Reviews

The Mummy was a lot better than I was expecting. It was about WHAT I was expecting, which is good, and didn't really feel like it was doing nothing but universe-building. There was a bit of that, but they did focus mostly on the Mummy, Nick Morton (Tom Cruise) and Jenny Halsey (Annabelle Wallis).

This was your basic Mummy story, though they gave enough of a different background to Ahmanet to at least PARTIALLY distinguish her from previous Mummies. She was going to become the most powerful princess in the world until her father knocked up his new wife who bore him a son. Ahmanet was not going to have any of that, so she killed everyone. She sold her soul to Set, who promised to make her a Queen in exchange for giving him a physical form. Her father's soldiers capture her and mummify her alive.

Skip to present day where Nick Morton is looking to make some money by breaking into a tomb on a map he stole from Jenny. She catches up to him just after he finds the tomb, and they explore it together. They find Ahmanet's tomb and accidentally revive her. Ahmanet decides Nick will be her new Chosen One--the new body for Set--and that brings Nick to the attention of Prodigium, a group dedicated to studying and destroying monsters.

The cast of the Mummy was very good. Tom Cruise was still Tom Cruise, but as he manages to do in all his movies, he manages to sell it very well. Annabelle Wallis played a decent Jenny Halsey, and while I think she COULD have been a little bit stronger in her role, she was not a weak, wilting wallflower. She kicked as much butt as Tom Cruise did. But the real joy of this movie was Sofia Boutella as Ahmanet, a role she almost seemed born to play. She played sexy well, and she played psychotic well, and the people in charge of makeup turned her into a really excellent Mummy.

The Mummy was also a beautiful movie. They did not overdo the cinematography, keeping it very grounded, but they didn't make anything unnecessarily dark just because. The special effects were great, and they did not do anything unnecessary. probably the biggest CGI scene was a scene in London that lasted maybe five minutes. And there was NO CGI-heavy ending fight like has been happening in movies a lot lately. They seemed to try to keep CGI out as much as they could, which was very refreshing. They still used it, don't get me wrong, but it didn't seem to be EVERYWHERE. The movie moved along at a brisk pace, didn't drag anywhere, and the sets and costumes were fabulous.

I was very happy with the Mummy. I didn't expect a lot, so I was pleasantly surprised with what I got. Not everyone is going to like it, though, but I'm a big Universal Monster fan, and I can't wait to see what they do with their upcoming movies. I just hope there are upcoming movies considering the bad reviews this movie is getting, which it really does not deserve.

Grade: 6.2/10, D+ 1/10

I'll just say it: Wasn't as terrible as I was expecting, but it was still pretty lame. Not good by any stretch of the imagination, but far better than anything DC has put out thus far. Patty Jenkins needs to be given a pat on the back for giving DC it's first non-vomit-inducing movie. Still, I wish WB would give us a superhero movie worthy of 2017 and not 1987.

Gal Gadot did surprise me, though. When she wasn't TRYING to act, she actually gave a good performance. The problem was, the rest of the time she was trying to act, and it showed horribly. And it did not help that EVERY, SINGLE action scene she was in that wasn't CGI'd was done in slow motion. When she moved fast, it was always from behind and you could tell that it wasn't an actual person. She still showed little emotion when she talked, reminding me of a contestant in a Miss Universe contest giving canned answers to stupid questions.

Chris Pine was Chris Pine. Nothing good or bad about that. He turned in the most solid performance of the entire cast, but even he felt to me like he couldn't believe he signed up for this movie or the DCEU in general. Probably had high hopes before the BvS reviews started piling in. He did the best he could with what he was given to work with.

Danny Huston overacted so much in this movie. There wasn't a single scene he was in that didn't make me cringe (funny, because I was expecting to cringe during all of Gal Gadot's scenes, and I only cringed through the scenes where she talked).

The secondary characters who made up Steve Rogers--er, I mean Steve Trevor's Howling Command--er, little group were nothing special. I mean, literally, they served no purpose that I could see in this movie at all.

The plot was nothing special. I've seen the three acts of the movie done in other movies and done much better than here. The first act on Themyscira was kinda terrible, with every Amazon speaking in a really thick accent to cover for Diana's. It made them sound clunky and not graceful, like you would hope Amazons would be. We got a brief history of the Amazons shown an an ancient iPad which just made made me roll my eyes. It was very reminiscent of the way Zod told Kal-El about Krypton in Man of Steel, just not as well done. And Themyscira was pretty, but Asgard in Thor was definitely more amazing. Also, they did not explain how Steve broke through the protective barrier surrounding the island. I suppose it was because Ares was back, but something somewhere might have helped.

The second act took place in London and Germany, and again, while it was done well, it was done better in Captain America: The First Avenger. But I will say the No Man's Land scene was probably my favorite part of the movie, and Gal's warehouse scene did put Batman's in BvS to shame. The third act was your basic CGI monster that you see in most superhero movies nowadays, but Ares wasn't terrible like Doomsday. But after seeing the final battle, it made me ask myself "If Wonder Woman could do this, why did Superman have to sacrifice himself in BvS when Wonder Woman could have torn Doomsday to shreds" so there is no consistency in her power.

The music was decent but kinda forgettable. They, of course, had the Wonder Woman riff play during the warehouse scene, but that was the only thing noticeable that I remember. Cinematography was decent and the CGI was good other than on Themyscira which just didn't seem to fit tonally with the rest of the movie. Pacing was decent, too. I didn't really feel like falling asleep, and while I think the movie could have dealt with a bit of editing, the only thing they could take out was much-needed character development--though they really could have done without Steve trying to explain sex and marriage to Diana.

If you liked the DCEU so far, you'll love Wonder Woman. If you hated the DCEU so far, you'll probably find it meh and not worth ever seeing again--and maybe not even the price of admission. I got to see it for free, so I'm not really complaining. I don't want my money back, but if I could go back in time, I'd tell myself not to see the movie to begin with, even for free.

I had a free movie ticket so I decided to see Underworld: Blood Wars, even though I really didn't like the last movie. This one is worth the price of a free ticket, so take that as you will.

