Tag: Channing Tatum

Roofman

2025   Paramount Pictures

Rated:  R

Length:  2 hr  6min

Comedy ~ Crime ~ Drama ~ Romance ~ True Story

Directed by:  Derek Cianfrance

Starring:  Channing Tatum, Kirsten Dunst, LaKeith Stanfield, Juno Temple, Peter Dinklage,  Ben Mendelsohn, Melonie Diaz, Uzo Aduba, Lily Collias, and Jimmy O. Yang.

Based On Actual Events And Terrible Decisions

We all make choices and decisions everyday, whether we want to or not. We try to make the right decisions but sometimes they just don’t turn out that way. If you have a family and kids you make decisions based on trying to give them the best life you can. Including giving them everything that they want that makes them happy. Jeffrey Manchester (Channing Tatum) made some bad choices and decisions about how to get his family the things they wanted but he couldn’t afford. He figured out how to break through the roof of a McDonald’s, hiding out in the bathroom until the morning crew and manager arrived, then escorting the group politely into the freezer walk-in and robbing the store of all it’s cash.

He became very successful at robbing McDonald’s ultimately robbing an estimated 45-60 stores and making his family happy in the process, buying them everything that they wanted.  He was dubbed “The Roofman” by the police and evaded capture until he got greedy and attempted to rob two stores in the same area on the same day. He was sentenced to prison losing everything including his family, but cleverly escaped, ending up hiding out in a nearby Toys-R-Us in Charlotte, North Carolina. Leigh Moore (Kirsten Dunst), a divorcee with two daughters, works at the store and catches Jeffrey’s attention. Jeffrey bravely stalks her to the Church where she attends under the guise of donating to their annual Christmas toy drive, donating a bagful of toys stolen from the Toys-R-Us store.

They start to date and Jeffrey tries hard to conceal his real identity, going by the alias John Zorn. As their relationship grows stronger, Jeffrey tries to be the family man he couldn’t be with his real family. Making sure Leigh and her daughters have everything they want and need, trying to connect emotionally with them. Leigh isn’t just a love interest; she’s the mirror that reflects the man Jeffrey wants to be versus the one he’s become. Their growing relationship gives the film its heart, grounding the chase in something far more personal, redemption. Tatum and Dunst have a chemistry that feels honest and unforced, pulling you into moments that almost make you forget the man’s a wanted fugitive. There is a final scene between the two of them that is absolutely heartbreaking, capturing the real emotion between Jeffrey and Leigh.

Director Derek Cianfrance brilliantly contrasts Jeffrey’s calm domestic moments with the encroaching reality of his past catching up. Each scene in the bright, colorful toy aisles feels like a countdown, playful on the surface, tense underneath. You know it can’t last, but you still want it to. Jeffrey learns that freedom comes with a price, and the film dives deep into the psychological unraveling that follows. It’s fascinating watching a man so careful, so cunning, begin to lose control of the very plan that once defined him. You are instantly drawn into the psyche of Jeffrey Manchester, rooting for him even though you know he is a criminal. And that is thanks to Channing Tatum’s brilliant performance as Jeffrey, might be one of his best yet.

LaKeith Stanfield plays Steve, the loyal, resourceful, and compassionate best friend to Jeff Manchester, helping him with fake documents and support while risking his own freedom. Peter Dinklage plays Mitch, the observant and perhaps quirky store manager at the Toys-R-Us where Jeffrey hides out, developing a unique dynamic with Tatum’s character and Kirsten Dunst’s employee, offering a blend of comedy and drama in a role that highlights his versatility as an actor.

Roofman isn’t just a great true-crime story,  it’s a moral puzzle wrapped in an unexpectedly emotional thriller. It reminds us that even when our intentions are good, our choices can define us in ways we never see coming.

Turn off the lights and devices,

Make some popcorn,

Grab a beverage,

and

Stream This Movie!

Dog

Fly Me To The Moon

Dog

2022   Amazon MGM Studios

Rated: PG-13

Length:  1 hr  41min

Comedy ~ Drama

Directed by:  Channing Tatum and Reid Carolin.

