Anna Review

Anna is a needlessly over convoluted spy thriller that kept me invested throughout. This movie is about a model named Anna, who is secretly a spy for the KGB. Saha Luss gives a fantastic performance. She nails the physicality of the action scenes while also selling me on the emotional side of her character. Hellen Mirren gives a good performance in her supporting role. Luke Evans and Cillian Murphy both give great performances but they are severely underutilized. Luc Besson did an excellent job directing. The action scenes are incredibly fluid and brutal and the movie has a very sleek feel about it. Besson's screenplay though has some serious issues. The core story is great and compelling but the movie has a ridiculous amount of time skips with many of them being completely pointless. Also, this movie has an insane amount of sexual scenes which will turn people off. At 119 minutes the pacing is really good hardly ever slowing down though the time jumps make it hard to keep up with how far into the story we are. Overall, Anna is a very flawed movie and will not be for everyone, but I personally remained invested throughout.
7/10

Toy Story 4 Review

Toy Story 4 is easily the weakest film in the series, but is still a pretty good film on its own. This movie continues the story of the toys as Woody must look after a new toy named Forky, who is quite the handful. Tom Hanks continues to do an excellent job voicing Woody. He nails the emotion and the comedy, though there are moments his voice sounds older that can be distracting. Tim Allen also continues to be a fantastic Buzz though he is slightly underused this time. Annie Potts returns as Bo Peep and does a fantastic job with the new take on her character. Keanu Reeves is a lot of fun in his small supporting role. Christina Hendricks does a great job voicing the villain. Key and Peele are absolutely hilarious as two new characters. Also while sadly underused in the second half, Tony Hale’s Forky has some of the funniest moments in the movie. The rest of the original cast continues to be great here, but they are very small supporting roles this time. Josh Cooley did a fantastic job directing. The animation is near photorealistic at times while also giving off a sense of warmth. The script is really good but flawed. There are numerous funny moments throughout and I liked all the new characters. The movie also succeeds at pulling at your heartstrings numerous times. However, I felt that the underuse of Buzz and some questionable plot choices brought the movie down. At 100 minutes the movie has a good pace though it does have a few moments where it slows down too long. Overall, Toy Story 4 is a really fun and sometimes emotional movie, just do not expect it to reach the greatness of the originals.
7.5/10

Child's Play (2019) Review

Child's Play (2019) is an extremely fun horror-comedy held back by a slow second act. This movie is about a mom who gives her 13-year-old son an AI toy doll for his birthday unaware of the doll's more evil intentions. Gabriel Bateman gives a fantastic performance. He makes us care about him easily and you sympathize with him through everything. Aubrey Plaza gives a great performance though she is slightly underused. She is believable as Bateman's mom and their dynamic is really charming. Brian Tyree Henry is really good in his supporting role. Mark Hamil, though, steals this entire movie. His voice fits Chucky perfectly and he is able to easily balance the mix of creepy and funny. Lars Klevberg did a great job directing. The movie excellently captures the feeling of old school horror films. The script is really good, but has some issues in the middle. The first act perfectly sets everything up and the third act is nothing but crazy fun. However, the movie sacrifices some character work in the second act for kills and the movie becomes weaker for it. At 90 minutes the first and third acts fly by but the second act does drag on too long at times. Overall, Child's Play (2019) is a really fun and entertaining movie, but could not quite reach greatness.
7.5/10

The Dead Don't Die Review

The Dead Don't Die is a very funny offbeat movie but with a very niche audience. This movie is about a small country town that finds itself suddenly being overwhelmed with zombies. Bill Murray gives his best performance in years. His dry delivery makes every line he says laugh out loud hilarious. Adam Driver gives a fantastic performance. He has excellent comedic timing and the scenes he shares with Murray are easily the films best. Chloe Sevigny gives an okay performance. She does a fine job with the material but her character could become annoying. Tilda Swinton gives a good performance in a very weird supporting role. Tom Waits and Selena Gomez are a ton of fun in their supporting roles. There are plenty of short cameos from many other actors that are quite funny. Jim Jarmusch does a good job directing. The movie has a very normal look to it which just amplifies some of the crazy humor. The script is really good but not without its flaws. Any time the movie focuses on its main character its hilarious and the movie never goes too long without a laugh. However, there are side plots that end up being completely pointless and any attempt at political commentary kind of falls flat. At 104 minutes the pacing is deliberately slow and sometimes that works in the movie's favor and sometimes it does not. Overall, The Dead Don't Die was a very unique and fun comedy but will have a very specific audience.
7.5/10

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