Grade: A- Numerical Grade: 9.1/10

Plot: 7/10 The writers seemed to have remembered what made Underworld so great: Death Dealers killing Lycans, Lycans killing Death Dealers, with a very minor story connecting the fighting. This is both good and bad because while the story was a tiny bit weak, at least it was solid enough to make you enjoy the movie. The actions scenes were well done, you cared enough about the characters that you weren't bored, and (thankfully), they seemed to end the franchise.

Character Development: 8/10 Selene was back in form in this movie, no longer moping over Michael, though she still missed him. But she was back to major kick-ass form, especially at the end. Semira was probably the best villain I've seen in this type of movie in a long time, and she really added to the overall feel of the movie. David was okay as a fight-partner for Selene, but he wasn't great. He worked, though. The Lycans and Death Dealers also had good motivation and you could see where they were coming from and why they were doing what they were doing.

Director: 9/10 First movie by Anna Foerster that I remember seeing, and she did a really good job, giving me a good Underworld movie that I won't mind adding to my collection when it comes out on digital download. Don't think this movie deserves Steelbook, though--none of the Underworld movies do.

Casting: 9/10 I liked everyone in this movie, other than Tobias Menzies, who really did not fit the role of Marius. Charles Dance was perfect in his role as Thomas, one of the elder vampires. Kate Beckinsale was stunning, as usual. Theo James was...well...Theo James.

Acting: 9/10 Everyone pretty much played their part exactly as you expected they would, except Tobias Menzies who just didn't seem to really care. He was about the only person who didn't give it an effort.

Cinematography: 10/10 The film was beautiful, Gothic and eerie and dark, very much like a classic vampire movie with modern vampires. Brilliant!

Music: 10/10 Music fit the movie perfectly.

Pacing: 10/10 Didn't check my watch once. Movie flowed well, didn't drag for too long, and the action was paced well throughout.

Sets and Costumes: 10/10 Loved the look of the sets, loved the costumes. Those are two things these movies have always done well.

Enjoyment: 9/10 I did enjoyed this movie for what it was. It was not the greatest movie I've ever seen, but I do like the Underworld movies overall. They have problems, but the overall story is good. If you like the Underworld movies, give this one a watch at some point, even if not in theaters. If you hated the movies, avoid this one.

Ranking: I was surprised when I ranked the Underworld movies.

Underworld: Blood Wars Underworld: Evolution Underworld: Awakening Underworld: Rise of the Lycans Underworld

All right, my review is a little late, and for that I apologize. I wanted to make sure my pure fanboyism over Star Wars didn't take completely over. Unfortunately, this was an awesome Star Wars movie, and while it did have a few faults, they were so minor in my opinion that they did not take away from the sheer awesomness of this movie.

Grade: 10/10, A+

Does this movie truly deserve a 10/10 grade? That's debatable, and if you don't think it deserves that, I can completely understand. But everything in this movie worked for me, other than a few minor things, but as I don't grade on aesthetics, I can't really fault the movie for them. Should the movie have had an opening crawl with the Star Wars theme? Yes, it should have. Did it truly, completely need it? No, it did not. Should the movie have been scored by John Williams? Yes. Did it truly, completely need John Williams? No.

Story: 10/10 You cannot fault the story in any way, shape or form. Everything you needed to know to tell the story completely was there. There was nothing missing, there were no plot holes, and the character development was great considering these were characters never mentioned again in the later movies. Every part of this movie led to the fantastic conclusion which was awe-inspiring in its greatness.

Character Development: 10/10 Considering how the movie ends, and the fact the characters in this movie are never mentioned later, the character development for them all was pretty solid. Could it have been better? Of course. But it's not really enough to take points away for. I liked all the characters in this movie-- some more than others, yes--but everyone served their purpose and did what they had to to make this an exciting experience for me.

Directing: 10/10 Gareth Edwards, who brought us Godzilla 2014, had me a bit nervous as the director, because he famously had a Godzilla movie that barely had Godzilla in it. So I didn't really know what to expect from Rogue One. All I can say is, you did a damn fine job, Gareth, and I hope you do another Star Wars movie later. He told a great story here.

Casting: 10/10 Great cast! Everyone was perfect in their role and I liked everyone immensely!

Acting: 10/10 Everyone played their parts perfectly!

Cinematography: 10/10 Some people might have a problem with parts of the CGI in this movie, and again, I can't fault you if you did. But to me, every part was almost perfect, including the two fully CGI actors who should not have been in the movie but thankfully were. No spoilers, though I'm sure almost everyone has seen the movie by now. Again, perhaps not perfect, but it shows what Hollywood will be capable of--and in a way, that's rather scary.

Music: 10/10 Michael Giacchino is not John Williams, but considering his scored this movie in 4 weeks is phenomenal in and of itself. So, I'll cut him some slack for that. The music was still very Star- Warsy, and while it may not have been as memorable as John Williams' music, it was still darn good. I can't take away points when he gave us something still spectacular in such a short time.

Pacing: 10/10 Did not want to fall asleep once in this movie. It started off with a bang and kept going to a very thrilling and unexpected, jaw-dropping climax.

Sets and Costumes: 10/10 Everything felt and looked just like something should in a Star Wars movie. Great job!

Enjoyment: 10/10 If I could, I'd probably give my enjoyment a 13/10 because I really loved this movie. It was the first Star Wars movie that didn't have anything geared towards kids in it. No Gungans, no Ewoks, not cute and cuddly creatures. This was a movie about a mission, and that mission was awesome and dark and grim and more than I was expecting it to be. Gareth Edwards outdid himself in my opinion.

To show how this movie ranks against the other Star Wars movies, I'll post all my scores below:

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story - 10/10 Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens - 9.6/10 Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back - 9.6/10 Star Wars IV: A New Hope - 9.6/10 Star Wars VI: Return of the Jedi - 9.0/10 Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith - 8.5/10 Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones - 8.1/10 Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace - 7.8/10

Before anyone says anything, I had a few problems with Empire and A New Hope that were enough to keep me from putting them above Force Awakens. None of the movies were perfect, but Force Awakens I just enjoyed more, which is why it has the same grade but is placed above Empire and A New Hope.

So, I finally did it. I bit the bullet and watched Suicide Squad--the Extended Cut. And...it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. That doesn't mean it wasn't still terrible, but it was a hell of a lot better than Batman v Superman. In fact, if it wasn't set in the world of Batman v Superman, it might almost be an enjoyable movie. Here's my review.

