Mom's Minute

Introduction to the Chris Evans Push Movie Review

Did you know that Chris Evans of Captain America and The Avengers fame starred in a 2009 movie called Push? This was news to me.

I watched the Chris Evans Push movie out of curiosity, without knowing what to expect or even what type of movie it was. Did I enjoy watching the Chris Evans Push movie? More importantly, would I recommend that you watch it? Check out my movie review of the Chris Evans Push film to find out.

By the way, I watched the 2009 Chris Evans Push movie on DVD, but it is also streaming.  

Plot of the Chris Evans Push Movie

The synopsis of the Chris Evans Push movie centers around the quest to locate a powerful syringe from someone who was not only injected with serum from the syringe, but also who managed to secure one of the syringes from the laboratory and escape. 

This plot may sound simple, but there is more to it.  Intertwined in this “cat and mouse chase” type movie involving Chris Evans’ character, is some drama as well.  Additionally, superpowers are involved that are not only used by the “good guys” including Chris Evans’ character, but also by the villains. The subplot is the predestined fate of the character played by Dakota Fanning which was predicted by one of the villains.

Super Powers Used in the Chris Evans Push Movie

While watching this 2009 Chris Evans Push movie, I was reminded of the numerous superhero movies that are shown or streaming today, especially those dealing with extraordinary super powers. I was also reminded of the superhero Captain Marvel movie where her powers were used mostly by simply extending her arm to move objects or humans without touching them.

And yes -- Chris Evan’s character also had superpowers, with the ability to move objects, mainly just by thinking about them.

Not to be outdone, the villains in this movie who were also trying to get the syringe back had powers as well, including being able to see future events and moving objects and humans around -- sometimes violently.

Outstanding Actor in the Chris Evans Push Movie

You probably think that Chris Evans would be the outstanding actor in his movie; however, you may be surprised to find out this is not the case. In my opinion, the stand out performance was by the young actor,

Dakota Fanning, who played the part of a girl, I believe, in search her mother.

In the year 2009, Dakota Fanning was 14 years old as she played the role of a 12 year old, going on 13 in the Chris Evans Push movie. She stood out to me not only because of her acting skills, but during moments when she was not speaking, she was able to convey feelings and emotions that tied right into a particular scene or scenario.

Inconsistencies in the Chris Evans Push Movie

During the  Chris Evans Push movie -- Chris Evans’ character devises a plan along with his cohorts to stop one of the villains from being able to read their minds. Interesting enough, it involved not thinking and simply writing actions on a piece of paper. The inconsistency here is that if the villain was a mind-reader, surely she could have envisioned that this would be his plan before he even executed it.

Another inconsistency is when Dakota Fanning’s character supposedly got inebriated and just plopped down on the sofa and slept. I think this complete scene should have been omitted, especially since it has the potential to send the wrong message to young viewers of the movie.

Yet another inconsistency in the Chris Evans' Push movie is the fist fight between Chris Evans' character and the villain -- who was able to move objects without touching them. It seems logical to me that the villain would use this superpower action to defeat Chris Evans' character instead of engaging in a tedious hand to hand fist fight.  

Twists and Turns in the Chris Evans Push Movie

If you watch the Chris Evans Push movie, you can expect to see plenty of twists and turns, as well as changes in character’s motives and actions -- which I will not divulge here.  

Name of the Chris Evans Push Movie

 I did not see any reason for this movie to be titled “Push.”  Towards the end of the movie, Chris Evans’ character does say the word “Push”, stating and I paraphrase here -- ”This is a push.” which seemed to be a warning of some sort.  Your guess is as good as mine as to why the movie is titled Push.  

Assessment of the Chris Evans Push Movie

As stated previously, the Chris Evans Push movie was released in 2009.  However, I think this movie could very well be a current, 2021 movie.  This seems plausible possibly because of Chris Evans character's shoes -- he wore Converse All Stars black and white sneakers ( lol ). Or maybe the Chris Evans Push movie could be viewed as a recent movie because of its superhero movie type leanings -- where many of these films do not have a specific timeline.

Even with the inconsistencies noted above, I think the positives outweighed the negatuves. To go a step further, I enjoyed watching the Chris Evans Push movie. In fact, I recommend you watch this film also, especially if you are a fan of superhero movies as I am.

Rating of the Chris Evans Push Movie

Based on a rating of 1 star to 5 stars with 5 stars being the highest, I rate the Chris Evans Push movie 4 stars. 

Introduction to the Ben Affleck Paycheck Movie Review

Paycheck is a 2003 movie starring Ben Affleck and Uma Thurman.This science-fiction action movie has not only mystery but suspense as well.  Are these two film ingredients enough to make it worth your time to watch the Ben Affleck movie, Paycheck? Also, are there positives and negatives about the Ben Affleck Paycheck film that you should know about? Check out my movie review of the Ben Affleck Paycheck film to find out.

