Coram Deo ~

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Tag Archives: John Cena


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My Review of the Movie “Coyote vs. ACME”

Coyote vs. ACME, rated PG
***

Coyote vs. ACME is an entertaining film that blends animation and live action, based on the lovable loser Wile E. Coyote. The film is directed by Dave Green, and written by Oscar nominee Samy Burch (May December), James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy), and Jeremy Slater, adapted from a 1990 New Yorker article by Ian Frazier.
We are told that this film is “based on a true story”. After years of misery pursuing the speed demon known as the Road Runner – Wile E. Coyote, a longtime consumer of ACME products, is at home nursing his latest wounds, when he sees an ad for a law firm, and decides to sue the ACME Corporation, which is owned by Foghorn Leghorn.
Wile E. enlists the help of a law firm specializing in personal injury cases (called Avery, Jones & Maltese, a nod to three of the Looney Tunes’ chief architects, Tex Avery, Chuck Jones, and Michael Maltese), headed by Kevin Avery, played by Emmy nominee Will Forte (The Last Man on Earth, 30 Rock), whose specialty is getting small settlements for cartoon characters who have had limbs and such blown off  by faulty products. Kevin’s niece Paige Avery, played by Lana Condor, is his intern who recently graduated from law school.

This won’t be easy for Coyote. ACME is a huge organization, with plenty of money and a corporate attorney named Buddy Crane, played by Emmy nominee John Cena (Heads of State, Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?). Kevin doesn’t have any motivation for taking on ACME and his law school classmate Crane. Will Coyote be able to get justice for being the victim of faulty ACME products? Is there more to the story?
The enjoyable film has nostalgic cameos by Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Tweety Bird, Tasmanian Devil, and many more.
The film includes humor, some heartfelt moments, violence and some minor adult language.
Having grown up watching the Coyote’s fruitless pursuit of the Road Runner, we really enjoyed this film, which creatively uses cartoons along with the live action.


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My Review of DOLITTLE

Dolittle, rated PG
***

Dolittle, based on the children’s books of Hugh Lofting, is an enjoyable film, starring Robert Downey Jr. in his first non-Iron Man role since 2014’s The Judge. The film is directed by Oscar winner Stephen Gaghan (Traffic), who wrote the screenplay with Dan Gregor (How I Met Your Mother), Doug Mand (How I Met Your Mother) and Thomas Shepherd. The film had an estimated budget of $175 million. The film’s release date has been delayed a few times, and it had 21 days of expensive reshoots after poor test screenings. The film is getting pummeled by the critics (getting a score of “16” on Rotten Tomatoes.com as I write this), but we enjoyed the film.
The film begins with an animated prologue that gives us the backstory of Dr. John Dolittle, played by two-time Oscar nominee Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man films, Tropic Thunder, Chaplin), and his beloved wife Lily, played by Kasia Smutniak in live-action flashbacks. They presided over Dolittle Manor, a large sanctuary in the English countryside where they cared for – and communicated with – animals. But one day Lily, a master explorer, went out on a voyage at sea while Dolittle cared for the animals, and her ship wrecked in a storm and she died. After Lily’s death, Dolittle closed the doors of the sanctuary and fell into a deep depression.
Seven years later, Dolittle is living as a recluse in Dolittle Manor, avoiding all contact with humans while surrounded by a small band of loyal animal friends: Continue reading →


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My Review of FERDINAND

Ferdinand, rated PG
***

This Golden Globe nominated animated film is a family-friendly treat that includes some positive messages. It is directed by Oscar nominee Carlos Saldanha (Gone Nutty, Rio, Ice Age), and is based the classic 1936 picture book The Story of Ferdinand, written by Munro Leaf and illustrated by Robert Lawson. Both Adolf Hitler and Francisco Franco banned the book about a bull who doesn’t want to fight, while Gandhi and Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt admired it. Walt Disney produced a short film version in 1938.
The new film has already received Golden Globe nominations for best animated picture and best original song.
As a young calf in Spain, Ferdinand (voiced by Colin H. Murphy), is different from the others. He doesn’t participate in the games that the rest of his peers do. He doesn’t want to grow up to be a fighting bull. Instead, he just loves to smell flowers, his favorite being red carnations. Then, when his father doesn’t return after being chosen to fight against a matador, Ferdinand realizes he has been killed. He then escapes from the bull ranch, eluding his pursuers. He eventually finds himself at a flower farm. Nina (young Nina voice by Julia Scarpa Saldanha and older Nina voiced by Lily Day), a young girl and her father adopt him as a pet. We see him sleeping in Nina’s bed and eventually grows into a large, but loving, bull. Although people are frightened of him, Ferdinand is in reality just a very nice bull, a gentle giant with a big heart.
One day Ferdinand goes to the local flower festival with Nina. While there however, he gets stung by a bee and as he reacts, he does an incredible amount of damage to the flower festival and the town in general. Because he is a large bull, he is mistaken as a dangerous beast, and as a result, he is returned to the same bull-fighting training ranch in Madrid that he had escaped from.
Ferdinand is voiced by wrestling star John Cena. Lupe, an ugly and funny goat voiced by Kate McKinnon (Saturday Night Live), designates herself as his trainer on how to fight as a bull. But Ferdinand has no interest in fighting, even though that is what is expected of a bull. Ferdinand’s bull peers are Valiente (Bobby Cannavale), Bones (Anthony Anderson), Guapo (Peyton Manning, future NFL Hall of Fame quarterback), and a Scottish Highland bull Angus (David Tennant, Dr. Who, Broadchurch).
Ferdinand realizes that if he doesn’t escape back to his family, he will either die in the arena or be sent to the chop house (slaughterhouse). So, he decides to put together a team to help him escape led by three hedgehogs voiced by Gina Rodriguez, Daveed Diggs and Gabriel Iglesias.
John Powell (Ice Age, Rio, Horton Hears a Who!), provides the music for the film.
This funny film includes a lot of positive messages about respect, kindness, teamwork and staying true to yourself.
Listen to Golden Globe nominated song “Home” in this trailer for the film: