I was lucky enough to recently attend screenings for two new flicks - Lincoln and Wreck-It-Ralph and, while completely different, they were both very good.
Lincoln is not your straightforward biopic. Since everyone and their mother knows about Honest Abe the filmmakers opted to focus on one very specific moment in his life - the passing of the 13th Amendment which abolished slavery.
Smart move. Really. I, sadly, knew very little about the details surrounding this significant moment in history and learned so much. And the acting was superb. Daniel Day-Lewis. What the what?!? Simply incredible. And did I mention that the movie is funny? Don't get me wrong - it's NOT a comedy. But there are many lighthearted moments that made what could have been a dry, political treatise a very entertaining tale. And can we talk about James Spader? Totally stole the show. If the Academy wasn't so stodgy that boy would be getting an Oscar nod.
Now, Wreck-It-Ralph. I LOVED this movie. I admit, I was already looking forward to it but I honestly thought I'd be disappointed since that often happens when I get too excited about a movie coming out. But not this time. Wreck-It-Ralph was so clever, unique, funny, and sweet that I was instantly smitten. It's perfect for kids, it's perfect for adults and remember what I said about Oscar pics? I totally see an Animated Feature nod for this one.
But there is one thing I have to admit. I know Ralph is the star of the show and he is a great guy but...my heart belongs to Fix-It Felix.
full disclosure: I attended preview screenings of both films. All opinions are my own.