Geek For E!

Geek For E!

Creators of the TwitView! Reviews in 140 characters or less.

TwiView: The High Note (2020)

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The High Note is all about reaching for your dreams and never giving up in the face of adversity. Maggie (Dakota Johnson) is an overworked, and probably really underpaid personal assistant to music superstar Grace Davis (Tracee Ellis Ross). Both women yearn to move forward in their careers. Maggie wants to be a music producer, and Grace wants to reach new heights with her music. But reaching for their dreams doesn’t come without pitfalls and setbacks.

So how is the movie? I am in love with The High Note. The High Note is just the movie needed right now. The situations portrayed in the movie are relatable for so many that the movie sucks you in and you cannot help to love and cheer for the characters. I want to buy the Blu-ray and soundtrack right now and put them on repeat because the soundtrack and Tracee Ellis Ross are so superb. I give The High Note an A. The movie also stars Kelvin Harrison Jr., Ice Cube, Diplo, Bill Pulman, Zoe Chao, and June Diane Raphael. The High Note is PG-13 due to strong language and ever so slight suggestive references and will be available at home on-demand starting 5/29/2020. – (R. Barry)

TwiView: Onward (2020)

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Pixar movies always hit you with a one, two punch. They hit you with laughter, then punch you in all the feels, and Pixar’s new movie Onward is no different. In Onward we follow two brothers, Ian (Tom Holland) and Barley Lightfoot (Chris Pratt), who want nothing more than to see their father again. When their mom, Laurel Lightfoot (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), gives them a gift that gives them the chance to bring their father back for one day they go on an epic quest full of magic and discovery.

While not the best movie Pixar has released Onward is still a highly entertaining fantasy movie full of magic, elves, centaurs, manticore’s, and beyond. The story and most of the humor seem geared towards the older crowd, but the animation and some of the humor younger kids will find funny. (If you have ever played Dungeons and Dragons it will be hysterical.) As a parent, the concepts and story moved me to tears so pack a tissue or two. Onward also stars Octavia Spencer as The Manticore and Mel Rodriguez as Colt Bronco. I give Pixar’s Onward a solid B+. Onward is rated PG for some action/peril and is in Theaters 3/6/2020.

TwiView: Dolittle (2020)

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After losing the love of his life Dr. Dolittle (Robert Downey Jr.) shuts himself and the doors of his animal sanctuary off from the world. That is until Queen Victoria (Jessie Buckley) is taken ill, and Dr. Dolittle is summoned to help her. With the help of a young boy Tommy Stubbins (Harry Collett) and Dr. Dolittle’s animal friends, Poly (Emma Thompson), Chee-Chee (Rami Malek), Yoshi (John Cena), Plimpton (Kumail Nanjiani), and Dab-Dab (Octavia Spencer), they all set sail to find the one thing that will cure the Queen.

Dolittle will have you laughing out loud from start to finish. It is also a movie that helps to remind us there is nothing we can’t overcome. Especially when we have great friends by our side. Dolittle has an amazing all-star cast that also contains Antonio Banderas as King Rassouli, Michael Sheen as Dr. Blair Müdfly, Jim Broadbent as Lord Thomas Badgley, Tom Holland as Jip, Craig Robinson as Kevin, Ralph Fiennes as Barry, Selena Gomez as Betsy, and Marion Cotillard as Tutu.

While it was refreshing to see Robert Downey Jr. in a role outside of Iron Man it was really the animated animals who stole the movie. Chee-Chee (Rami Malek), Yoshi (John Cena), and Plimpton (Kumail Nanjiani) have some of the funniest lines in the movie and will have you rolling with laughter. Dolittle is rated PG, and is a movie all ages can see and enjoy. I give Dolittle a B+. You can find Dolittle in theaters Friday, January 17, 2020. (R. Barry)

Spies in Disguise (2019)

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What do glitter kitten gadgets, spies, and pigeons all have in common? You will find them all in the new movie Spies in Disguise. Lance Sterling (Will Smith) is a top spy who works alone. Walter Beckett (Tom Holland) is a scientist trying to make the world a better place with his gadgets. When things for Lance go awry, he seeks out Walter, and one of his gadgets, to help him disappear. But Walter’s definition of disappearing is slightly different from Lance’s, and Lance finds himself turned into a Pigeon. Finding that he can no longer do things on his own Lance must team up with Walter to save the world.


