Kung Fu Panda 3

MPAA Rating: PG for martial arts action and some mild rude humor
Run Time: 95 Minutes
My Rating: 4.5/5
Hey everyone, sorry I haven't posted in a while, but school has been crazy the past couple of weeks. With that said, today my daughter and I saw Dreamworks Animation's Kung Fu Panda 3 starring the voice cast of the past two movies (Jack Black, Angelina Jolie-Pitt, and Dustin Hoffman) as well as adding the incredible voice talent of J.K. Simmons (Whiplash), Kate Hudson (How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days), and Bryan Cranston (AMC's Breaking Bad).  Kung Fu Panda 3 continues the adventures of Po, the Dragon Warrior, and the Furious Five as they face their toughest opponent yet, Kai who is drawing on the power of all the Kung Fu Masters to accomplish his evil plans.  Now, Po must learn who he is by meeting is long-lost family in order to defeat Kai and save the Kung Fu Masters.
So I thought this film was great and definitely an amazing start to 2016 for animation.  In my opinion the Kung Fu Panda franchise is one of the best animated franchises out there and this one does not disappoint.  One of the best thing about this film is the voice talent.  Jack Black has definitely made this character his own and now I can't imagine anyone else in the role.  Personally, I will continue to watch these movies as long as Jack Black stays in the role.  The rest of the actors and actresses do amazing jobs and definitely bring the characters to life.  Another great thing about it is the story.  I don't know how they keep finding stories to tell with these characters, but I love them.  This one is no exception.  The story provides a good balance of laughter as well as emotion to truly be perfect for the entire family.
Though I thought the film was great, its major flaw is its script.  The script provides many of the same jokes that have been used in previous films.  While they may be funny and entertaining, I was looking for more originality., but that may just be me.
Overall, I thought it was very entertaining and definitely a movie that is worth the time and cost to see in theater.  It is one that the entire family will enjoy and love.  If this is a just a preview of the quality of animation that we will be getting this year, we are in great shape.  This is a great film and one that will not disappoint!!

Thanks again for reading!!  If you have any questions, comments, or ideas just let me know!!!

Ride Along 2

MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sequences of violence, sexual content, language and some drug material
Run Time: 101 Minutes
My Rating: 3/5
So on Saturday my family and I saw Universal Pictures' Ride Along 2 starring Ice Cube (Ride Along), Kevin Hart (Think Like A Man), Benjamin Bratt (Despicable Me 2), Olivia Munn (Deliver Us From Evil), and Kevin Jeong (Yahoo's Community).  The film picks up a year after the events of the first film with James and Ben going to Miami to follow up on a drug-ring case they are trying to solve.  While there, all mayhem breaks loose and they must hurry up and solve the case before they completely destroy the city.
So I thought this film was fun and entertaining, but compared to the first film, it is lacking.  That is not saying that this film isn't good, because on its own it is a very funny movie.  Probably one of its best features is its addition to its cast.  The first film's cast was excellent, but the addition of Olivia Munn and Ken Jeong makes the cast even better.  I have been a fan of Ken Jeong for a while now and I feel like he is great in everything that he is in.  Another great thing about the film and its cast is the chemistry between Ice Cube and Kevin Hart.  It was their chemistry that made the first film great and that chemistry is back.  They are so funny together and truly bring life to the film.  In all reality, if it wasn't for the cast, this film and the first film both would be horrible.
As I said above, compared to the first film, this film pales in comparison.  I think the biggest problem with this film is the script.  There isn't as many funny moments in this one and this film overall just felt forced.  I would have been completely fine not having the sequel, but that is the way Hollywood is.
Overall, the film is just okay when compared to the first one.  Without the comparison, the film is pretty decent.  If it didn't have the first film to live up to, than it would be great.  With that said, the film is quite funny and those that liked the first film will like this film as well.  The cast is excellent and completely make the movie.  If you have seen everything else in theater than this is a good way to spend another evening out!!

Thanks again for reading!!! If you have any questions, comments, or ideas just let me know!!!

