Father Figures Review

Father Figures is a fun little comedy though not as funny as I wished. This movie is about two brothers who go on a road trip to find their real father and craziness ensues. Ed Helms and Owen Willson both give good performances in this movie playing brothers. They have good chemistry with each other and are fun to watch. Glenn Close also does a good job in the small role as the mother. I do not want to spoil them here, but all the possible dads do a good job and are funny. Sadly despite the great cast, this movie did not have as many laughs as I hoped. The first twenty minutes of this movie were almost laugh-free with only the occasional chuckle. However, once the brothers went on their road trip the movie picked up dramatically. The movie got funnier as it went on. Towards the end of the second act, there were two scenes in particular that I was crying with laughter. This movie is hard to dislike because it has such a big heart. There are some genuinely touching moments in this movie. Overall, Father Figures is not great, but still had enough funny moments for me to recommend it.

6/10

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle Review

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle was absolutely hysterical from start to finish. This movie is about 4 teenagers who are sucked into the game Jumanji and must beat the game in order to escape. However, they are not themselves, they have become game characters. This movie is perfectly cast across the board. Dwayne Johnson is hilarious playing a nerdy teenager. Kevin Hart who is playing a jock has perfect chemistry with the Rock. Karen Gillian is great playing a shy girl who does not know how to talk to people. However, Jack Black playing a popular teenage girl was one of the funniest things I have ever seen. This is the role he was born to play. Some of his scenes I could not breathe I was laughing so hard.  While they are not in the movie much outside of the opening, all of the actors playing the teenagers in the real world did a great job setting up their characters. This movie also shockingly had really great action sequences. They were equally funny and thrilling. The visual effects were also fantastic throughout. Director Jake Kasdan did a great job directing all aspects of this movie. The only flaw I really have is the villain is weak, but he has minimal screen time so it did not affect my enjoyment much.  At 119 minutes this movie flew by with the jokes coming one after the other and almost all of them hitting. Overall, I had a blast with Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. I would highly recommend this movie to anyone looking for a fun comedy this holiday season.

9/10

Ferdinand Review

Ferdinand is a cute kids movie with some really funny moments. This movie is about a bull raised to be a fighter, but would rather smell the flowers. John Cena does a great job voicing the title character. He is equally funny and charming. Kate McKinnon also did a good job voicing the goat Lupe. All the voice work in this movie is good. There was not a particularly weak link. The side characters in this movie are mostly very funny. However, there are some that occasionally become quite annoying. The animation while not stunning is still quite good and is pleasant to look at.  At 108 minutes the movie moves at a good pace, while still being slow enough that young kids can follow it.  Overall, Ferdinand was a perfectly innocent, fun animated film that is ok for all ages.

7/10

Star Wars: The Last Jedi Review

Star Wars: The Last Jedi is a great, albeit very different Star Wars movie. This movie is about the continuing story of Rey, Finn, and Poe in the Star Wars Saga. I would not dare say more due to spoilers.  This is not like any Star Wars movie we have ever seen and because of that, this movie takes a couple viewings to process. This film has some of the best and worst moments in all of Star Wars. There are moments that are downright cringe-worthy. However, the good far outweighs the bad.  Daisy Ridley continues to be a great new lead in this franchise. Her character is becoming more developed as the series goes on. Adam Driver's Kylo Ren also remains a great new villain and so far is the most developed character in this new saga. John Boyega is still giving a great performance as Finn, but it is clear they do not know what they are doing with his character. Oscar Issac's Poe Dameron is slowly becoming the new Han Solo and he has many great moments. Carrie Fisher is great in her final performance as Leia and has some heartbreaking scenes throughout. Mark Hamill also turns in another great performance as Luke Skywalker, although be warned this is a very different Luke from the original trilogy.  Newcomer Kelly Marie Tran gave a good performance as Rose.  However, due to the writing, her character could be occasionally annoying.  Laura Dern gave a good performance as a new Resistance General. However, her character is written horribly.  Benicio Del Torro does a fine job in a small role here but his character is given a pointless annoying stutter.  Rian Johnson does a great job directing this movie but some choices he made will be controversial to Star Wars fans. This movie has 3 separate plot lines that do all intersect in the end. However, this movie has an insane amount of plot holes that can be hard to overlook.  At 152 minutes this movie moves at a fast pace although some plots move slower than others. Overall, Star Wars: The Last Jedi has some awful moments but is still a fantastic movie that I highly recommend.

9.5/10

Wonder Review

Wonder is the biggest surprise of 2017. This movie is about a boy named Auggie, with facial deformities, as he attempts to survive public school. I was blown away by this movie. Almost everything in this movie works perfectly. Jacob Tremblay continues to be one of the best child actors ever, giving a fantastic performance as Auggie. All the child acting in this movie is top notch. Owen Willson and Julia Roberts were both great as Auggie's parents. Relative newcomer Izabella Vidovic also gave a fantastic performance as Auggie's sister.  Everything about this movie felt incredibly real. They nailed what public school was like. While this movie does have moments of sadness, I never found it to be manipulative.  At 113 minutes the movie moves at a good pace only occasionally dragging. Overall, Wonder was a huge surprise and is one of the best movies of the year.

