MOVIE REVIEWS Kids: Rumble

BY BONNIE L. HARRIS

PLENTY OF HIGH-

features hit the screens over the holidays, but a wonderful outlier that you might have missed is Rumble, a funny and heartfelt spoof on the zany sport of WWE. Writer-director Hamish Grieve creates a new world order where humans and monsters coexist, and all are enthusiastic fans of the (WMW) World Monster Wrestling championship. In general, Rumble targets the younger audience, but there are enough comedic Easter eggs to keep parents laughing at the many pop culture references. Add to that a terrific soundtrack, solid characters, and a genuinely sincere story, and you have a first-rate family film. But a family in the small town of Stoker has known tragedy when their monster hero, Rayburn, and his coach, Jimbo are lost at sea. Fast-forward nine years and Jimbo’s teenage daughter, Winnie, suddenly finds herself the town savior when a megacompany decides to tear down their WMW stadium. Wanting to save her father’s legacy, Winnie goes on the hunt for a monster wrestling champ and ends up with Steve, aka Rayburn Jr. Only problem is, Steve neither wants to be a champ nor does he want to live in his father’s shadow. Both Winnie and Steve learn to overcome their fears and find their true selves when faced with the enormous task of defeating the reigning WMW heavyweight contender, Tentacular. He’s mean, mostly green, and out for revenge! In the last earth-shattering match, Steve finally reclaims his name, Rayburn Jr, to the thrill of the crowds, and Winnie realizes she’s a talented coach who knows how to motivate her monster. Together they reinvent wrestling and re-energize Stoker, not to mention, giving Tentacular the one-two KO for the win. Be sure to watch the credits for some fun animated outtakes, and pass the popcorn. ✦

Paramount Animation Rated: PG Streaming on Amazon Training is tougher than it looks.

TICK, TICK . . . BOOM! Imagine Entertainment, Rated: PG-13 Streaming on Netflix

AN UNUSUAL TITLE for a one-of-a-kind theatrical experience, Tick, Tick . . . Boom! takes us on a young man’s journey down the impossibly hard road leading to New York’s Great White Way. Based on the life of Jonathan Larson, the film layers his one-man performance of selected songs, over the development of his first rock opera, over the trials and tribulations of his complicated personal life. Each layer reveals Larson’s heartbreaking determination to fulfill his passion and succeed as a musical theatre writer set against Broadway’s harsh criticism and the AIDS crisis. The film’s music and choreography are nothing short of phenomenal, the characters riveting, and the story is one of deepest commitment to an ever unreachable dream. Knowing that Larson will eventually write the hit musical RENT, you can’t help but cheer him on at each financial setback, at every rejection, and while he struggles to write the perfect song for his rock opera. Cameos abound with dozens of Broadway stars in minor roles, which makes for a stunning Easter egg hunt. And even more thrilling to know that Stephen Sondheim really did see Larson’s workshop incognito and was a long-time mentor of his work. See it soon before the clock goes Tick, Tick and Boom! time runs out.

Struggling for the perfect song.