PLOT: A remake of 1976 of the true story of
Midway.
After the Japanese
attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, American soldiers attacked the
Japanese. It was made in 1976 with
Charleston Heston Glenn Ford and countless other older stars and now director
Roland Emmerich of Independence Day and Godzilla 1998. Special effects are amazing and he uses it
well for dramatic effect but it is the cast that shows tragedy and triumph of
the fighters and pilots who risked their lives.
What stood out is Nick Jonas as Bruno Gaido who was a fearless
pilot. Good supporting cast such as
Dennis Quaid, Aaron Eckhart, Luke Evans and Woody Harrleson.
BLACK CHRISTMAS
HORROR/THRILLER
PLOT: The 3rd remake of the 1974
slasher classic with a twist.
PLOT: Elsa finds out how she got her powers in the
sequel.
Elsa hears a siren
in her head and she must go to find out what is calling to her. Her loving
sister Anna and her devoted friends will go to the enchanted forest to help
Elsa. The film is a visual
delight. The music is okay but the funny
and cute Olaf is a wonderful. The film
is for all ages who like adventure, comedy and music. It is a MUST see.
PLOT: Smokejumpers save three mischievous kids and has to take care of them.
Jake (John Cena) and his crew save three children. Jake is by the book fireman but he has to let the kids stay with them until the parents come. It has much slapstick and toilet humor but the movie is about taking care of what is really important: family. It is cute if you like former wrestler John Cena, Keegan-Michael Key, John Leguizamo and Tyler Mane as his partners at work.
FORD VS. FERRARI
DRAMA
PLOT: Two men changed the LeMans, France in 1966 car racing forever.
Carroll Shelby (Mark Damon) is a car designer who is charismatic, idealistic and has to deal with the egos of the big bosses and Ken Miles (Christian Bale) is the mechanic, driver and crash dummy to reinvent racing cars. Damon and Bale two Oscar winners also help bring the characters to life. Even if you don’t know anything about cars you will enjoy this movie for you care about the characters and the problems they must overcome to bring their vision to life.
DOCTOR SLEEP
HORROR
PLOT: The sequel to The Shining.
Dan Torrance(Ewan McGregor) is now an adult still frightened by the events when he was child but confront his demons when he helps a teen named Abra Stone(Kyliegh Curran) who has the “shining” to stop a supernatural cult led by Rose The Hat(Rebecca Ferguson) to kidnap children to inhale their “shining essence” to remain immortal. OMG this film is slow and strange. The movie takes it time and it does become interesting. It is based on the book by the same name by Stephen King. I did not read the book so as you know Hollywood changes many things. If you like the The Shining you will enjoy this and the performances by McGregor, Curran and Ferguson are not bad.
PLOT: An assassin is growing old and growing a conscious is being targeted by a mysterious hit man.
Henry Brogan (Will Smith) is the best hit man in the business but he is aging and wants peace but he doesn’t realize he is being stalked by a younger clone of himself! It is bad enough the government made a clone of you but then to top it off a younger version of you too! The special effects are good but the audience may find it difficult to deal with. Hollywood will never have new stars if they can de-age the popular celebrities! The action is good and if you like Will Smith go-if not wait until video.
ZOMBELAND : DOUBLE TAP
HORROR/COMEDY
PLOT: The sequel to Zombieland.
From the last movie Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), Columbus (Jessie Eisenberg) Wichita (Emma Stone) Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) are living in the Whitehouse being the best they can be as a family. Little Rock is now a teenager and wants to leave the nest and does. Columbus wants to go to another level with Wichita. Wichita is afraid of commitment and leaves with Little Rock but then Little Rock takes off with a hippie. Wichita must look for her. It is very violent and very funny. Harrelson as Tallahassee is GREAT! The rest of the cast look like they are having a fun time arguing and killing zombies.
MALEFICENT MISTRESS OF EVIL
ACTION/FANTASY
PLOT: A wedding, betrayal and war: the sequel to Maleficent.
