Author Archives: Carey Bunker

The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement

“The Princess Diaries 2- Royal Engagement” finds Princess Mia newly graduated from Princeton and returning home to Genovia to stay. She’s just turned 21 and is learning the ins and outs of ruling from her grandmother (played again by Julie Andrews). However, Mia’s return and upcoming coronation doesn’t make everyone happy. Viscount Mabrey wants his nephew, another rightful heir to the throne, to be next in line. So the Viscount alerts parliament to the Genovian law that states an unmarried princess cannot be made queen. Queen Clarisse (Andrews) and Mia try to convince the parliament otherwise, but are given 30 … Continue reading →

National Treasure

Benjamin Franklin Gates (Nicholas Cage) has grown up with stories steeped in treasure and adventure. While Ben believes they are true, and that the Gates family is meant to protect this treasure, his father has grown bitter over the years, believing the stories to be nothing more than that. “National Treasure” opens with a group of men trekking through the arctic. Ben and his business associate, Ian Howe are following clues that have led them to a ship buried under years of snow. Ben believes the ship holds the treasure, but they discover that it actually holds another clue. Ian … Continue reading →

The Dark Crystal (1982)

1000 years ago, a race of higher beings called the Urskesks became haughty, and in their arrogance cracked a huge crystal that split them into two separate beings. The Urskeks became the Mystics, great beings of peace, and the Skeksis, retched looking vulture like beings of evil. After a shard broke from the crystal, it became the dark crystal, controlled by the Skeksis. They presumably used the crystal to prophesize that a Gelfing would be able to restore the crystal, so all Gelflings were ordered to be killed. The Skeksis felt that rejoining the crystal would be the death of … Continue reading →

The Pagemaster (1994)

Young Richard Tyler’s parents are worried about him. He’s got tons of facts and figures, has his room set up just right “in case of emergency”, is afraid of heights and just about everything else in the world. His father is particularly worried about him, and sends Richard out on a mission. He needs to ride his bike into town, go to the hardware store and get more nails for the tree house his father is building. Richard doesn’t want to go, but his father tells him it is something he needs to do. Richard readies himself for his journey, … Continue reading →

The Celestine Prophecy

“The Celestine Prophecy” is based on the bestselling novel by James Redfield. Admittedly, I’ve never read the book (though it’s been on my “list” for many years) so I can’t compare the two. I did read several comments on the movie’s website message board that said the movie is easier to understand if you’ve read the book first. But I did enjoy the movie and its message without having read the book. John Woodson is a history teacher who has just lost his job. He’s feeling disillusioned and confused about where his life is taking him. Not soon after, he … Continue reading →

Disney’s Aladdin (1992)

Disney’s “Aladdin” is another one of the great animated movies that came out in the 1990s. Even though I’d seen it dozens of times, it had been several years since I had the chance to watch it. I was amazed at how I actually remembered most of the lyrics to the film’s terrific songs and how much there was going on in the movie. Aladdin is a “street rat” who does what he can to survive. He and his monkey, Abu, take a lot of fun out of petty thievery and evading the Sultan’s guards. However, there are forces at … Continue reading →

You’ve Got Mail

Joe Fox (Tom Hanks) is the son of the owner of one of the largest book chains in the United States, Fox Books. His company is opening their newest location in New York City, which just happens to be right around the corner from the “Shop Around the Corner” a beautiful one-of-a-kind children’s bookstore owned by Kathleen Kelley (Meg Ryan). Kathleen is utterly distraught (though she keeps a brave face) that she might lose her store, which her mother had opened and operated until her death. When they finally meet in person, they immediately can’t stand each other. Joe is … Continue reading →

Joe Versus the Volcano (1990)

Joe Banks (Tom Hanks) is dying, or at least he thinks he is. He’s a hypochondriac convinced that there is something terminally wrong with him, probably due to all the fluorescent lights at his job. He’s miserable in his work, is alone and doesn’t really feel that life has anything to offer him. So when he goes to a new doctor, he gets the diagnosis he’s been waiting for–a “brain cloud”, a terminal disease that will kill him within five months. Joe is actually kind of happy. Feeling strangely liberated, he even asks out the office secretary (Meg Ryan) that … Continue reading →

Upcoming Movies for 2007

There are a slew of upcoming movies that look promising for family viewing. Please bear in mind that these aren’t reviews so not all movies mentioned may be appropriate for everyone, and some will be most suitable for young teens and up. The first upcoming movie is “Arthur and the Invisibles which stars Freddie Highmore (from the newest incarnation of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”), Mia Farrow and the voices of Madonna, David Bowie and Snoop Dogg. It is the story of a young boy who journeys into a magical world in hopes of saving his family’s home. It is … Continue reading →

Back to the Future Part II

“Back to the Future Part II” takes place right where the first movie left off. Marty returns home and is met immediately by Doc, who tells him that Marty has to go to the future and that Jennifer, Marty’s girlfriend should come as well. Seems their future children are in big trouble, as are future Marty and Jennifer. So Marty, Jennifer and Doc take off to the future where the mess really begins. Marty must figure out how to stop his son from being arrested his family from falling apart (which ironically all stems from an incident yet to take … Continue reading →