Back In Action

2025 Netflix

Rated: PG-13

Length: 1 hr 54min

Action ~ Adventure ~ Comedy ~ Family ~ Spy

Starring: Jamie Foxx, Cameron Diaz, Andrew Scott, Jamie Demetriou, Kyle Chandler, and Glenn Close.

“What if Mr. and Mrs. Smith had kids?”

Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz star as Matt and Emily, Secret Agents for the CIA. Matt and Emily have done what spies aren’t supposed to do, fall in love with each other. Right before their assignment, Emily realizes she is pregnant. Their mission doesn’t go as planned and they end up on a plane fighting off the crew who turn out to be covert spies themselves. Right before the plane goes down, they share a parachute and escape, landing safely. They both agree that, since Emily is pregnant, this is the perfect time to fake their deaths. Disappear off the grid, start from scratch and build a family.

Fast forward fifteen years and they are the typical suburban family. Matt and Emily are raising their fourteen year old daughter Alice and their twelve year old son Leo. Constantly battling too much screen time on their children’s devices, juggling work and after school activities. They even drive a mini-van to soccer practices and games that Matt coaches. As they try to control Alice’s covert underage nightlife activities, their cover is blown and they are forced to take the kids into hiding with them. They head to England where Emily’s Mom Ginny (Glenn Close), a former Secret Agent for the MI6, lives on a sprawling countryside estate outside of London.

There are plenty of story twists and turns as they try to vanish again, and protect their kids. It is a familiar storyline but then aren’t all the spy movies. The agents go on an assignment to retrieve the thing the bad guy has that will disrupt the working order of our world. That’s always the mission, but this time it involves kids, and Matt and Emily love their kids. The kids are awesome on their own, they have been raised well and being a spy runs in their blood. They just don’t know it yet. I really liked McKenna Roberts as Alice, and Rylan Jackson as Leo. There is plenty of action and a few laughs as Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz hold their own on the fight floor and the acting stage.

It has been over a decade since Cameron Diaz made a movie. She had decided that she needed to focus on her personal life, raise a family, and get off the Hollywood grid. Jamie Foxx approached her with this film and she said, “If I’m going to do a movie, I’m going to do it with Jamie. No questions asked.” It was really good to see her “Back In Action”, I think she did an awesome job, kicking butt and taking names, the Cameron Diaz we all know and love. You could feel the chemistry and the love between Jamie and the kids. She can still hold her own acting and fighting. Job well done and welcome back Cameron Diaz.

I had watched Jamie Foxx’s Netflix special on Netflix What had happened was….where he talks about his medical ordeal for the first time. Very touching story, if you get the chance you should watch it. In a nutshell Jamie came down with a mysterious illness, basically his brain started hemorrhaging for no apparent reason. He almost died, was in a coma, came to but couldn’t move his body. He then spent agonizing months in rehab and physical therapy learning how to walk again. Seeing him “Back in Action”…..you want to jump up and scream YEAH! GO JAMIE!!!! Job Well Done on all accounts, and welcome back Jamie Foxx. Ya still got it!

I love the soundtrack to the fight scenes, perfect! I loved the story, I loved the action, I loved seeing Jamie and Cameron together raising kids, I could feel the love! They did everything to protect their kids and it shone through in the movie. I didn’t pay much attention to what the bad guy was up to or the device he wanted, a mere subplot behind the parents fighting for their family and their kids.

Yes, yes and yes. I can’t wait to watch it again, and I just know there’s a sequel coming…BRING IT ON!

Highly Recommended!

Two Thumbs up!

The Call Of The Wild

2020 20th Century Studios

Rated: PG

Length: 1 hr 40min

Adventure ~ Drama ~ Family

Directed by: Chris Sanders

Starring: Harrison Ford, Omar Sy, Cara Gee, Dan Stevens, Karen Gillan, and Bradley Whitford and……..BUCKLEY.

“Every summer when he comes down to the valley, he remembers kind hands and old Masters. Before he became his own Master, before he heard…….The Call Of The Wild.”

THE CALL OF THE WILD is a Classic Movie starring a Classic Movie Star based on a Classic Novel by Jack London . It reminds me of The Disney Movies I watched on Sunday Nights on The Wonderful World of Disney as a kid. It tells the story of Buck, a 140 pound St. Bernard – Scotch Shepherd dog, living the good life in Santa Clara, California with his owner Judge Miller and his family. It is 1897 and the Gold rush is in full swing in the Yukon region of Alaska. There is a growing need for strong dogs to pull the sleds and huge bounties are being paid for suitable dogs. Judge Miller’s Gardner notices how big a dog Buck is and sees a quick way to make some money. He tricks Buck with a treat, locks him in a wooden crate and sells him to a dog trader.

