Fighting with My Family (2019)

When I first heard of Fighting with My Family earlier this year I thought, "great, another dumb movie with The Rock" and I avoided it. Then about a week ago I read a blogger saying it was fun and entertaining, even if wrestling is not your cup of tea, and I decided to give it a shot.

The film tells the true story of professional wrestler Paige/Saraya Knight (Florence Pugh). Born in a family of wrestlers, she joined the family business at 13, even though she didn't love it as much as her family, especially her brother, Zak (Jack Lowden). Five years later, both her bother and she find themselves competing for the same WWE and Saraya is the only one picked among all the participants. While she is pushed to new limits by coach Hutch (Vince Vaughn), Zak must move past his dreams of making the WWE.

The fact that it's based on a true story doesn't prevent Fighting with My Family from being a predictable "underdog overcoming the odds" tale that deals with themes of family, friendship and dedication. In other words, nothing we haven't seen before. Because of its predictability, I found the story to be unevenly engaging and occasionally boring. It does, however, do a good job at showing the hard work that goes into becoming a professional wrestler and it certainly made me appreciate this sport a bit more. 

The same can be said about the characters as they too aren't anything we haven't seen before. Still, director and writer Stephen Merchant did a pretty good job at writing human and relatable characters and developing them — although some of the relationships between the characters develop too rapidly and feel rushed because of this, like something was missing. 

Lionsgate UK, Mirror Releasing, Universal Pictures

The cast does a very good job. Florence Pugh gives an intense and believable performance as Paige, and conveys Paige's inner struggles very well. It's Jack Lowden, however, who steals the show — he has certainly the most to do as Zak must deal with disappointment, anger and envy, and he conveys all that effortlessly. As for the rest of the cast, Lena Headey and Nick Frost do a good job as the negligent but protective parents, and Vince Vaughn is not terrible in the more serious but predictable role of the tough coach. 

Fighting with My Family is also quite humorous with its mixture of British humour, slapstick and dad jokes. With all that being said, the film didn't fully work for me as I never really felt the drama, the story wasn't always engaging and entertaining, and the comedy fell flat at times. Also, The Rock, who plays himself, is barely in the film. I'm not sure that's a negative thing, though. 

 

SAN ANDREAS Rocks A New Trailer !

Check the latest trailer for Dwayne Johnson's SAN ANDREAS! I'm liking what I'm seeing from an effects point of view and hopefully the story matches that standard. I want as much REALISM as is possible in a disaster movie. You know - fault lines are authentic, fissures form where they are most likely to form, intensity of the quake is portrayed correctly, etc. 

Here's the movie's storyline:
After the infamous San Andreas Fault finally gives, triggering a magnitude 9 earthquake in California, a search and rescue helicopter pilot (Dwayne Johnson) and his estranged wife make their way together from Los Angeles to San Francisco to save their only daughter. But their treacherous journey north is only the beginning. And when they think the worst may be over…it’s just getting started.

The action thriller “San Andreas,” from New Line Cinema and Village Roadshow Pictures, reunites Dwayne Johnson with director Brad Peyton and producer Beau Flynn, following their collaboration on the global hit “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island.”

The film also stars Carla Gugino (“Night at the Museum,” TV’s “Entourage”), Alexandra Daddario (“Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters,” TV’s “True Detective”), Ioan Gruffudd (“Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer”), Archie Panjabi (TV’s “The Good Wife”), Hugo Johnstone-Burt (Australian TV’s “Home and Away”), Art Parkinson (TV’s “Game of Thrones”) and Oscar nominee Paul Giamatti (“Cinderella Man”).

“San Andreas” is produced by Beau Flynn (“Hercules,” “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island”). Richard Brener, Samuel J. Brown, Michael Disco, Rob Cowan, Tripp Vinson and Bruce Berman serve as executive producers. The screenplay is by Carlton Cuse, story by Andre Fabrizio and Jeremy Passmore.

SAN ANDREAS rocks theaters on May 29. 

Official Teaser Trailer For Dwayne Johnson's SAN ANDREAS!

I've been waiting for this! I do get a flashback to Emmerich's 2012 with a few scenes in this. I was hoping for a more accurate depiction of what a large scale fault event would look like, but judging from having a huge crevice open up just in front of the movie's protagonist and ripping a gas station EXACTLY in half, it seems this may be more of a popcorn movie. Still, that's fine by me as long as expectations are communicated well.

Dwayne Johnson can carry just about any movie so I'm not worried about being entertained, but I still have high hopes for some realistic action - I don't want to have to work too hard at suspension of disbelief.

SAN ANDREAS is a 3D conversion headlined by Graham Clark of Stereo D - these are the guys that do the lion-share of the Marvel universe conversions, so they are getting pretty darn good at it.

Here's the movie's storyline and description:
After the infamous San Andreas Fault finally gives, triggering a magnitude 9 earthquake in California, a search and rescue helicopter pilot (Dwayne Johnson) and his estranged wife make their way together from Los Angeles to San Francisco to save their only daughter.

But their treacherous journey north is only the beginning. And when they think the worst may be over…it’s just getting started.

The action thriller “San Andreas,” from New Line Cinema and Village Roadshow Pictures, reunites Dwayne Johnson with director Brad Peyton and producer Beau Flynn, following their collaboration on the global hit “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island.”