Maleficent (Angelina Jolie) is Aurora‘s (Elle Fanning) god daughter and the prince wishes to marry her. The king of the land loves the idea for there will be peace with magical beings and humans but not Queen Ingrith (Michelle Pfeiffer) who schemes to create chaos and frame Maleficent. Maleficent escapes but is hurt and is saved by Conall (Chitetel Ejiofor) who is also like her a Dark Fae who wants peace with the humans as his kind hide. Borra (Ed Skrein) wants war with mankind for there are close to extinction. The film is like a fairy tale and Game of Thrones! Pfeiffer is wicked to the core but she does have her reasons. The special effects-amazing and the two stars Jolie and Pfeiffer are worth watching!
Arthur Fleck
(Joaquin Phoenix) has major mental issues.
He is a clown who wants to be more but can’t. He is delusional a lot so you don’t know what
you watching but he has a breakdown that leads to riots in the streets. There is nothing funny about this movie but
Phoenix is brilliant at being TOTALLY UNHINGED!!! He is the most physically fit psycho I have
seen on film. He is either running or
dancing He should be nominated for Oscar.
The music is as creepy as he is scored by Hildur Guonadottir. It is rated R for a reason and aint for
kids. It drags at times because you are
watching a character study of a loony loser!
ABOMINABLE
ANIMATION
Plot: A young girl helps a magical Yeti get back
home.
Yi misses her
father and she keeps busy by doing endless job no one else would do and to save
money to go to places her father wanted to take the family. Her second home is the roof of her building
and she meets a scared, escaped young
Yeti which she names Everest and she will take him back home. Dr. Burnish wants to find the creature to
prove that they exist. You have seen
this movie before but it is delightful.
It is about loneliness, happiness and teamwork. It is a joy to watch.
THE ADDAMS FAMILY
ANIMATION
PLOT: They’re creepy and they're kooky and now
computer animated!
The Addams Family
has been around since 1938! At first a
comic strip, then a TV series in the 60s then in the movies in the 90s and now
animated! Short as the film is it does
provides origins about the butler Lurch and the scary house they live in. They are weird and wonderful! If you enjoyed the TV show and the films in
the 90s you will like this. Margaux, a
home decorator wants The Addams to be like everyone else in her neighborhood
normal and happy. She does not know this
family! Margaux has a daughter named Parker who feels she is abandon by her mom
and bullied at school. Wednesday and
Parker become friends with horrific, humorist results.
John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) is on his ranch training horses and adopted a pretty Latina girl, Gabrielle (Yvette Monreal). She wants to find out more about her father in Mexico and Rambo told her not to go but she goes. She finds out the truth about her dad, upset she has a night of partying and she does not come home, the Mexican cartel has her and Rambo has to save her. OMG, this film is very violent. Rambo wants no more war but he can’t escape it! Rambo is like a slasher movie for the death are so malicious and heinous but the audience wants blood and he delivers! Action hounds rejoice! Stallone says it is the last one but if it makes money-Rambo 6!
HUSTLERS
COMEDY/DRAMA
PLOT: Former strippers become con-artists.
Destiny (Constance Wu) struggles to help her grandmother but she is barely getting by and she is working at a strip club. Soon she meets Ramona (Jennifer Lopez) and she shows her how to strip and make real money! Then in 2008 the recession and back to being poor. Ramona cons guys to go to the strip club and she takes their money. Soon Ramona and her gang drug the rich clients for themselves and of course drama happens. This is based on a true story. Wu and Lopez are great in their roles. Wu as the new girl who likes what stripping can do for you and Lopez as a charming but greedy female. It is sleazy at times and that why men go to strip clubs. The director of the film is a female Lorene Scafaria. She is also a screenwriter and I hope she does other projects.
AD ASTRA
SCI-FI/MYSTERY
PLOT: Astronaut finds his father, another astronaut in space.
What does “ad astra” is Latin meaning hardship to the stars.
Roy McBride (Brad Pitt) is an astronaut who is told that his estrange father, also an astronaut is alive and near Neptune. They were never close and Roy goes to great lengths to find his father. Let me be clear-this is NOT Star Wars! It is more realistic yet beautiful shows the stars and planets. It is slow moving and it tells the mental and psychological toll it takes on an astronaut. Pitt is great and he proves again he is more than a handsome face. Again, the movie is good but very slow-not for action lovers or sci-fi blockbuster.
PLOT: The Losers Club now grown and they must kill It again.
