Another of those warm, fuzzy “Hoosier” / “Friday Night Lights” based-on-a-true-story clones that’s totally predictable and totally engaging.  You know exactly what’s going to happen from the moment Coach White gets fired in the opening scene to the where-are-they-now? sequence at the closing credits. It never occurred to me to use the FF button. These films are feel-good tonics, and I’ll be there when the next one is released.

FF=0

Saw this in 3D. A stunning action film. They didn’t overdo the 3D but I did duck a few times. The scenery is stunning too – after all, the environment plays a crucial role in the Mad Max films. The stunts are over the top. Frankly, I can’t find the words to convey the visual impact of this film. You must see to believe. Since I saw it in a theater, I didn’t have an FF option, but I assure you it would have been a big fat ZERO.

Boy, did I hate this movie. I thought it would be something along the lines of “Mystery Men” (which I enjoyed quite a bit) but I could NOT get into this.

FF=5

An easygoing bio-fic from 1996 about a female singer-songwriter in the 60s. The character is an amalgam of Carole King, Cynthia Weil, and Ellie Greenwich. John Turturro does a hilarious turn as a bewigged Phil Spector type.  Bridget Fonda plays a not-yet-out-of-the-closet Lesley Gore character.  The songs are surprisingly good (I’m thinking of picking up the soundtrack) as you watch music change from the girl-group sound to psychedelia, but it’s not a film that requires much focus. Good to have on while you’re puttering around the room doing other stuff.

FF=2

What a delightful movie. On the negative side, it’s formulaic, doesn’t break any new ground, and the plot twist is obvious. But I don’t go to animated features for any of that. I go for the visuals. And this is beautifully rendered with charming, engaging characters, especially Baymax, the marshmallowy robot who’s the moral center of the tale.  I couldn’t help being reminded of the much darker The Iron Giant. I checked the credits for Brad Bird’s name but didn’t see it.

FF=0

The life of a misanthropic curmudgeon with a heart of gold is turned around by his relationship with a little boy.  Yeah, I know.  How many times has that been done?  This is pure Hollywood feel-good formula, but you know what? It works. Mostly because of the talent on the screen. Great cast, especially Jaeden Lieberher as the boy. Even the bit parts (I’m thinking Chris O’Dowd) are perfectly cast. I can think of worse ways to spend 100 minutes.

FF=1

(spoilers ahead) A 13-episode Netflix original series. On the plus side it’s got good acting and the Keys as a setting. On the down side, the story seems mighty thin for 13 hours. The endlessly repeated flashbacks and flashforwards, adding a wee bit more each time – we’ve all seen that before. (I can almost hear the showrunner saying, “How can we stretch this scene?”) Ben Mendelsohn does an excellent job as Danny, the prodigal lowlife creep, but in the end I was left very disappointed. I like noir fiction — might even say I’m a fan — but noir works best in compact, concentrated doses. When you’re given a 13-hour canvas, you’ve got to do more with it than leave us with characters who do not evolve one iota over all those hours. True, in real life most people don’t evolve during adulthood, but this is fiction, which has the potential to be better than real life. With all the crap that goes down in this 13-hour film, nobody learns a damn thing. And the worst part, we’ve known the ending all along due to the flashforwards. Redemption was too much to hope for, I know, but this left me feeling in need of a shower.

FF=3

Saw this in a real theater in Asbury Park so I couldn’t have fast-forwarded if I’d wanted to. (I didn’t.)  A must-see documentary if you like 60s music. If you’re a boomer, it’s about the guys (and one gal — bassist Carol Kaye is a hoot) who played on the soundtrack of your life. Hell, if you simply like popular music, you need to see this. This was how it used to be, how the music was made, and the 20 or so musicians who made it.

FF=0

Available On Demand contemporaneous with its theatrical release.  A middling Jason Statham action film — nowhere near as frenetic as “Crank” or his “Transporter” films. Turns out it’s a remake of the 1986 Burt Reynolds vehicle, “Heat.” Some non-touristy locations in Las Vegas and a couple of very busy fight scenes — I watched the last one twice — but I was hoping for more from the William Goldman script — a nifty plot twist, some neato dialogue — but this could have been written by anyone of a hundred scripters.

FF=2