Grade: 6.5/10, C-

Story: 5/10 First of all, there was a good story in this movie beneath the morass of mediocrity. You could see glimpses and glimmers of greatness that just completely went away whenever any of the characters opened their mouths to speak. The villain was probably the worst part of this movie, though, and without a good villain, you just don't have good heroes--even anti-heroes. And that was the other problem--they kept calling the Suicide Squad villains, yet they were more misguided than anything. No one was truly evil, even the main villain, who...*shakes his head* I just...I just...I have no clue what they were trying to do with her. I really don't. A magical being who was trying to use technology to destroy the world. That makes absolutely no sense whatsoever, and it makes even less sense as you're watching the movie.

Character Development: 5/10 Again, you could see glimpses of greatness in the characters that just vanished the second they spoke. Deadshot and Harley Quinn were the two they concentrated on the most, but they really had no life or charm to them. You could see glimpses of life and charm, but it vanished as quickly as you saw it. Amanda Waller was...sorta okay I guess, but there were about twelve times when I had to ask myself why Deadshot didn't just kill her. I mean, was one of the military guys going to go over, pick up the device to blow their heads off, and press it himself? I don't think so because everyone hated Waller! Especially her subordinates! And Diablo was supposed to have this tragic story, but his story did not make sense because you assumed he burned his family alive, yet when he was holding his wife, she was perfectly fine--not a hair singed on her head--until she just turned to ash and vanished. I was like...what? And let's not forget the Joker--the worst interpretation of the Joker I've ever seen in my life. Enough said. I hope the rumors that Jared Leto won't return to the DCEU are true.

Direction: 6/10 David Ayer almost had a good movie here. Almost. Another six rewrites, and he might have had a good movie, but he didn't. He had two-thirds of a good movie, which is surprising to me. But that one-third really, really, REALLY hurt this movie badly. The story wasn't told well by him, with far too much exposition and repeated exposition that just could have been handled better. And a lot of things in the movie happened JUST BECAUSE. I hate movies that demand a leap in logic from you because leaps in logic usually ended with a splat at the bottom.

Casting: 5/10 Casting in this movie was decent and terrible. Joker, terrible. Will Smith, decent. Margot Robbie, decent. Jai Courtney, good. Everyone else...eh.

Acting: 5/10 The acting was probably better than I'm giving it, but the actors did annoy me a tiny bit. Margot Robbie's accent kept slipping in an out. Will Smith was not Deadshot--he was Will Smith. Jared Leto was absolutely atrocious at the Joker, and I want to hurt the people who cast him as the Joker and decided to portray the Joker that way. He was not the Joker. He was someone trying to be the Joker but failing miserably. The guy playing Rick Flag was...kind of atrocious but...that could have just been his characters? I'm not sure. And the actress who played June Moon/Enchantress needs to never work in Hollywood again--ever.

Cinematography: 9/10 The movie looked good, other than the floating rocks in the sky, which we really don't need to see any more of, and the horrible way the Enchantress looked and moved. The bellydancing was really, truly not needed.

Music: 7/10 I really don't know how to score the music, because the songs used in the movie were great, they were just used poorly. You could see they were going for a Guardians of the Galaxy vibe, but GotG used its music so much better. The regular background music was good, though.

Pacing: 10/10 The movie didn't drag like I was expecting it to. Good job there!

Sets and Costumes: 7/10 I'm taking points off for the massive amounts of tattoos the Joker and Harley had. I hate tattoos to begin with, but the amount covering their bodies was almost obscene. And we know the Joker is damaged--did he had to have it tattooed across his forehead? Harley's costume wasn't as cute as she wanted it to be, either. Deadshot's was fine. Everyone else's was...eh.

Enjoyment: 6/10 My enjoyment of the movie was a lot higher than I was expecting, but not high enough that I'd ever bother watching this movie again. Another entry in the DCEU that should never have been made-- or at least made better than it was. It was still better than Batman v Superman, though. God, I still have nightmares about that monstrosity of a movie.

Grade: 9.5/10, A

I have to admit, I went into this movie not having a clue what to expect. I must say, I was pleasantly surprised. If you liked the other Resident Evil movies, definitely check this one out. If you didn't, you won't get anything new or different here, so don't waste your time.

Plot: 8/10 Typical fare. Alice has to stop the Umbrella Corporation. Duh. But at least in this movie, they finally told us what's going on, what's been going on, and why the world had to die. And it makes sense in the world of Resident Evil. We also got more info on Alice, which was a nice bonus.

Character Development: 10/10 I was surprised by how well they finally developed the Alice character, turning her into more than just a zombie killing machine. She still pretty much remained that throughout the movie, but getting her backstory really helped flesh her out. We also learned a bit about Dr. Issacs, who we have not seen since the third movie, and how he plays into everything. As for Wesker...well, he was just Wesker. All the other characters were pretty much cannon-fodder, though.

Direction: 10/10 Paul W. S. Anderson is probably my favorite director. I know he doesn't make Oscar-winning movies, but that's actually a good thing in my opinion. He makes the types of movies I really like the watch over and over because they're fun and entertaining. I'm glad he came back to finish off the RE series, and he left it on a high note.

Casting: 10/10 I liked all the actors in this movie. It was perfectly cast as far as I was concerned. Milla Jovovich and Iain Glen played well off each other.

Acting: 9/10 For this type of movie, the acting was about what you would expect from everyone involved. Still wasn't good enough to be a 10, so I knocked it down a bit.

Cinematography: 9/10 The movie looked good. I don't know if they didn't use shaky cam or if I'm just getting used to it, but it didn't seem as bad as I've seen in recent years. CGI creatures looked good, too.

Music: 10/10 Love the composer. He usually does the Underworld movies, but this was his first RE movie, and he did a good job. Did miss TomandAndy a bit, though.

Pacing: 10/10 This movie did not stop or slow down for an instant. When the end came, I could hardly believe it.

Sets and Costumes: 9/10 Only reason I really knocked this down a bit was because you could tell they had to rebuild the Hive sets, and everything didn't seems to completely mesh with the first movie. Wasn't terrible, but it was enough to make me take off a point.

Enjoyment: 9/10 I love the Resident Evil movies. I do. I can watch all of them, just not repeatedly. I can't wait to add this movie to my collection, though. And I'll probably see it a couple of more times with my free passes.