It has been 27
years since the Losers Club has seen each other but they made a pack if IT
(Pennywise), the clown, who is really not a clown came back they would come
back to Derry. It comes back and they
join forces to take Pennywise out. The
movie is good and long! The ending
lasted like forever! The cast is very
good and Pennywise gets in their heads forcing them to see past horrors and
future fears! The film is good but not
as good as the first one.
GOOD BOYS
SEX COMEDY
PLOT: Three 12 year old boys ditch school just to
learn how to kiss.
Max (Jacob
Tremblay), Lucas (Keith L. Williams) and Thor ( Brady Noon) are tweens and only
Max is invited to a kissing party. The
three boys don’t know how to kiss so
they try to learn and get into more trouble than they can imagine. If you like the Three Stooges as 12 year olds
with cursing and sex toys you will like this movie. The movie is fun in low-grade way. It is produced by Seth Rogen so if you like
his films you will enjoy this.
ANGRY BIRDS 2
ANIMATION
PLOT: The birds and green pigs must save their
land from a new threat.
Red (Jason
Sudeikis) is hero to Birdland but Chuck, (Josh Gad) the king of the green pigs
still annoy them. Their feud continues
until the evil Zeta (Leslie Jones) is tired of the cold island she is on so the
birds and the green pigs must join forces to save the place. It is a whacky sequel but the soundtrack is
great. The best meaning of all if they
all work together they will succeed. It
is worth seening.
PLOT: Aging actor of the 50s trying to stay relevant.
Rick Dalton ( Leo
DiCaprio) was a star of TV show Bounty
Law and his stunt double Cliff (Brad Pitt) who is also his assistant and a good
friend. As he gets older roles become
less and he becomes a villain on TV shows.
Dalton also lives next door to Sharon Tate, the infamous actress who
became famous not because of talent but Charles Manson cult followers killed
her. DiCaprio and Pitt are great as
friends and despite the subject matter they are very funny. Margot Robbie is Tate but she has little to
do. The acting was amazing but who stood
out was Dakota Fanning as Squeaky Fromme.
She was like a time bomb ready to attack anyone. The ending is a violent mess but it is not
what you think. Hint: Remember the title. If you like Quentin Tarantino you will enjoy
this movie.
READY OR NOT
HORROR/COMEDY
PLOT: Young bride has to survive the night with
her husband’s family.
Grace (Samara
Weaving) is so happy to get married into a rich family, the LeDomas who are
rich because they create games. There is
a game Grace has to play –Hide and Seek but she must be hunted down before dawn
or ALL the family members will die!
Grace has to play nasty and do what she can to make it before dawn. OMG it is frightening and funny too. Weaving who looks so much like actress Margot
Robbie is creepy. She is tough and
resourceful too. If you like horror and
slasher movies this is for you.
ANGEL HAS FALLEN
ACTION/THRILLER
PLOT: Secret Service Agent Mike Banning is framed
for murder of the President.
Mike Banning(Gerald Butler) is
getting older, has insomnia, a beautiful baby and other problems but when he is
framed for killing Trumbell, (Morgan Freedman) the President of the United
States he uses his skills to dodge the FBI and other agents to find out who and
why they framed him. This is the 3rd
film of the series and it is full of action.
You find out early who the villains are before the end but there are
surprises still. If you like the two
films before this one YOU will enjoy this one.
PLOT: Hobbs and Shaw must work together to save the world.
Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) and Shaw (Jason Statham) who don’t like each other must save Shaw’s sister Hattie (Vanessa Kirby), a M16 agent from dying from a poison that can wipe out the world. The story is insane and so is the action. What makes it really funny is the macho bickering between the two leads. In the previous Fast and Furious they were fighting each other so if you seen those you know what I mean. The evil, black superman Brixton (Idris Elba) is great as a bad guy. If you like the Fast and Furious franchise, Johnson and Stratham you will enjoy this movie!
SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK
HORROR
PLOT: In 1968 on Halloween a group of teens are trapped in a haunted house and they find a book that tells their deaths.
Sarah Bellows was a lonely child who wrote frightening tales of the macabre but none was as scary as her own disturbed story. Years later a group of teens for Halloween go to a so called haunted house-the Bellows and a young girl who loves horror picks up a book written by Sarah. Bad idea! Not only did she write previous stories; she is now writing stories that come to life and the group has to find out the truth about Sarah Bellows before all are killed. You have seen this before but this film is not scary as it is creepy!!! The special effects help very much and the teens are very good actors. They should have release this near Halloween. If you enjoy anthologies and horror you will enjoy this.