By the way, I watched the Ben Affleck Paycheck movie for free on Pluto TV with commercials; however, the movie may be showing on other streaming sites or on DVD.

Plot of the Ben Affleck Paycheck Movie

From the title of the film, you may think the plot of the movie centers around someone getting a paycheck. That is partially true except that earning this particular paycheck will take longer than usual to receive it. And guess what?  Before you can earn this sizable paycheck, your memory will be erased and given back to you once you complete the job.

This may sound like a simple plot, but there is much more to the Ben Affleck Paycheck movie. In addition to the many foot and car chases, fights, etc., there is a storyline that meanders throughout this movie dealing with what is to be -- or the future.

Puzzle-Solving in the Ben Affleck Paycheck Movie

In the Ben Affleck Paycheck movie, instead of twists and turns, there seems to be a huge puzzle to solve dealing with some items that he brought back with him from the future. As you watch the movie, I think you may be interested to know how he unraveled the puzzle.

Positives of the Ben Affleck Paycheck Movie

I think the Ben Affleck Paycheck movie is relatable to some who may think of accepting a job that involves working on a project for only three years in order to receive a gigantic paycheck. However, beware. There may be repercussions.

As I alluded to previously, there is almost non-stop action in the Ben Affleck Paycheck movie, which I’m sure will keep your interest. Not only were there lots of action but I enjoyed watching Uma Thurman’s character take part in some of the altercations instead of standing idle on the sidelines.

Negatives of the Ben Affleck Paycheck Movie

If you watch the Ben Affleck Paycheck movie, you may wonder who is the true villain here. On one hand, Ben Affleck seems to be the villain because as one of the characters in the movie stated and I paraphrase -- “Who knows what he (Ben Affleck’s character) will do with all the knowledge he has about a time machine that can predict the future.” In this instance, Ben Affleck may be viewed as the villain if he uses his knowledge for negative-type ventures.

On the other hand, you have a “shady” group of characters who seem to want this time machine for their own selfish purposes. Therefore -- collectively, they could very well be the villains.

However, since Ben Affleck is starring in the Paycheck movie, I think he will be considered the “good guy.” I’ll leave this up to you to decide.

Assessment of the Ben Affleck Paycheck Movie

For me, the draws of the Ben Affleck Paycheck movie were the storyline, action, as well as the actors who were starring in the film -- Ben Affleck and Uma Thurman. In my opinion, due to these reasons, the movie did not disappoint. 

The being said, there are some logic questions that you may ask regarding the time machine and Ben Affleck character's memory.  For example, the movie storyline suggests that the future can be changed based on the outcome that is shown. 

Additionally, initially, Ben Affleck’s character did not remember Uma Thurman’s character as his romantic interest -- which for some reason changed towards the end of the movie. No explanation was shown as to how he came to remember her during the conclusion of the movie.

Spoiler alert:  Also Ben Affleck’s character did not act excited to be the recipient of what he received at the end of the movie. in fact, it seemed as if the last segment of the movie was thrown in to try to pull together any loose ends, or maybe the writer and director were not sure how to end the movie.

Also, the question that begs to be answered is why couldn’t Ben Affleck’s character just write instructions along with the items he left in the envelope -- so he could easily figure out their purpose in the future? If he was afraid of someone finding the note, he could have created some type of written code.

There may be more inconsististences, but I will stop here.

With all the above being said, I think you still may enjoy watching the 2003 Ben Affleck Paycheck movie.

As for me, I think the Ben Affleck movie Paycheck is worth watching -- even with the  inconsistencies as well as the seemingly never-ending commercials that kept interrupting the movie.

Rating of the Ben Affleck Paycheck Movie

Based on a rating of 1 star to 5 stars with 5 stars being the highest, I rate the Ben Affleck Paycheck movie 3 ½ stars.

Introduction to the Best of Enemies Netflix Movie Review

I was on the fence about watching this movie, but decided to check it out. Since the movie is relatively long, I was going to keep busy doing something else while watching the movie.  Did I continue to be preoccupied doing something else while watching this movie, or did I change my mind and gaveThe Best of Enemies movie my full attention? Check out my movie review of The Best of Enemies film to find out.

Plot of The Best of Enemies Netflix Movie

The 2019 Best of Enemies movie is set in the 1970s and involves racial conflicts and more importantly how they were dealt with. The movie, The Best of Enemies, is based on a true story.  It stars Taraji  P.  Henson as Ann Atwater and Sam Rockwell as C.P. Ellis. Even though there were a few racial dramatic type conflicts thrown in this film, the gist of the movie is the relationship between the two main characters -- Ann Atwater and C.P. Ellis. 

