Men in Black: International Review

Men in Black: International was a fun sequel with good performances from its leads. This movie follows two new Men in Black agents as they fight against new aliens and a mole inside the agency. Tessa Thompson gives a great performance. She continues to prove her worth as a lead, especially with comedy. Chris Hemsworth gives a fantastic performance. His comedic timing continues to be spot on and he has an excellent dynamic with Thompson. Liam Neeson gives a fine performance in his supporting role. Kumail Nannjiani gives a hilarious voice performance. He has almost all of the film's funniest moments. Rebecca Ferguson does a decent job with her material, but her role is extremely random. F. Garry Gray did a great job directing. The movie does well with all its unique settings and the movie keeps up its sense of energy throughout. The script is good, but flawed. The characters are fun and there are definitely funny moments, but the film was never quite as hilarious as I hoped. At 116 minutes the pacing is decent, but does have some slower moments where the movie goes too long without a joke. Overall, Men in Black: International was a fun, but not a great addition to the franchise.
6.5/10

Shaft (2019) Review

Shaft (2019) is not for the easily offended, but for fans of old-school R-Rated buddy cop movies, there is a lot to enjoy here. This movie is about John Shaft Jr. who enlists the help of his estranged father to find the truth behind his friend's untimely death. I'll start with saying I have never seen any of the previous Shaft movies but this movie completely stands on its own. Sam Jackson gives a fantastic performance. He is playing an extreme version of his typical character and having a blast doing so. He perfectly nails the mix of action and comedy. Jessie T. Usher gives a great performance. He starts off a little weak, but has excellent chemistry with Jackson and I bought their father-son dynamic. Richard Roundtree and Regina Hall are a lot of fun in their small supporting roles. Alexandra Shipp does a fine job as Usher's love interest but I wish she was given more to do. Tim Story's direction is good, albeit, unspectacular. The action scenes are well shot and the movie has a good feel to it but never quite feels like a big theatrical release. The script is a mixed bag. The comedy in this movie is laugh out loud hilarious and the characters are extremely likable. However, the overly convoluted plot is filled with holes and does not make a ton of sense. At 111 minutes the movie mostly flies by only occasionally slowing down. Overall, Shaft (2019) is by no means cinematic art but for fans of this kind of movie, there is plenty to enjoy here.
7.5/10

Late Night Review

Late Night was a fun comedy with strong performances. This movie is about a famous late-night talk show host, who to save her show brings on a female writer to stay relevant. Emma Thompson gives a fantastic performance. Her comedic timing is spot on and you care for her character even when she acts unlikable. Mindy Kaling gives a good performance. She has an enjoyable screen presence and a fun dynamic with Thompson but she was basically playing herself. Reid Scott and John Lithgow also do fine jobs in their supporting roles. Nisha Ganatra did a good job directing. She captures the feeling of late night TV well, but the cinematography sometimes looks more like a streaming movie than a theatrical release. The script is mostly great with plenty of funny moments and good character beats. The first 2 acts of this movie are great with numerous laugh out loud jokes that balance the political commentary with the story. The last act, while still good, gets quite serious at times and goes on too long without a joke. At 102 minutes the pacing is good but does feel a bit slower in the more drama-oriented third act. Overall Late Night was a fun comedy boosted by Emma Thompson’s fantastic performance.
7/10