Starring:  Channing Tatum, Jane Adams, Kevin Nash, Q’orianka Kilcher, Ethan Suplee, Emmy Raver-Lampman, and Nicole LaLiberte.

“A filthy animal unfit for human company and a…DOG”

SYNOPSIS (From The Movie Website):

In this road-trip comedy, two hard-charging former Army Rangers paired against their will — Briggs (Channing Tatum) and a Belgian Malinois named Lulu — race down the Pacific Coast in hopes of making it to a fellow soldier’s funeral on time. Along the way, they’ll drive each other completely crazy, confront the possibility that pet psychics are real, and begin to reckon with the one thing they were trained never to do: surrender.

THE BACK STORY:

The Road Trip:

In Channing Tatum’s Interview with Ethan Alter at Yahoo Entertainment News, he talks about how his one last road trip with his real life Dog Lulu inspired the movie Dog.

Channing Tatum is a big believer in channeling grief into art. In 2018, the Magic Mike star hit the road for one last ride with his longtime canine companion, Lulu — a pit bull Catahoula mix he shared with his ex-wife, Jenna Dewan. Diagnosed with cancer, Lulu didn’t have long for the world and Tatum wanted to make every last moment with her count.

“When I went on my last road trip with my puppy, [I experienced] that feeling of, ‘There’s nothing I can do. There’s nothing left to do,'” he tells Yahoo Entertainment now. “You just have to accept it and be thankful for the time that you did get and know that they’re not supposed to be here forever. I’m supposed to go on and she has to go someplace else.” 

But that last road trip with Lulu also marked a new beginning for Tatum. The experience served as the touchstone for the new drama, Dog, his first starring role since 2017’s Logan Lucky, and the first film that he’s directed alongside his regular collaborator, Reid Carolin. In the film, Tatum plays Briggs, an army veteran who is tasked with driving a skittish military dog — a Dutch Shepard appropriately named Lulu — hundreds of miles to her handler’s funeral, giving them plenty of time to tussle, and bond, along the way.

The Dogs:

In the MovieMaker article by Margeaux Sippell on July 3, 2024 she reveals how three dogs played the part of Lulu in the Movie Dog:

There are actually three different dogs who played Lulu. Their names are Britta, Lana 5, and Zuza, and though they look similar to German Shepherds, they’re actually Belgian Malinois, a breed well suited to police or military work. The production team got them from a kennel in Amsterdam that trains dogs for military service. And the story of how the three dogs got adopted by their current owners is just as heartwarming as the movie itself.

“They’re such high energy, aggressive dogs that they each got assigned to a trainer, and the trainers all said at the very beginning, ‘There’s no way we’re taking these dogs home, so we have to figure out when the movie’s over what we’re going to do, who we’re going to adopt them out to,’” Carolin said. 

Then the pandemic hit, and production was halted for nine months — giving Tatum and the trainers ample time to work with each dog to get them ready for the movie. The result was a powerful bonding experience that started out reluctant, just like the plot of the movie, but ended with all three of the trainers deciding to adopt the dogs they worked with.

THE REVIEW:

Do you like Channing Tatum? 

a) NO ~ Don’t Watch 

b) Yes ~ Continue on

Do you like Dogs?

a) NO ~ Don’t Watch 

b) Yes ~ Continue on

Seriously if you don’t like dogs than this isn’t the movie for you, and if you’re not a Channing Tatum fan you’re probably not going to like it. Because it is a Dog movie, aimed right at Dog lovers. If you’ve ever had a dog, you know what I mean. They become a family member, you become very attached to them.

Well now that I’ve said that, I might have been wrong………….maybe you are a cat lover (Or a pet-lover period) that LOVES, I mean LOVES Channing Tatum. Then you might like it because you can relate to the story about a pet that you absolutely became emotionally attached to, and you want to watch Channing in action. Ok, my bad…….. Carry on.

Bur Seriously, it is that kind of movie. A guy and his dog go on one last road trip and bond. Yup, you know what I mean, right to the heart this one. I liked it but I am a dog lover and a Channing Tatum fan. There were good laughs and drama on that road trip. Definitely entertaining and heartwarming.

