Reviews

This is my first 10 out of 10 film in many years. Never before have I seen such a powerful film with an important message. I thought I knew what I was going to see going in and it easily surpassed all expectations. For a less than 15 million dollar budget, the production quality exceeds many100 million dollar plus films. The acting was fantastic for an indie-style film, the script was well written, the locations were just as much a character in that the authenticity of this film cannot be questioned.

The story follows the true events of Timothy Ballard, a Dept of Homeland Security agent who stepped out of his assigned duties to actually save children instead of just arresting pedophiles. The film chronicles his transition from DHS agent to an independent operator in the pursuit of rescuing children from traffickers. It primarily focuses on his mission to rescue a brother & sister and shows the natural evolution of his progression into the hero that he is.

I saw the early access screening last night in IMAX at AMC. I had high expectations going in and was pleasantly surprised by just how good this film is. This is the best movie in the series in terms of action and cinemetography while the story itself comes in second only to the first one. The action was fast-paced but easily followable and the story was tightly written. The acting was on point though it may not be Oscar worthy. Cruise, as usual, gave his co-cast plenty of opportunities to shine and showcase their talents. I was pleasantly surprised that it closed out without the annoyance of a cliff-hanger. Cannot reccomend this one enough!

With a name Like "Cocaine Bear" you know what to expect, and no, it isn't an Oscar worthy character study or an examination of geosocial contemporary societies. This was exactly what you would think it would be. It was a funny over-the-top thrill ride with some great moments. Some of the jokes did fall flat and the first quarter was a little all over the place, and this is reason it isn't guaranteed cult-classic status. The cast did an excellent job and it was apparent that they understood exactly what kind of film they were making, yet still put forth true effort as though they were acting in a much more prestigious film...

I knew going in to see "Violent Night" that I would not be witnessing a deep character study worthy of Oscar contention. But I was still pleasantly surprised by how good it really was. It combined all things Christmas from multiple genres and yet it still remained coherent. From "Die Hard" to "Home Alone" to "Silent Night, Deadly Night", this film took from them all and still made it feel fresh, if not original. David Harbour was perfect in the execution of his portrayal of Santa, and Beverly D'Angelo was a scene-stealer! It was nice to see her on the big screen again. The rest of the performances were good for this type of film with John Leguizamo being quite good as the film's baddie.

Fun to watch.

"The Menu" is a great slow-burn film that is riveting but is at times a bit uncomfortable to watch. The ensemble cast does a great job representing the over the top pretentiousness of the social and financial elite, making each one completely unlikeable in their own right and on their own merits. Ralph Fiennes and Ana Taylor Joy were outstanding and their performances set a high bar for this film. Fiennes portrayal of the Chef was on point and is probably his best work since "Red Dragon". Ana Taylor Joy continues to prove herself as one of the best actresses in Hollywood today. Her ability to convey both the toughness and tenacity as well as vulnerability of the character is near perfection. Nicholas Hoult delivers probably the most memorable performance of the film as a food snob chef groupie whom you have to despise, but can't help but to feel pity for as well. His is the most tragic character of the film.

No, it is not a perfect film, and logic isn't the film's strong suit - but it is a great watch.

Having Saw Black Adam 2 days ago, I can say that I enjoyed it immensely. The Rock played it straight instead of with his recently usual cartoonishness.

This isn't the same, goofy Dwayne Johnson from "Jumanji" or "Jungle Cruise" as he plays it much darker and with seriousness. While not a technical masterpiece, "Black Adam" delivers where it counts the most - in terms of pure enjoyment! It is a thrilling popcorn flick through and through and should go down as one of the Rock's better films...

The supporting cast was good, though they were a bit cookie-cutter and under developed as a whole. Pierce Brosnan as Dr. Fate and Aldis Hodge's Hawkman could have used a bit more a background story as it was difficult to invest any emotion for them. It was as though they just appeared and we were just supposed to know their backstory. Aside from that, and the choppiness of the first 20 mins, it was an all out good watch...

Saw "Bullet Train" yesterday and was impressed. From the tightness of the script to the choreography of the fight scenes to the outstanding cinematography - it was a great film. The acting is well done, far beyond what you would expect from a genre piece. But it is the story that makes it successful. What could have been a convoluted mess as multiple storylines converge was impressively and tightly interwoven as it is tightly written and connects all of the dots. Brad Pitt was phenomenal as the down on his luck operative, Henry and Johnson (as "Lemon and Tangerine" respectfully) were hilarious and owned their scenes. Joey King as "Prince" was awesome. I had never seen her before in anything, nor even heard of her. I was highly impressed by her throughout the entire film. He has the role of sociopath down to a science. All in all, "Bullet Train" is a well made and highly entertaining film. It is an over the top thrill ride.....