9/10

Just Getting Started Review

Just Getting Started is watchable thanks to its cast but is still a bad movie. This movie is about Morgan Freeman and Tommy Lee Jones who are rivals at a retiree home and craziness ensues. Morgan Freeman and Tommy Lee Jones are clearly having fun here and this is why this movie is watchable. Rene Russo is fine but she's given nothing to do.  There are some definitely some chuckle moments in this movie. But for a comedy, this movie is extremely low on laughs.  In the 3rd act of this movie, there is a reveal that is random and makes absolutely no sense in the plot. Overall, Just Getting Started is a bad comedy that remains watchable thanks to its cast.

4/10

The Disaster Artist Review

The Disaster Artist is a great movie. However, it's not for everyone. This movie is about the behind the scenes making of the so bad it's good, cult classic, The Room. James Franco gives his best performance yet playing the mysterious Tommy Wiseau. He completely loses himself into the role to the point you only see his character. Dave Franco was also great as Tommy's best friend, Gregg, although he never losses himself into the role. This movie is filled to the brim with celebrity cameos, but they never come across as forced. James Franco also did a great job directing this movie, especially as a first-timer. As much as I love this movie, though, it will not work as well if you have not seen The Room. At 104 minutes the movie moves along at a good pace and always kept my interest. Overall, The Disaster Artist is an extremely entertaining movie but viewing of The Room first is recommended.

8.5/10

Lady Bird Review

Lady Bird is a good movie. However, it is one of the most overrated movies I have seen in a long time. This movie is a coming of age tale set in the early 2000s, about a seventeen-year-old girl called "Lady Bird" and her life struggles. Saoirse Ronan gave a good performance as the title character. Her character, while extremely unlikeable at first, won me over by the end of film. Laurie Metcalf as gave a solid performance as "Lady Bird's" mom. However, her character as well was extremely unlikeable. Most of the characters in this movie are so unlikeable that they are hard to root for. Greta Gerwig does a fine job directing this movie, but it is nothing special.  The editing in this movie is awful. It jumps around so much that you cannot tell if one day, one week, or one month has passed. While this movie does have its moments of drama and humor that work extremely well, there is also plenty of moments that fall flat. At 94 minutes with the poor editing, the pacing of this movie is all over the place. Overall, Lady Bird is a good movie with some great moments that never reaches overall greatness.

6/10

Roman J. Israel Esq. Review

Roman J. Israel Esq. is an okay movie with a fantastic performance from Denzel Washington. This movie is about an idealistic defense attorney named Roman Israel who through a series of mistakes ends up in a dangerous situation. This movie works because of Denzel Washington. He gave an awards worthy performance. Colin Farrell was also great in a smaller side role. Director Dan Gilroy did a competent job with this movie. However, this movie has so many different plots it felt like 2 different movies, a legal drama and a crime thriller. I enjoyed the legal drama aspects the most. Also at 129 minutes, this movie has terrible pacing as it felt 3 hours long. Overall, there are great performances and half of an interesting story. However, Roman J. Israel Esq. never succeeds in exceeding mediocrity. 

6/10

Justice League Review

Justice League is an entertaining mess of a movie. This movie is about Batman and Wonder Woman who must assemble the Justice League in order to face a world-ending threat. It's a well-known fact that this movie went through trouble behind the scenes. Director Zack Snyder had to step away due to a tragedy and Joss Whedon came in to do massive reshoots. Due to these reshoots, the editing in this movie can be very choppy at times and the CGI is occasionally really bad. However, there are still a lot of positives to this movie. Ben Affleck remains a great Batman however his character isn't as strong here as it was in BVS. Gal Gadot is still the perfect choice to play Wonder Woman and she is easily one of best parts of the movie.  Newcomer Ray Fisher gave a good performance as Cyborg. However, his character underused.  Jason Momoa gave a great performance as Aquaman and had plenty of standout moments. However, my favorite part of this movie was Ezra Millers Flash. He stole the movie for me in every scene he was in.  The action sequences in this movie are fun but there's no sense of danger ever.  Overall, Justice League is a fun, but flawed mess of a movie that I still really enjoyed watching.

8/10

Coco Review

Coco is a good movie with a horrible message for kids. This movie is about a young boy, Miguel, who wants to be a musician against his parent's wishes. Through a series of events, he finds himself in the land of the dead and must find his way home. As usual for Pixar, everyone in the voice cast gave a great performance. Special mention goes to Anthony Gonzalez as Miguel. Especially for a child actor, he did a fantastic job. I really loved his relationship with a stray dog named Dante. The animation is top notch and stunning. However, I never found myself getting invested in this story as I wanted. This is mainly due to the movie’s awful message that I cannot say due to spoilers. However, especially for me, it really hurt my enjoyment. Also, this movie is shockingly light on humor. The jokes were few and far between. For an animated movie targeted at kids, I cannot recommend this to young kids due to the movie’s surprisingly dark tone and awful message. At 109 minutes there is also a surprising amount of pacing issues. Despite all of this, due to some standout sequences and beautiful animation, I still enjoyed Coco. Overall, I do recommend Coco with the warning that this is not an all-ages movie.