My Oscar 2016 Predictions

Hey everyone, if you haven't heard yet the 2016 Oscar nominations were announced Thursday morning. There were definitely some things that surprised me as well as things that did not surprise me.  So for the past couple of weeks I have received many emails asking me what my Oscar predictions were and I wanted to wait until the nominations were announced until I did so (mainly because my actual choices for the categories would have never been nominated due to their story and content). However I can say that I am very pleased with the nominations even though for me they may not be my favorites.  For this blog I will post who I think will win and I will also post who I think should win. They may be the same or they may be different, once again it is just my opinion. Also I will not be going into as much detail into some of the more technical categories, I will simply state my prediction. Last year there were a few surprises, so my predictions weren't entirely correct, but I hope this year will be different. Anyways lets begin with my 2016 Oscar predictions.......

Best Picture

The Big Short
Bridge of Spies
Brooklyn
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Room
Spotlight

Will Win - Spotlight
Should Win - The Big Short
Out of all the categories this year, this is probably the toughest one for me to pick.  I personally enjoyed all of these films and would be happy with any of them winning.  However, I think Spotlight will win.  Even though it hasn't won many awards so far this year, I still think the Academy will honor its great performances as well as its subject material.  With that said, I personally would love to see The Big Short win since I was so captivated throughout the film and it had some spectacular performances by all of its cast.  Also, with it being a comedy, I would love for the Academy to honor that genre once in a while.

Best Actress

Cate Blanchett, Carol
Brie Larson, Room
Jennifer Lawrence, Joy
Charlotte Rampling, 45 Years
Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn

Will Win - Brie Larson, Room
Should Win - Jennifer Lawrence, Joy
So personally, I haven't seen Room, but it is on my list.  I am just waiting for it to come to Texas. However, I hear Brie Larson is spectacular and definitely deserves all the praise that she is getting. With that said, I loved Joy and Jennifer Lawrence's performance in it.  She definitely shows off all that she has to offer and it is amazing.  All the success that Joy has is because of her and she deserves to be recognized for that.

Best Actor

Bryan Cranston, Trumbo
Matt Damon, The Martian
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant
Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs
Eddie Redmayne, The Danish Girl

Will Win/Should Win - Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant
This is definitely Leonardo DiCaprio's Oscar to lose.  His performance in The Revenant is outstanding and it is finally time for him to win.  This is probably is best performance and just hearing about all the things that he had to go through will filming this movie definitely makes me like it better.  In my opinion, it is finally Leonardo DiCaprio's time to win.

Best Supporting Actress

Jennifer Jason Leigh, The Hateful Eight
Rooney Mara, Carol
Rachel McAdams, Spotlight
Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl
Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs

Will Win/Should Win - Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs
So I was personally quite surprised when Kate Winslet won the Golden Globes for her performance in Steve Jobs.  I honestly thought that she didn't stand a chance.  However, now that she has won, I am more confident in thinking that she will win again.  Her performance is so great and important that Steve Jobs wouldn't be the same without it.  I just hope that the Academy can recognize that as well.

Best Supporting Actor

Christian Bale, The Big Short
Tom Hardy, The Revenant
Mark Ruffalo, Spotlight
Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies
Sylvester Stallone, Creed

Will Win - Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies
Should Win - Sylvester Stallone, Creed
Though he won at the Golden Globes, I don't think the Academy will honor him.  He is definitely deserving though.  His performance as an aging Rocky Balboa is haunting and breathtaking. However, the Academy will go with another good choice in Mark Rylance, who plays a Russian spy. The Academy loves true stories and they will jump at the chance of honoring this performance.

Best Director

The Big Short, Adam McKay
Mad Max: Fury Road, George Miller
The Revenant, Alejandro G. Iñárritu
Room, Lenny Abrahamson
Spotlight, Tom McCarthy

Will Win - The Revenant, Alejandro G. Iñárritu
Should Win - Mad Max: Fury Road, George Miller
The Academy is going to have a repeat in their director's award this year.  After winning last year for Birdman, Alejandro G. Iñárritu's follow up is even better.  However, the amount of work and detail that George Miller put into his film is spectacular and should be honored here.  His film was definitely a sight to see and won over fans of the franchise as well as brought new fans to the franchise.  That is pretty impressive with how unique the franchise is.