The film also stars Carla Gugino (“Night at the Museum,” TV’s “Entourage”), Alexandra Daddario (“Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters,” TV’s “True Detective”), Ioan Gruffudd (“Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer”), Archie Panjabi (TV’s “The Good Wife”), Hugo Johnstone-Burt (Australian TV’s “Home and Away”), Art Parkinson (TV’s “Game of Thrones”) and Oscar nominee Paul Giamatti (“Cinderella Man”).

“San Andreas” is produced by Beau Flynn (“Hercules,” “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island”). Tripp Vinson (“Red Dawn”) also serves as producer. Richard Brener, Samuel J. Brown, Michael Disco, Rob Cowan, and Bruce Berman are the executive producers, and Hiram Garcia is co-producer. The screenplay is by Carlton Cuse, story by Andre Fabrizio & Jeremy Passmore.


The creative filmmaking team includes director of photography Steve Yedlin (“Looper”), production designer Barry Chusid (“The Day After Tomorrow”), editor Bob Ducsay (upcoming “Godzilla”), VFX producer Randall Starr (upcoming “Into the Storm”), VFX supervisor Colin Strause (“The Avengers”), and costume designer Wendy Chuck (“Twilight”).

Shot on location in The Gold Coast and Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, and in Los Angeles and San Francisco, “San Andreas” is slated to open in theatres in both 3D and 2D format on Friday, May 29, 2015.

New Line Cinema presents, in association with Village Roadshow Pictures, a FlynnPictureCo. Production, “San Andreas.” It will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, and in select territories by Village Roadshow Pictures.

SAN ANDREAS opens on May 29, 2015.

Dwayne Johnson's SAN ANDREAS Release Moves Up One Week

New Line's disaster movie SAN ANDREAS has a new release date one week earlier. The Dwayne Johnson project is now slated for a late May 2015 opening.

The movie was originally slated for June 5th.

In SAN ANDREAS' new berth it will attempt the subduction of some serious competition, namely a Cameron Crowe comedy, “INSIDIOUS: CHAPTER 3”, MONSTER TRUCKS and the second frame of TOMORROWLAND which will still be red hot.

Joining Johnson in the cast will be Alexandra Daddario (TEXAS CHAINSAW 3D), Carla Gugino (ALMOST HEROES 3D), Ioan Gruffudd, Will Yun Lee and Kylie Minogue.

Here's the movie's storyline:
In the aftermath of a massive earthquake in California, a rescue-chopper pilot (Johnson) makes a dangerous journey across the state in order to rescue his estranged daughter.


I'll have more details on the exact date soon.

New Extended Clip For G.I. Joe: RETALIATION *AND* See 4 Minute Preview Of The Movie This Weekend!

Got some great news if you're a G.I. Joe fan like I am - a new trailer and the opportunity to see a 4 minute preview of the movie this weekend!

Jon Chu's G.I. JOE: RETALIATION gets a 4 minute pre-roll in front of HANSEL AND GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS and I plan on checking it out tonight in IMAX!

Here's the official press release:
EXCLUSIVE 3D FOOTAGE OF “G.I. JOE: RETALIATION” TO PLAY IN ADVANCE OF “HANSEL AND GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS” IN THEATERS ACROSS THE GLOBE

THE 4-MINUTE PREVIEW WILL BEGIN PLAYING JANUARY 24TH IN IMAX 3D, REALD 3D AND DIGITAL 3D LOCATIONS AROUND THE WORLD

HOLLYWOOD, CA (January 23, 2013) – Paramount Pictures, MGM and Skydance Productions, in association with Hasbro, will release a 4-minute preview of the highly anticipated “G.I. JOE: RETALIATION” in IMAX 3D, RealD 3D and digital 3D theaters in advance of Paramount and MGM’s “HANSEL AND GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS.”

This first-look at the film will play across the globe beginning January 24th and run throughout “HANSEL AND GRETEL: WITCH HUNTER’S” theatrical engagement.

Based on the best-selling HASBRO characters, this follow-up to the 2009 release of “G.I. JOE: THE RISE OF COBRA,” which grossed more than $300 million worldwide, is di Bonaventura production and is presented by Paramount Pictures, MGM and Skydance Productions, in association with Hasbro.

In this sequel, the G.I. Joes are not only fighting their mortal enemy Cobra, they are forced to contend with threats from within the government that jeopardize their very existence. The film stars D.J. Cotrona, Byung-hun Lee, Adrianne Palicki, Ray Park, Jonathan Pryce, Ray Stevenson, Elodie Yung, Channing Tatum with Bruce Willis and Dwayne Johnson. Directed by Jon M. Chu, and produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Brian Goldner of Hasbro, from a screenplay by Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick, based on Hasbro’s G.I. Joe® characters.

“G.I. JOE: RETALIATION” is in theaters everywhere March 29th, 2013.

“HANSEL AND GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS” stars Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton as Hansel and Gretel, who, after getting a taste for blood as children, become the ultimate vigilantes, hell bent on retribution. Now, unbeknownst to them, Hansel and Gretel have become the hunted, and must face an evil far greater than witches… their past. In addition to Renner and Arterton, the film stars Famke Janssen and Peter Stormare. Written and directed by Tommy Wirkola and produced by Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, Kevin Messick and Beau Flynn.

“HANSEL AND GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS” opens in the U.S. and Canada on January 24, 2013 with show times beginning at 10 p.m.

Here's the latest trailer for the movie - check it out!