As for the Frozen short that played in front of the movie, other than a few decent jokes, it was really bad and way too long.

Frozen Short 4/10

Coco 7/10

The Star Review

The Star is a charming innocent Christmas movie that I really enjoyed. This movie is about a small, but brave donkey and his animal friends who must save the first Christmas. This movie has a huge voice cast who all did great jobs. Steven Yeun gave a great performance as Bo the Donkey. Gina Rodriguez and Zachary Levi were both really good as Mary and Joseph. However, the standout was easily Keegan-Michael Key as Dave the Dove. He was hilarious and had so many great moments. To my shock, there were some surprisingly emotional moments in this film. For a lower budgeted movie, the animation was still beautiful. At a short 86 minutes the movie moves at a decent pace, although it does slow down at parts.  Overall, The Star is great family Christmas movie, especially if you have young kids.

7/10

Murder on the Orient Express Review

Murder on the Orient Express was a fun, suspenseful murder mystery. However, it is not without its flaws. This movie is based on the Agatha Christie’s novel about strangers and a detective stranded on a train after a murder strikes. It is a race against time to catch the killer before he strikes again. Kenneth Branagh directs this movie excellently. He is also fantastic as the lead detective trying to solve the mystery. This is an incredibly stacked cast including people such as Daisy Ridley, Josh Gad, Judi Dench, and Johnny Depp. The entire cast does a great job although no one stands out. However, I felt that was intentional to make sure to hide the killer’s identity. This movie looks fantastic. All the sets, costumes and special effects are awards-worthy. At 114 minutes the movie moves at a decent pace. My main flaw with this movie is the second act. It starts to drag at parts and could've been shortened. As for the mystery itself, I never solved it before the movie wanted me to which kept me constantly interested in what was happening. Overall, Murder on the Orient Express is a great mystery thriller despite a slow second act.

8/10

Daddy's Home 2 Review

Daddy's Home 2 despite a weak start still manages to entertain throughout.  This movie is about two dads who must deal with their intrusive fathers during the holidays. If you enjoyed the first Daddy's Home movie, then you'll enjoy this sequel. Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell gave good performances and their chemistry is fantastic. Linda Cardellini also gave a good performance as Ferrell's wife.  John Lithgow was hilarious as Ferrell's dad. He has several laugh out loud moments. However, Mel Gibson as Wahlberg's father stole the entire film. His character had me laughing non-stop. At 1 hour 40 minutes the movie begins slowly but picks up over time. Overall, Daddy's Home 2 is a fun albeit flawed film for fans of the original film or the cast.

7.5/10

P.S. There is a Post Credits Scene.

Thor Ragnarok Review

Thor Ragnarok is a blast from start to finish. However, it is not without its flaws. This movie is about the continuing adventures of Thor in the MCU as this time he must face Hella, the goddess of death. This movie is absolutely hysterical throughout.  Chris Hemsworth gives his best performance yet as Thor. Mark Ruffalo as always gives a fantastic performance as the Hulk. Jeff Goldblum is a blast to watch as the crazy Grandmaster. Tessa Thompson was a great addition to the cast and I cannot wait to see more of her character. As always, Tom Hiddleston's, Loki steals the entire movie from everyone. Cate Blanchett gave a serviceable performance as Hella. However, her character is severely underdeveloped and her scenes hurt the film’s fast pace. Director Taika Waititi whose character, Korg, is absolutely hilarious also did a fantastic job directing this movie. The action is well shot and entertaining to watch. At 2 hours 10 minutes this movie flies by rarely slowing down. Overall, Thor Ragnarok, despite having a weak villain, is a hilarious action-packed movie that I highly recommend.

9.5/10

P.S. There are TWO post-credit scenes. Make sure you stay for both.

A Bad Moms Christmas Review

A Bad Moms Christmas started off hilarious. However, while the laughs slowed down it remained a fun time overall. This movie is about overworked moms Amy, Kiki, and Carla who rebel against the challenges of Christmas. If creating the perfect holiday was not hard enough, they'll have to do it while hosting their own mothers. I enjoyed the first Bad Moms for what it was, but it was nothing great. Mila Kunis continues to impress me as an actress. Her performance as Amy was great. Kristen Bell can be very hit or miss for me, but I found her character, Kiki, very likable and funny. Kathryn Hahn as Carla annoyed me in the first movie, but this time her character was really funny.  The moms are played by Christine Baranski, Cheryl Hines and Susan Sarandon. The standout is easily Susan Sarandon as Carla's mom. She stole many scenes in the movie. The first 40 mins of this movie had me crying with laughter. After that, the laughs slowed down, but there were still plenty of laughs to be had. At 104 minutes the movie moves at a decent pace, but lagged a little in the middle. Overall A Bad Moms Christmas was a fun Christmas comedy with likable characters and some hilarious moments.