 Best Adapted Screenplay

The Big Short, Charles Randolph and Adam McKay
Brooklyn, Nick Hornby
Carol, Phyllis Nagy
The Martian, Drew Goddard
Room, Emma Donoghue

Will Win/Should Win - The Big Short, Charles Randolph and Adam McKay

Best Original Screenplay

Bridge of Spies, Matt Charman and Ethan Coen & Joel Coen
Ex Machina, Alex Garland
Inside Out, Pete Docter, Meg LeFauve, Josh Cooley; Original story by Pete Docter, Ronnie del Carmen
Spotlight, Josh Singer & Tom McCarthy
Straight Outta Compton, Jonathan Herman and Andrea Berloff; Story by S. Leigh Savidge & Alan Wenkus and Andrea Berloff

Will Win - Bridge of Spies, Matt Charman and Ethan Coen & Joel Coen
Should Win - Inside Out, Pete Docter, Meg LeFauve, Josh Cooley; Original Story by Pete Docter, Ronnie del Carmen

Best Animated Feature

Anomalisa
Boy and the World
Inside Out
Shaun the Sheep Movie
When Marnie Was There

Will Win/Should Win - Inside Out

Best Documentary Feature

Amy
Cartel Land
Look of Silence
What Happened Miss Simone
Winter on Fire

Will Win - Cartel Land
Should Win - Amy

Best Foreign Language Film

Embrace of the Serpent, Colombia
Mustang, France
Son of Saul, Hungary
Theeb, Jordan
A War, Denmark

Will Win/Should Win - Son of Saul, Hungary

Best Original Score

Bridge of Spies, Thomas Newman
Carol, Carter Burwell
The Hateful Eight, Ennio Morricone
Sicario, Jóhann Jóhannsson
Star Wars: The Force Awakens, John Williams

Will Win - The Hateful Eight, Ennio Morricone
Should Win - Star Wars: The Force Awakens, John Williams

Best Original Song

“Earned It,” Fifty Shades of Grey (Music and Lyric by Abel Tesfaye, Ahmad Balshe, Jason Daheala Quenneville and Stephan Moccio)
“Manta Ray,” Racing Extinction (Music by J. Ralph and Lyric by Antony Hegarty)
“Simple Song #3,” Youth (Music and Lyric by David Lang)
“Til it Happens to You,” The Hunting Ground (Music and Lyric by Diane Warren and Lady Gaga)
“Writing’s on the Wall,” Spectre (Music and Lyric by Jimmy Napes and Sam Smith)

Will Win/Should Win - Writing on the Wall, Spectre (Music and Lyric by Jimmy Napes and Sam Smith)

Best Cinematography

Carol
The Hateful Eight
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Revenant
Sicario

Will Win/Should Win - Mad Max: Fury Road

Best Film Editing

The Big Short
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Revenant
Spotlight
Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Will Win - The Revenant
Should Win - Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Best Production Design

Bridge of Spies
The Danish Girl
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant

Will Win/Should Win - Mad Max: Fury Road

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

Mad Max: Fury Road
The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out a Window and Disappeared
The Revenant

Will Win/Should Win - Mad Max: Fury Road

Best Costume Design

Carol
Cinderella
The Danish Girl
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Revenant

Will Win/Should Win - Cinderella

Best Animated Short

Bear Story
Prologue
Sanjay’s Super Team
We Can’t Live Without Cosmos
World of Tomorrow

Will Win/Should Win - Sanjay's Super Team

Best Visual Effects

Ex Machina
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Will Win/Should Win - Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Best Sound Editing

Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Sicario
Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Will Win/Should Win - Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Best Sound Mixing

Bridge of Spies
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Will Win/Should Win - Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Best Documentary Short

Body Team 12
Chau, Beyond the Lines
Claude Lanzmann: Spectres of the Shoah
A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness
Last Day of Freedom

Will Win/Should Win - Last Day of Freedom

Best Live Action Short

Ave Maria
Day One
Everything Will Be Okay (Alles Wird Gut)
Shok

Stutterer

Will Win/Should Win - Ave Maria

Well everyone there you go.  These are my predictions for the 2016 Oscars.  Be sure to watch February 28 on ABC to see who actually wins.