So really, what’s not to like? There’s Channing Tatum, there’s a gorgeous Belgian Malinois (actually three), there’s Marijauna (if that makes you happy……), Pet Psychics, Tantra Healing (I think mine needs some healing…), a vintage Ford Bronco (I want one..), and a road trip (I’m ready, let’s go!).

Yes, you should watch it. I did and liked it.

From Channing Tatum’s Facebook Post:

A little over a year ago I got back from a road trip where I said goodbye to my best friend. Now I’m making a movie inspired by her. So proud to announce that DOG will be released by MGM Studios and in theaters next Valentine’s Day weekend. March 2, 2020

Channing and Lulu
Channing and Lulu
Channing and Lulu

Blink Twice

2024   Amazon MGM Studios

Rated:  R

Length:  1 hr  42min

Drama ~ Horror ~ Thriller

Directed by:  Zoë Kravitz

Starring:  Naomi Ackie, Channing Tatum, Christian Slater, Simon Rex, Adria Arjona, Haley Joel Osment, Kyle MacLachlan, Geena Davis, and Alia Shawkat.

“Are you having a good time?”

SO, where do I start?……………alright, how about this…..

TRIGGER, SPOILER AND RANT WARNING!

The movie starts out with this warning on the screen:

Here is the synopsis of the movie per MGM’s Blink Twice website:

When tech billionaire Slater King (Channing Tatum) meets cocktail waitress Frida (Naomi Ackie) at his fundraising gala, sparks fly. He invites her to join him and his friends on a dream vacation on his private island. It’s paradise. Wild nights blend into sun soaked days and everyone’s having a great time. No one wants this trip to end, but as strange things start to happen, Frida begins to question her reality. There is something wrong with this place. She’ll have to uncover the truth if she wants to make it out of this party alive. BLINK TWICE is a wild new psychological thriller directed by Zoë Kravitz.

GENRE: Drama, Horror, Psychological Thriller

Here is the Rating for the movie:

Rated R for Strong Violent Content, Sexual Assault, Drug Use and Language throughout, and sexual references.

COMPLETELY UNNECESSARY WARNING!

That is a spoiler as far as I am concerned. It is a DRAMA, HORROR, and  PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER. Part of the appeal of Horror and Thriller movies is being surprised, it’s what’s been driving audiences to them since the dawn of Horror movies.

I don’t want to know the plot going in or what’s going to happen, I WANT TO BE SURPRISED. The more surprised and shocked the better, that’s what I expect to get from a Horror Psychological Thriller Movie. He did WHAT?…….HOLY CRAP, I DIDN”T EXPECT THAT!

I don’t want to see a warning that there might be scenes of violence, sexual violence, mature themes and abuse of power that might make me squirmish and uneasy. It’s what I expect going into an R Rated Horror Psychological movie with strong violent content. If you don’t want to see that, take some accountability for yourself and read the rating. Then go see an appropriate PG-13 movie for yourself so we don’t have to label everything for you and spoil it for others……

Because now I know from the warning that the rich Tech Billionaire who invites women to his exclusive island secretly drugs and sexually abuses them, and it blows the whole plot wide open. So the drug-fueled parties on the billionaires island end up in violence, in this case sexual assault and violence. And now I don’t even get to be surprised by the billionaire’s actions because somebody who shouldn’t be watching this type of movie, and has no accountability for themselves, has to be warned that they might be upset by a movie they shouldn’t be watching in the first place.

If you are triggered by mature, violent or sexual themes……………

or acts of violence of any kind……..

DON”T GO TO SEE AN R-RATED HORROR PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER OF ANY KIND!

So there you have it. I’m done with the rant, on with the movie.

I liked it, I thought it was great. Very suspenseful, there was an air of dread that started to build pretty quickly. Paradise on the island started to get very cloudy and ominous. You know something bad is going to happen but what you don’t realize until later on is that it is already happening. And just like Frida (Naomi Ackie) and Sarah (Adria Arjona), when they realized what was going on, you are horrified. I love how the tables get turned after Frida and Sarah discover the truth. It reminded me of READY OR NOT with Samara Weaving. She thinks she is going to a nice family wedding only to end up in a bloody violent fight for survival (No Trigger warning on that movie and they even used crossbows and axes..).

