Reviews

After years of waiting for a seqeul to Unbreakable, Glass is finally here and I have to say that while it wasn't exactly what I was expecting, it delievered on being a satisfying conclusion to the Unbreakable trilogy!

It was great to see Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson in these roles again after so many years. I wish we had got to see them spend more time together on screen as I personally felt that Bruce Willis was a bit underused, but nevertheless still had plenty of good moments here. James McAvoy was also great once again and we also get to see some of the original actors from Unbreakable reprise their roles as well.

I think part of the reason this movie got bad reviews is because people were expecting something more like Split which this is not. This is a much slower-paced and more Drama/Thriller than action movie (although there is some action here and there). I didn't mind this at all though as Unbreakable itself was a slow movie and it was nessecary to build the plot for this film. But what I think really is dividing people is the ending of the film. I will say this was NOT the ending I was expecting at all and because of that I think some people will walk away dissapointed. However, after really absorbing and thinking about the ending and realizing what M. Night was trying to do, I appreciated it a lot more than I originally did.

Overall, I think fans of Unbreakable will more than likely enjoy this, but those who are expecting something more in the vein of Split will probably be dissapointed. If you do see it, just make sure to go in with an open mind because this is not going to be the movie you are expecting.

I can't believe this movie was as bad as it was! I love the cast and the trailer made it look like it would be solid thriller for adults!. Boy, was I wrong!

First off, the movie is nothing like the trailers present it to be. Normally, it's a good thing when a trailer doesn't spoil much, but in this case it's not. The trailer sells the movie as something completely different than it actually is. I won't spoil anything, but I'll just say that this has one of the worst twists I've ever seen in a movie that I can't believe anyone thought it was a good idea let alone gave them millions of dollars to make this.

Matthew McCounaghey and Anne Hathaway are normally great in just about anything, but here both of them are laughably bad. It doesn't help either that the dialogue is very corny and unrealistic. It's such a shame too because I used to get excited when I saw McCounaghey's name on a film, but this is so bad I think it could really damage his career.

Like I said, I can't really say whats so bad about this movie without spoiling the twist, so I'll just say the only reason you should waste your time with this movie is if you love bad movies and want to see one of the dumbest twists ever created. It's no wonder the trailers hid what the movie is actually about because nobody would have saw this.

As a Queen fan and someone who had been looking forward to this movie since it was first announced, Bohemian Rhapsody blew my expectations away!

I will say right of the bat that the movie is not 100% historically accurate, but most biopic movies aren't so this really didn't bother me all that much. Rami Malek was amazing and easily deserves the Oscar for Best Actor this year! I honestly forgot that I was watching an actor play Freddie. The concert and music scenes were fantastically directed and I honestly felt like I was there at a real concert, particulary during the Live Aid scene at the end. Although the movie was a lot of fun, I really liked how it also wasn't afraid to cover the darker and more unpleasant parts of Freddie's life as well in the second half which made it a much more intriguing and emotional film than I could have been.

This is easily my favorite movie of the year (although as a Queen fan I'm probably a bit biased). Everything from the acting, directing, and music is fantastic and Malek easily deserves an Oscar for his performance as Freddie!

When I first saw the trailer I was dissapointed that the original cast and director of the first film were not returning, but was still interested to see them continue the series. This was nothing like the books or previous films!

The new cast isn't bad, but still nowhere near as good as the cast in the American version of Dragon Tattoo. But what really made this movie terrible was how it was nothing like the book! Not only was about 80% of the plot changed, but they tried to make it too much of an action movie when anyone who has read the books or seen the US or Swedish version that these are crime dramas, but the people who made this one wanted to make it more of a Hollywood Blockbuster Action Movie. The action is not very good and the story is incredibly boring! This was the first movie in a long time that I nearly walked out of because of how bored I was.

If you are a fan of the books and the previous movies, do not waste your time or money on this one! It's nothing but a cheap attempt at Hollywood to try and cash in on the name of the originals.

This movie was decent and while the kids enjoyed it, the original is still so much better.

It was interesting to see a different take on the story of The Grinch and the animation was very well done, but it seemed like the writers had trouble finding out ways to make such a short story into a movie. Most of the jokes are meant for little kids and I don't think adults will find that funny.

While this version of The Grinch is not bad and good for kids, I still perfer the original version much more as it I felt it captured the story better and did it all in only a short running time. This is really only worth watching if you have kids that want to see it.

While I enjoy all superhero movies, I've always thought that the Marvel films were better, but Aquaman is the best DC movie yet and on the same level as Marvel!

Everything about this movie is fantastic! Jason Mamoa was excellent as Aqauman and I can't imagine another actor in the role doing as good a job as him! The movie had the perfect balance of great action, humor, drama, and emotion! The special effects looked amazing! The only complaint I really have is that I thought it was a bit too long and could have been a bit shorter!

Overall, this is easily the best DC Movie yet and one of the best superhero movies of the year! I think its a good sign that DC movies will soon be on the same level as Marvel!