DORA AND THE LOST CITY OF GOLD
COMEDY/ACTION/ADVENTURE
PLOT: Based on the cartoon series Dora The Explorer
Dora (Isabela Moner) grew up in the jungle most of her life now has to go to high school while her parents (Eva Longoria and Michael Pena) are on a dangerous journey to go to the legend of Parapata where there is gold treasure. It is very cute and Moner is great as Dora, a teenaged, Latina Lara Croft. She is brave, upbeat fearless and smart. Comic actor Eugenio Derbez as the bad guy Alejandro is good. Go if you like the series even though she is a teenager.
PLOT: Chucky, the killer doll of 1988 movie has gone hi-tech!
In 1988 film of the same name a bad man possessed a cute doll now a disgruntled worker picks one doll and cuts out all the safety features but the doll can control ALL electronic devices in the owner’s homes. The unlucky family is Karen Barclay, a working mom and her son Andy. Andy is 13 years old but she didn’t have much money and he doesn’t have any friends so she gives it to him for his birthday. Chucky kills anyone that hurts or upset Andy. The kills are very messy. Mark Hamill –that Mark Hamill from the Star Wars franchise does the voice of Chucky and he does a good job. He is cute and crazy! If you like movie in 1988 you will enjoy this one.
SPIDERMAN: FAR FROM HOME
ACTION/SCI-FI
PLOT: Peter Parker wants to have a normal vacation but a new villain gets in the way.
Peter Parker (Tom Holland) goes on a class trip to Europe to get away from being a superhero and tells Mary Jane (Zendaya) he likes her but things don’t goes as planned. Quentin Beck/Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhall) is a new menace and he has to save the day as Spiderman. Holland nails the character of Parker/Spiderman. It is full of action, humor and heart like the last one. As in all Marvel movies there are post credits and these you MUST see!!!
ANNABELLE COMES HOME
HORROR
PLOT: The evil doll is locked in a glass cage with good reason but it escapes.
The Warrens (based on real people) keep cursed artifacts in a locked room in their own house. They go away for a couple of days and the let Mary Ellen(Madison Iseman) a cute young woman take care of their only daughter, Judy (Mckenna Grace). Mary Ellen’s friend Daniela (Katie Sarife) is a mischief girl who opens the door to Annabelle’s cage and the fear begins. It takes a looong time before it gets going but some of the jump scares are good-not typical. I am not a fan of the Conjuring franchise but it does have its moments. If you like the other two Annabelle movies you will like this, if not wait until video.
Molly-Agent M (Tessa Thompson) had an alien encounter when she was young and is determined that MIB does exist. She does find it and wants to join then she does and her partner is Horatio-Agent H (Chris Hemsworth). Now only do they two have two have to work together to save the planet they think there is a mole in the organization. Oh-boy is it a wild ride! The special effects are amazing! Thompson and Hemsworth are good but they are not as good as Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones. Should you see if-only if you like the leads and the special effects.
TOY STORY 4
ANIMATED
PLOT: A new toy joins the gang of old toys.
Bonnie is going to kindergarten and on the first day of school she makes a toy out of a fork and names it Forky. Woody, Buzz Lightyear and the rest of the toys risk everything to save Forky to help Bonnie manage. The fourth film is just as delightful as the first one. It has humor and heart romance and action! The film franchise becomes better with each movie. A movie that should be seen by children and adults!
ANNA
ACTION/THRILLER
PLOT: Pretty young woman who is down on her luck becomes an assassin.
Anna Poliatova (real model Sasha Luss) has a criminal boyfriend in the beginning and her luck changes when she becomes a hit woman for a secret government agency. The movie has a foreign feel to it and they go back and forth in time. It’s a mixed of La Femme Nikita, Atomic Blonde and John Wick. The action scenes are just great. She kills very much and very well. If you can wait for video or on demand.
PLOT: Lonely older black woman has bad plans for a
group of teenages.