It was good to see Christian Slater and Geena Davis in this, I haven’t seen them in a movie for quite a while. Seeing Channing Tatum as a complete Narcissist Asshole Scumbag with a complete disregard for another human’s well being while he constantly asked, “Are you having a good time?” was a complete change of pace. A nice one, I thought he did a good job. This was Zoë Kravitz directorial debut and I thought she did an outstanding job. Everybody did a great job, especially Naomi Ackie evoking all the emotions of her character as she finds out the truth behind the island and Slater.

And in the end it is a very surprising twist that you didn’t see coming…………….

Don’t worry, no spoiler alert on that one, no warning either.

Yes, it is an R-Rated Violent Horrifying Psychological Thriller.

If you don’t want to be triggered or upset by violence of any kind….go see a PG-13 movie.

If you do want to be triggered and upset by an R-Rated Violent Horrifying Psychological Thriller…..

This is one you should watch!

Fly Me To The Moon

2024   Sony Pictures

Rated:  PG-13

Length:  2  hr 12min

Comedy ~ Drama ~ Romance

Directed by: Greg Berlanti

Starring:  Scarlett Johansson, Channing Tatum, Ray Romano, Woody Harrelson, Jim Rash and Anna Garcia.

“The whole world will be watching. We can’t afford to lose. We need to be prepared to present an alternate version of the moon landing.”

Scarlett Johansson stars as Kelly Jones, an advertising executive working in Manhattan. The year is 1968, Richard Nixon is President, the Vietnam war consumes the news broadcasts and the US Government and NASA are in a “Space Race” with the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union successfully launched it’s Sputnik Satellite into orbit in 1957, being the first country to do so. The United States followed a year later and the race between the two superpowers to be the first in space became a US priority until the Vietnam War took precedent. Kelly is very good at her job and has built a reputation as one of the best advertising executives around. Just having won a major contract with Ford for their Mustang, she is celebrating in an upscale Manhattan Bar when she is approached by……………..

Woody Harrelson AKA Moe Berkus, who works for the President Of The United States. He explains to her that The Government is concerned about the public’s waning support for NASA amidst the Vietnam War. He wants to hire her to run NASA’s new public relations department and get the Apollo Space Mission, and it’s goal of being the first on the moon, back into the public consciousness. He also blackmails her with a folder containing the secrets of her past. She must accept the job and Moe promises that the folder and her past will disappear never to be seen again, or it will be made public if she refuses. Seeing no choice she accepts and Kelly and her assistant (Anna Garcia) fly to Cocoa Beach, Florida to begin their work. After checking into a hotel, Kelly heads to a diner to get a bite to eat and start working on her agenda.

Channing Tatum, who stars as NASA Flight Director Cole Davis, walks in to get a cup of coffee and a meal to go. He notices Kelly sitting at a table and is immediately smitten with her and strikes up a conversation. He leaves after getting his food to go but comes back in to confess that she is the most beautiful woman he has ever seen but now is not a good time for him. The next day as Kelly is starting her PR campaign with her assistant at NASA, she enters into a classified area where they are building the Apollo 11 rocket. Cole and his right hand man Henry Smalls (played by Ray Romano) immediately escorts her out and shows her where her new office is in a storage close, and advises her to stay out of their way.

Moe Berkus shows up at Kelly’s Hotel room one night to explain to her that as NASA prepares the Apollo 11 mission to land on the moon, they must prepare for any outcome. Since Kelly has come up with the grand idea to televise the moon landing and put a camera on the lunar lander, they must make sure that no matter what, that is what America watches on TV. Moe wants her to secretly stage a real life replica of the Moon landing in an abandoned hanger on NASA property. It must look like the real thing and nobody must know. Kelly reluctantly agrees and brings in her best Director (Jim Rash) Lance Vespertine.