7/10

Suburbicon Review

Suburbicon was a good movie that had potential to be great. I actually really enjoyed the first 25 minutes of this movie. Sadly after this point, all the movie’s surprises were shown in the trailer. Matt Damon, as always, gave a great performance even when he's playing a super unlikeable character. Julianne Moore, while she does a decent job, there was just something odd about her performance that kept taking me out of the movie. Oscar Isaac, is great but very underused in a small role. The best performance in this movie comes from newcomer Noah Jupe. Any scenes involving him are the highlights of the movie. The script written by the Coens’ has plenty of potential, but was tampered with by director George Clooney. As for the directing itself, it is serviceable but never anything special. As this movie went on, the story just got less and less interesting. At 1 hour and 44 minutes, this movie dragged a lot and felt way too long. Overall Suburbicon was a good movie that could have been great with some simple fixes.

6/10

Jigsaw Review

Jigsaw was a massive surprise and a ton of fun despite this being my introduction to the series. This movie is about a series of murders all bearing the mark of the Jigsaw killer. Law enforcement officers find themselves chasing the ghost of a killer who's been dead for over 10 years. They find themselves in a race against the clock to solve the mystery and save the victims of Jigsaw’s game before it is too late. This is my first ever Saw movie and it was nothing like I expected.  This movie is actually an extremely compelling mystery and a really fun thriller.  All the performances are perfectly serviceable for this type of movie although no one stands out. Despite there being no standout performance; I still was invested in the characters. For fans of this series, the traps are fun and unique, but not overly complicated.  At 91 minutes this movie starts immediately and moves at a fast pace rarely ever slowing down. While there is some corny dialogue and acting but it never bothered me enough to ruin my immersion. Overall, Jigsaw was a really fun movie despite occasional issues. I would recommend Jigsaw to horror fans or fans of this series.

8/10

Thank You For Your Service Review

Thank You For Your Service is one of the most difficult movies to watch. However, it is also a fantastic movie everyone should see. This movie is about the true story of a group of U.S. Soldiers from Iraq returning home and their struggles to return to everyday life. Miles Teller gives his best performance yet as the lead. He is required to consistently display multiple emotions and does it flawlessly.  Haley Bennet also does a fantastic job as Teller’s wife. She and Teller have excellent chemistry.  Newcomer Beulah Koale gives a star-making performance doing as great a job as Teller. Even Amy Schumer does a good job in a small dramatic role. However seeing her in this type of role was super distracting and took me out of the movie. This movie is emotionally devastating to watch at times and definitely a tearjerker. Other than one side plot that never went anywhere; I really had no issues with this movie. Overall, Thank You For Your Service is a near perfect movie and one you should see.

9.5/10

Only the Brave Review

Only the Brave was a good movie with great moments regardless of the misleading marketing. This movie is the true story of an elite group of firefighters, known as the Granite Mountain Hotshots, and the struggles they faced. Josh Brolin is the lead character and while he is giving a good performance; I never got as attached to his character as I wished. James Badgedale and Taylor Kitsch are fantastic in their smaller roles. Jennifer Connelly is great albeit under used. The real star is Miles Teller. He had the hardest role to play and he pulled it off perfectly. At 2 hours 14 minutes this movie moves far too slow and could've easily been shorter. The best part of this movie is the last 20 minutes and they are almost good enough to justify the cost of admission. Overall, Only the Brave has some fantastic moments, but moved too slow to keep me consistently invested despite great performances.

6.5/10

Same Kind of Different As Me Review

Same Kind of Different As Me is a very mixed bag of a movie. This movie is about the true story of art dealer Ron Hall who must befriend a dangerous homeless man in order to save his marriage. Renee Zellweger plays Hall's wife and while she does have a few good moments, I found her acting fairly weak.  Greg Kinnear fairs much better as the lead. While I didn't think he was great, he does give a good performance overall. Djimon Hounsou gives the best performance of anyone as the homeless man. The first half of this movie is just straight up boring; it took until the 45 minute mark for the movie to even start.  Also, this movie constantly gives conflicting information about the time period it is set in and it became very confusing. However, while this movie does have moments of genuine emotion, there are plenty of forced moments that had me rolling my eyes. Overall, Same Kind of Different As Me while it does have its moments, I cannot recommend to everyone.

4.5/10

Geostorm Review

Geostorm was a surprise as it was much better than expected. This movie is about a network of satellites designed to control the global climate. A series of weather disasters leads to an investigation into the satellite system.  It's a race against the clock to uncover the real threat before a worldwide Geostorm wipes out everything and everyone. To my surprise, I found the story to be very interesting. Gerard Butler gives a great performance as Jake Lawson. Jim Sturgess also gave a good performance as Max Lawson Butler's brother. The remainder of the cast gave a compelling performance.  Director Dean Devlin makes his debut and does a great job handling the drama and the action. The special effects are also fantastic, especially during the space sections. I didn't really have any issues with this movie other than it became tonally inconsistent at times. Overall, Geostorm was a massive surprise and just a really fun movie.

8/10

Boo 2! A Madea Halloween Review

Boo 2! A Madea Halloween has its moments but they don't come frequently enough.  This movie is about Madea, Bam, and Hattie venturing to a haunted campground.  The group must run for their lives when monsters, goblins, and the boogeyman are unleashed. This is my first ever Madea film and I do see the potential here. This movie can be quite funny at times when focusing on Madea and her friends. However, they are a side-plot to the main college Halloween party plot. Every time we cut away from Madea and her friends the laughter stops dead. Tyler Perry does a good job as the title character but doesn't have near enough screen time. The best part of this movie is Uncle Joe also played by Perry. He got all the biggest laughs from me. Tyler Perry also directs and wrote this movie.  While this movie is competently directed, its writing needed to be much stronger. Overall, Boo 2!  A Madea Halloween was funny at times, but didn't have near enough laughs to justify a watch.