Sue Ann (Octavia
Spencer) lives alone, maybe and has a job as a veterinarian assistant. She lets kids use her basement to party and
call her Ma but there is a reason why she is doing this. Black people complain that black actors in
horror movies are the first to die but Ma is different for Ma is doing the
killing! If you watch horror movies you
figure it out very quickly but the film does tell you in flashback. Race is not mentioned in the movie but it could
easily be a blaxploitation film in the 70s, for most of the victims are white. Spencer is great for she can play a kind
woman to full-tilt psycho! There is a
lot of talent in the movie like Luke Evans (Dracula Untold, Beauty and the
Beast) and the director of The Help Tate Taylor to do a guilty pleasure B-movie
flick.
ALADDIN
FANTASY
PLOT: Live action film of the timeless story.
Disney made the
animated feature starring the voice of the late, great Robin Williams and now
it is live action with Will Smith as the Genie.
The singing so-so but the visual effects are AMAZING. Smith is no Robin Williams but he isn’t bad
as genie found by Aladdin whose only wish to be free and human. Marwan Kenzari is the evil Jafar and he does
a good job of being bad. I hope his
acting career goes far. DELIGHTFUL.
X-MEN: DARK PHOENIX
SUPERHERO
PLOT: The X-men has to fight one of their own.
The X-men now are
heroes in the future and mutants are no longer a threat but a mishap in space
causes Jean Grey (Sophie Turner) to absorb a cosmic force which slowly turns
her into the uncontrolled, malicious Phoenix.
The movie is good if you don’t know anything about X-men but if you read
the comics you will know many things don’t happen. First, Raven/ Mystique (Jennifer
Lawrence) was NEVER leader of the team! If it was done correctly it would be
like the Avengers’ saga and most of it happens in space. The back-story of this movie is more
interesting than the movie itself! If
you are a true of fan wait until video if you like action-go see it.
PLOT: Adult black woman gets to be a thirteen year old again.
Jordan Sanders (Regina Hall) is a black, successful but mean-spirited and demanding boss who makes a little girl angry and she makes her young again. It has been done many times plus it is predictable but this is the black version. Hall is funny and Marsai Martin (TV show blackish) is cute and amusing as young Jordan but it is Issa Rae who is hilarious as Jordan’s overworked creative assistant, April. It is better than I expected but it could easily be on TV movie.
THE HUSTLE
COMEDY
PLOT: Two female con artists make a bet to scam a tech billionaire.
Josephine (Anne Hathaway) is a classy, beautiful woman and Penny (Rebel Wilson) is pretty, plus crass female. The two ladies are con artists. They make a bet who can con the billionaire first. It is a female take on Dirty Rotten Scoundrels made in 1988 with Steve Martin and Michael Caine. I did not see that movie but I did see this one. It is not as funny as I thought it was going to be but it does have amusing parts in it. Hathaway has fun being having different accents and lovely outfits and Wilson is cute with her unique dresses. It is NOT worth watching in the movies but on video and cable.
GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS
ACTION/SCI-FI
PLOT: A sequel to Godzilla 2014.
Godzilla destroyed San Francisco while defeating a MUTO and disappear from sight in 5 years. Dr. Russell had a tragedy in her life and made a device named Orca (!) that can control the Titans (giant monsters) to obliterate the world to make it better again. Plot is not why I go see a Godzilla movie. You go see the film to watch monster battles and it does! It is not the flick in 2014 where Godzilla is in the entire movie for about 10 minutes! He is in the movie a lot! The epic film is for fans mostly for there are many references in GKOTM from the Toho movies. The 2 things I am not pleased with is the fight scenes are in the rain and there are suppose to be 17 monsters but I didn’t see them all. If you like Godzilla GO SEE THIS MOVIE but if not wait.
PLOT: The classic Disney animated movie is now
live action.
Dumbo is about a
baby elephant that has big ears because he can fly with them. He lives in a circus which is near ruin and
he becomes the main attraction but things happen that they take his mother
away. An evil rich man takes over the circus and worst things happen. It has more actors in the film for it is live
action. The special effects are great
and there are tender moments but it is NOT like the animated movie. Dumbo, the animated movie made in 1941 was
only 75 minutes. This movie is a little
longer.
AVENGERS:
ENDGAME
ACTION/FANTASY
PLOT: After the devastation of Avengers Infinity
Wars the heroes that are left must change events back.