Language in the Best of Enemies Netflix Movie

Personally, even though this is a period film, I took offense to the use of the “N” word, even though it was actually used.  Whenever an actor used other words for African Americans, such as Black instead of this word -- it was a welcome change. That being said, there was little profanity in the movie -- but to me, the use of the “N” word was just as offensive -- even though I knew I was only watching a movie with actors.

Taraji P. Henson Character’s Personality in The Best of Enemies Netflix Movie

Awhile back, I watched Taraji P. Henson in the movie Hidden Figures and was impressed by her acting capabilities. She brought the same calibre of acting to the Netflix movie The Best of Enemies. You may equate her with the Cookie character in the Empire TV series, but I believe that Taraji P. Henson has a wide range of acting abilities that goes beyond playing angry or confrontational characters.

Humor and Ab-libbing in The Best of Enemies Netflix Movie

You would not expect to find laughing moments in this movie which is about a serious topic, but I found a few.  For instance, both of the main actors' characters were probably made up to try to resemble the characters they portrayed. To me it was comical how they depicted both characters in the movie -- which is probably different from the way they were in real life.  Another humorous moment was the cafeteria scene. You will know what I'm talking about if you watch the movie -- The Best of Enemies.

Regarding ab-libs -- For the most part, I’m sure the characters stuck to the script in playing their roles. But there was sort of a light-hearted moment when Taraji P. Henson's character made a comment about the taste of the corn bread as she left the table in the lunch room. You may find this comment comical as well.

Assessment of The Best of Enemies Netflix Movie

There were probably changes made in the depiction of some of the actions that took place in the movie for dramatic purposes. However, I think the writers did a good job scripting the events in the Netflix movie, The Best of Enemies. 

The movie is long, lasting about  2 hours and 13 minutes; however, I decided after watching the movie for a few minutes while preoccupied -- that I would focus my attention on the events in this movie.

You may of course have your own opinion about  whether The Best of Enemies Netflix movie is good or bad.  As for me, except for some of the language, I think this movie is an OK movie to watch, especially because some of the positive events depicted actually happened.

Rating of The Best of Enemies Netflix Movie

Based on a rating of 1 star to 5 stars with 5 stars being the highest, I rate The Best of Enemies Netflix Movie 3 ½ stars.

Introduction to the YouTube The Wrong Babysitter Movie Review

If you have about an hour and 30 minutes to spare, you may want to check out this free YouTube movie, The Wrong Babysitter. However, on the other hand, if you are not a fan of Lifetime type movies, then you may want to pass. I, for one, am interested in all types of movies, so I decided to watch this movie. Did I enjoy watching it? Check out my movie review of the YouTube film, The Wrong Babysitter to find out.

Plot of the YouTube The Wrong Babysitter Movie

Simply put, this movie is about young girls being kidnapped.  Additionally, a subplot is an unsolved mystery of the wife’s husband after more than two years after his demise. 

The story starts with the kidnapping of a young girl who is not the main character in the movie. The main character seems to be a 15 year old girl by the name of Christy Brown played by the actor Ava Hughes. Daphne Zuniga plays the role of her mother, Susan C. Brown.

Twists and Turns in the YouTube The Wrong Babysitter Movie

Since I’ve watched quite a few kidnapping type Lifetime movies, I did not see any twists or turns in the film. From the start, you, just as I did, will probably be able to identify who is behind the kidnappings. In fact, you may wonder why the mother did not become suspicious of this particular person who always seemed to be prying into her personal business.

Humor and Alarming Moments In the YouTube The Wrong Babysitter Movie

The director probably meant for this 2017 movie to be a serious one -- but throughout it, I found something that was comical. You may smile a bit when you realize that this movie, even though made in 2017, still uses the image of a detective wearing a trench coat, (think Columbo) albeit a dark blue one, but nonetheless a trench coat -- regardless of how hot the weather was.

You may think it’s understandable that the mother wants someone to check on her young daughter while she is away -- but the question is how well did she know the neighbor. This neighbor who -- by the way -- had the bad habit of appearing out of nowhere in the woman’s home.

Alarming to me was how quickly the mother would just open her front door, without asking who was there.

Regarding the kidnappers -- they seemed more comical to me than menacing.

Actors’ Skills in the YouTube The Wrong Babysitter Movie

I think all the actors did an adequate job performing their roles. As a stand-out actor,  I would choose Daphne Zuniga who played the mother, Susan C. Brown. She really acted and showed concern for her missing daughter in addition to researching and figuring out clues that the daughter left after being kidnapped. In other words, her role was believable to me.

Unrealism in the YouTube The Wrong Babysitter Movie

There are plenty of unreal type moments in The Wrong Babysitter movie.  Spoiler Alert: The scene that comes to mind was when  the kidnapped daughter was being threatened to be destroyed and she started to cough. One of the kidnappers for some reason seemed concerned and asked the other kidnapper to get the coughing kidnapped victim some water -- even though they were planning to destroy her.  Go figure.