4.5/10

The Snowman Review

The Snowman was a massive disappointment and marketed incorrectly.  This movie is about Detective Harry Hole who investigates the disappearance and eventual murder of a woman whose scarf is wrapped around an ominous-looking snowman.  First off, this is not the film the trailers advertised at all.  It is a much-publicized fact that they did not get to shoot 15-20% of the script. This shows throughout as chunks of this movie are clearly missing. The editing is confusing and downright awful.  Director Tomas Alfredson does do a good job with what’s here, but it should have been planned better so he had an entire movie.  Rebecca Ferguson’s performance is good despite being given very little to do.  J.K. Simmons as always is good, but his character has no purpose in the plot whatsoever.  Despite all this, I did not despise this movie for one reason, Michael Fassbender.  He once again proves why he is a fantastic actor by carrying this entire movie on his shoulders.  Without him, this movie would not work at all.  Overall, The Snowman is a massive disappointment saved only by a fantastic performance from Fassbender.  

6/10

Professor Marston and the Wonder Women Review

Professor Marston and the Wonder Women was a great surprise and is a fantastic movie.  This movie is the story of psychologist William Marston, the polyamorous relationship between his wife and one of his students, the creation of the Wonder Woman comic and the controversy it generated.  Luke Evans gives the best performance I've ever seen from him.  Rebecca Hall is also fantastic as Evans’ wife.  She possibly has the hardest role to play in the whole movie and she nails it perfectly.  Newcomer Bella Heathcote is also fantastic as Evans’ student. As the movie goes on, her role becomes more intricate.  Director and Writer Angella Robinson makes quite a splash in her film debut. This movie is expertly written and directed from start to finish.  One standout aspect of this movie was the editing; the way certain scenes would cut back and forth was captivating.  I heavily recommend this movie with one warning.  The origin of Wonder Woman is not family friendly; it involved lesbian relationships along with many other sexual situations.  Overall, I loved Professor Marston and the Wonder Women and it is one of my favorite movies this year. 

9.5/10

The Mountain Between Us Review

The Mountain Between Us is a bad movie that just got worse as the movie progressed.  This movie is about two strangers stranded by a plane crash who must forge a connection to survive the extreme elements of a remote snow-covered mountain.  Idris Elba and Kate Winslet try their best here and they do have good chemistry at first but it does not last very long.  The script here is total garbage filled with clichés and zero tension.  I cared more about the dog stranded with them than any human character in this movie.  The one standout aspect of this movie is the fantastic cinematography; it is truly stunning to see at times.  While the first half was bad, it was the second half that took a downward spiral.  At 1 hour and 52 minutes, the movie moved at an extremely slow pace that dragged on forever.  Overall The Mountain Between Us is a bad movie with very few redeeming qualities despite competent performances from its cast.

3/10

Happy Death Day Review

Happy Death Day is one of the most fun theater experiences I have ever had.  Seeing this movie in a packed theater opening night was a great experience and I would highly recommend trying to see this with a crowd.  This movie is about a college student who relives the day of her murder until she discovers her killer's identity.  First off, the opening 15 minutes of this movie while necessary to the story are really bad.  However, after our lead is killed the first time this movie picks up immensely.  Jessica Rothe gives a star-making performance here and is a huge part of why this movie works as well as it does.  While it might not be as predictable for everyone I guessed the killer very quickly, however it did not affect my enjoyment of the film.  The best way I can describe this movie is it’s a horror comedy.  There were as many moments that had me on edge and made me jump as there were moments that made me die laughing.  Overall Happy Death Day was so much better than I expected from the trailer and is a super fun albeit flawed theater experience.

7.5/10

The Foreigner Review

The Foreigner is a strange mix of two movies.  This movie is a Pierce Brosnan political thriller and a Jackie Chan revenge movie.  While both movies are enjoyable, mixed together it does not always work.  Jackie Chan is fantastic in this movie showing everyone that he can seriously act along with great action scenes.  Pierce Brosnan is great as well although he is doing a strange accent that takes some getting used to.  This movie is about a humble businessman (Chan) with a buried past seeks justice when his daughter is killed in an act of terrorism. A cat-and-mouse conflict ensues with a government official (Brosnan), whose past may hold clues to the killers' identities.  Martin Campbell (Casino Royale) does a good job directing here and does a great job directing the action scenes.  Thankfully there were no quick cuts or shaky cam so I was able to see everything going on during the fight sequences.  At 1 hour 54 minutes the movie is paced fairly well but is too long at times and could probably be shorter by around 10 minutes.  Overall if you are looking for a fun action thriller or are a Jackie Chan fan I would recommend this movie. 