Ranking the Resident Evil movies:

Resident Evil: Retribution: 9.7 Resident Evil: The Final Chapter: 9.5 Resident Evil: 8.9 Resident Evil: Extinction: 8.9 Resident Evil: Afterlife: 8.8 Resident Evil: Apocalypse: 8.3

Grade: 9.8/10 A+

Just got back from seeing Doctor Strange in IMAX 3D, and I have to say...WOW, what an experience. The movie was awesomely done and deserved IMAX 3D treatment. I'm going to go see it again tomorrow in 2D just so I can compare, however.

Play by play, this is how I grade Doctor Strange:

Story: 9/10 (Excellent) I will admit while the story of Doctor Strange was awesome, I can't call it perfect. If they had given another twenty minutes to Stephen Strange before the accident, it might have been perfect; as it was, you barely got to see him as the ass he was before he began his training; and while it's a very minor thing, I think it would have helped the movie overall. But other than that minor complaint, the rest of the story was solid, including his training and the end of the movie. There is a reference to Captain America: Civil War, but if you're not paying attention, you'll miss it.

Character Development: 10/10 (Perfect) This may seem like a bit of a contradiction considering what I just said about them needing to show Doctor Strange being more of an ass, but what little bit you saw of him being an ass was perfect. None of the characters in the movie felt like they were underdeveloped, including the villain, who may say they didn't understand his motives. Maybe I just gleaned more than they did, but I was happy with how all of the characters turned out.

Direction: 9/10 (Excellent) The way Scott Derrickson told the story of Doctor Strange was one of the coolest ways anyone could have told this story. And while it wasn't perfect, I can't complain too much, but there were a few parts I just wish they had done better, like the portrayal of Stephen Strange before his accident.

Casting: 10/10 (Perfect) I loved everyone in this movie, including the much maligned Tilda Swinton as The Ancient One. I'm not going to state whether they should have chosen an Asian to be the Ancient One. I can understand why they did it, and Tilda Swinton did a fantastic job, so as far as I am concerned, she is now the Ancient One.

Acting: 10/10 (Perfect) I wasn't really worried about the acting from the cast because the cast is great, but I was worried a bit about Benedict Cumberbatch using a non-British accent. I shouldn't have worried.

Cinematography: 10/10 (Perfect) Cinematography and special effects in this movie actually probably deserve a 20 out of 10 because...damn. The movie is beautiful, from start to finish.

Music: 10/10 (Perfect) The music does exactly what it should: It adds to the movie but doesn't distract from it. It's there in the background, almost forgotten, but when you do notice it, it's important. Good job.

Pacing: 10/10 (Perfect) It kept my attention from attention from start to finish. The movie did not drag even once.

Sets and Costumes: 10/10 (Perfect) From the New York Sanctum Sanctorum to Doctor Strange's look, the costume and set designers did a brilliant job. When Benedict Cumberbatch got into full costume, including his Cloak of Levitation and the Eye of Agamotto, my hands shot into the air in a sign of happiness. Doctor Strange was born, and it was a joy to see.

Enjoyment: 10/10 (Perfect) As soon as Doctor Strange was over, I wanted to see it again. Which is why I'm going again tomorrow. I have to see it again.

I would recommend seeing this movie in IMAX 3D at least once. However, if you are the type who gets sick from 3D movies, avoid this one like the plague. The inter-dimensional effects could make you sick. It didn't me, but I could see it possibly happening to someone. Still, go see it in 2D if nothing else.

A young boy is thrust into a dark world when he discovers there is more to his simple life than just taking care of his ailing mom and performing every day for the local village people. When he doesn't heed his mother's strict warning to be home before sunset, he is found by his grandfather and two wicked aunts, who have already stolen one eye from him and want the other.

Kubo and the Two Strings is a magical, Far East tale that has a lot of heart at its very basic story. There isn't much that hasn't been seen before, but Laika, the production company, really puts a lot of effort into the story, making it shine far more brightly than it really has any right to. This statement is not to disparage the movie but to show what truly great characters and settings can do to even a basic story. From the start, you're drawn into the story by the movie's very first words, and very quickly you realize how important they are.

The story is told flawlessly from start to finish, and the action pieces never overshadow the importance of the story. This is a movie where story comes first and foremost, and you are never left wondering why something happens. Everything that happens is important, even if it doesn't feel like it at first. Where Kubo is a master storyteller in the movie and directs his puppets as the story dictates, the same can be said for the director, Travis Knight.

The stars of the movie are mostly recognizable names, but their names are quickly lost in their flawless voice work, where there are times you struggle to place a voice with the actor, which is another good thing. Even actors with typical voices that you think you can place anywhere (like Matthew McConaughey) sound different enough that you have to wonder if that's truly them. They really gave Kubo their all, and the movie is much better for it.

One of the greatest aspects of Laika Entertainment is how they seamlessly use stop-motion animation for all of their films. The animation in Kubo is flawless, and while watching the movie, you have to wonder if they actually used computer animation instead of stop-motion. But they did not. Everything was made with puppets and sets, and the look is stunning. Especially when Kubo uses his shamisen to bring origami to life.

And while the animation is stunning, the music is not quite stellar but it does fit perfectly with the movie. There's nothing about it that screams for you to go buy the digital download of the soundtrack, but it serves its purpose for the movie and that's all that really matters.

From start to finish, Kubo grabs hold of you and doesn't let go. From one beautiful set-piece to the next, you are along for a magical journey that enraptures you, with characters that are fun and that you want to share this journey with. Sets are beautiful and unique, and the costumes are stunning to behold, as are the character designs.

Kubo and the Two Strings is a movie I wasn't sure I wanted to see again instantly, but the more I thought about it after it was over and the more I think about it now, the more I realize I do want to see it again in theaters. How many more times, I'm not sure, but I think it will be a lot. The movie really captured my imagination, and it made me wish I could do stop-motion animation.

Kubo and the Two Strings Final Grade: 9.6/10: A (Excellent)

If you're looking for Jaws, look elsewhere; if you're looking for a half-way decent Syfy production, this is it. I was surprised by how good and entertaining this movie turned out to be. And while I may have a different grading scale than most, I did find this movie an excellent watch.

