Proud Mary Review

Proud Mary has its moments, but never rises above mediocrity. This movie is about an assassin, named Mary, who works for a crime family in Boston. Everything changes when a young boy comes across her path. Taraji P. Henson gives a great performance in this movie and definitely has action star potential. Danny Glover is good in a small supporting role. All the other performances are serviceable, but no one really stands out.  The best part of this movie is the action sequences. They are surprisingly thrilling and well done. Sadly there is not near enough of them. The drama, however, is nowhere near as interesting as the action. It's competent but the script holds it back. Overall, Proud Mary has great action sequences, but is hampered by a poor script.

5/10

Molly's Game Review

Molly's Game is a good movie, but is held back by some major flaws. This movie is about the true story of Molly Bloom who ran the world’s highest stakes poker game. Jessica Chastain gives a really good performance as Molly Bloom. Idris Elba gives a great performance as Molly's lawyer. Kevin Costner does a fantastic job playing Molly's father but is severely underused. Writer Aaron Sorkin's directing is competent as this is his debut. At 140 minutes the pacing of this movie is all over the place. The first half has a great energy to it. It moves at a fast pace and is super fun. The second half though, while still good, loses that sense of energy. It also starts to drag and feel like it's going on and on. Overall, Molly's Game is a good movie that is hurt by serious pacing issues.

7/10

The Commuter Review

The Commuter is your standard Liam Neeson action movie, but it is still fun to watch. This movie is about a businessman who becomes caught in a criminal game on his daily train ride home. Liam Neeson gives a great performance in this movie.  He's become one of the most reliable action stars working today. Vera Farmiga is very good, but has minimal screen time. As for all the other passengers on the train, their acting is serviceable. The action sequences are all well done and the first act finale is a real showstopper. As for flaws, the runtime is a bit long and should have been around 10 minutes shorter. Overall, The Commuter is a standard but entertaining action thriller.

7.5/10

Insidious: The Last Key Review

Insidious: The Last Key is the definition of a mediocre horror film. This movie is a prequel to the Insidious trilogy and Ghost Hunter, Dr. Elise Rainer, who must return to her childhood home due to reports of it being haunted. I have never seen any of the previous films and know very little about them. Lin Shaye gives a great performance as our lead. All the other performances range from decent to laughable. There are a couple really intense sequences and I won't deny some of the jump scares got me really good. At 103 minutes the pacing of this movie is all over the place. Sometimes it moves way too fast and other times scenes drag on forever. Overall, Insidious: The Last Key is a mediocre horror film that I can really only recommend to hardcore fans of the genre.

5/10

Paddington 2 Review

Paddington 2 is a delightful family film for all ages. This movie is about the continuing adventures of Paddington Bear, now settled in with the Brown family. Paddington wants nothing more than to buy a birthday present for his Aunt Lucy. However, when the gift is stolen Paddington is blamed and must clear his name. I was not a fan of the first Paddington movie but this film is pure joy to watch. Ben Whishaw does an incredible job voicing Paddington.  Sally Hawkins gives an amazing performance as Mrs. Brown. The standout of this movie is the villainous turn from Hugh Grant. He is hamming it up and having the time of his life playing the villain. Director Paul King does a great job blending the CGI of Paddington with the real world sets. He brings a very quirky Wes Anderson like style to this movie. At 103 minutes this movie moves at a very fast pace. My only flaw with this movie is there are about 10 minutes halfway through where I wasn't enjoying it. Thankfully that period did not last long. Overall, Paddington 2 is a cinematic delight appropriate for all ages.

Make sure to stay during the credits.

8.5/10

All the Money in the World Review

All the Money in the World is a great movie. This movie is about the true story kidnapping of John Paul Getty III and his mother's mission to convince their grandfather to pay the ransom. This movie has been shrouded in controversy as this movie originally starred Kevin Spacey and was replaced with Christopher Plummer at the last minute after allegations came out against Spacey. So let's get this out the way. Other than one scene with the noticeable green screen, you would have no clue he was replaced last minute. Christopher Plummer does give a fantastic performance as the grandfather. Michele Williams gives an incredible Oscar-worthy performance that will sadly get overlooked. Mark Wahlberg proves yet again that he can be a great actor when he wants to be as he also gives a great performance. As for flaws, the first act of this movie is slow and very flashback heavy. This could occasionally get very confusing. However, during the second and third acts I was holding my breath the entire time due to how suspenseful and intense it was. Overall, All the Money in the World is a fantastic movie that I highly recommend.

9/10

The Greatest Showman Review

The Greatest Showman is a fun, old-school musical that mostly works. This movie is inspired by the story of P.T. Barnum and the creation of the circus.  Hugh Jackman gives an amazing performance. I am totally interested in any future musicals he is involved in. Zac Efron also gave a great performance. He is a great comrade with Jackman and great chemistry with Zendaya. Rebecca Ferguson is good in this movie, however her subplot just dragged the movie down for me. Michelle Williams is good as Jackman's wife but she feels incredibly out of place. Most of the musical numbers in this movie are fun and catchy, however there are a few that do not work. The highlight is easily a big duo between Jackman and Efron. At 105 minutes this movie is paced fairly well although it does drag at parts. Overall, The Greatest Showman is a fun movie and despite its flaws, I would highly recommend it to fans of musicals.

7.5/10

Pitch Perfect 3 Review

Pitch Perfect 3 was pure cinematic fun. This movie is about the Bella's reuniting for one final singing competition, but now face groups with instruments. While this movie does have a slightly weak start, once the main story gets going, it was extremely entertaining until the film ended. Anna Kendrick continues to give a great performance in these films and the story is back to focusing on her. Rebel Wilson can be very funny but also very annoying. Thankfully her character here did not bother me too much and she does have some funny moments. The rest of the Bella's are still great as well and they all have fantastic chemistry with each other. Other than the weak start it does not have any major flaws. At 93 minutes the movie flies by. This is a great ending to the series, however, they do need to end it here. Overall Pitch Perfect 3 was a ton of fun and I would highly recommend it for fans of the series.

8.5/10