Actor Danny Glover (1946)

The American fantasy adventure comedy film, Jumanji: The Next Level (2019), was directed by Jake Kasdan. Along with co-writers Jeff Pinkner and Scott Rosenberg, Kasdan masterfully crafted a story that follows Spencer Gilpin, Anthony ‘Fridge’ Johnson, Martha Kaply, and Bethany Walker. The group reunites over Christmas break after being away from each other during their first semester of college. However, not everything is as it seems for Spencer, who feels ...

2012 (2009) is a science fiction film directed and written by Roland Emmerich and Harald Kloser. American geologist Adrian Helmsley travels to East India in 2009 to meet with astrophysicist Satnam Tsurutani, where he learns about a new type of neutrino causing the Earth’s core to heat up. Upon his return to Washington D.C., Adrian informs White House Chief of Staff Carl Anheuser and President Thomas Wilson. The following year, over forty-six nations work together to build nine arks in Tibet and secure important artifacts. Nima, a Buddhist monk, is evacuated with his ...

Originally known as Terra, Battle for Terra (2007) is an American animated film from 2007 that tells the story of a planet under threat. The peaceful and advanced inhabitants of Terra, a star system in the Milky Way galaxy, are faced with destruction when humans, displaced from their own planet, attempt to colonize it. Mala and her friend Senn belong to this alien race and live on the near Earth-like planet. When a large object blocks the sun, Mala’s curiosity leads her to go beyond the boundaries set by the ruling council and create a telescope. From outside the city walls, she uses it to investigate further. Soon after, reconnaissance ships emerge ...

The Shaggy Dog (2006), directed by Brian Robbins, is an American science fantasy family comedy film. Dave Douglas, a busy deputy district attorney in Los Angeles County, is prosecuting Justin Forrester for allegedly firebombing Grant and Strictland, a pharmaceutical corporation. Forrester denies the accusation, but claims that Grant and Strictland have been participating in unlawful animal experimentation. This causes a rift between Dave and his daughter Carly, who happens to be one of Forrester’s students. Dave’s intense focus on work also takes a toll on his relationships with his wife Rebecca and son ...

Dreamgirls (2006) is an American musical drama film written and directed by Bill Condon, and jointly produced and released by DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures. It is adapted from the 1981 Broadway musical of the same name. The story follows car salesman Curtis Taylor Jr., who in 1962 Detroit meets a promising Black girl group called ‘The Dreamettes’ at an R&B amateur talent show. The trio, consisting of lead singer Effie White, and backup singers Deena Jones and Lorrell Robinson, catches his eye. Impressed with their talent, Curtis presents himself as their new manager and hires them to sing ...

Saw (2004) is an American horror film directed by James Wan, in his feature directorial debut, and written by Leigh Whannell from a story by Wan and Whannell. Adam, a photographer, wakes up in a rundown bathtub with one of his ankles chained to a pipe. Nearby is oncologist Dr. Lawrence Gordon, and next to him lies the body of an apparent suicide victim with a revolver and a microcassette recorder. Each man discovers a tape in their pockets, and Adam grabs the recorder. His ...

The American comedy-drama film, The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), was directed by Wes Anderson and co-written with Owen Wilson. In the film, Royal Tenenbaum informs his three teenage children, Chas, Margot, and Richie, about his impending separation from his wife Etheline. Each of the children had achieved impressive accomplishments at a young age. Chas was a genius in both math and business, but Royal would often steal money from him. Margot, who was adopted, had received a grant for a play she wrote in ninth grade. Meanwhile, Richie excelled as a tennis prodigy and artist ...

The American buddy cop action film, Lethal Weapon 4 (1998), was directed and produced by Richard Donner. Pregnant LAPD Sergeant Martin Riggs and his partner Lorna Cole were not married, but the idea had crossed their minds. Meanwhile, the daughter of Riggs’ fellow sergeant Roger Murtaugh, Rianne, was also expecting a child. Due to issues with their department’s insurance carrier regarding their behavior as sergeants, Police Chief Murphy promotes them to captains. Along with Leo Getz, they stumble upon a Chinese immigrant smuggling ring after accidentally grounding an oceangoing vessel. Unfortunately, the ...