Booksmart Review

Booksmart is a really funny modern high school comedy. This movie is about two teenage girls, on the eve of their graduation, realize they should have partied more and aim to make it all up in one crazy night. Kaitlyn Dever gives a great performance. She makes you immediately care for her character and has fantastic comedic timing. Beanie Feldstein gives a good performance. She has funny moments and a good dynamic with Dever. However, she could get annoying at times. Jason Sudeikis and Diana Silvers are fantastic in their supporting roles. Skyler Gisondo gives an okay performance. I liked him in the second half but he could overstay his welcome early on. The best part of this movie is Billie Lourd's hysterical performance. She steals every single scene she's in. Oliva Wilde did a great job with this being her directorial debut. However, she does sometimes overuse music and that dilutes the impact of some scenes. The script is really good. The movie keeps the jokes flowing at a good rate and has numerous laugh out loud moments. The movie also does an excellent job portraying how teenagers talk and interact with each other. Especially strong is the movie's realistic portrayal of high school romance. At 102 minutes the pacing is good rarely going too long without a joke. However, a few scenes in the middle can drag just a bit. Overall, Booksmart is not perfect but remains a great modern high school comedy.
8/10

The Secret Life of Pets 2 Review

The Secret Life of Pets 2 was a really cute animated film and an improvement over the first film. This movie continues the adventures of Max and his friends as they live their everyday lives. Patton Oswalt did a great job voicing Max. He has a very energetic voice that fits the character well. Kevin Hart continues to be a fantastic voice actor and brings numerous laughs playing the fluffy bunny Snowball. Harrison Ford gives a hilarious performance. His character made me laugh numerous times. Jenny Slate and Lake Bell also do good voice work in their respective roles. Tiffany Haddish does a fine job voicing her character, but I found her story to be the weakest part of the movie. The rest of the huge voice cast all do well in their supporting roles. Chris Renaud did a great job directing. The animation is fantastic and all the animals are adorable. The script is perfectly serviceable. The story is very simple and just serves for us to enjoy cute animal antics. At 86 minutes this movie flies by and is a super easy watch. There is nothing mean or offensive here and is just a pleasant watch. Overall, The Secret Life of Pets 2 is nothing great, but is an enjoyable movie for kids and animal lovers.
7/10

Dark Phoenix Review

Dark Phoenix is better than I expected, but is still the worst of the new series. This movie is about Jean Grey whose incredible powers begin to corrupt her. As she becomes more powerful, lines get drawn in the X-Men as internal conflict rises. Sophie Turner gives a good performance. She sells the conflicted nature of her character well. James McAvoy gives a great performance. He has a couple of stand out moments but he is not as good as he has been. Jennifer Lawrence gives a fine performance. She is better here than the previous film, but still seems like she does not want to be there. Jessica Chastain gives a mediocre performance and her character is totally pointless. Michael Fassbender is by far the best part of this movie. He is still giving this role his absolute all and has numerous strong moments.  Kodi Smit-McPhee and Tye Sheridan also give good performances in their respective smaller roles. Simon Kinberg's direction is a mixed bag. While some of the dialogue scenes feel very TV-like, the action sequences are among the best of the series. The script is fine but feels like there are parts missing. There are characters who feel like they had a much bigger role originally before rewrites. The score is great making you feel emotional at times when the script did not quite get me there. At 113 minutes the pacing is mostly great. The first act has an intriguing setup and does a good job bringing you into the story. Despite some strong moments, there are large parts of the second act which do not work at all. The third act, however, is fantastic and has one of the best action scenes of the franchise. Overall, I rather enjoyed Dark Phoenix despite all its flaws and I am going to miss this cast.
7.5/10

Godzilla: King of the Monsters Review

Godzilla: King of the Monsters is a step down from the first film but is still an enjoyable monster movie. This movie is about a bunch of monsters fighting for dominance of the earth after being released by humans. Kyle Chandler gives a good performance. It is not an extremely developed character, but he is charismatic enough to be a likable lead. Vera Farmiga gives an okay performance. She is doing the best she can with the material but her material is so ridiculously stupid and over the top, I could not take her seriously. Millie Bobby Brown gives a great performance. She has a good screen presence and makes you care about her character. Ken Watanabe gives a fantastic performance. He easily has the best-acted scene in the movie. The rest of the massive supporting cast all do serviceable jobs in their roles. Michael Dougherty did a great job directing. The monster scenes have a good sense of scale and are exciting to watch. However, they do sometimes cut back to the human characters too much. The script is a very mixed bag. The plot is insanely stupid and some of the dialogue is so cheesy that you do not know whether to laugh or cringe. Anytime the monsters are on screen the film immediately improves. The monster designs all look fantastic. The visual effects are also great, though very much hidden behind darkness and rain to hide the flaws. At 132 minutes the pacing is all over the place. Sometimes the movie flies by especially during the monster segments, other times it seems to drag on for forever. Overall, Godzilla: King of the Monsters is a fun monster film with great action scenes, but those looking for any depth in plot or characters need not bother.
7.5/10

