The Pliley Review

  Genre:  Horror, Comedy Rating:   R Synopsis:  A woman and her overbearing boss become stranded on a deserted island after a plane crash. They must overcome past grievances and work together to survive, but ultimately, it's a battle of wills and wits to make it out alive. *** Just by watching the trailer and seeing the amazing talent we were dealing with I was hooked. It did not disappoint.  Without spoilers I can not go into to much detail, but I will say Rachel McAdams performance was just as unnerving as it was from the trailer. You definitely root for her in the beginning with the bullying and though I love Dylan O'Brien, his character is a massive *insert bad word here*.  Both actors just devoured these roles and left you without any doubt that they were suffering in that place. I have never seen a greater performance on an island setting since Tom Hanks and Wilson, though I think his character would not have lasted long with these two.  I w...

  Genre:  Romance, Comedy Rating:   PG Synopsis:  A wedding disaster leaves a groom stranded in Rome, heartbroken in the world's happiest city. However, with help from a determined local and a few meddling couples, his ruined honeymoon becomes an adventure that he never expected. *** Kevin James always a pleasure to see and we love watching Angel Studios in our home, so when I saw the trailer I was already intrigued. I am so glad I gave it a chance.  Great date night movie. It has all the aspects you would want in a romantic movie. It is both funny, romantic and heartbreaking with quirky characters and some laugh out loud moments All I can say about the cast is just perfection. Each actor matched the character exactly how you would think they should. Of course, huge shout out to Kevin James as he holds your attention during all trials and adventures.  No spoilers but mindbending twist at the end.  Final Thoughts As a date night movie with someone ...

Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Family, Fantasy, Fantasy Epic, Adventure Epic Rating:   PG Synopsis:  A young girl discovers a secret map to the dreamworld of Slumberland, and with the help of an eccentric outlaw, she traverses dreams and flees nightmares, with the hope that she will be able to see her late father again. *** I was not overwhelmed by the trailer of this movie, but thought I would give it a try.  First impressions of the movie felt very much like Nim’s Island. Single parent on an island, raising a child and something happens to the adult causing the child to have an adventure in the process.  With the rating it did become somewhat predictable to adults, however I believe that kids up to 14 may love this show. I think that adults should try to embrace the imagination of this as I know that most will have forgotten that feeling.  The cast did a great job with their respective characters but special shout out has to go to Marlow Barkley as Nemo and...

  Genre: Action, Comedy Rating:   PG-13 Synopsis: Former CIA spies Emily and Matt are pulled back into espionage after their secret identities are exposed. *** Immediately upon watching the trailer for this movie, I could not help but compare it to the recent Mark Wahlberg movie with a similar plot called The Family Plan. However, I love both Cameron and Jamie so decided to give it a chance.  Being blunt I will say that this movie was hard not to compare to the other and was not as good in my opinion, though it is hard to go into too much detail without giving spoilers. I felt like this movie was not as natural and every potential joke was forced.  Thankfully, I will say that the fight scenes and the chemistry between Cameron and Jamie was great to watch. Sadly, I feel that the chemistry between the child actors and the adults are what drove a wedge into the story for me. That mixed with the jokes that just didn’t land right and the fact that the spies were just te...

  Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Family, Fantasy, Musical Rating:   PG Synopsis: After receiving an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors, Moana must journey to the far seas of Oceania and into dangerous, long-lost waters for an adventure unlike anything she's ever faced. *** After the huge success of the first Moana movie I had high hopes for this one.  Right off the bat this was just as visually stunning and the water effects are just breathtaking. The biggest highlights for me were the introduction of the little sister and the same amazing dynamic between Moana and Maui, Auliʻi Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson. The vibe between them is just amazing to watch and each character feels genuine in their struggles.  I was slightly confused with the fact that the village is shown as still living on the same island as the last movie even though they made a big show of leaving at the end. I believed this indicated that the entire village were wayfinders but this ...

  Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Crime, Thriller Rating:   R Synopsis: When a mysterious enemy frames their late captain for corruption, Miami cops Mike and Marcus go rogue to expose a conspiracy - and clear their own names.  *** Being the huge Bad Boys fan I am, I was excited to hear about this one.  Right out the gate, we’re back with the boys driving fast with their usual banter and I was living for it. They were not playing around and within the first few minutes, I was freaking out. The plot played out beautifully and with the right amount of tension, though knowing some of the actors it was not a stretch to predict some upcoming events.  Will Smith as Mike and Martin Lawrence as Marcus are a classic combination that just works in this type of setting. I secretly hope they continue these movies for years to come.  The most recent cast members Vanessa Hudgens, Alexander Ludwig, Jacob Scipio, and Paola Nunez who joined during the last movie, all retu...

  Genre:  Comedy, Adventure  Rating:   PG Synopsis: Po must train a new warrior when he's chosen to become the spiritual leader of the Valley of Peace. However, when a powerful shape-shifting sorceress sets her eyes on his Staff of Wisdom, he suddenly realizes he will need some help. Teaming up with a quick-witted corsac fox, Po soon discovers that heroes can be found in the most unexpected places. *** Since I consider Po, my spirit animal I had high hopes for the continued story and was intrigued to see where it would go.  Though the story starts with promise it is sad to think that Po would lose his title, essentially ending the series. The cast still gave a great performance, and of course, Jack Black as Po is iconic. The new addition of Awkwafina as Zhen added some much-needed banter, heart, and comic relief since the Furious Five were absent this time around.  The animation was great and they chose a good villain, however, the final battle was really ...

  Genre:  Family, Comedy Rating:   PG Synopsis: The Herdmans are six siblings, who have a reputation for being the worst kids in the world. However, when they take over the local church pageant during the holidays, they just might teach a shocked community the true meaning of Christmas. *** From the trailer, I had high hopes for a fun, festive, and heartwarming story.  The adult cast for this movie was wonderful. Yet full props have to be given to all the kids, especially Beatrice Schneider as Imogene who really nailed this role and embraced the complexities of the character.   In all honesty, the first 45 minutes of the movie I was seriously conflicted. Being a mom it's hard to watch kids bully other kids, but I had hope that it would get better. Though eventually it did, it almost felt a little too late since it was the halfway point of the movie at that point.  The storyline was straightforward so very predictable when all was said and done. However...

                                                         Genre:   Romantic, Comedy Rating:   TV-14  Synopsis: Ten years after a botched proposal, two star-crossed exes must spend Christmas together after discovering their partners are siblings . *** The first movie I’ve seen with Lindsy Lohan since her return and I had high hopes.  The narration at the beginning providing some backstory was a little weird and felt out of place, especially given the person chosen so honestly I was nervous.  But wow, the said ‘botched’ proposal brought me into the story with a bang of both hilarity and heartbreak.  The cast did a great job and brought their characters to life. Each one felt very real and you started rooting for them as individuals even before the romance portion played a factor. Lindsey ...