Fresh Prince Fantasies and Clever Sequels

GEMINI MAN

SCI-FI/ACTION/THRILLER

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!

Creepy, and They're Kooky Fall Creatures

JOKER

DRAMA

PLOT:    The origin of Batman’s number one menace.

                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.

The Old Stars Still Got It

RAMBO V: LAST BLOOD

ACTION

PLOT:    Rambo is finally at peace.

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.

It Came From Inner Hollywood

IT CHAPTER 2

HORROR

  

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.

Summer Has Fallen in Hollywood, Ready Or Not

ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD

DRAMA

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 3^rd 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.