6.5/10

Blade Runner 2049 Review

Blade Runner 2049 is a worthy sequel to the first film, however, I do not think it is the masterpiece everyone is claiming.  Director Denis Villeneuve does a perfect job recreating the world from the original film and directs this movie beautifully.  However, there are quite a few scenes that are dragged out much longer than necessary.  I cannot speak to the plot of this movie as it is impossible to describe without spoilers.  Ryan Goslling is great as Agent K and he brought multiple layers to his role.  Harrison Ford is still great reprising his role as Deckard from the original film.  While his role is not huge he is always a welcome presence.  Ana De Armas steals the entire movie for me.  I could not take my eyes off the screen anytime she was on screen.  Sylvia Hoeks is a good villain but I wish there was more to her character.  However, I hated Jared Letto in this movie, while he is only in two scenes I was taken out of the movie every time he was on screen.  The real standout here is Cinematographer Rodger Deakins who should finally win an Oscar for this film as its one of the most beautiful looking movies I have seen all year.  However, it is crucial that your theater projects the movie correctly.   I have seen this movie three times now and the first two times it was projected wrong making it impossible to see during some sequences and it really killed my enjoyment of movie first two times.  At 2 hours and 43 minutes the movie moves at a surprisingly fast pace, however, some scenes go on for way too long and hurt the pacing of the film.  Overall Blade Runner 2049 is a great movie and a great sequel but it is crucial that you see this movie projected correctly, otherwise you will not be able to enjoy it.

9/10

Battle of the Sexes Review

Battle of the Sexes is a well-made, compelling film telling the true story of the 1973 tennis match between World number one Billie Jean King and ex-champ and serial hustler Bobby Riggs.  Emma Stone is mostly great here and Steve Carell gives his best performance, stealing the entire film.  Sara Silverman who I’m not normally a fan of I found really entertaining here.  However, Andrea Riseborough whose work I’ve enjoyed in the past is straight up awful in this movie.  She plays the lover of Stone’s character and their relationship 100% falls flat.  I understand their relationship is a critical part of Stone’s story but it was so poorly written and acted during those scenes it kept taking me out of the movie.  The best aspect of this movie is by far the set and costume design.  It accurately displayed the 70’s more than any movie I’ve seen in a long time.  Another positive is this movie was much funnier than I ever would’ve expected with several moments that had me laughing quite hard.  Overall Battle of the Sexes is a really good movie that could’ve been great but is held back due to the poorly written relationship between Stone and Riseborough’s characters.

7.5/10

The Lego Ninjago Movie Review

The Lego Ninjago Movie is a total blast from start to finish. Maybe it was because I had lower expectations but I liked this as much as the other two Lego movies. From the minute this movie started I was howling with laughter. I couldn't believe how much I was laughing at this movie. While after 40ish minutes the laughter does slow down there's still plenty of big laughs to be had in second half of film. I thought this movie was perfectly paced. It was 90 minutes and I felt like I had been sitting there for 30 minutes.  All the voice acting was great and all the cast did a great job giving personality to their characters. Some of the standouts are Jackie Chan who was clearly having a blast with this role and Justin Theroux as the main antagonist of the movie. He stole the movie for me and was glad he was on screen for 85% of this movies running time. Just like the other Lego movies this movie is beautifully animated with its unique style. The story here while simple was also surprisingly compelling and had a really touching father-son relationship I was invested in. Other than the movie does occasionally go too long without a huge laugh, I really didn't have any issue with this movie. While other people might be getting tired of Lego movies if they're all going to be this great, keep them coming.

8.5/10

mother! Review

Um, What Did I Just Watch? Let me start off with this I recommend this movie to absolutely no one. This is a movie very few people will understand or enjoy. mother! is probably the weirdest movie I've ever seen in cinema. Darren Aronofsky (Noah) directs this movie perfectly and there's no denying this movie is beautiful to look at. However, he also wrote the script and that's where the issue lies with this movie. This movie does not have much of a story or if it does I completely missed it. This is a 2-hour Biblical metaphor with environmentalist messages thrown in as well. Also, this movie has one of the most messed up and insane third acts I've ever seen in cinematic history. It's been three days since I've seen this movie and I'm still trying to figure out some of the imagery in this movie. Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem are both fantastic in this movie. Lawrence especially carries a lot of this movie by herself. All the other performances are great as well with tons of actors I didn't know were in this movie. While I certainly didn't love mother! I love movies that are willing to be weird and take risks and this movie certainly delivered that. For that reason alone I'm glad this movie exists even though it's not a movie I can recommend to anyone.  

