Tim Braida

Virginia Madsen has always been a good actor. Here she is so good as the mean and nasty mother that she is scary good. She gives the movie a purpose and a reason to watch. Raven Godwin has a touching performance as well. But that’s about it for this movie which is slow and meandering. Nicola Peltz dominates the screen time and is an attractive presence, but her character is neither worthy of pity nor sorrow and you are left wanting to see more of the other characters. And then it just ends and she lives happily ever after. Doubtful.

Awful. Boring. Pointless. Not one redeeming scene, line, or actor in this movie. Even Ackroyd & Murray should be ashamed. Skip it and do not think of it again.

This movie is not the “hagiography” the critics say it is. In fact, after looking up their suddenly shared use of the word which has a negative connotation, I doubt they even watched the movie. This is really a love story between a very determined and idealistic man from Hollywood via rural America and his steadfast and equally determined wife, and the struggles they endured and overcame. Several times during this film I was in tears. Dennis Quaid somehow captured the essence of Reagan, a paradox of simplicity is his love for his wife, country, and God, and complexity in his dealing with the political issues of the Cold War. It is not a documentary. It does not delve deeply into issues. It is simply an outstanding movie that I recommend for people of all ages and political persuasion. And then tell me you did not shed a tear.

This movie was fantastic in the theater and remains an intense thrill ride when streamed. Just enjoy it and try not to find meaning in it. It’s just great entertainment!

You arguably cannot find two more physically beautiful people in Hollywood history than Robert Redford and Jane Fonda, the latter being incredibly enchanting, sexy, charming, and funny in this film. She knows just the right amount of sex appeal to provide the audience and then a moment later makes us laugh. Redford is stiff here, though, and just doesn’t add much beyond his good looks. Fonda is what makes this movie compelling. Also, the supporting players are fantastic, each adding their own spice to every scene they are in. It’s a fun movie and I recommend it!

This movie is better now than it was when it came out in 1986. Hanks was still mastering his dramatic chops at the time and was not as revered as he is today. Gleason was revered then and received most of the publicity, but his performance was stiff and his chemistry with Hanks missed the mark. It’s a good story with big name actors and I recommend it, though I give it a middling 5 out of 10.

This is Eddie Murphy’s best sequel and he’s had several besides just BHC. The key here is this movie can stand on its own while offering just the right amount of nostalgia. I had watched the original and two sequels the prior week, and BHC-4 is the second best after the original which still holds up 40 years later. Taggert & Rosewood characters are really effective here, the music is outstanding, abd Murphy is wise enough to know his immature tricks of 40 years ago aren’t suited for a 63 year-old man and won’t fool anybody in the YouTube age anyway. Regardless, he’s still very funny and surprisingly spry. The only drawback was some tired action scenes we’ve seen many time before. Still, I highly recommend this for all ages with a big thumbs up for the 45+ crowd.

Remember the look on Laura Dern’s face in Jurassic Park the first time she saw a live dinosaur? That’s the look I had when I saw Nicole Kidman and Kathy Bates. I could not get past it and enjoy this movie. Two exceptional actors with decades of goodwill, but….not good. Joey King as the daughter was outstanding and Efron was affable as always. I was thankful when it ended.

I have seen after school specials with better messaging than this mess. What a complete waste of time.

I attended a special preview of this movie a few days before its release. I did not know what to expect and came into it with an open mind. Two hours later, I was very happy I saw this movie. Anyone who has struggled, which is pretty much all of us, will find this movie really hits home. I had tears despite trying to be manly and hold them back, and I had somewhat of a cathartic experience. The movie is well-acted and directed, excellent set design to mirror the early 1990s, and while a bit preachy at times it does not go overboard. I highly recommend this movie!