Another unrealistic part of the movie was it took over two years for the mother to find or even think about finding notes that her husband left about what was going on in a case he was investigating. I repeat -- it took more than two whole years.

There were other unrealistic parts in the movie, but I will stop here.

Assessment of the YouTube The Wrong Babysitter Movie

I would say that The Wrong Babysitter is an easy movie to watch.  

Spoiler Alert. Except for the initial kidnapping of the other young girl, you probably already knew from the sequence of events that the kidnapped daughter was going to be rescued. Therefore the movie was going to have a happy ending -- except for the unsolved case involving the husband.  

The greatest downfall of the movie was there was no suspense. The upside was that even though the YouTube The Wrong Babysitter is about a kidnapping, no one was brutally destroyed -- as seen in quite a few movies today.

Rating of the YouTube The Wrong Babysitter Movie

Based on a rating of  1 star to 5 stars with 5 stars being the highest, I rate the YouTube The Wrong Babysitter movie 3 stars.

Introduction to Chris Pratt The Tomorrow War Movie Review

You may have heard of actor Chris Pratt from such big blockbuster movies as Guardians of the Galaxy and Jurassic Park. Well, it looks like he is returning to acting in science fiction based movies since he is starring in The Tomorrow War movie.

How is Chris Pratt's acting skills in The Tomorrow War movie? Even more importantly, is The Tomorrow War movie worth checking out on Amazon Prime video. Check out my review of Chris Pratt The Tomorrow War movie to find out.

Plot of Chris Pratt The Tomorrow War Movie

Chris Pratt The Tomorrow War movie's plot centers around, to put it bluntly, the end of the world in the future due to invasion by alien creatures. This evasion or war is purportedly predicted to happen years in the future; however, in order to prevent this action from taking place, teams of people, including civilians are drafted to be transported to the future to fight this war.

As expected, Chris Pratt’s character is in the midst of the action as he not only participates in this future war but actually leads a team to fight against aliens in an attempt to save the world. There is drama also as the storyline includes Chris Pratt’s character family issues potentially happening in the future.

Action Scenes in Chris Pratt The Tomorrow War Movie

There is a hint of drama in Chris Pratt The Tomorrow War movie, but for the most part, Chris Pratt The Tomorrow movie is an action, science-fiction movie dealing with lots of fights against alien creatures. In fact, if you watch this movie, you may agree with me that the action, battle scenes are seemingly the most interesting parts in the movie. If your attention wanes during some parts of the movie, it may return when the action, fighting scenes are shown.  

Acting Skills Displayed in Chris Pratt The Tomorrow War Movie

I think the acting skills displayed by the actors were adequate for the movie. After all, the gist of the movie is people fighting against aliens so scenes to show dramatic acting performance abilities were few and far between. Towards that end, in my opinion, Chris Pratt lacked acting skills to carry a dramatic part in this movie which sometimes he demonstrated in some scenes by just frowning most of the time.  His lack of dramatic acting skills did not diminish from the movie, since, as I mentioned previously, these type scenes are scarce in the movie.

Time Progression and Aging in Chris Pratt The Tomorrow War Movie

You may notice that Chris Pratt’s character does not age when he is shown in the future. However, a person closely related to him has aged from a child to a young adult. It was interesting to me that this time-parallel sequence was not thought out further. For example if Chris Pratt is not present in the future during this time period, how is it possible for him to appear in his present form to fight aliens in the future. I guess we will have to “blame” movie magic for this time inconsistency. 

Chris Pratt The Tomorrow War movie has some vague similarities to a Ben Affleck movie I reviewed, Paycheck.; however, there were no aliens in Paycheck and his character’s time progression was in the recent future instead of years to come. There was also no military type war in Ben Affleck’s Paycheck movie.

Assessment of Chris Pratt The Tomorrow War Movie

Chris Pratt The Tomorrow movie is long -- lasting two hours and twenty minutes, however, due to the attention grabbing action scenes, the time will not seem to stretch on as long. 

Towards that end, the high points of Chris Pratt The Tomorrow War movie were the acting battle scenes. Props go to the Computer-Generated Images CGI people who created alien images that looked gross -- but realistic. 

However there are some writing gaffes in the movie. For example, I thought it was strange that Chris Pratt did not recognize someone who was so close to him in his family in the present. 

Also, it was interesting to me that another character in the movie who had fought this future war at least three times previously was not placed in charge of a team, instead of Chris Pratt’s character.

The above being said, I enjoyed watching Chris Pratt The Tomorrow War movie, mostly due to the action scenes. I think you may like watching this movie too.

Rating of Chris Pratt The Tomorrow War Movie

Based on a rating of 1 star to 5 stars with 5 stars being the highest, I rate Chris Pratt The Tomorrow War movie 4 stars.