6.5/10

Flatliners (2017) Review

Ok, everyone take my opinion with a massive grain of salt here as I seem to be the only person that likes this movie. Flatliners (2017) is a remake of the 1990 film of the same name. That movie while shockingly good is very dated and ripe for an update. However, this movie has been critically panned across the board with an almost unheard of 0% on Rotten Tomatoes. Honestly, I don't get it though; Flatliners (2017) had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish.  Director Niels Arden Oplev superbly builds tension in every scene.  The script from writer Ben Ripley (Source Code) was extremely compelling, had well placed comedic relief and made me care about every single character.  All the cast here brings something interesting to their characters. Ellen Page is great as the lead and is easily the most compelling character of the group. Diego Luna (Rogue One) continues to impress me as an actor, delivering the most grounded performance of the film.  Nina Dorbrev's character seemed very one note at first but as the plot progresses her character became more compelling by the minute. James Norton and Kiersey Clemons round out the main cast with great performances but easily the most underdeveloped characters of the group. Kiefer Sutherland who was the lead in the original Flatliners movie does have a very small role in this movie but don't be fooled it's purely a fan service cameo. He's playing an entirely new character. Despite the marketing might make you believe this isn't a straight-up horror movie. But don't worry this movie builds very well from a drama to suspense to straight up horror in its third act.  My main flaw with this movie is there are clearly a few scenes that were left on the cutting room floor which makes for a few very awkward edits. But overall I had a total blast with Flatliners and if you are already interested in this movie it's definitely worth your time.

8.5/10 

Ameircan Made Review

American Made is a fantastic film and a reminder that Tom Cruise is a great actor not just a great action star.  This film is the true story of Barry Seal, a pilot who worked for the CIA and Pablo Escobar in the 80s. This movie is so crazy at times that it stretches believability until you remember that this all happened. Doug Liman who's worked with Cruise many times directs this movie perfectly giving the film an extremely unique editing style and a great sense of pace and energy once the film gets going. Other standout performances in this movie include Sarah Wright as Cruise's wife. She brought a lot to a fairly standard role. Domhnall Gleeson continued to impress me as an actor here and he is clearly having a lot of fun with his character. My main flaw with this movie is that the first act moved much slower than the rest of the movie. But overall I had a ton of fun with American Made and I left having learned an interesting true story that I previously didn't know

9/10 

Logan Lucky Review

Logan Lucky is a really entertaining and fun heist film. However, despite the critical response and the director's past work, I feel like this movie could've been amazing. Steven Soderbergh directs this movie extremely well although it never achieves the heights of his Oceans trilogy. Channing Tatum and Adam Driver are both really good here but they’re not doing anything we haven't seen them do before. Seth McFarlane has a fun side role that while annoying at first has a great payoff. This movie also includes plenty of cameos from other great actors. However, the standout of this movie is Daniel Craig. He is doing something genuinely unique acting wise and is a total blast to watch. The movie gleams energy whenever he's on screen. Despite the marketing, I should warn you this is not a straight-up comedy. A lot of the humor just comes from characters interacting with each other. My main flaws with this movie are it's about 15 minutes too long and has a few unneeded side plots. Also for a heist movie, this movie takes a long time to get to that part of the story. But overall I still had fun with Logan Lucky.

7.5/10

Kingsman The Golden Circle Review

Kingsman The Golden Circle is disappointing there's no way around that. The first film is an all-time favorite of mine and there's not a single scene in this movie that tops anything from the first film. However, Kingsman 2 is also some of the most fun you can have at the cinema this year. Taron Edgerton remains great as our lead. I will always welcome more Mark Strong and he's still great here. While this movie includes many excellent actors such as Jeff Bridges and Channing Tatum they are mostly just cameos. Some other cast members from the original film return here but don't want to say who in case you haven't seen the spoiler-filled trailers. The weak link here is Juliane Moores villain Poppy. While she's a perfectly serviceable antagonist she's given very little to do and is nowhere near Sam Jacksons scene-stealing villain from the first film. For the most part, the action sequences are great although nothing near the incredible church sequence from the first film. If you're a fan of the first film this movie is a must see but be prepared it's nowhere near the brilliance of the first film.

9/10  

American Assassin Review

Yea sorry I'm not with critics on this one at all. American Assassin is the new Bourne. This movie had everything for me. All the acting was great. Dylan o Brian was an excellent lead and Michael Keaton is always great and still is here. All the action sequences were fantastic with excellent stunt work and were filmed where I could always tell what's going on. While the story is standard spy movie fare I was so caught up in this story and world due to everything else being so excellent that I couldn't take my eyes off the screen. While I was definitely excited for this movie it still surpassed my expectations to become a massive surprise and one of my favorite films of 2017 so far. Please go support this movie so we can get a series out of this. 

9.5/10

Wind River Review

Wind River is a great directorial debut by writer Taylor Sheridan whose previous film Hell or High Water I loved. With this film, he continues to be a great writer and has proven himself as a director expertly milking tension out of a fairly standard mystery plot. Jeremy Renner gives the best performance of his career so far here as does Elizabeth Olsen and I expect both of them to be up for Oscars next year. The cinematography is great and the editing especially is worth mentioning with one particularly unique edit in 3rd act adding even more tension. I really don't have flaws with this movie other than I don't think I could ever sit through this movie again. Otherwise, this is a dark but compelling thriller from start to finish.