I finished binge-watching "The Terminal List" this past weekend and really enjoyed it. I'll admit I was expecting more over-the-top-action and a story equal to "The Tomorrow War" but was pleasantly surprised when it displayed a depth and character not usually associated with Pratt's films. Don't get me wrong, I think he is a great actor and I have yet to be disappointed by any of his performances. But the character he played could have been written for heavies like Denzel, Joaquin Phoenix, or even Daniel Day Lewis. It was admittedly darker fare than we have come to expect from Pratt and is definitely not for the younger ones. While this series brings nothing really new to the table, the execution makes it feel genuine instead of a clichéd and trite suspense action thriller. The first couple of episodes did kind of drag for me, but by the middle of episode 3 - it was on!

Northman is definitely a strange movie, and I mean that in a good way. It was well thought out, the cinematography was awesome, the acting was great and score was incredible without being overbearing. I was most impressed with the visuals, the manner in which this movie was filmed provided an epic feel without being overt in it's use. The action and fighting was believable with nothing being too over the top. It is certainly not for children, as it is a brutal story, executed in a brutal fashion. It showed genuine respect to Viking rituals and beliefs and did not glorify it nor water it down. There is a significant amount of Viking symbolism scattered through out this film, and without basic knowledge of Viking lore, it would be easy to not understand. All in all it was a very well made film and an entertaining spectacle to behold.

I think anyone rating it below 6 stars had no clue what they were going to see! This film was NOT bad, thought it was not great either. It was on par with Venom and served its intended purpose; entertaining escapism with no social messaging. To that end, it did well. Leto was much better in this film than as the Joker in "Suicide Squad" (I actually found his Joker to be interesting and would liked to have seen more character development in that particular case).

The acting was fine for this type of film, script was better than expected for a B movie, and the special effects were good - without being over the top. It was, however, rather predictable and there were definitely no surprises or significant twists. All-in-all it was a fun watch, worth the price of admission, but nothing special.

I saw Spider-Man: No Way Home on Saturday and have waited 2 full days before reviewing. After serious consideration, I have to say that this is one of the best films I have ever seen in terms of pure entertainment value! It is not a perfect movie on a technical level, but who cares? It is certainly refreshing after the garbage the "M-She-U" has put out. It is a fan-focused and story driven film that delivers the goods in every way. There was humor, action, nostalgia and sadness in the 2.5 hours that passed by rather quickly. I was impressed with the pacing and how they incorporated so much without it getting muddled and convoluted. All in all, a great film from start to finish...

Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City was an entertaining film even if it is nowhere near perfect. I was actually impressed with it, but I did set the bar low. The technical aspects of the film (cinematography, script, acting, etc) were on par with typical "B" movies. The actors did a good job with what they had, though I do question a couple of the casting choices. Wesker and Valentine did not look or properly represent the Wesker and Valentine from the video game. Wesker was more of a college frat bruh than a serious antagonist against the heros. The story started a little slow, and almost all of the flashbacks could have been avoided, leaving more time for character development. But, as is, Resident Evil: Welcome To Raccoon City was an enjoyable popcorn flick.

I saw Dune a couple of days ago and wanted to let everything sink in before I wrote a review. I wanted to ensure I wasn't acting on a knee-jerk reaction. I can say that this film is one of the best made films I have seen in years. The Lord Of The Rings trilogy is comparable, if only in scale and grandeur.

The cinematography was perfection, the casting choices were near-perfect, and the story was nowhere as convoluted as the books or 1984 film, yet it still told the story quite well. The acting was on par with the scope of the film, with everyone doing a great job with their characters. Stellan Skarsgård's performance as the Baron stood out as the best in the film. Hans Zimmer's musical score was excellent without being overpowering like it was with "Interstellar". Yes, it was cerebral and wasn't action-packed from start to finish. But it did a great job of telling a complex story.

Copshop is slightly better than the usual B-Movie Action Flick. It was not a perfect film by any means, but it was fun and entertaining. If you enjoy the other Gerard Butler films of late (Geostorm, Hunter Killer, etc...) than this is right up your ally. Butler and Grillo performed as expected for the characters they were playing and Alexis Louder was actually outstanding considering her limited acting experience. But Toby Huss stole every scene he was in. He was the high point in the film and brought in some much needed humor. I was pleasantly surprised that the movie did not have any SJW agenda garbage thrown in and let the story speak for itself. This is not an Academy Award aspiring film in any way, and it doesn't try to be. It is exactly what is is supposed to be, and good summer action flick!