Thanks again for reading!! If you have any other questions, comments, or ideas just let me know!!

Joy

MPAA Rating: PG-13 for brief strong language
Run Time: 124 Minutes
My Rating: 5/5
So yesterday my family and I saw Fox 2000 Pictures Joy starring Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook), Robert De Niro (The Intern), Bradley Cooper (American Sniper), and Edgar Ramirez (Point Break).  The film was directed by David O. Russell (Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle).  It tells the incredible true story Joy Mangano as she tries to navigate the business world to build a business dynasty through inventing the Miracle Mop.  While challenges from her family threaten her business and profits, Joy must learn that in business it is best for her to rely on her abilities, while maintaining love for those that oppose her.
I loved this film!!!!  This is an incredible and inspiring story that is able to captivate the audience throughout its run time.  It is amazing what this woman had to go through and the fact that she came out on top is amazing.  This is a true underdog story that shows that even from the humblest of beginnings, through hard work, dedication, self-trust, and a little bit of creativity and imagination, anything is possible.  The film basically serves as a display of Jennifer Lawrence's acting greatness. The entire film relies upon her performance and thankfully it succeeds.  Jennifer Lawrence is amazing and she definitely deserves praise for her performance.  If she is not nominated for Best Actress it will be a real shame because this is one of her best performances.  She can definitely hold a movie on her own and in my opinion is one of Hollywood's greatest actresses.  She is greatly lifted up by her supporting cast who all give fantastic performances.
Overall, this was a fantastic movie.  If I hadn't written my Top 10 Movies of 2015 list already, this one would definitely had been on it.  It truly is a remarkable story told by a marvelous director and amazing actress.  This is a film that I would recommend to everyone because of its inspiring-nature and family-focus.  If you have time to see this film you should definitely do so.  I promise you that you will not be disappointed!!

Thanks again for reading!!!  If you have any questions, comments, or ideas just let me know!!!

Concussion

MPAA Rating: PG-13 for thematic material including some disturbing images, and language
Run Time: 123 Minutes
My Rating: 4.5/5
Sorry for the late post, but on Thursday I saw Columbia Pictures' football-drama Concussion starring Will Smith (The Pursuit of Happiness), Alec Baldwin (NBC's 30 Rock), and Albert Brooks (Finding Nemo).  It tells the incredible true story of Dr. Bennett Omalu, a forensic pathologist, who discovers CTE, a football-related brain trauma, in a former NFL player.  With very few people by his side, Dr. Bennett Omalu must take on the NFL directly in order to save countless lives from this horrific disease.
So I loved this film!!  It had so many great aspects to it and it truly made the audience think about the good and the bad sides of the NFL. This film could have made the NFL and the sport look like barbarians, but it provided a perfect balance of the dangers as well as the its beauty.  I am glad that the film showed this because I felt like it greatly enhanced its credibility. Another great thing is the impeccable acting by Will Smith, Alec Baldwin, as well as the other actors. Will Smith had no desire to make this film, due to its content, but I can't imagine Concussion being near as good without his presence.  That accent that he provides throughout is fantastic and I can't imagine how difficult it would have been to do that for the entire shoot.  Alec Baldwin is a great counterpart to Smith which makes for entertaining viewing.
The one biggest flaw in the film was its pacing.  The first 45 minutes of the film, in my opinion, seems to drag on.  I think the reason for this is because the first 45 minutes details how he discovered that there was brain trauma actually occurring in football athletes.  While this is interesting, the audience already knows that he finds the disease which makes the first 45 minutes slow-going.  The part that I found interesting was what happened after he discovered the disease and the backlash that he experienced.
Overall, I thought this film was great.  If you are a fan of football and are worried that this film tries destroy the game, think again.  This film definitely focuses on the beauty of game while telling a true story that happens to be about the dangers of the sport.  The acting is incredible and the cinematography is perfect.  The is definitely a crowd-pleasing filming and according to those that I went to the film with, "this is the best film of 2015!!"

Thanks again for reading!!  If you have any questions, comments, or ideas just let me know!!