8.5/10

IT 2017 Review

 IT (2017) while not my type of movie at all, I still found myself really enjoying this movie. I liked it even more upon a second viewing. IT is a creepy disturbing and sometimes downright scary horror film. However, it's also one of the best coming of age films I've seen in a while with a cast of kids whose chemistry is so perfect you fall in love with them instantly. This movie is also shockingly really funny with a few lines that had me laughing really hard.  Jaeden Lieberher is great as Bill our lead who faces a terrible tragedy early on. He has quite a few scenes that are very emotional but extremely well done. Sophia Lillis is great as Beverly the only female in the Losers Club. While her character might seem simple there's more to her than initially seems. Jeremy Ray Taylor was great as Ben the New Kid. While he's not given many standout scenes he's involved in one of the films most terrifying sequences. Jack Grazer is really good as Eddie although he's slightly underused he still gets a few standout moments. Chosen Jacobs as Mike and Wyatt Oleff as Stan are both really good but easily most underused members of the Losers Club. The standout of the entire group though is Finn Wolfhard of Stranger Things fame as Ritchie his character is hilarious and stole the entire film for me. However, my favorite actor in this whole movie is Jackson Robert Scott as Bill's little brother Georgie he's so adorable and has some of films best scenes. Nicholas Hamilton is great as the bully Henry Bowers his character is taken in some surprising directions. However, this movie is called IT so let's talk about Bill Skarsgard terrifying turn as Pennywise the Clown. He absolutely owns this role he is terrifying and sometimes funny at the same time which is not an easy balance to pull off. He deserves a lot of attention for this role and I hope he gets it. Director Andy Muschietti is definitely going to be a name to watch as he directs this movie extremely well-milking tension wherever he can while not being afraid to actually develop his characters and let them interact. My main flaw with this movie is the CGI is occasionally pretty spotty and can take you out of the movie. Otherwise while not really my kind of movie I shockingly enjoyed the ride of watching IT. One note though this movie is Hard R and includes non-stop violence against children. This movie is NOT FOR KIDS or the faint of heart.

8/10

The Hitman's Bodyguard Review

The Hitman's Bodyguard is some of the most fun I've had at the cinema all year.  This is just a pure fun old-school action comedy that worked on almost every level for me.  The film has great direction from Patrick Hughes whose previous work Expendables 3 I enjoyed more than most.  Tom O'Conor's script is great.  I was laughing non-stop but was also fully invested in the story and cared about what happened to these characters.   Ryan Reynolds is great here as Michael Bryce a bodyguard down on his luck. He plays the straight man here although becomes less so as the film progresses. Samuel L. Jackson is essentially playing a crazy version of himself as the hitman Darius Kincaid but he's clearly having the time of his life doing it.  Reynolds and Jackson have perfect chemistry and their banter is the highlight of the film and would not be surprised to learn a lot was improvised.  Elodie Yung is also great in a side role as Interpol Agent Roussel and Reynolds love interest.  Salma Hayek is hilarious in a small role as Jackson's imprisoned wife. While she gets little screen time her scenes are all hilarious.  Our villain is played by the legend Gary Oldman who does well with what he is given but could've been played by almost anyone. The Hitman's Bodyguard also includes several well shot, fun and thrilling action sequences that get crazier as the film progresses and are always a blast to watch.  My one main flaw with this movie as there is some very odd use of green scene occasionally which does cause the background to look a bit blurry at times and took me out of the movie a few times.  Otherwise, Hitman's Bodyguard is pure cinematic fun and a great end to a pretty good summer movie season.

9.5/10

The Dark Tower Review

The Dark Tower is a good movie that had the potential to be an amazing movie.  All the acting here is great.  Idris Elba makes a great Gunslinger and Matthew McConaughey is having a blast playing The Man in Black the films villain.  Tom Taylor is also great in his first ever role as Jake Chambers.  He is our main character and takes us on a journey through this interesting but crazy world.  The story here is interesting and compelling but also insanely underdeveloped and desperately needed a few script rewrites and a longer running time.  The best part other than the acting is we are treated to a couple really fun action sequences although the final fight was underwhelming.  The visual effects are a mess sometimes they look amazing other times they look like a Direct to DVD movie.  This movie had potential but needed three things to fix it. 1. A script rewrite focusing more on Idris Elba  2. A much longer running time than 88 minutes.  3. AN R RATING  this movie deals with some dark themes but so much is hidden off-camera or shrouded in darkness and it gets really annoying at times.  You won't feel like you wasted your time but you will feel underwhelmed at this fun but disappointing fantasy adventure.
6/10

Atomic Blonde Review

Atomic Blonde really surprised me.  I was interested in this movie due to it being from David Letich the director of John Wick which I think is one of best action movies ever. Despite mediocre trailers, I went into movie optimistic. Well, this movie grabbed me from the opening scene and held my interest through its entire running time.  Charlize Theron is great as our lead Loraine but to me, this movie belonged to James McAvoy as Percival stole the entire film and gave one of his best performances to date. Sofia Boutella continues to impress but isn't given much to do.  As expected from this director the action sequences are fantastically shot and thrilling to watch.  The standout action sequence is a continuous one-shot action scene that lasts for 10 minutes.  I really enjoyed the soundtrack most of the time although it occasionally felt out of place. One of the best things about this movie is the costume design it all looks great and felt perfect for the time period.  However, this movie does have a few storytelling flaws.  There is a lesbian side plot that felt really forced into the story and could've been easily taken out.  Also, there is a small gap between second and third act where the movie stumbles as it's not sure where to go with the plot.  Despite that though Atomic Blonde was a great addition to the Spy genre and a movie I'll watch again and again.

9/10