The animated musical drama film, The Prince of Egypt (1998), was created by DreamWorks Animation and released by DreamWorks Pictures. In the land of Ancient Egypt, the Hebrew people who were enslaved prayed to their God for deliverance. Pharaoh Seti feared that the growing numbers of Hebrews could lead to rebellion, so he commanded a mass infanticide of all newborn Hebrew boys. Yocheved, along with her two children Miriam and Aaron, quickly made their way to the Nile River. There, she placed her newborn son in a basket on the water while singing him a final lullaby. As the basket floated towards Seti’s palace, Miriam followed and watched as her brother was ...

Antz (1998) is an American animated adventure comedy film from DreamWorks Animation and Pacific Data Images. The story follows Z, an anxious worker ant who struggles with feelings of insignificance in the colony. Even his therapist reminds him of his supposed meaningless existence. One night at the local bar, Z meets Bala, the princess of the colony who also seeks refuge from her stifling royal life. As the ant colony prepares for war against a termite invasion, Z sees this as an opportunity to see Bala again and switches places with his friend Weaver to join the army. There, he befriends staff sergeant Barbatus while remaining unaware of General Mandible’s ...

The American legal drama film, The Rainmaker (1997), was both written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. It is based on the 1995 novel of the same name by John Grisham. Unlike many other graduates from Memphis State University Law School, Rudy Baylor finds himself without a well-paying job and instead takes on part-time positions at a local bar. In dire need of employment, he meets the bar’s owner, J. Lyman ‘Bruiser’ Stone, who is known for being a ruthless but successful ambulance chaser. After hiring Rudy as an associate, Bruiser explains that ...

Lethal Weapon 3 (1992), an action flick directed by Richard Donner and written by Jeffrey Boam and Robert Mark Kamen, follows the last days of Sergeant Roger Murtaugh’s career at the L.A.P.D. Alongside his partner Martin Riggs, they are reassigned to street patrol after a failed attempt to defuse a bomb in an office building. While on duty, they witness the theft of an armored car and with the help of driver Delores, manage to stop the crime. Although one of the thieves escapes, the other is apprehended. It is later ...

The movie Predator 2 (1990) is a science fiction action film written by Jim and John Thomas and directed by Stephen Hopkins. It takes place in Los Angeles ten years after the events of the first film and centers around a police officer who teams up with others to fight against an alien creature known as the Predator. The story is set during a heat wave in 1997 and follows a turf war between Colombian and Jamaican drug cartels. As the police engage in a shootout with these groups, the Predator watches from a distance. ...

Richard Donner directed the American buddy cop action comedy film, Lethal Weapon 2 (1989). Two years after the first film, LAPD sergeants Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh chase unknown drug suspects and discover they were actually transporting a shipment of illegal gold Krugerrand coins from the South African government under apartheid. Following this, consul-general Arjen Rudd and security agent Pieter Vorstedt eliminate Hans, who had lost the Krugerrands, and consider ways to divert police attention from their activities. Pieter suggests deterring Murtaugh from pursuing the case and proceeds to invade his home. As a ...

Lethal Weapon (1987), an  American buddy cop film, was directed and co-produced by Richard Donner, written by Shane Black, and also co-produced by Joel Silver. After the recent loss of his wife, Martin Riggs, a former Special Forces soldier and narcotics Sergeant in the LAPD, has become erratic and suicidal. The captain of the police department believes Riggs is pretending to be mentally unstable in order to retire with a large pension. As a result, he assigns Riggs to work with Roger Murtaugh, an experienced Homicide ...

Silverado (1985) is an American Western film, produced and directed by Lawrence Kasdan and written by both Kasdan brothers. While resting in a remote shack, the cowboy Emmett is surprised by three armed men who he ultimately defeats, gaining possession of a horse. His next plan is to meet up with his brother Jake in Turley before visiting their sister Kate in Silverado, then continuing on to California. On the journey to Turley, Emmett comes across Paden, who is stranded in the desert and robbed of all his belongings. Emmett offers Paden one of his extra horses and they ...

The American epic coming-of-age period drama film, The Color Purple (1985), directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Menno Meyjes, is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name by Alice Walker. The story follows Celie Harris in early 20th-century rural Hartwell, Georgia, a teenage African-American girl. After secretly giving birth to two children, her father quickly takes them from her and gives them away. Despite this hardship, Celie finds solace in her strong bond with her younger sister Nettie as they ...