Saw the movie last night and was not impressed with anything I saw. The makers of this film have either no idea of the origins of Snake-Eyes or they intentionally destroyed the character. Aside from the fact that Snake-Eyes was always a Gaijin (white guy) he was also honorable in all that he did. This version has him as a two-faced, lying, thief. The feeble redemption arc in the final act was too little - too late, and unbelievable. The casting choices also left me a bit confused. Golding was never a good choice for Snake-Eyes and as much as I love Samara Weaving, she was a horrible Scarlet. The actress who ineptly portrayed the Baroness was too young for the character and was not even close to being believable. Iko Uwais was great as usual but would have been a much better Storm Shadow or even Snake-Eyes! Andrew Koji did do a good job as Storm Shadow and his was the best performance in the whole film by far.

The story was subpar, even for a genre piece, and the script could have been written by a middle-schooler. The action was decently choreographed and wasn't too over the top. It seemed like it couldn't decide whether to be gritty or cartoonish in its approach to the action, which was a letdown. There are several continuity issues as well; a brawler raised on the street with no formal training can automatically hold his own against highly trained ninjas (can you say Rey Palpatine?) or a girl who had been a devoted part of the clan for over a decade breaking sacred rules to save someone she just met?

All in all, this movie sucked!

Having just watched this film last night, I can say that it falls directly in the fun summer movie category. It was exactly as it was supposed to be; an over-the-top science fiction action movie. No, it is not an Oscar contender nor was it ever trying to be. It had its plot holes and cheesiness to it, but no more so than most other genre pieces. The story met its basic requirements, the acting was better than expected for this kind of film, and the effects were executed nicely. Cheesy dialogue? Check. Action overload? Half-check. Suspension of belief required? Oh yeah...

There are those who just love to nitpick and highlight each and every flaw they can find. The pretentiousness of some of the other user reviews leads me to believe that their entire viewing process is to find as much crap to complain about in order to allow them to feel elevated over their peers. Only a fool would go into this film expecting a technically perfect piece of cinematic history. If you review the film poorly for being exactly what it was supposed to be; YOU are the thing that is flawed, not the film you are trying to eviscerate!

I thought this movie had potential but it failed to live up to it. The opening scene and the final confrontation was the only real high-points in the film. The copious amount of blood (albeit CGI) was off kilter for the comic book choreography of the fight scenes. I was hoping for a more gritty, straight forward approach to the action (like Raid: Redemption). Instead, we were treated to "have a mark, become an X Man" storyline with a cheaters never win moral. I also take issue with a couple of the casting choices; Lewis Tan was not believable as Cole and Sonia Blade was completely cast wrong! Not belittling their abilities, just pointing out that they were not the best fit for the characters. The character-arc was also a bit forced, if not plain cheesy. All in all, it wasn't a bad movie, just wasn't a good one.

I saw it yesterday, and as always, I wait until the next day to review. I want to let it settle in and think more objectively. That said, Jumanji: The Next Level was really an enjoyable movie. The acting was just as good as in the first one, the effects were great, and the story was just a little more done than a film like this requires. The cast really shows their versatility and comedic acting chops in this one, more so than in the last. Of course the action sequences were over-the-top, but well choreographed.

This is an action flick, and it is a good one. If you are expecting an Oscar-worthy, cinematic experience where the human condition is dissected and explored -- this is not your movie! I you are looking for a couple of hours of escapist entertainment that doesn't push any social agendas, this should be right up your alley.

Just saw the AMC advanced screening of this film, and it was extremely well done! The story did start off kinda slow, but it picks up quick. The acting is better than expected even with such a talented cast, and it was well written, although it did feel like Toni Collette was trying too hard. There was no "mcguffin", no surprise character introductions in the third act, and everything was up front at all times. There was no "secret" piece of information introduced at the last minute that would give everything away. The ending caught me off guard not so much because of the who, but for the how of it...

All in all, it is a brilliant mystery that balanced story, plot, and humor without compromising on quality. Daniel Craig could very well have another hit franchise on his hands if they were to create additional cases for him to solve. This is provided that the same quality in terms of writing and story is adhered too.