My Top 10 Movies of 2015 and My Top 10 Most Anticipated Movies of 2016

Hey y'all, Happy New Year!! I hope you all have had excellent holidays and have already started working on your New Years Resolutions.  One thing I love about the new year is being able to look back at what happened the past year.  Last year I made it half way through law school and my wife and I welcomed our wonderful daughter Peyton into our family.  She is so precious to us and we love her.  So many things happened, that have completely changed my life for the better.  Along with everything that happened with me, like always, there were some excellent films that were released the past year.
Now I know everyone won't agree with this list (spoiler: Star Wars is not found on this list), but these are the movies that I liked.  So, here is my list of the Top 10 Movies of 2015.

10. McFarland, USA
MPAA Rating: PG for thematic material, some violence and language
The first movie to make it on my list comes from Walt Disney Studios.  McFarland, USA tells the inspiring true story of McFarland High School's cross-country team and their coach.  Coming from the humblest of circumstances, with many people believing that these boys won't amount to nothing in their lives, the team, the coach, and the community prove that through hard-work and dedication nothing is impossible.
So I know that this film will probably not be found on anyone else's list of best films of 2015, but this film grabbed my attention from the very beginning.  Disney has found a fantastic formula for their sports dramas and this one is not different.  Though there is no real originality in this film, I felt like this one tried a little bit harder than other sports dramas this year and in recent years.

9. Goosebumps
MPAA Rating: PG for scary and intense creature action and images, and for some rude humor
Next on my list comes from Columbia Pictures.  Goosebumps tells the story of a new-kid-in town, who finds out that his new neighbor is author R.L. Stine.  However, he also realizes that the monsters written in R.L. Stine's books are real and that they have been let loose on and terrorizing the city.  Now it is up to him, R.L Stine, and his new friends in order to capture the monsters and save the city.
So, when I first heard about the direction they were going to go with this Goosebumps movie I was a little skeptical.  I thought that they were ruining the franchise and destroying on of my favorite childhood series.  However, I had to see for myself and I am glad I did.  This film was so entertaining and fun that it had my smiling the entire time.  It is the perfect film for me to start my kids on in the horror genre (if they want to of course) and for me as a parent, I love that!!!

8. It Follows
MPAA Rating: R for disturbing violent and sexual content including graphic nudity, and language
The next film on my list comes is a little known horror film from Radius-TWC.  It Follows tells of consequences of sex through the lives of a group of teenagers.  After a one night stand, a 19 year old girl begins to experience strange visions and is being followed by an unseen presence.  No matter where she goes, this presence finds her.  So, it is up her and her friends to stop this presence from following her and to get back to a normal life.
So, if you know me, you know that no list of mine is complete without at least one horror movie on it.  It Follows is an incredible story and a fantastic social commentary on the dangers of sex.  This film reminds me of the Ring (one of my favorite horror films), which only makes me love this film even more.  This was such an innovative film and I hope that more horror films can begin to explore more social commentary as a form of telling a story.

7. Ant-Man
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sci-fi action violence
Next on my list comes from Walt Disney Studios and Marvel Studios.  Ant-Man tells the origin story of the worlds-tiniest hero and his attempt to control and understand his powers.  With his mentor helping him along the way, this former thief must make one last heist in order to save the world from destruction.
The thing I loved most about this film is that it finally returned Marvel back to form.  After being disappointed with last years Avengers: Age of Ultron, it was nice to be reminded why we fell in love with the Marvel Universe in the first place.  This film was pure storytelling and not focused on big explosions and cross-overs.  Even though it didn't make as much money as other movies in the Marvel Universe, I hope Marvel realizes how crowd-pleasing this film was and tries to replicate it in films to come.

6. The DUFF
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for crude and sexual material throughout, some language and teen partying
The next film on my list comes from CBS Films.  The DUFF tells the story of a girl DUFF (Designated Ugly Fat Friend) as she tries to leave her DUFF image behind and become popular with the assistance of the high school jock.
This film was probably the biggest surprise for me this year.  To be honest, this film really didn't sound interesting to me, but my wife and I got free tickets so we saw it.  This film had me laughing the entire time.  I know I could get in trouble for this, but I think this film is better than Mean Girls and on the same level as 10 Things I Hate About You.  This is such a fun teen comedy that I believe many people can relate to and one that will become a classic in the years to come.

