jennifer Esposito, Harold Gould, James Brolin, Brent Spiner, Austin Wolff, Edie McClurg, Robert Machray

"Am I not turtley enough for the turtle club. Turtle... Not turtle?...Turtle." - Pistachio Disguisey

Why watch this? This film just tickles my funny bone. I really can't explain it.

Dad's Review: I simply get this film. It helps that I find Dana Carvey, and his old-school comedy, funny. Many will watch this and say, "Huh? I'ts not funny." It slays me every time. I am laughing right now just looking at the review. Perhaps it's "so bad it's good". Perhaps it all Carvey's silly impressions. Scarface, Granny Num-Nums or the imfamous Turtle Man! The plot is pedestrian, the humor crude, dumb and sometimes offensive. Trust me and just go with it.

Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker, Andy Serkis

"You can't let your father's mistakes define who you are. You get to decide what kind of king you are going to be." - Nakia

Why watch this? Boseman is so perfect as the capable, wise defender of Wakanda!

Dad's Review: This is an excellent origin story that elevates the African American hero to front and center in the Marvel Universe. Chadwick Boseman, a bright star and person we all will miss, is wonderful. Those shoes will be nearly impossible to fill. This exciting film is rich and colorful, featuring the African perspective. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute. 

Starring: Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Don Cheadle, Jeremy Renner, Chadwick Boseman, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Rudd, Emily VanCamp, Tom Holland, Frank Grillo, William Hurt, Daniel Brühl

"I saw young Americans killed by the very weapons I created to defend them and protect them. And I saw that I had become part of a system that is comfortable with zero-accountability." - Tony Stark

Why watch this? This faithful adaptation could be called Avengers 3. It's that awesome!

Dad's Review: This is definitely one of my favorite MCU entries. The heroes are divided over signing a government-mandated accord that limits their ability to freely operate. This schism instantly makes half of heroes criminals. Lots of action and awesome new characters keep this fine story unique and fresh! 

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Idris Elba, Jeff Goldblum, Tessa Thompson, Karl Urban, Mark Ruffalo, Anthony Hopkins

"I don't hang with the Avengers anymore. It all got too corporate." - Thor

Why watch this? This takes the Thor story in a fresh, new, and funnier, direction.

Dad's Review: Kevin Feige, to keep new ideas coming, decided to turn Thor over to upstart, quirky, director Taika Waititi. It proves to be a wise move. This film is bright, light and so much fun. Thor is transported to a planet, where he unexpectedly encounters an old friend, yes, The Raging Hulk. After a massive battle in the gladiator arena, the two devise a plan to get themselves back to Earth.

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