The Avengers, Iron
Man, (Robert Downey Jr.) Captain America, (Chris Evans) Thor (Chris Hemsworth),
Black Widow (Scarlet Johansson), Hawkeye, (Jeremy Renner) and Hulk (Mark
Ruffalo) plus a few more superheroes are struggling with half the population
gone decide they have to correct the damage Thanos (James Brolin) has
done. It is long 3 hours and a bit
confusing but the ending is SAD, SPECTCULAR and SUSPENSEFUL!! It is worth the wait for Marvel fans and who
like this amazing epic movie franchise.
AFTER
DRAMA/ROMANCE
PLOT: Young college girl ventures off to college
and meets a handsome bad boy.
Tessa Young
(Josephine Langford) is a good daughter and dedicated student. When she goes away to college she has a
lesbian roommate, she parties more than usual and she meets a bad boy hunk
named Hardin Scott (Herro Fiennes Tiffin).
They lust for each other immediate then a romance blossoms and Tessa
gives up a few things for Hardin then finds out something shocking about
him. You seen this all before but it is
done very well. It is based on a novel
by Anna Todd and directed by a woman Jenny Cage. The movie is much nicer than the novel but it
is worth seening. The film was in
theaters a hot minute. I hope more will
see it on video.
PLOT: A clinic director of a Planned Parenthood
has a change of heart about abortion.
Based on the book
of the same name is about Abby Johnson (Ashley Bratcher) who had 2 abortions
herself-one the regular way and one chemical.
She is perfect woman to entice other women to do the same thing until
she sees what really happens to a fetus.
It is very GRAPHIC! After she sees that she becomes a pro-lifer
herself. It is a pro-life movie and very
well done. It does tell the other side that it is a business and it is corrupt.
You have to decide. Bratcher did an
excellent job. I hope she isn’t
blacklisted for doing this movie. The controversy is that the major
network-even Lifetime didn’t want to advertise and they should have! This is freedom of the press regardless of
subject matter. You have to search to
find the film but it is well worth it.
SHAZAM
ACTION/SUPERHERO
PLOT: Young boy has deity powers
by saying one name.
Billy Batson (Asher
Angel) is an orphan bouncing around from one foster home to another. He only was to find his mom so the last
faster home he meets Freddy, who is an authority of superheroes for he has a
bad leg and uses a crutch. He gets a
strange vision from The Wizard (Djimon Hounsou) gives him amazing powers with
one word, Shazam (Zachery Levi) which means Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus
Achilles and Mercury. The villain in the
film is Dr. Sivana (Mark Strong) who wants Billy’s powers. OMG, this is good! It is better than I thought! ALL the actors are good in their parts. It is delightful movie about heroes who
doesn’t always wear capes and family.
PET SEMATARY
HORROR
PLOT: Remake of the 1989 movie.
Based on the novel
by horror writer Stephen King is about loving family and someone dies. One parent can’t accept death and brings the
dead child back to life with terrible consequences. The updated version is a bit creepier but the
theme is the same-never bring back the dead!
Critics and fans will compare the difference between the novel, the two
movies many times but if you like Stephen King you will like both versions.
PLOT: The dragon Night Fury is growing up and finds a mate along with his master.
Hiccup (Jay Barchel) is Night Fury (Toothless) friend and master. Both are getting older and discover love. There is also a place where dragons have their own land and Hiccup and friends must help the dragons go there. The movie is beautiful-especially when they go to the Hidden World. It has romance, drama and thrills. It seems like the last movie but don’t count on it. It is worth watching.
CAPTAIN MARVEL
ACTION/ADVENTURE
PLOT: How an exceptional female pilot becomes a powerful superheronie.
Carol Danvers (Brie Larson Oscar winner) is a pilot and through a series of events turns into an extraordinary super being. This is the movie version of Captain Marvel NOT the comic book version. She gets help by Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and they make a good team. The film is not bad. The special effects are amazing!!! It has all the elements of a Marvel movies back-story, humor, action and it is connected to the Avengers’ franchise. The movie is getting bad press because of its star Larson saying things not relevant to the movie she is promoting. If you look pass that you will really enjoy this film.
FIGHTING WITH MY FAMILY
DRAMA
PLOT: How amateur wrestler rose to become the youngest WWE female champion.