5. War Room
MPAA Rating: PG for thematic elements throughout
Next on my list is from Sony and Affirm Films.  War Room tells the story of a young couple who begins to struggle and become distant has the life and its challenges get in their way.  Desperate to save their marriage, the young couple take the advice of an older woman and take their struggles to God through prayer.  As they begin to do this, they realize how important God is to their relationship as well as His marvelous power.
So when this came out at the end of August, it took Hollywood by storm.  It became a box-office powerhouse and it looked like it could not be beaten.  Wanting to see what it was all about, my family and I saw it and were blown-away by what we saw.  This was such a powerful film with so much emotion, it had the audience clapping and cheering throughout the entire film.  This film had people talking, which is exactly what a film should be doing.

4. The Martian
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some strong language, injury images, and brief nudity
The next film on my list comes from Twentieth Century Fox.  The Martian tells the story of an astronaut who is stranded on Mars after a freak storm led his crew to believe that he was dead. However, after surviving the storm, his next challenge is to survive on Mars longer than anyone believes to be possible.  Now, with NASA doing everything that they can to save him, his crew must turn around to save their colleague and their friend.
This was such a fun film and one that truly showed off Matt Damon's star power.  The film directly relies on his performance and he does a spectacular job.  I would be shocked if he isn't announced as a Best Actor candidate.  This film was on a lot of people's radars when it was first announced, but I don't think people realized just how good it was going to be.

3. The Gift
MPAA Rating: R for language
Next on my list is from Blumhouse Productions.  The Gift tells the terrifying story of how your past can come back to haunt you.  After a surprised meeting between two high school colleagues, one of the colleagues begins to show up and leave gifts at the others house at random times throughout the day.  Being frightened about what his happening, his wife begins to dig into her husbands history and finds out that her husband is not who she thinks he is.
This film terrified me!!!  It had a great premise and showed the consequences that your past actions can have on your life.  This film had me hooked at the first trailer.  To be honest, I saw this film mainly because it starred Jason Bateman, but after seeing it, my favorite part was definitely Joel Edgerton.  He wrote, directed, and starred in this film and I hope he gets recognized for it.  For his first time directing he does a fantastic job.  This is definitely the thriller of the year!!

2. American Sniper
MPAA Rating: R for strong and disturbing war violence, and language throughout including some sexual references
The next film on my list comes from Warner Bros.  American Sniper tells the incredible true story of Chris Kyle, a Texan, who joins the Navy SEALS and serves his country with everything that he has. With his incredible accuracy, Chris Kyle saved many lives on the battlefield and at home, and eventually became a legend.  However, with his wife and children at home, he soon realizes that leaving the war behind may be too difficult to comprehend.
So technically I know that this came out in 2014, but the fact that the general movie-going population (the ones that made this the blockbuster hit it was) weren't able to see it until the third week of January I am considering it a 2015 film.  It was spectacular and showed America what a true hero was.  It faced much controversy, but it survived all the backlash.  This film had people talking and debating.  Chris Kyle is a true American hero along with all those that risk their lives to protect us and our country.  Americans should realize who the true heroes of today are and not the ones at home that only think that they are heroes.  That term hero has been tossed around too much these days, because someone did something for themselves.  That is not heroism.  Heroism is doing something for others, not out of pride or selfish reasons, but because you want to help others.  Our service men and women are the real heroes of today and I hope Americans will one day realize that.

1. Inside Out
MPAA Rating: PG for mild thematic elements and some action
Finally, my favorite movie of the year comes from Walt Disney and Pixar Animation.  Inside Out tells the story of a young girl, and her emotions inside her head, as she moves with her family to a new town.  While there, the once happy Riley is beginning to feel depressed as her core memories are misplaced.  Now it is up to Riley's emotions, Joy and Sadness. to recover her core memories and make her happy again before it is too late.
This movie was amazing.  It was such an emotional (no pun intended) roller coaster that had the audience laughing and crying throughout the entire film. This was an incredible return-to-form for Pixar that showed the world that Pixar is one of the best.  I would be shocked if this film doesn't win Best Animated Feature.  I wish that it would win other categories as well, but animated films never get the true credit they deserve.  Amy Poehler and Phyllis Smith do incredible work and should be praised for what they created!!

