This weekend there were two new movies on offer at the local cinema: Fighting with My Family and How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World.
I had high hopes for both, and I was not disappointed.
Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers.
First on my agenda: Fighting with My Family.
A family in a small English town dreams of wrestling glory.
Fighting with My Family is based on the true story of Paige, a young woman from a wrestling family in Norwich, England, who dreams of making it to wrestling's biggest stage, the WWE. Fighting with My Family turns a rather charmless subject into a sweet film about family and dedication. Stephen Merchant directs his first feature with the hand of an old pro, and the movie never drags despite being somewhat predictable. Young star Florence Pugh is terrific in the lead, but it's Nick Frost and Lena Headey who really steal the show, playing parents that are as desperate and sometimes clueless as they are supportive. Authentic-looking training and match sequences provide a good foundation, and Merchant's hilarious and endearing script offers plenty of laughs and sweet moments too. Despite the presence of mega-superstar Dwayne Johnson, the movie manages to feel intimate and very much attached to its English roots, a genuinely joyful cinema experience.
Fighting with My Family runs 108 minutes and is rated PG13 for "crude and sexual material, language throughout, some violence and drug content.
Fighting with My Family is a charmer that may end up one of the year's best films. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Fighting with My Family gets eight.
Fangirl points: Iron Maiden sure sounds fine in surround sound!
Next on the docket: How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World.
The final adventure of Toothless and Hiccup.
Yeah, I cried just writing it.
The first installment in the How to Train Your Dragon series is one of four movies that I consider my favorite of all time. It is perfection, and part of me always felt it should have been left at that, rather than risk being tarnished by further features. The middle film in the franchise didn't set well with me at all--one of my biggest cinema disappointments--so it's fair to say I was pretty nervous about The Hidden World. I am pleased to report my concerns were unfounded.
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World brings this epic story to a fitting end, giving each character enough screen time that fans won't feel shorted on any front. Hell, even David Tennant's Spitelout has a couple lines this time! (I think he had one word in the first one and nothing in the second.) While I still contend the tale told in the first film was perfection that didn't require addenda, The Hidden World manages to flesh out the story and bring it to a natural close. Voice talent is on point, and the addition of F. Murray Abraham as the Big Bad could only ever be a plus. There's action to spare, but also plenty of quiet moments. Visuals are absolutely stunning, and John Powell again provides a magnificent, soaring score. You'll want to see this one again and again...I know I do!
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World clocks in at 104 minutes and is rated PG for "adventure action and some mild rude humor."
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World is a perfect ending to a near-perfect franchise.
Of a possible nine Weasleys, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World gets nine.
Until next time...