Saraya Jade Bevis aka Paige (Florence Pugh) is born into a wrestling family and all she dreamed of was to be in WWE but she never dreamed she would be picked and becomes WWE female champion on the first time on the big stage. It is not as funny as the trailer suggest but when it is funny it is hilarious! Her real family is from England, middle class and sometimes criminal. She goes through tough training then NXT. She learns the ropes-professionally and personally and she becomes victorious! It shows wrestling is not fake, not a joke either. It takes strength and stamina to survive so the next time your children want to be a wrestler-watch this movie.
PLOT: The final chapter of the Unbreakable trilogy.
In Unbreakable, we
are introduced to David Dunn (Bruce Willis), a man who is indestructible and
Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson) who is very intelligent but his bones are
fragile-like glass. In the movie Split
Kevin Wendell Crumb (James McAvoy) has 24 different personalities and kidnaps
young girls. They are in the same mental
institution Raven Hill supervised Dr. Ellie Staple (Sarah Paulson) whose specialty
is people who think they are superheroes.
WTF!!! The film is interesting
and has plot twists but it is slow and strange too. If you didn’t like the other two movies-don’t
see this! If you did like it by all
means go for you know the characters and you want to know the outcome.
UPSIDE
COMEDY/DRAMA
PLOT: A handicapped man gets an ex-con to assist him.
Phillip Lacasse
(Bryan Cranston Breaking Bad) is very rich and paralyzed from the neck
down. Out of spite to his good friend
Yvonne (Nicole Kidman) he picks Dell Scott (Kevin Hart), a parole to take care
of him. The film is a remake of a French
movie The Intouchables made in 2011. It
is not as funny as you think from the trailer but it does have funny moments. It
is about friendship, responsibilities and not judging people of what they look
like. Cranston and Hart are very
good-especially Hart. He has very
touching moments.
ALITA:
BATTLE ANGEL
SCI-FI/ ADVENTURE
PLOT: In the distant future a cyborg-woman will
rise and become a hero...
Alita has a human
brain, a human face but she is a robot.
She is found by Dr. Ido (Christopher
Waltz) in a junkyard. He puts her
together based on her daughter’s body.
Alita learns about her past,
falls in love and finds out she is very powerful! OMG is this good! It is Manga (Japanese
comic) brought to life. Alita has big
anime eyes and fearless like a warrior.
The visional are amazing and the action sequences are fantastic. The only thing is the story. You have seen the same story done a thousand
times but the special effects and action makes it all worthwhile.
IF BEAL STREET COULD TALK
DRAMA
PLOT: Young black couple are in love then he is
arrested for rape.
Tish Rivers (Kiki
Layne Captive State and TV show Chicago Med) is 19 and falls in love with
Alonzo “Fonny” Hunt (Stephan James, Race, Selma and TV limited series Shots
Fired). They have their lives ahead of
them when Alonzo is accused of sexual assault to a Latino woman. Tish is under stress for she is having a baby
for him, she is trying to pay the lawyer and family is angry with her for they
are not married. It is based on a James
Baldwin novel. The cast is great especially Regina King trying to keep her
family together and get Trish’s boyfriend out of jail. It is a sloooow movie and a lot of
flashbacks.
THE FAVOURITE
HISTORICAL DRAMA
PLOT: Queen Ann who is sickly makes very bad
decisions.
Queen Anne (Oscar
winner Olivia Colman) has gout yet she must make tough choices for England in
the 18th century. The real queen in charge is Lady Sarah (Rachel
Weisz) manipulates Queen Anne until Sarah’s distant cousin, Abigail comes to be
a maid but she is a social climber. The
film is called The Favourite because Sarah and Abigail fight for Queen Ann’s
affection! Hard to believe this is a true story! The film is beautifully film
for such a low budget. The acting is
good. If it was modern film it would be
on Lifetime movie or on Masterpiece Theater!
It is funny, strange not for everybody.
THE WIFE
DRAMA
PLOT: A
woman questions her life choices while her husband wins the Noble Peace Prize
for literature.
Joan Castlemen (Oscar nominee Glenn Close)
is married to writer Joe Castlemen (Jonathan Pryce) and wins the Noble Peace
Prize for literature. She is happy for
him as any wife should be but she was born at time (in the 50s) where women
could not excel, be successful in anything so she becomes his ghost
writer. It is nice to see people talk
with intelligence to each other-at times.