Grade: 9.6/10 Final Grade: A (Excellent)

Plot: 9/10 (Excellent) On a beach in San Diego (or San Di-ahgo as Ron Burgundy calls it) a group of (hot) lifeguards protect the people from drowning and from shark attacks until a new alpha predator arrives on the scene--this one nuclear.

Character Development: 10/10 (Perfect) Each lifeguard is given his or her own time to shine in the sun, but the main two, Gina and Fletcher, the heroes, shine the brightest. We get to know enough about them to not hate them and actually like them: Gina is a lifeguard who is also an environmental researcher, doing her part to keep the planet safe--never thinking she'd have to deal with a nuclear-powered animal. She also has a few daddy issues that add to the drama but don't take away from it. Fletcher is a basic lifeguard who does the job because of the ladies until he realizes far more is at stake. Everyone else is basic shark-food and does their part well until they're eaten.

Direction: 10/10 (Perfect) The director tells a good story, showing the possible work life of a team of lifeguards dealing with the threat of a nuclear shark.

Casting: 9/10 (Excellent) The cast is good and easy to look at for the most part. I take a point off for Jessica Kemejuk, who was so unbelievably gorgeous until I saw the gross tattoo on her back, which is an instant turn-off for me. Everyone else was fine, though, especially the star, Rachele Brooke Smith, who was probably the hottest lifeguard I've seen since Baywatch and wore the best swimsuit in the entire movie.

Acting; 9/10 (Excellent) The actors weren't bad, giving a much better performance than I was expecting. Of them all, Jeff Fahey stole the show, as he normally does.

Cinematography: 10/10 (Perfect) Beautifully shot, giving the viewers what they wanted to see more--beautiful babes, hot-looking men, and a blood galore from a shark. The special effects were great, and while the shark did look like a Jaws-reject, he still wasn't bad.

Music: 10/10 (Perfect) Great music fades into the background: It's there, but you don't really notice it. That was the case here.

Pacing: 10/10 (Perfect) Movie didn't let up from the start.

Sets and Costumes: 10/10 (Perfect) The person in charge of clothing should be given an award for giving the star the greatest lifeguard swimsuit ever. While Jessica Kemejuk had a more traditional swimsuit for a woman, Rachele Brooke Smith had the greatest two piece ever that was functional but still showed off her gorgeous body to best effect.

Re-watchability: 9/10 (Excellent) I'd definitely watch Atomic Shark again for the girls. Story was good, dialogue was decent, but you need to mostly watch this movie for the girls.

Not a bad movie at all. Better than I was expecting considering the way the YouTube reviewers are chastising the acting in this movie. The acting was really no different than in any other Bourne movie, in my opinion. Plot was a little thin but enjoyable. Honestly, this lives up to the other Bourne movies in that it's great just not excellent.

Final Grade: A- Number Grade: 8.9/10

Plot: 8/10 (Great) You can tell that this was not based on any of the Bourne books, and in a way that is its one tragedy. They tried to update everything with computer hackers and such, which worked but also didn't. Paul Greengrass and Christopher Rousse did a decent job, however, and you could almost think they might have gotten a look at Ludlum's notes for Bourne and just went with it. Not a terrible job in the least.

Character Development: 9/10 (Excellent) It was good getting a bit more backstory to Bourne and what turned him into the Treadstone operative he became. We got to see (a little bit) of what Nicky Parsons has been up to since the end of Bourne Ultimatum. And we also got introduced to the new head of the CIA, who is running a brand new operation based off of Treadstone, so you know how that's going to go.

Direction: 9/10 (Excellent) Paul Greengrass is really a great director for Bourne. My favorite Bourne film by him is The Bourne Supremacy, and this is my second favorite. Bourne Ultimatum is third because they really tried to tie things up too quickly in that movie. But here, as writer and director, he had a solid idea of what he wanted to do and did it very well.

Casting: 9/10 (Excellent) Great casting, as always. Matt Damon, Tommy Lee Jones, and Alicia Vikander were perfect, though you can really see age creeping up on Mr. Jones. Vincent Cassel was great, too, in his role. The secondary characters were...okay. Nothing special about them, especially Riz Ahmed, who was really not much to the story other. But as the movie didn't completely focus on him, it was okay and his part worked for what it was.

Acting: 10/10 (Perfect...for a Bourne movie) Some reviewers has complained about the acting in Jason Bourne, but honestly, no one in this movie is a Shakespearian actor. They did fine with what they had, giving the best performance they can give to the characters they had. Matt Damon was never very lively as Bourne anyway.

Cinematography: 10/10 (Perfect) Visually pleasing with far less shaky cam than normal--either that, or I'm finally getting used to it. There were some points that it was distracting but not enough to count off for. As dark and bright as both Bourne movies, as as usually, you might want to take sunglasses for when it cuts from a dark scene to a bright scene.

Music: 9/10 (Excellent) Typical Bourne fare for music, including Moby at the end with yet another version of his song "Extreme Ways." I wonder if he'll ever get tired of remixing that song?

Pacing: 9/10 (Excellent) Only looked at my watch once during the movie about an hour in. After that, pretty much had to fasten my seat belt.

Sets and Costumes: 8/10 (Great) Nothing too special. Locations were great, clothes worked for the characters--again, typical Bourne fare.

Re-watchability: 8/10 (Great) I may not see Jason Bourne again in theaters, but I definitely will pick it up on digital when it becomes available. Great movie all around that I will enjoy watching again when I watch the other Bourne movies.

I recommend going to see Jason Bourne at least once if you're a Bourne fan.

My actual grade for Gods of Egypt is a 9.9, which is very high for me. My grading system may definitely be according to what I prefer in a movie, but it's my grading system and not someone else's.

Gods of Egypt was a pleasant movie to watch. Fast-paced, good character development, and a few surprises along the way. I was very happy with it.

Score: 9.9/10 Stars: 4/5 Grade: A+

Plot: 10/10 Overall, the story for Gods of Egypt was good, if basic, but at least they didn't try to do more with it than they did. Sometimes, simple is far better than complex (glaring at you, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice). Horus is made the new ruler of Egypt but Set wants the job, so he steals Horus' eyes and story ensues. Straight, simple, to the point, and it works on all levels. Of course, there's more to the story than just that, involving a thief and his dead girlfriend, but it all comes together nicely in the end.

