Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again Review

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again was a fun summer musical. This movie is about Sophie who finds out more about her mother's past while also dealing with her own pregnancy. Lily James gives an incredible performance in this movie. She is extremely likable and funny and handles emotional moments with ease. She is also a fantastic singer and does an excellent job in the musical numbers. Jeremy Irvine, Hugh Skinner, and Josh Dylan all do a fantastic job playing their characters and have a great chemistry with Lily James. Amanda Seyfried gives a great performance and does a good job with her big musical numbers. Pierce Bronson, Stellen Skarsgard, and Colin Firth all give excellent performances as Sophie’s dads. Christine Baranski and Julie Walters are a lot of fun in smaller roles. Cher, however, I was not a fan of in this movie. Her character is forced into the movie and I did not like her big musical number. As for this musical numbers themselves, most of them are fantastic with great singing and excellent choreography. Director Ol Parker did a fantastic job with such a large ensemble. The script is filled with likable characters and never spends too long without a musical number. The cinematography is great and the locations look stunning. At 120 minutes the movie moves at a good pace, but stalls a bit toward the finale. As for other flaws the present day scenes are good, but I was far more invested in the flashback story. Overall Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is a fun summer movie for musical fans.

7.5/10

The Equalizer 2 Review

The Equalizer 2 is a good action sequel but a step down from the first film. This movie is about Robert McCall who delivers vigilante justice till one day he loses someone close. Denzel Washington gives a great performance. He does a fantastic job in the action scenes and is always enjoyable to watch. Pedro Pascal gives a great performance as Denzel’s old partner. Bill Pullman and Melissa Leo also give good performances in smaller roles. Director Antoine Fuqua continues to be a great action director. The fight scenes here are a ton of fun and innovative at times. The script is good with well-written characters but takes too long to get going. At 121 minutes the movie has an entertaining slow first half, but makes up for it with an action-packed second half. Overall The Equalizer 2 was a good action sequel with another great Denzel Washington performance.

7/10

Sorry to Bother You Review

Sorry to Bother You is a wild, crazy, unique movie with a heavy dose of political commentary. This movie is about a telemarketer who lives in an alternate reality version of Oakland. The less you know about this movie the more fun the ride will be. Lakeith Stanfield gives a fantastic performance. He plays every aspect of his character to perfection. Tessa Thompson gives a really good performance as Lakeith’s girlfriend. Danny Glover and Armie Hammer both give great performances in smaller roles. First time director Boots Riley did a fantastic job creating a world and characters that I was immediately grabbed by. The script is fantastic filled with tons of laughs and a few surprises. The cinematography and editing are both fantastic and done in a way that gives the movie a unique feel. The score as well stands out, especially in a few scenes. At 105 minutes the movie moves at a very quick pace that never gives you much time to catch your breath. As for flaws, I am still not sure every creative decision in the 3rd act worked for me but it definitely left an impact on me. Overall Sorry to Bother You was a great movie, but is only going to work for certain audiences.

8/10

Skyscraper Review

Skyscraper is a dumb fun action movie with a slow start. This movie is about a former FBI agent who must save his family from a fire in the world’s tallest building. Dwayne Johnson gives a good performance. He carries this movie and is the only reason any of this works. Neve Campbell gives an okay performance but has very little to do. Roland Moller’s villain is laughable and way over the top. Chin Han is completely wasted as the owner of the building. Director Rawson Thurber does a good job directing, especially in any of the scenes involving heights. The script is extremely dumb with almost every big action scene stolen from a better movie. The visual effects are mostly really good though some of the fire effects could be better. At 102 minutes the movie takes around thirty minutes to get going and then it remains moderately entertaining. Overall Skyscraper isn’t a very good movie, but for fans of Dwayne Johnson, it is worth a watch.

6.5/10

Sicario Day of the Soldado Review

Sicario Day of the Soldado was a good sequel but a step down from the first movie. This movie is about an FBI agent who works to prevent drug cartels from smuggling terrorists across the U.S. border. Josh Brolin gives a great performance. Benicio del Toro gives a fantastic performance bringing tons of nuance to his character. Isabela Moner also gives a good performance in a smaller role. Director Stefano Sollima does a good job, especially in the action scenes. Taylor Sheridan’s script is good, but some moments during the 3rd act make no sense with the characters. The cinematography has some strong moments but overall looks more like a tv show than a movie. As for other flaws, there’s a completely unnecessary subplot that takes up too much screen time. At 122 minutes the movie moves at a good pace though it slows down a bit too much. Overall Sicario Day of the Soldado is a good sequel, but a significant step down from the the first movie.

7/10

Incredibles 2 Review

Incredibles 2 is a fantastic sequel and well worth the long wait. This movie is about Elastigirl taking over the superhero work while Mr. Incredible has to stay home and take care of the kids. Craig T. Nelson does a fantastic job voicing Mr. Incredible. Holly Hunter does a great job voicing Elastigirl. Sarah Vowell did an excellent job voicing Violet, but you can tell the actress' voice is not quite the same as it was fourteen years ago. Newcomer Huck Milner does a perfect job voicing Dash and I could not tell it was a new voice actor. Samuel L. Jackson remains a ton of fun voicing Frozone. The animation in this movie is absolutely stunning to look at throughout. Director Brad Bird did an excellent job returning to the series. The script is filled with numerous laugh out loud moments with great character development. As for flaws, the villain is weak but it does not ruin the movie. At 118 minutes the movie moves at a fast pace rarely slowing down and is always entertaining. Overall Incredibles 2 was a hilarious exciting sequel and I hope we don't have to wait for another fourteen years for Incredibles 3.

9.5/10

Won't You Be My Neighbor? Review

Won’t You Be My Neighbor?  is a fantastic documentary. This movie is about an inside look at Fred Rodger’s life and his show Mr. Rodger’s Neighborhood. Director Morgan Neville should be commended for taking an honest look at this story. Throughout the entire 93 minute runtime I was engaged and never bored. Overall Won’t You Be My Neighbor? is a fantastic documentary for anyone interested in the subject.

9/10