This is NOT a remake of the 1976 Midway, but is a fresh take on the people who really were instrumental in the success of the US Pacific Fleet following Pearl Harbor. Where the first film focused on the strategic side; The planning and mental chess game played by military leaders -- this one is geared more towards the people who actually carried out the plans and engaged the enemy. It is more of an action piece than a cerebral 'behind the scenes' what-really-happened film.

First the Good: Acting was great, though nothing Oscar-worthy. The effects were fantastic as to be expected. It stayed fairly true to the actual history of what really transpired as told by the survivors. Well-paced, nothing too dragged out, but not too rushed either.

The Bad: The writers obviously tried to use the language that people from that era would really use, but it doesn't equate well to today. The result is that some of the dialogue comes across as cheesy.

I would have liked to see more of the actual processes the Navy took to locate the Japanese fleet and a little more on how they came to the conclusions they came too when making strategic decisions. But I cannot fault the film for being made to pander to the highest denominator.

All in all in was an enjoyable movie to watch and I have the greatest respect for the real people that sacrificed so much to get America the victory in the Pacific.

Saw IT: Chapter Two this afternoon and I certainly hoped for better. It wasn't bad, per se, but it lacked the flow and the charm of the 1st movie. It felt like it didn't quite know what it wanted to be. The acting was good, and Isaiah Mustafa deserves extra cred for turning in a performance that was actually better than the more veteran actors. Of course Bill Skarsgård did another awesome job as Pennywise, though I thought he was under utilized throughout the film.

The climax was rather anti-climatic, and really not suspenseful or exciting. It tried to explain 'IT's' origins, which was rather lame and unnecessary, but it never showed how it tied to Pennywise.

In short, it was okay at best, but nowhere on par with the first movie.

The the "whiners" who are crying about it not 'having fast and furious cars' are really too dumb to understand what they were seeing! This ISN'T a Fast & Furious movie - it is a spin-off and is actually better than all but the first F&F...

It was exactly what it was supposed to be; An over-the-top popcorn action flick and to that end it was excellent. The acting was slightly better than in the ensemble furious movies and was a little more intelligently written. No, it isn't a Shakespearean level piece of literary prose destined to be dissected for generations to come, it's a summer action flick. Idris Elba stole every scene he was in, by design I imagine, and once again proves he can bring a character truly to life in any genre of film. Johnson and Statham are action film icons and did what they usually do, and looked like they were really having fun in the portrayal of their characters - no Bruce Willis style of 'mailing it in' for this movie.

I watched Glass yesterday evening at the first showing and was not disappointed!

James McAvoy once again carries the film with his near perfect execution of multiple personalities. Samuel L Jackson and Bruce Willis turned in respectable performances as well, but nothing extraordinary. It did drag a little for me in the middle, but only for a short time. I enjoyed the finale, but I do think it could/should have been better story-wise.

I do have some small gripes, but can't speak to them without giving anything away. All in all, it was an enjoyable and well-made film, and I would encourage anyone who liked Split to see this film!!!

I expected very little from this movie other than over the top action. I mainly went to see it as it was raining and there was nothing else to do. I assumed it was going to be just another "B" Movie with a thin plot, no cohesiveness, sloppy writing and bad acting...

What I got instead was a really good movie with an interesting story. It was quick paced, but cerebral at the same time. The action WAS a little over the top, but still within the realm of being believable. No, this film will not be winning any Oscars this year, but it was more than just a mindless popcorn flick.

Go see this movie!!!!! I just got back from the IMAX viewing in 3D and have to say that Suicide Squad is so much better than expected!!! The action was fantastic, much more so than you would think a PG-13 film would be. The actors hit their portrayals of the characters almost perfectly and the tie-in to the DC Universe did not feel forced or rushed. Jared Leto's Joker was more in tune with the comic than Heath Ledgers version, and he nailed the part -- for his limited screen time. Margot Robbie was the epitome of Harley Quinn and was flawless in her performance. I was even pleasantly surprised with Will Smith's performance, he actually showed up and brought his A-Game with him. It was easy to overlook that Deadshot was white in the comic as Smith personified the character excellently. It is obvious that David Ayer knew the source material and his target audience throughout the directorial process. No, this was not a perfect piece of cinematic history, but it was a great summer popcorn flick and is worth the price of admission. Yes, Ayer had to cram a whole lot of stuff in a two- hour movie. Honestly, it could have been 30 minutes longer and have been better (I don't usually say that about a movie)! So, if you want to see DC finally get a film right, this is the film to see.