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Dec 8th - 14th Downloads
& DVDs
 

  • Minions:  

    A terrific animated adventure that takes the background characters, The Minions, from the “Despicable Me” movies, and gives them their own stage.  This one is an origins film that traces the evolution of Minions from the primordial soup, through the age of the dinosaurs, cavemen, the Middle Ages, and eventually the 1960s and their arrival in England looking for … well, what Minions always want – to be little henchmen for evil characters.  A great series of sight gags in London as they meet the Queen and even have an encounter with The Beatles, this one is excellent for kids with more than enough content that only the adults will get.  Loved it … and keep going through the credits and beyond as there is another scene after the credit. Rated  PG.


  • Ant-Man:  

    One of the lesser lights in the Marvel universe, Scott Lang, a cat burglar, runs into a chain of events that end up with him working for a shadowy Government agency that have given him the ability, by way of a special suit, to shrink down to ant-size, and effectively communicate with social insects as he fights the bad guys from a different level.  Michael Douglas plays Hank Pym, Lang’s mentor and leader, and developer of the suit that requires their implementing a heist of major complexity in order to … well, as usual, save the world.  It plays out on screen far better than it reads – a pretty good yarn, with Evangeline Lilley co-starring.  Rated14A.

  • Transporter Refuelled:  

    Refuelled, yes, but with low-octane gas and not the super stuff that we experienced when Jason Statham played Frank Martin, the man who will deliver anything anywhere, no questions asked, as long as the price is right.  This time it’s Ed Skrein (Game of Thrones) taking over the lead role in an origins story of sorts, that goes back to the early days of Martin’s exploits.  Yes, the driving is great, and yes, the international locations add a lot of intrigue, but this Transporter doesn’t have the same panache, the same appeal, nor the same sense of style that we have come to know.  It’s worth seeing, but if you like the old ones, this is difficult to get used to! Rated 18A.

  • Kingsman:

    The Secret Service (2014):  Based on the graphic comic book of the same name, Colin Firth is Galahad, a super-spy who is part of a Knights-of-the-Round-Table intelligence agency in Britain headed by Arthur (Michael Caine) along with his right-hand man Merlin (Mark Strong).  Part of the story here is one of succession - with all the really good spies and operatives getting older, the job is to recruit new talent to the secret organization, while managing the threats to world peace that crop up daily.  Firth did his own stunts here, and in the scene in which the new recruits, on the morning after their first night, have their dormitory flooded, threatening all with drowning, the looks of terror you see on the actors is the real thing because director Guy Ritchie (Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels) had a special effect malfunction which sent a torrent of water onto the set all at once, which was life-threatening.  Good movie!  Rated 14A. 
Akeelah and the Bee (2006):

 KeKe Palmer (Scream Queens) plays younger nine years earlier as a young girl with a troubled life - her dad is dead, her mother ignores her, her brother hangs out with gang-bangers, and her teachers are threatening her unless she does something worthwhile.  Forced into participating in a spelling bee, Akeelah catches fire, wins locally, goes to the regionals, and ends up on stage at the Scripps National Spelling Bee.  If the competition around spelling sounds a little pedestrian, be assured that it is as intense as any sport, hockey included.  Laurence Fishburne and Angela Bassett co-star.  Rated PG.