Caro the Movie Critic

Like father, like son.  I have always liked the Kung Fu Panda franchise in which the creators balance the slapstick kung-fu humor with some vulnerable detachment and heart all wrapped in one character: Po. The first movie is basically Po wanting to learn the ways of being the Dragon Warrior or learning kung fu. In the second movie, Po wants to enhance himself and learn more spiritual ways of kung fu and learning about his past in the process. This is a perfect Segway to why the third movie is made. Here's a tiny spoiler if you have not seen the movie: we, the audience, find out, in the end, that Po's father is alive. But, this is not your typical third movie in a franchise that derails the series like a train wreck. This movie is an entertaining film with heart and laughs and leans towards the jokes towards the audience for children. In the beginning, Master Oogway (voiced by Randall Duk Kim) is fighting with Kai (voiced by J.K. Simmons) in the Chinese Spirit Realm and ha...

Jim Halpert becomes a soldier.  Nobody wants to relive the horrific days of 9/11. It was truly a tragic interference with everyday life that everybody was occupying while working and hanging out with colleagues and friends. Therefore, it is ironic for American troops to conceive a plan about 10 years later defending an American compound against Islamic terrorists. But, in the hands of Michael Bay, I was expecting a boring and dragged-out version of Black Hawk Down that does not have any spirit or seemingly has patriotic themes. There's a bit of dragged-out disorganization in the first half, and with some technically-staged discipline with its action sequences and respects to its soldiers, this is a solid film from one of the most detested directors in my opinion. In 2012, Benghazi is one of the most dangerous places and countries have pulled out of their embassies from Libya from preventing massive chaos in their compounds. The United States keeps a Consulate, off the books, ...

Ice Cube and Kevin Hart re-teams again...unfortunately. Well, another cop sequel, another sequel that we have to suffer through. Many producers who has promote movies regarding cops in a comedic situation can pitch the idea for a sequel. However, studio executives think about the money most of the time since its predecessor was a hit. But, hey, money is money. You have two of the infamous actors and they team up nicely. It is too bad, though, that the movie, as a comedy, is a miss because it is another retread. James and Ben (Ice Cube and Kevin Hart) are two cops who once again screw up a case in Atlanta as they try to infiltrate a drug dealer named Troy (Glen Powell) and gets James' partner shot even though they arrest Troy. James reprimands Ben for his actions for his partner getting shot. Lt. Brooks (Bruce McGill) assigns James to go to Miami to see who Troy was working for. Ben wants to go himself to prove how he is capable of handling the mission but nobody is interested...

Robert De Niro and Zac Efron. Robert De Niro is an icon in the film industry that cements his place in his story with films such as Taxi Driver , Raging Bull , GoodFellas , The Untouchables , Heat , etc. However, Dirty Grandpa  will be in the history book...in my history book...because I will have to look back at this movie and re-think whether or not this may belong in the worst list of 2016. Hey, I know it's January, but I already have seen 3 abysmal movies this year and one good movie. The one good movie surprised me. But, even though, Efron and De Niro try their best to maintain their dignity, the movie does not have dignity to cause me to say "It's a good movie". It's a formulaic and boring movie that had so much potential with its premise. Jason Kelly (Zac Efron), a lawyer, is at his grandmother's funeral with an obnoxious cousin (Adam Pally) who is high. Jason's grandfather, Dick (Robert De Niro) implores Jason to drive him to Florida as a per...

Alan Rickman, who unfortunately passed away at the age of 69 this morning, lent some gravitas onto his roles whether or not we liked his characters. But, he also had a fascinating way of providing some suspense when he pauses while reciting dialogue as to what he will do next to other characters. He can be scary, loving, evil, witty, happy, maybe, all of those emotions encompassing into one character in one scene. But, I truly can say that he was one great actor. So, here are my 5 favorite performances from Alan Rickman. Die Hard This is the character that propelled him into fame and stardom. He created one of the most cunning and astute villains of all time, Hans Gruber, as he is matched with Bruce Willis' John McClane. The reason why he was a great villain because he was calm and calculated most of the time that he's always a step ahead of McClane. He does whatever it takes to get his money. Happy trails, Hans! Harry Potter franchise "There will be no fool...