What follows is a hilarious journey and look at the Apollo 11 mission as it races towards launch day. Being replicated in secret on NASA property by Kelly and Moe, as Cole and Henry are pulling the real thing together. A romance has blossomed between Kelly and Cole and the tension is palatable as they try to do their jobs and not upset the other in doing so. In the end they come together to join forces to outsmart Moe who insists on televising the fake landing no matter what. Channing Tatum and Scarlett Johansson were awesome in this, I loved their chemistry together. Ray Romano is loveable as Cole’s assistant Harry. Jim Rash is goofy but loveable as Lance Vespertine. And you gotta love Woody Harrelson as the very secretive Government man who knows everything about everything.

The movie is based on the true story of the Apollo Space program and the Apollo 11 mission of being the first men on the moon. It is also based on the completely unfounded conspiracy theory that NASA and the Government cooked up the ruse to fake the Lunar landing just to beat the Russians in the space race. I thought it was a great story and a great movie. An excellent Rom-Com Drama well directed and filmed. The Ryan Gosling movie First Man is also a fascinating look at the Apollo program and the Apollo 11 mission, also well worth a watch.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

TWO THUMBS UP!

The Lost City

2022   Paramount Pictures

Rated: PG-13

Length:  1 hr  52min

Action ~ Adventure ~ Comedy ~ Romance

Directed by:  Aaron and Adam Nee

Starring:  Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum, Daniel Radcliffe, Da’Vine Joy Randolph and Brad Pitt.

“Dulcius Ex Asperis……..Sweeter after difficulty.”

Sandra Bullock stars as Loretta Sage, a widowed Adventure Romance Novelist whose life and career has been very negatively affected by her husband’s death five years ago. Her Publisher Beth Hatten (Da’Vine Joy Randolph) has been trying desperately to save her career from going down the tubes and with it her livelihood. She has hired a younger woman to run her social media campaigns and has arranged a highly publicized book tour for Loretta. As Loretta and her publisher arrive at the first stop and public appearance on the tour, Loretta is dressed in a purple sequin sparkly jumpsuit against her better judgement. Beth tells her how important this is and that she also booked……..

Alan Caprison (Channing Tatum), the cover model who portrays the hero Dash in her Romance Novels. Loretta is horrified and wants nothing to do with it but is convinced by Beth to “Go On with the show.” The appearance ends in disaster when Loretta accidentally gets Alan’s wig caught in her watch as she tries to rip off Dash’s shirt to satisfy the female crowd yelling for Dash to do so. Alan falls off the stage and Loretta is left onstage with his wig dangling from her watch. She rushes off stage and heads outside. The doorman calls a car for her, but before it comes she is forced into a car and taken to meet……….

Abigail Fairfax (Daniel Radcliffe), a billionaire who has discovered a lost city on a remote island he believes might be where the lost treasure, The Crown Of Fire is located. He believes that Loretta and her late husband had done extensive research on this subject and will be able to help him decipher the scrolls that reveal the exact location. He explains that he has kidnapped her and they are flying to the island he now owns. As they arrive and Abigail persuades Loretta to cipher the information he needs, Beth and Alan are busy trying to figure out what happened to Loretta. Alan thinks he knows someone who can help find her and calls……..

Jack Trainer (Brad Pitt), a former Navy Seal and a CIA operative. Together Alan and Jack fly to the island to free her. Jack turns out to be a complete bad-ass, a one man army. Kind of like Denzel Washington in The Equalizer Movies, using everything in the room as a weapon to quickly decimate the enemy. From here on out it is a hilarious action-filled adventure as they free Loretta and traipse through the jungle running from the billionaire and his henchmen. There is one last scene in the movie with Brad, Sandra and Channing that appears halfway through the end credits. If you’re not paying attention to the credits you might miss it, it changes what you think is the end of the movie before the credits.

I have seen it three times and still enjoyed it. It is goofy, funny, full of silly one-liners, a rom-com in the end and a great action adventure comedy. I really liked Brad Pitt as Jack Trainer, Channing Tatum is laughable and loveable as “Dash”, and you gotta love anything Sandra Bullock is in.

Two Thumbs up!