Close is amazing as a woman who is reserved but filled with rage and
when she makes a decision it is tragic.
The Transformers franchise by Michael Bay was good. The first was the best then it started to fade to bad but the special effects were great. Now they have created a new movie with the autobot star Bumblebee. It is a prequel to Transformers 2007. He is the hero for he is the first to come to earth and to summon the rest. The acting is great by Hailee Steinfeld (Pitch Perfect 2 and 3) and part-time wrestler John Cena as macho military man Agent Jack Burns. The special effects are amazing but the best part is humans help the story as well as robots and has heart. If you like the Transformers you WILL enjoy this film!
MORTAL ENGINES
ACTION/SCI-FI
PLOT: In the future cities will be on high-powered wheels and steal from each other to survive and one young woman can stop it.
Hester Shaw (Hera Hilmar) is a on a mission to kill Thaddeus Valentine (Hugo Weaving Lord of the Rings franchise, Matrix franchise) for revenge for disfiguring her face among other things. She is the key to saving the world from a device that can destroy the world lead by Valentine. She gets helps from a rebel, Anna Fang (Jihae) and Tom (Robert Sheehan). Director Peter Jackson from Lord of the Ring franchise did not director the film but produced and wrote the screenplay of the same name by Philip Reeves in 2001.
You have seen this story before: in the distance future is ruined; a young person has to save it and has allies. The female leads Hilmar and Jihae are impressive, the visual effects are wonderful and Weaving as always great as the villain but who stands out is a CGI character named Shirke and important to the film. It is not doing well at the box-office for it wasn’t marketed correctly but it is worth seeming on video or On Demand.
CREED II
DRAMA/SPORTS
PLOT: Adonis Creed must fight his toughest opponent yet.
Creed (Michael B. Jordon, Black Panther) is now champion and Ivan Drago’s son Viktor Drago wants to fight him. Creed is now married and soon to be a dad so he has a lot on his mind. He loses the first fight with Drago then Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) steps in to be his trainer for he wanted no part of training the first time for the death of Apollo Creed. OMG Rocky boxing movies are so much more than boxing. It is about being the underdog and defies the odds. The cast is nothing short of amazing and the fight scenes very realistic. It is an updated version of Rocky IV so if you like these kinds of movies you will love this!
MARY POPPINS RETURNS
MUSICAL/FANTASY
PLOT: The magical nanny comes back to help the Banks family.
Mary Poppins (Emily Blunt) is a whimsical nanny who helps the older brother and sister from losing the house. I never saw Mary Poppins with Julie Andrews in 1964 so I can’t compare but I believe the songs in the 1964 version are much better but it does have imagination and heart. Blunt is not bad. She sense she knows what is going on all the time even if no one else does. It is a family film. You will enjoy Blunt’s performance and maybe nothing else.
SPIDER-MAN INTO THE SPIDER VERSE
ANIMATED
PLOT: Miles Morales is the new superhero and help other “Spiders “go back to their own dimensions.
Miles Morales (Shamiek Moore) is a teen dealing with teen issues and he is bitten by a radioactive spider to become the new Spider-Man of New York. The problem is there are many other superhero “Spiders” who he must guide back to their own era. OMG what a movie! If you enjoy Spiderman comics and cartoons you will enjoy this! The animation is odd but good and there is a reason for that. It is action-packed too and a lot of heart. WATCH IT AS SOON AS YOU CAN!!!
ROBIN HOOD
ACTION/ADVENTURE
PLOT: Another version of the classic legend.
There are so many versions of this movie-some are good, some are bad and some are very different and this is different when Jamie Foxx is Little John (!) this a unique telling of a familiar story. The narrator does tell you forget what you have heard and he is right. Robin (Taron Egerton, The Kingsman) of Loxley is a king and the Sheriff of Nottingham (Ben Mendelsohn) drafts him and he goes to war and he sees true horror. When he comes back the love of his life Marion (Eve Hewson) she has moved on for she was told he was dead and because of all the taxes his castle is reduced to shambles he does become a thief and a hero. The movie didn’t do well in theaters-I hope it does well on video because it does have action.
