BUMBLEBEE
ACTION/SCI-FI
PLOT: The origin of Bumblebee.
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.