Character Development: 10/10 Having such a simple story, character development can sometimes get lost, but in Gods of Egypt, everyone was given enough screen time, enough motivation, and everything you were hoping for in the beginning payed off in dividends in the end (unlike some movies (again, glaring at you, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice)). I was just waiting to be disappointed by the ending, but I wasn't, and that more than anything made me happy and glad I watched this movie.

Directing: 10/10 Alex Proyas may not be the world's greatest director, but he doesn't try to give his audience more than he's capable of. For this type of movie, he's a perfect director. That doesn't mean I'd like to see him take on something like Shawshank Redemption, however. But for Gods of Egypt, he directed brilliantly.

Casting: 10/10 Again, for this type of movie, I thought the casting was perfect. You needed good looking men, hot looking women, and their acting didn't really matter for the most part. Again, I would not want to see any of these people take on an Oscar-worth film, but for Gods of Egypt, they did what they needed to do and pulled it off well.

Acting: 10/10 For Gods of Egypt, the actors pulled off their parts well, giving the audience what they needed to make the movie good. Again, none of them are going for Oscars here, but that's fine because this isn't an Oscar-winning movie.

Cinematography: 10/10 I love movies that look good, and everything about this movie was GORGEOUS. From the look of the main city to the various sets and places all the characters went, everything looked great. Yes, it was all CGI, but at least it gave the movie the proper feel. And the way the gods looked in their non-mortal forms was brilliant.

Music: 10/10 No, it's not as great as John Williams in Star Wars or Indiana Jones; it's not as good as Howard Shore in the Middle Earth movies; but for this type of movie, at least it wasn't pop culture music set in ancient times. The composer did a great job, giving the proper ambiance to the movie.

Pacing: 10/10 The movie didn't have any part to it that dragged. Even the one part that I thought would drag (when Horus talked to Ra) was saved by a rather cool fight scene that showed how awesome Geoffrey Rush is as an actor. From start to finish, the movie barely stopped to let the audience catch their breath.

Sets and Costumes: 10/10 Again, gorgeous. The costumer knew how to clothe the actors for best effect, making the women beautiful and the men tough. Good job all around.

Re-Watchability: 9/10 I consider this movie an excellent watch, but it's not perfect. I will want to watch it again soon, but it's not really something I think I could watch over and over. I may change my mind after another viewing, however. We'll see.

Gods of Egypt. If you haven't seen it, give the movie a shot. You might be surprised.

Independence Day: Resurgence was not as bad as I was expecting but far from being good, too. If I could go back in time, I'd tell myself to see it but only after it came out on RedBox or Netflix. It had a good story that in the hands of another writer might have been quite excellent. But there were too many cooks in the kitchen who spoiled the broth.

Grade: C 7.2 out of 10 3 out of 5

Plot: 7/10 The overall plot of the movie was okay. If they had given the script to another, more competent writer, it might have been great. As it was, it was only good.

Character Development: 6/10 I'm just going to say it. I'm sick and tired of seeing characters made gay just because it's "politically correct." I don't have a problem with people being gay, but I personally am starting to get turned off by the amount I'm seeing it in movies and television programs that should have absolutely nothing to do with personal relations. This is a sci-fi movie. I want to see aliens come down, blow stuff up, and us kick their asses in return. I don't want to know that this certain character has feelings for another certain character--especially if it's two men. I'm sorry I feel this way, but I do. If you want to put a gay character in a movie, put him in a gay romance with another man that I don't have to see. I don't even want to see two women in love in a science fiction movie. I don't need to see any kind of romance in a science fiction movie because it takes away time from the actual science fiction story.

Rant over.

Directing: 5/10 Roland Emmerich really needs to not be given any more movies. He did great in the 90s but his time has passed. Move on unless you're going to actually make a good movie--which I don't think he's made since the original Independence Day.

Casting: 6/10 Seeing the original cast again was good. Seeing the new actors was horrible--except for William Fichtner, who is pretty much just cool in everything he does.

Acting: 6/10 Again, acting by original cast was great. Acting by new cast was pitiful.

Cinematography: 9/10 The overall look of the movie was good, but they did rely entirely too much on CGI. The aliens were done well, as were their ships.

Music: 9/10 Pretty much the same music from the first movie, so I can't complain.

Pacing: 10/10 The movie did not drag, which was good.

Sets and Costumes: 9/10 Can't really complain about the standard military uniforms everyone wore.

Re-watchability: 5/10 I saw the movie just to see it. I'm glad I did because now I can decide if I want to buy it on digital or not. I might not because of the whole icky gay thing (and again, I don't have a problem with it, I just don't want to see it because it's not my thing). I probably won't buy it, but I will be interested in seeing the third movie that they set up but that will probably never come out.

Overall, good idea for a movie but too many issues dragged it down for me and made it almost not worth seeing.

I went to see Warcraft today. I was hoping for a decent fantasy movie, not being someone who has played the games, and I was surprised by what I saw but felt it could have been better, as well. The character development was great, but the story was a little off. Not bad, just...off. I'll go into a breakdown of my score.

Grade: 9.1/10

91/100

A-

Plot: 9/10 The overall plot for Warcraft was good. I guess it's a prequel to the video games, but as I said, I haven't played the games, but it seemed to be, and that was good. It's a basic story of good versus evil. The only problem with the plot was I felt that the script could have done with another round of editing to smooth out a few of the rough edges. One scene in particular would have been amazing had they handled it better, but I saw it coming from a mile away so it did not have the impact it should have had.

Character Development: 9/10 Good characterization all around. A lot of things I thought they were going for in the movie turned out differently than I expected, and sometimes that pleased me and other times it did not. Nothing horribly bad, just...not what I would have gone for. Again, not bad, just I would have given the characters a different ending. But, again, I haven't played the games, so maybe they did get a different ending.

Direction: 9/10 The story was told well, but again, another edit might have given the director more to work with-- which is sad because the director co-wrote the screenplay.

Casting: 9/10 Casting was almost perfect. A few minor changes I might have made had I been there, but all-in- all, very little I would have changed.

Acting: 9/10 Acting was good given the script, and no one felt like they did not want to be there taking part in this world. All the actors really gave their best and did bring their characters to life.