Now as we have looked forward to the future, there are so many exciting films to look forward to in the coming year.  Here are my most anticipated films for the coming year.

10. Inferno (October 14)
Coming from the bestselling author Dan Brown, Inferno is the latest adventure of the Symbologist Robert Langdon.  I am a huge fan of the book, as well as the other movies in the series.  With the return of director Ron Howard and actor Tom Hanks, I can't see this film disappointing.  It has been a while since we have seen Robert Langdon on screen, but I think that it is finally time for him to return.

9. Moana (November 23)
This is the next big animated feature from Walt Disney Animation.  With recent successes such as Frozen, Wreck-It Ralph, Tangled, and Big Hero 6, Disney has had a resurgence in their animated films.  This will introduce Disney's newest princess and if it is anything like their previous films, this will become an instant classic.

8. Captain America: Civil War (May 6)
If this film is even half as good as Captain America: The Winter Soldier, than this film will be amazing.  This is probably my favorite property in the Marvel Universe and I can't wait to see what they do next.  My only real worry is that it becomes a third Avengers movie instead of a Captain America sequel.  However, I have full trust in the Marvel brand and I know that they will do incredible things with it.

7. Ghostbusters (July 15)
From the moment that this film was announced, it has been surrounded by controversy.  However, I don't see what the big deal is.  With the team-up of director Paul Feig and actress Melissa McCarthy, I don't see how this film can fail.  This team has brought us films like The Heat, Bridesmaids, as well as, this years Spy.  There is no reason to bet against this team, which only makes me excited for what the final product will look like.

6. Finding Dory (June 17)
This is probably the most anticipated sequel for many moviegoers this year.  The original film is so loved and cherished, that I don't see how this film can be bad.  However, Pixar has not had the best reputation with sequels, I believe that with the amount of time that it has taken to create this sequel and with the incredible voice talent back, this film will truly be fantastic.

5. The Jungle Book (April 15)
This is the next live action remake of Disney's animated classics.  I have loved what they have done with all of them so far and this one looks better than all of them.  With an incredible cast and stunning visuals, this looks like a winner.  I believe The Jungle Book is one of the most underrated Disney films and I am happy that Disney has enough faith in the brand to bring this one to life.

4. My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (March 25)
This is definitely a sequel that many people have been asking for.  After the original took the box office by story over a decade ago and ran for record 52 days in theaters, audiences are finally going to be able to see this Greek family all over again.  All of the original cast members are returning and with the same writers as the first film, this one has got to be hilarious.  Also, it is comforting that they are willing to release this film against the highly-anticipated Batman vs. Superman.

3. Zootopia (March 4)
This is another film from Walt Disney Animation and one that will probably fly under the radar.  This is not the film that Disney expects to succeed, but judging by the incredible trailers that they have released, I just can't see this one failing.  It has a fascinating concept and fantastic actors.  I hope this one is as good as it looks, because if it is, I see this one being nominated next year.

2. Doctor Strange (November 4)
I am excited about this film because it is another origin story.  With the greatness of Ant-Man, it has been proven that origin stories are definitely Marvel's cup-of-tea.  Though not much is known about this film, it has one of the biggest actors as its lead.  Also, it will have a little horror in it, which makes me even more excited for November to come.

1. The Conjuring 2: The Enfield Poltergeist (June 10)
Even though most moviegoers will anticipate other sequels this year, this is my most-anticipate sequel and movie of the year!!  When the first one was release back in the summer of 2013, it proved that with the right story and concept a horror movie can be a summer blockbuster success.  This one is out to prove that again.  With the cast returning as well as director James Wan (one of my favorite directors and probably the best horror director right now), this one has everything going for it!!!

Well thanks for reading!!!  I hope you have a great New Year!!!  I can't wait for these movies and many more that are in store for us.  If you have any questions, comments, or ideas, just let me know!!!