Avengers: Endgame

No one will leave the Endgame theater saying "I wish there were more of it".  With over 30 stars getting top billing, a $300 million + budget, and a 3 hour run time, you'll get your money's worth here.



At the end of Avengers:  Infinity War, Thanos has assembled all the infinity stones and many of our heroes have turned to dust.  Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) is not even in the movie.  Relax, he's back in the first scene here.

The solution to our missing friends?  An elaborate time travel plan so that everyone can get back together again.  At one point they explain the rules of time travel.  That leads to a funny line.  And there is a separate time travel explanation.

Like most questions in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you've got to be somewhat of an expert to answer them.  And even then, it will be subject to interpretation.

Or you can sit back and enjoy the stars, the banter dialogue, the fighting and the special effects.


***** highest rating

The Birdcage (1996)

Available now on Amazon Prime, this is a remake of La Cage Aux Folles (1978) about two gay men who have to pretend to be straight in order to meet the parents of their son's financee.  Somewhat of a dated premise in modern times, but it allows for some good slapstick action by some of the best, Robin Williams and Nathan Lane.

Image result for the birdcage

Act 1 is the setup, two over the top gay men living in South Beach, Florida, one a stage actor, the other his director.  They find out that Armand's son is getting married and Armand's solution is to make "Aunt/Uncle Albert" disappear.

Act 2, is where they have to remake themselves and their home to meet the parents.

Act 3 is when the fun begins.  Gene Hackman plays the father, a conservative US Senator.  And a young Calista Flockhart is the daughter.  Some fun Gary Hart type humor in there - it was during the Clinton Administration after all.

I remember my mother like the original but I was too young to see it.  She did tell me as much as she could about it.  I'll have to find that one for comparison purposes.  I expect it is better.  Also a long-running stage show.

* * * * of 5

Selena (1997)



This 90s biopic is kind of a throwback look at a simpler time and has a 50s feel to it.  Jennifer Lopez is Serena Quintanilla, raised by her father to be the crossover star that he was unable to do due to discrimination.  Rebecca Lee Meza as the young Selena is is well cast as a girl who needs to learn Spanish even though she is Hispanic.  And then Jennifer Lopez does a fine job as the grown Selena, who (spoiler alert) is gone too soon.  The proverbial Candle in the Wind.

Well cast with a full Hispanic cast, which would be significant today and very ahead of its time for the 1990s.  The photography does a good job of capturing the scenes set in South Texas and Monterrey, Mexico.

Edward James Olmos is Abraham Quintanilla, who drives young Selena.  As they say, the biopic is always about the father.  A good job of setting up her to continue his dashed dreams.  Some good father/daughter drama as she grows up from a girl to a woman.  The whole movie moves along at a breezy pace which makes it fun.  And some fine comedic scenes, particularly "Anything for Selenas!"

**** of 5