Spies in Disguise offers up an all-star cast, beautiful animation, and laughs. Tom Holland, Will Smith, and their pigeon sidekicks have the standout performances of the movie. Rated PG Spies in Disguise does contain animated action and violence, rude humor, and does contain some animated nudity (butts) that might make it a little too intense for really young kids. I give Spies in Disguise a B-. Spies in Disguise is in theaters now. (R. Barry)

TwiView: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)

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In Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker the battle between the Resistance and the First Order rages on while Rey (Daisey Ridley) and Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) continue their journey to find out who they truly are. In the conclusion of the Star Wars saga, fans will find themselves torn between the good and the bad. During parts, The Rise of Skywalker is fantastic, such as the visuals, but it has many parts that will leave you shaking your head. The Rise of Skywalker also brings back stars John Boyega (Finn), Oscar Issac (Poe), and Kelly Marie Tran (Rose), but some of the stand out characters in The Rise of Skywalker are the Droid C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) and newcomer Babu Frik. Director J.J. Abrams was given a huge task to not only finish the Star Wars saga but also try to tie up every loose end left by The Last Jedi, and I feel he did the best he could with what he had.

Star Wars The Rise of Skywalker

So, how do I rate the movie? As a Star Wars fan, I rate the movie a B. It is rated PG-13 for sci-fi violence and action. There is death, a little bit of blood, some curse words, and of course scary Sith. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is in theaters December 20th. (R.Barry)

TwiView: Knives Out (2019)

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Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) is a popular crime novelist with an entitled and eccentric family. When Harlan is found dead after his 85th birthday party the police and Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) come in to investigate. Even though the police believe Harlan’s death to be an open and shut case Detective Blanc has the feeling nothing is as it seems. Soon Detective Blanc learns almost every one of Harlan’s family members is hiding something and has a possible motive. Who killed Harlan, and why?

Hands down the best whodunnit movie of the year. With an all-star cast that includes Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Don Johnson, and Toni Collette it is Daniel Craig and Chris Evans who give the standout performances and provide some of the best quotable movie lines that will have you rolling with laughter. Even those who are not murder/mystery movie fans will be entertained by Knives Out. I give Knives Out an A. Even though Knives Out is rated PG-13 it does contain a lot of strong language and violence. Opens in U.S. theaters on Nov. 27, 2019. (R. Barry)  

A Look Inside A Movie World Premiere After-party

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On November 7, 2019, one of Geek for E’s contributors, Rachel Barry, had the opportunity to attend the World Premiere of Frozen 2 on behalf of her blog. She walked the red carpet, saw the world premiere of Frozen 2, and attended the after-party. So, what happens during a movie premiere after-party? Here’s a quick sneak peek!

Location and Photo Ops

The Frozen 2 World Premiere was held at the Dolby Theater in LA. (It’s where they hold the Oscars!) After the premiere, we took the elevator up to the after-party where it was all Frozen themed. There were photo ops galore! You had the chance to take pictures with Olaf, Anna, and Elsa. This helped to spread the after-party crowd out since they had photo ops outside the party and inside the party perimeter.

Photo Ops. (Courtesy of R. Barry, Pretty in Baby Food)
Photo Ops. (Courtesy of R. Barry, Pretty in Baby Food)

Food/Drink

The main food was done by Wolfgang Puck catering, McDonald’s chicken nuggets were available, and there was an open bar. The food consisted of many kid’s favorites such as vegetables, mac & cheese and hotdogs. Which was genius since there were a lot of children in attendance for the after-party. There aren’t many places to sit unless you are a celebrity or part of their party so you eat real quick and then you go mingle and participate in the activities.

  • Food by Wolfgang Puck Catering (Courtesy of R. Barry Pretty in Baby Food)
  • Food by Wolfgang Puck Catering (Courtesy of R. Barry Pretty in Baby Food)

Celebrities

Of course, the cast and crew of Frozen 2 were also in attendance at the after-party. Many attended the premiere and after-party with their families. I had the honor of being able to meet Josh Gad, Sterling K. Brown, and Jason Ritter. All three gentlemen are so nice!

