Getting My Movie Fix

It seems like ages since I wrote about going to a movie. But the cinematic dry spell is finally over!

Last Sunday, we treated Ceasar's nieces and nephews and some family friends with their kids to Toy Story 3 at the El Capitan in Hollywood. The El Capitan always turns out to be a fun place to watch movies: a stage show featuring an original Wurlitzer organ, the movie itself, then usually a movie-themed fun zone for the kids to enjoy afterward. Thank goodness for the fun zone, complete with a ferris wheel, Legos and other toys, character photo opportunities and quite a bit more. This time around, the toy Story movie seemed a bit darker than the first two; the characters dealt with prison-like circumstances and even confronted their own demise -- though in a kid-friendly way. Yet, by the end of the film, I was in tears. (As were Caesar and all the adults in our group.) The folks at Pixar know how to tell a good story, and this is probably one of their best. The 3D did nothing to enhance or to move the story, though.

The other film -- also from the folks at Disney -- we saw a few hours ago, The Sorcerer's Apprentice. After a mishap with the between movie tidbits, trivia questions and ads playing over the opening scene of the movie, we did eventually sit back and enjoy the film. It's by no means the most fantastic movie ever made, but it was full of great special effects, decent acting (LOVE Alfred Molina as the villain), and yes, the occasional joke that didn't quite live up to its potential. The Sorcerer's Apprentice earned a shout-out from me as a fun, matinée movie, something to enjoy without thinking too much. If you do see it, stick around after the credits; there's a brief tag ending....

Toy Story 3 image from Yahoo! Movies; Sorcerer's Apprentice image from The Sorcerer's Apprentice.