Aladdin (2019) Review

Aladdin (2019) is a fantastic movie and the best live action remake yet. This movie is a remake of the 90s animated classic and is about a street rat who falls in love with a princess. Mena Massoud gives a great performance as Aladdin. He is a really good singer and has a natural charisma that makes him fun to watch. Naomi Scott gives a fantastic performance as Jasmine. She is an incredible singer and has excellent chemistry with Massoud. She brings so much extra depth to her character. Will Smith does an incredible job as the Genie. He wisely does not copy Robin Williams' iconic performance, instead fully making the role his own. This is his best performance in years and he is clearly having so much fun. Nasim Pedrad is a lot of fun in her supporting role. Marwan Kenzari gives a really good performance as Jafar. His character is very different than the animated film and is sure to cause some debate, but I thought he played the unique take well. Guy Ritchie did a great job directing. The action sequences are thrilling and the musical numbers are a ton of fun to watch. The musical numbers translate really well to live action and the new musical numbers are equally incredible. The script is excellent. It keeps the classic story while also adding a few unique changes. They also improved Jasmine's character and gave her more to do. The visual effects are much improved from the marketing. Blue Will Smith never looked out of place and the action scenes were stunning. At 128 minutes the pacing is excellent rarely dragging at all. Overall, Aladdin (2019) is a fantastic movie and one of the best movies of the year so far.
9.5/10

Rocketman Review

Rocketman is a great musical biopic with a strong lead performance. This movie tells the true life story of Elton John in musical form, as we live his fantasy. Taron Egerton gives a fantastic performance. He completely disappears into the role to the point you sometimes think you are watching young Elton for real. Jamie Bell gives a great performance as Elton’s songwriter. He has good chemistry with Egerton and the two play off each other well. Richard Madden gives a decent performance. He plays a jerk decently enough. Bryce Dallas Howard gives a good performance in her supporting role and she looks unrecognizable. Dexter Fletcher did a great job directing. The musical numbers are well shot and intricately done. The script is really good but has some issues. The start of the movie is rather weak. As for the musical numbers themselves, some of them are extremely forced. The ones that work, though, are extremely fun and exciting to watch. At 121 minutes the pacing is fine. I was never bored, but there are parts that drag on way too long. Overall, Rocketman was a good musical biopic with a fantastic lead performance that culminates into a great time at the movies despite its flaws.
8/10

Ma Review

Ma is a mediocre horror thriller with a great lead performance. This movie is about Sue Ann, a lonely old lady who opens up her basement for teenagers to drink and party. However, there are dark secrets hidden in her past. Octavia Spencer gives a great performance. She never quite reaches the full craziness level that this movie needed but she captivates the screen well. Diana Silvers gives a really good performance. She is easily likable and her character is smart enough so that she is easy to root for. The rest of the main teenagers give okay performances, but their dialogue does not sound like modern-day teenagers. Tate Taylor did a fine job directing. The movie is competently made but never is spectacular. The script is fine but never goes as crazy as it should have. There are way too many slow moments and the crazy stuff is never quite as messed up as it should be. At 99 minutes the pacing is all over the place. Some scenes go fast while others seem to drag on forever. While I was never bored this movie does feel longer than it is. Overall, Ma is a mediocre horror thriller that gets a boost thanks to its two strong lead performances.
6/10