Sterling K. Brown
I got to meet Sterling K. Brown! (Courtesy of R. Barry Pretty in Baby Food)

Activities

One of my favorite things about the Frozen 2 after-party was the activities. They had different activity stations sponsored by different companies. Build-A-Bear sponsored a Charades booth where you could win prizes. Lego had a build your own snowman booth. Colorpop sponsored a Royal Treatment booth where you could get some Frozen 2 lip gloss. And much more! It was an amazing experience and I am so honored to have had the chance to go!

When R. Barry isn’t contributing to Geek For E you can find her writing over on her own blog Pretty in Baby Food where she covers lifestyle, entertainment, and travel.

TwiView: Frozen 2 (2019)

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All is well in Arendelle since we last saw Elsa (Idina Menzel). That is until Elsa starts hearing a voice. She tries to go about but her day, but she feels the voice is calling out to her. For what? She doesn’t know, but she feels the voice is calling her to the Enchanted Forest. When Elsa decides to answer the call, she sets off on an epic adventure into the unknown with Anna (Kristen Bell), Olaf (Josh Gad), Kristoff (Jonathan Groff), and Sven to find out why she is being called and how she can help.

Frozen 2 is a stunning animated movie that will make you laugh but is much darker than the first movie. (Due to how much darker Frozen 2 is from the first some kids may find it a little scary.) The Characters of Kristoff and Olaf are standouts and are given some of the best songs and lines in the movie. Is Frozen 2 better than the first movie? Unfortunately, no. It’s hard to make sequels that are better than the original, and Frozen 2 falls short of the first in both the story and songs. Is it still a good movie? Yes, and still worth seeing on the big screen. I give Frozen 2 an A-. Frozen 2 opens in U.S. theaters on Nov. 22, 2019 (R.Barry)

TwiView: Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)

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Judgment day came for all of the Terminator movies after Terminator 2, and they have been Terminated. Terminator: Dark Fate occurs over twenty years after the end of Judgement Day, and it delivers the original Terminator feel. Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) saved humanity and stopped Judgement Day, but still ended up losing the most important thing in her life, her son John who is killed by a T-800 (Arnold Schwarzenegger). It seems though humanity never learns from its mistakes, and one A.I. (Skynet) is replaced by another A.I. (Legion). Hell-bent on wiping out the human race Legion sends its own Terminator, Rev-9 (Gabriel Luna), back in time to kill Dani Ramos (Natalia Reyes). To help Dani survive in the past the human resistance sends back an augmented human, Grace (Mackenzie Davis), to protect her.

But Grace isn’t the only help Dani has. No longer running from Terminators Sarah Connor has a new purpose in life, to hunt them. Receiving information from an unknown ally Sarah arrives just in time to help Grace and Dani escape Rev-9, and she decides to continue to help protect Dani in the hopes of preventing another apocalyptic future.

Terminator: Dark fate brings back the nostalgia of the first 2 movies thanks to the return of Linda Hamilton and James Cameron. If you are a Terminator fan you will enjoy and be entertained by Dark Fate. Linda Hamilton and Mackenzie Davis are the stand out actors and provide some of the best action and lines in the movie. I give Terminator: Dark Fate a B-. It’s entertaining, leaves you with questions, but is unfortunately predictable. The movie is rated R due to violence, language, and nudity. Out in theaters 11/1/19. (R. Barry)

TwiView: Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019)

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Maleficent: Mistress of Evil picks up 5 years after the events of the first movie, Maleficent. We find Aurora (Elle Fanning) Queen of the Moors and still madly in love with Prince Phillip of Ulstead (Harris Dickinson). When Prince Phillip finally asks Aurora for her hand in marriage it becomes time for both families to finally meet. Maleficent (Angelina Jolie) is still feared throughout the land, but Prince Phillips’s mother, Queen Ingrith (Michelle Pfeiffer), isn’t scared and has her own devious intentions.

Family relationships are tested on both sides, and we finally find out who Maleficent really is. Filled to the brim with action Maleficent: Mistress of Evil is funnier, darker, more violent, and far better than the first movie. Angelina Jolie and Michelle Pfeiffer both give great performances, and provide tons of one-liners and deadpan humor. The animation and cinematography are beautiful and worth seeing on the big screen. Maleficent: Mistress of Evil is rated PG, but really stretches the rating to the max so it might not be suitable for some ages. I give Maleficent: Mistress of Evil a B. Grab the popcorn and see it in theaters on 10/18/19. (R. Barry)