Well, the nominations for the 88th Academy Awards are out and I only got one category of predictions right. (See  My 2016 Oscar Nomination Predictions ) However, I was more pleased than last year on the nominations but also a bit surprised by a few. My comments and reviews will be down below and also a You Tube Link will be displayed as I react to the nominations. You Tube link: (Video coming soon.) Here are the nominations. BEST PICTURE: The Big Short Bridge of Spies Brooklyn Mad Max: Fury Road The Martian The Revenant Room Spotlight BEST DIRECTOR: Lenny Abrahamson - Room Alejandro G. Inñaritu - The Revenant Tom McCarthy - Spotlight Adam McKay - The Big Short George Miller - Mad Max: Fury Road BEST ACTOR: Bryan Cranston - Trumbo Matt Damon - The Martian Leonardo DiCaprio - The Revenant Michael Fassbender - Steve Jobs Eddie Redmayne - The Danish Girl BEST ACTRESS: Cate Blanchett - Carol Brie Larson - Room Jennifer Lawrence - Joy Charlotte Rampli...

Who will get nominated? The Golden Globes this past weekend were sort of a slog but also there were numerous surprises in the film categories. To be honest, I have no idea which movies or actors will get nominated on Thursday based on critics' awards and film industry awards. Whatever it comes down to during the nominations Thursday morning, we'll see which movies will stand out and which will be left in the cold, no pun intended towards The Hateful Eight or The Revenant . So, I'll try my best to accurately predict who and what will be nominated in the MAJOR categories then I'll post my reactions on both the blog and maybe a video towards the reactions. I'm debating about that. NOMINATION PREDICTIONS: BEST PICTURE: (Rules are 5-10 nominees.) The Big Short Brooklyn Carol Mad Max: Fury Road The Martian The Revenant Room Spotlight Straight Outta Compton Possible Contenders : Bridge of Spies, Ex Machina, The Hateful Eight, Joy, Sicario, Star Wars:...

Look, I watch other movies from other places around the world as often as I can because I have a lot of stuff going on. But, in my free time, I try to find other treasures even if it is in the foreign genre. However, some of the best movies in history are from other parts of the world from well-known and acclaimed directors that have a greater vision than most American filmmakers. Even, some of the foreign movies have some of the most gorgeous cinematography ever made. However, I have seen enough to make a list of my favorites. So, here they are. They could later be revised in both its webpage and video. Coming Soon: YouTube Video. Honorable Mentions: 8 1/2 Amarcord Amelie Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon The Diving Bell and The Butterfly Hero The Hunt Spirited Away Volver Y Tu Mama También 10. Pan's Labyrinth 9. Fanny and Alexander 8. Seven Samurai 7. Oldboy (I have just seen this.) 6. Das Boot 5. La Dolce Vita 4. RAN 3. City of God ...

Is it the man's fault or the world's fault? A man's point in life in which he is crippled by the mundane surroundings has to haunt him because basically a middle-aged man has nowhere to go in life according to his character in the movie. Charlie Kaufman is a writer/director whose vision creates an impact to challenge yourself and your mind. It messes you up when experiencing the story on-screen but it makes you think about his process and the story within to solve what Kaufman is trying to say based on his characters and their traits. This movie excels at its emotional core and depth while provoking some thought and complexity into the audience. It's a rare revolutionary animated tale made for adults. Michael Stone (voiced by David Thewlis) is a respected author who is on the way to Cincinnati to speak at a convention of customer service professionals. He goes to the terminal in which everybody has the same voice (voiced by Tom Noonan) but in a different human bei...

Here's how to solve something regarding a credit default plan. This is an incredibly complicated topic regarding the financial crisis of 2007-2010, a housing market crisis and a credit bubble. It could have been easily one of the most difficult movies to conceive and take away and could be doubtful to explain to another person who wants to watch the movie and just watch the actors recite some business dialogue and definitions that nobody in the audience would comprehend. This movie is a fast-paced biographical comedy-drama to the buildup of the financial crisis and how it would swallow traders' prides and turn them into scum by just collecting money and depriving house customers to not afford their home anymore or be in unemployment. This movie is riveting from beginning to end and I was surprise as to how much I liked this movie given the resume from a director who is a bit inconsistent in his work. The three stories interweave with one another as all of them simultaneou...