Buck ends up in the Yukon in Alaska and is sold to a Mail carrier and his wife. Buck has California feet and it is a rude awakening away from the life of luxury he was taken from. Turned into a sled dog seemingly overnight Buck must fight for his survival and grow into an amazing sled dog. Along the way he meets John Thornton (Harrison Ford) who Buck will eventually team up with for an adventure that will change both Buck and John Thornton’s lives. It is a great adventure that Buck has gone on. Starting as a domestic pet to full time sled dog in the Yukon, changing from slave to master of his own destiny, changing the very nature of Timber Wolves in the Yukon.

It is a great story. It is a great movie, I consider it classic. Harrison Ford does an outstanding job of acting with a CGI dog. I think of Buck as a real dog in the movie, he is CGI but I immediately grew fond of Buck. As the director Chris Sanders and his wife Jessica Steele-Sanders tells the story to Disney, I now know why. The real Buck was found by Jessica Steele-Sanders on the app Pet finder by accident. He was found on the street in Kansas, an exact duplicate of the breed in Jack London’s novel. Jessica drove two days from California to go get Buckley (The dog’s actual name believe it or not). Everyone immediately fell for Buckley and The CGI Buck is based on Buckley. Buckley now lives with Chris and Jessica.

All of the CGI dogs in the movie were based on real life counterparts. Watching the video about Buckley you can see that his character was realistically portrayed by the CGI Buck. I have to confess that I am a dog guy and fell for Buck. I am actually a little jealous of Buck. No, I have no desire to pull a dogsled, but I am envious of his journey. After all he went through, in the end, he finds true happiness and freedom.

I’ve probably seen this half a dozen times and would gladly watch it again.

Highly Recommended!

Two Thumbs Up!

That Christmas

2024 Netflix

Rated: PG

Length: 1 hr 31min

Adventure ~ Animation ~ Christmas ~ Comedy ~ Family

Directed by: Simon Otto

Starring: Brian Cox, Fiona Shaw, Jodie Whittaker and Bill Nighy.

“Down to one Reindeer and the worst snowstorm in history, and a town that needed a sack full of Christmas fixing….You’re about to hear the tale of one of the most challenging nights of my long career.”

Brian Cox stars as The Handsome Fellow in the Red Onesie, and narrates as he tells the tale of one of the most challenging nights of his long career. Wrap up and get warm as he tells the Tale of That Christmas. At the end of his Christmas Eve journey and down to one reindeer, Santa Claus and Dasher have to make one last stop to Wellington-On-Sea. It has just shown up on his radar as having nothing but Christmas trouble all over town. He believes he can pinpoint the start of all the trouble to the School Christmas Play December 22, 4 PM.

And that’s where the story begins, at the school play and follows the trials, tribulations and troubles the townspeople face as they hurry to pull Christmas together over the next two days. The next day December 23 turns into a snow day as the town wakes up under feet of snow. Which hampers and changes everyone’s plans. To make matters worse, a huge unexpected snowstorm is headed right for the little seaside town later that evening.

The animation is outstanding in this movie. The story is great, full of adventurous twists and turns as the families try to deal with the many obstacles thrown in their way. The characters are all very loveable, and there is something very familiar and comforting about Brian Cox’s voice as Santa. It makes you want to nestle up all comfy with a nice big cup of Hot Chocolate. I really like Sam’s Christmas wish of a metal body Resonator Guitar, one of my personal favorites. I love the Blue Volkswagen bus, it is too cute.

Heck, I love everything about this movie. It takes me back to the standards from when I was a kid. There were certain movies you couldn’t wait to see every year….Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Santa Claus is Coming To Town, Frosty The Snowman, The year without a Santa Claus……I think this belongs in that category. It should be the next new Christmas classic you want to watch every year.

With that being said about this Family/Kids Animated Christmas Adventure Comedy, I highly Recommend it as part of your Christmas season and viewing. Better hurry, there’s only 2 days left…….

Two Thumbs Up!

April 6, 2025

I just discovered that this movie is based on the Trilogy of Children’s books by Richard Curtis: Snow Day, The Empty Stocking and That Christmas.