Cinematography: 9/10 The visual look of the movie was amazing, but it also felt very much like I was watching a video game cut scene from start to finish. The orcs were well-done, as was Garona, so very little to fault other than the fact you could tell the CGI was CGI.

Music: 10/10 Musical score was perfect for the movie. Good job there.

Pacing: 9/10 Movie flowed well, though there was a point in the final battle where I just wished they would wrap things up. I know it's a war movie, but sometimes the battles just went on too long.

Sets and Costumes: 10/10 Loved the costumes in the movie.

Re-watchability: 8/10 One of the most important factors to me in a movie is how many times I want to watch it again. Warcraft was good but I'm not rushing back to the theater to see it again. In fact, I'll buy it on digital download, but if I never see it in theater again, I don't think I'll be missing out. Watch it once in the theater but then decide for yourself if you want to go back or not.

I've always had a problem with Bryan Singer's X-Men movies. Not a complete problem, but the first two movies he did, while being good, are rather...dumb. But then he seemed to realize what he did wrong and corrected them in X-Men: Days of Future Past. And in X-Men: Apocalypse, he continues the trend of making the X-Men truly great.

Grade: 10/10

9.8/10

98/100

A+

Plot: 10/10 Apocalypse arises in the 80s, a bit confused as to where he is after a really long sleep, but he realizes the world is screwed up and he just wants to make it simple again--with him ruling EVERYTHING. So he gathers some followers and starts his quest to take over. Simple, straight, and to the point. There's no mucking around in this movie. You have a bad guy and good guys who have to stop the bad guy. It's so simple that it actually works. But the story is so much deeper than it seems, which really makes the movie shine.

Character Development: 10/10 A lot of old characters are re-introduced in the new world created by X-Men: Days of Future Past, but a lot of old friends show up, too. They are all giving enough screen time so we don't feel like anyone is shoe-horned in (ala Wonder Woman), and they're all given enough personality that we do become attached to them. The writers did a good job here.

Direction: 10/10 Bryan Singer did a good job bringing this movie to life and I'm glad to have seen the movie in theaters. One thing I was worried about was how they portrayed Apocalypse in the trailers, with him claiming to be all these different gods, including Yahweh, but Singer actually did the smart thing and took that line out of the movie, making sure he offended no one. I was very happy for this, for while I can appreciate the fact that Apocalypse thought himself all the gods of the world, there was a minor thing about calling people who do believe morons that I felt the trailer said very heavy-handedly. But the movie chose to ignore this other than a passing reference. So if you are a Christian and think the movie is offending you, I can assure you that it actually does not. Nor does it offend any other religions, for those who might be interested.

Casting: 10/10 I was worried most about the casting, especially Sophie Turner, but I was surprised when everyone turned in a really tremendous performance--especially Sophie Turner. Still, James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender were the best performers, and Oscar Isaac actually kinda stole the show.

Acting: 10/10 See above. Acting was just as great as the casting--and I don't mean that in a disparaging way.

Cinematography: 10/10 The film was visually stunning, and the destruction-porn was actually far less than I was expecting from the trailers. It was handled masterfully.

Music: 10/10 Great score that accompanied the movie well but did not overwhelm it.

Pacing: 9/10 I'll admit that the movie did move a little slow at times. It wasn't completely noticeable, but there was a time I was beginning to wonder if the final battle was ever going to get there. A few moments later, it did.

Sets and Costumes: 10/10 All the costumes in the movie were great, especially Psylocke's. Whoever created her outfit needs to win some kind of award because it was perfect--just what I wanted her outfit to look like. The other costumes were great, too, but Psylocke's was really spot-on.

Re-watchability: 9/10 While being a great movie, like most X-Men movies, it has a great re-watch factor but it's not perfect. I can't wait to own this movie, but chances are I probably won't see it in theaters again. Nothing against the movie--just have to save my money for awhile.

X-Men: Apocalypse is definitely worth seeing in the theater if you're an X-Men fan or even if you just like the X-Men movies. Go see it. You might be surprised.

I really hate movies that are as good as Captain America: Civil War because they make me have to redefine what I consider an "excellent" movie. This movie takes the word "excellent" and makes me wish there was a better word to use. Excellent is actually not good enough to describe the awesomeness of this movie. Is Awesomexcellent a word? It should be. And even that is weak to describe this movie.

Grade: 10/10 (probably actually 100/10 but I can't go that high)

100/100 (probably actually 1000/100 but I can't go that high)

A+ (+++++++++)

Plot: 10/10 From the start of this movie until the end, it is a Captain America-centric movie, but most of the MCU we've met takes part in it--along with a few new members who are welcome additions to the MCU: Spider-Man and Black Panther. Everything about the plot was so well-written that it was like watching DaVinci paint. You can't really believe you're watching something this epic. It is the dream of every Marvel fan where Batman v Superman was every true DC fan's worst nightmare. Everything Batman v Superman did wrong, Captain America: Civil War got more than right. Where Wonder Woman was a throw-away character with hardly any screen time, Black Panther was there almost from the start until the end, and his presence was FELT and appreciated. The story was captivating, and you never once feel bored or left wondering what is going on.

Character Development: 10/10 There are technically 19 actors in this movie that need screen time, and all 19 of them are given the perfect amount to make their presence in this movie worthy of being there. Not one of them felt like they didn't need to be there. Even one that did not have as much screen time as others made such a mark on the movie that his forthcoming movie is now much-anticipated.

Direction: 10/10 The Russo Brothers got everything right. The Russo Brothers know how to juggle, and they didn't drop the ball once where a single character was concerned. They also made the movie more excellent by getting help from the directors of John Wick to help with the fight scenes. Everything was set up and executed beautifully by them where Zack Snyder tried juggling elephants with one hand in Batman v Superman and failed miserably.

Casting 10/10 The MCU knows how to pick good actors who fit their roles perfectly. We've seen each of the actors before, so you know how good they are. But adding Chadwick Boseman and Tom Holland into the mix just proved, once and for all, that Marvel knows their stuff when it comes to casting, unlike another company that I won't mention (Gal Gadot looks nothing like Wonder Woman-- nothing!)

