Capsule Review (Minor Spoilers):

The Post is a movie about The Washington Post, a newspaper trying to make a name for itself in the early 1970s. the come across a story that is very controversial, and agonize over publishing it, as the consequences can be catastrophic.

Based on the actual events, it’s a great story of the era, and serves as allegory for the current political climate regarding “fake” news.  Recommended.

Main Review

Kay Graham (Meryl Streep) has assumed the role of publisher for The Washington Post. She took on the role after her husband, the former publisher, died. He was given the job by her father, the previous publisher, but hasn’t really taken control yet. She relies on her advisers, and is about to list the paper on the American Stock Exchange to raise funds and keep the paper afloat.

The story opens  in the later 1960s with an observer Daniel Ellsberg (Matthew Rhys).  He is working for the Secretary of State, Robert McNamara (Bruce Greenwood). They are in Vietnam, attempting to determine the state of things, which aren’t going well. McNamara returns to the U.S. and declares the war is going well, which is exactly the opposite of what he says privately. McNamara eventually commissioned a report on the state of affairs regarding Vietnam, and it confirms what he’s been saying behind closed doors.

That doesn’t site well with Ellsberg, gets his hands on a copy of the report, and reaches out to the press. Unfortunately, it’s the New York Times. Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks), the editor of the Post, tried to determine this, but didn’t succeed before it went to print. However, the Times only printed the beginning of their analysis, and the government makes them stop. It’s not looking too good for any publication of the story, until part  of the report shows up on a reporter’s desk at the Post.

It becomes a morality play on the role of the media, and how far they could or should go.  Everyone in the cast gives a strong performance, and none of it is overdone. I kept struggling to recognize all the actors involved, and some I just couldn’t figure out until the credits rolled.  It’s quite a compelling film, especially if you like films about what it takes to get news out. It wasn’t too ‘inside baseball’ to appreciate what they did, and how it was accomplished.

This is an important movie, and is definitely worth seeing. Highly recommended.

Capsule Review (Minimal spoilers):

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is a sequel to the 1995 film Jumanji, if in basic premise, only. Several children are tricked into playing a game, with dangerous consequences. This sequel puts them right in the middle of the situation, and have to find their way through.

It’s an action comedy that’s a lot of fun. The jokes are good, and relatably entertaining. There is some violence of the PG-13 variety. It is also available as a 3D movie, but I did not see it that way. I could definitely see how and where  they made use of it, so it might be worth seeing that way.

Highly recommended, as it’s refreshing and fun.

Main Review:

For various reasons, 4 high schoolers receive detention. As punishment, they have to clean out an old storage room. While poking around, one of them finds an old video game, so they decide to ditch the work and play the game. After starting and choosing their players, they get pulled into the game, much like in the movie Tron.  They become the characters they chose, who were pretty much unlike who they were as teens.

After a few moments of confusion, they realize they’re controlling/playing the characters they picked in the game, and are nothing like what they act like in school. It’s an awkward way to start, but you end up with the nerdy kid being Dwayne Johnson, the jock being the diminutive Kevin Hart, the wallflower being the kick-ass fighter Karen Gillan, and the social media queen being in the body of Jack Black. The trailers have given us that much, and it’s where the fun begins. You don’t really need to know the character names here, because the actors, for the most part, are playing “themselves”, as far as their public personas appear to be – Kevin Hart as the wise-cracking side kick, for example.

There are more than a few references to video games, and some are very funny, when you figure out what’s going on. You get the sense that the movie was written by someone who’s spent a bunch of time playing them, so it works well. That, by itself, is not bad, but like a video game, the villains have to play a role in how the story develops. Bobby Cannavale plays a good villain here, if not a bit creepy. Here, he’s the challenge they must overcome.

As I mentioned, it’s an action comedy. The action is good, as is the CGI. Clearly, that’s improved a lot since the original film. It’s gotten good enough that it really gives you a sense you’re there, in reality. Some of the animals may look a little off, but it’s not as obvious as it was in 1995!

Even with a PG-13 rating, this is a movie that everyone can enjoy. There isn’t anything that’s a major flaw or inconsistency, and the balance of action and comedy is good.

Definitely recommended!