Acting: 10/10 All right, they aren't doing Shakespeare, but for what they're given, the actors really know how to tell a good story. Everyone played their roles perfectly because they had a really excellent script to work with. No one acted like they didn't want to be there, and you could tell they were all having a really good time.

Cinematography: 10/10 Beautifully shot and great locations. It was such a joy to watch.

Music: 10/10 Again, not the opera, but for what it needed to be, the music was great. It was subtle and did not take away from the action on the screen but added to it.

Pacing: 10/10 There really was not a slow spot in the whole movie. Scenes flowed together well, there was slow parts when there needed to be and action when there needed to be. Unlike another movie I could mention, there wasn't 90 minutes of nothing leading up to an hours of headache. The Russos let you breath when you needed to and then got your heart pumping when it needed to. Great work, guys!

Sets and Costumes: 10/10 All the costumes in the movie were great, as usual, but the star costume in the movie had to be Black Panther. It was everything I wanted Black Panther's costume to be. Spider-Man's was good but not as good as Panthers. Everyone else pretty much wore what they're been wearing for eight years now.

Re-Watchability: 10/10 I cannot wait to see this movie again. I'm going to see it in IMAX and at least once more this weekend, then I'll probably see it a few more times as well. This was a really great movie!

I've seen a lot of bad shark movies, but this one was only partially likable. The main premise that made me watch it was the bikini contest they talk about, but there's no bikini contest. Yes, there are a few girls in skimpy clothes, and while they were hot, them walking around didn't exactly fit the idea of a bikini contest. So I give it a bad score for really false advertising--though the rest of the movie was pretty much what I expected, so there is that.

Plot: 6/10 People at a ski resort are attacked by the spirits of sharks that were summoned hundreds of years ago. That would have been a better description than talking about a bikini contest that never happened.

Character Development: 4/10 Can't really say much on this because there was very little character development. I mean, less than there usually is in these kinds of movies, and I've seen quite a few movies like this one. Half the cast looked alike so it was hard to keep track of who was who.

Direction: 6/10 The way the story was told wasn't completely horrible, after all we did get to see people eaten by sharks while skiing and snowboarding. It was also good that they did figure out a way to get beautiful girls to strip down to their bikinis. Kudos for that. I just wish there had been an actual contest.

Casting: 7/10 The cast were all beautiful and handsome, just too bad you couldn't really tell one blonde from another. There was one girl introduced at the start of the movie and I didn't realize that they actually kept showing her until right before her character died.

Acting: 6/10 Not bad but not great, either. Typical for this movie.

Cinematography: 9/10 Beautiful scenery, great shots of the girls, and even the special effects weren't bad. Can't really go wrong with this movie visually.

Music: 9/10 Music was pretty good, especially the end song.

Pacing: 7/10 First thirty minutes of this movie felt like an hour to me. Rest finished up okay, though.

Sets and Costumes: 8/10 Girls, bikinis, ski resort--what else is there to say?

Re-Watchability: 5/10 Probably not going to watch this one again, but I might. Depends on if I decide to give it another try or not.

Final Score: 67/100

6.7/10

C-

Might not be movie of the summer, but it was definitely better than Batman v Superman in my opinion. Had a better story, much livelier acting, and it actually had a villain that you wanted to see destroyed. Actually, it had two villains who were about as villainous as you could get.

Here's my breakdown on the movie:

Plot: 9/10 The story was good, giving the back story of the Huntsman and where he came from before picking up after the events of Snow White and the Huntsman. Really good job here.

Character Development: 10/10 Perfect character development for all the characters in this movie, including Ravenna, who you thought would have had her story told in the first movie. She actually got a better story here, as did the Huntsman.

Direction: 8/10 The way the story was told as a partial back story and partial after story for Snow White was handled very well.

Casting: 10/10 Perfect casting all around. I wouldn't change anyone.

Acting: 9/10 Charlize Theron really threw herself into Ravenna again. Emily Blunt was so awesome as the cold- hearted Ice Queen, Freya. Chris Hemsworth reprised his role of The Huntsman to great effect. I have to say Jessica Chastain was great as Sara, but she did slightly bring the movie down in my opinion. Not horribly in any way, but she just didn't seem to be as into as everyone else. My opinion on that could change on another viewing, however.

Cinematography: 10/10 Movie was beautiful to look at. Think Snow White and the Huntsman but better. Even the melting mirror looked better here.

Music: 10/10 Beautiful and fit the movie perfectly. It didn't overwhelm you but fit into the background nicely.

Pacing: 8/10 There was a point where I started to wonder how far from the end we were. But then things immediately picked up again and concluded satisfyingly. Still, if I have to check my watch even once, I take points away. The first act was good, the middle act was a little slow, but the third act was perfect.

Sets and Costumes: 10/10 Everything in this category looked really great in this movie. Ravenna...wow!

Re-Watchability: 9/10 This probably isn't a movie you'll want to immediately see again, and chances are I may not go see it again in theater, but I will love to own this on digital when it gets released for home video.

Final Grade: 93/100

9.3/10

A

I just got back from a 6:00 PM showing of Batman v Superman, and I have to say that it was much better and more coherent than Man of Steel, but it was still a tiny bit of a mess. I won't give anything away because you need to judge the movie for yourself, but there are a lot of things I had issues with concerning Batman's characters, a lot of things I had issues with concerning Superman's character, and the entire third act needed a massive, massive overhaul.

Ben Affleck was a good Batman; however, I did not like the direction they took his character. Henry Cavill was great as Superman, but again, I did not really like where they took his character. But Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman did surprise me. She did not speak much, her lines were a bit wooden when she spoke, and I do still believe she was too small to play Wonder Woman (sorry, but she still needed a bit more meat on her, not muscle, but meat), but I can forgive her because she was still a lot better than I was expecting.

Jesse Eisenberg was about terrible as Lex but not nearly as bad as I was expecting. He didn't bring down the movie, but they still should have gotten another actor.

The highlight of the film was Jeremy Irons as Alfred, however. He was perfect and I wouldn't change a thing about his character.

All-in-all, not a terrible movie but still not perfect. Needed a better editor to get rid of scenes that just were not necessary and cut the runtime a bit. Either that or we need the 3 hour version to help smooth the editing a bit. It's hard to say what would truly make this movie better other than getting rid of that third act.

Not as horrible as some had said but not nearly as good as others make it out to be.