I'm really surprised that this film didn't get much publicity considering how relevant it's subject matter is and the cast.

This was a movie that was not only really entertaining, but also really made you think about things such as the way the media plays a role in politics. Even though you know the way the story is going to play out, it doesn't make the ride any less enjoyable.

Hugh Jackman is great as always as is the rest of the cast. One of the big standouts here is actually comedian Bill Burr who plays one of the journalists in the film.

I do wish the film had been longer though because I felt like some characters could have used more screentime such as Bill Burrs and I did think the ending could have been a bit stronger in delivering the films message.

Even though it seems this film went under a lot of peopels radars, I think it's really worth checking out if you enjoy political movies that really make you think. Much better than I expected based on reviews from the critics.

This was one of the best movies I've seen this year! It delievered on everything from comedy to drama, and emotion! Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali were excellent in both of their roles and deserved Oscar Nominations for Best Actor! Even though this is a story that deals with some very serious subject matter, their is a lot of humor and heart here as well! It's a perfect feel-good movie that the whole movie can enjoy together and I think will certainly win some Oscars this year! One of the best films of 2018 and a must-see!

I really enjoyed the first Wreck It Ralph movie. This one is alright, but I didn't enjoy it as much as the first.

I thought the concept here was great, but the jokes and references just weren't quite as clever or funny and felt like they have already been done before or just plain outdated. Kids will probably find them funny, but for anyone older than 13 I don't think there is a lot here for them. This was clearly aimed more for kids than the last film was.

On the good side, the animation does look great and there are still some funny moments and the film has a great message that I can appreciate. It wasn't by any means a bad film, but I expected more based on how good the last movie was. If you have kids then they will enjoy this, but for adults this is one you can probably wait to rent instead.

This is one of the best sequels I've seen in a long time! It's not quite as good as the first Creed, but it comes close! I really enjoyed what they did with the story which was a really creative way of raising the stakes for this one instead of it just being another boxing movie. The fights were excellent and the story was full of emotion and even played out in some ways I didn't expect! Michael B. Jordan was once again great as Apollo Creed and it's also great to see Stallone back in his iconic role as Rocky. It was also a real treat to see Dolph Lundgreen return as Drago and I was impressed by the guy who played his son as well!

Like the first Creed, this film is full of the same heart, great fights, and emotion that people love the Rocky franchise for! I don't know if they should make another one though since this one ends things really well and I don't see how they could make another story as good or interesting as this one. I think this was an excellent way to wrap up the Rocky legacy if it really is the last one!

I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy this since the idea of zombie christmas musical sounded weird, but this movie was a lot of fun! I loved all of the songs and thought all the actors did a great job! There were a lot of funny moments, but the story played out in many unexpected ways that caught me off guard. Also the zombie action did not dissapoint!

You can tell this is a low budget movie and some parts of it were really corny, especially in the beginning which had me thinking it was not going to be very good, but they did their best with what they had. I was a bit dissapointed because there really wasn't a whole lot of Christmas elements to this besides one or two of the songs and didn't really feel like a Christmas movie besides the setting. I also thought the ending was a bit too downbeat and depressing and also abrupt for a movie like this.

Overall, this is was a fun musical that I would recommend to those who like them as well as people who enjoy zombie movies. It's not a must-see, but still something to watch if you have the chance or see it on Netflix.

Even with all the hype I was not prepared for how great this movie was! Not only is it the best Spider-Man movie, but is also one of the best animated and superhero movies I've ever seen! I've never quite seen so much creativity in a movie in regards to the animation and story here. Don't be fooled by the fact that this is an animated movie either, the story is full of heart and emotion and none of the humor is toned down for kids.

If you haven't seen this yet, stop reading this review and go to the theater right now! You won't be dissapointed!

The only thing shocking about this movie was how pretentious and boring it was.

Matt Dillon was trying his best here, but his character was one-note and got old quickly. The premise here is an intersting one, but quickly goes off the rails as it devolves into a pretentious art-house film that mostly consits of laughbly mad monologues that feel like they were written by a goth theater major who smoked way too much pot. While the violence here certainly is gruesome, it's not nearly as bad as other reviews have made it out to be and gets tiresome quickly.

I truly struggled to get through this as the 2 and a half hour running time was painful and did not justify itself at all. I don't mind art-house films, but this was complete trash and im baffled at some of the reviews on here that consider this to be art. Don't waste your time and quite possibly the worst movie I've seen this year.

As an Eastwood fan it's always a treat to see him on the big screen and still working at his age. The Mule did not dissapoint at all!

The movie does get off to a bit of a slow start, but it doesn't take long for it to kick into gear and is an entertaining ride from start to finish. What surprised me the most about this movie was how funny it actually is without the humor ever feeling out of place. It actually starts out rather lighthearted for a film dealing with such subject matter and the intensity slowly builds towards a climax that will have you on the edge of your seat. Although this movie is intense, don't expect a lot of action. This is less Narcos and more of a movie about a very flawed man trying to make up for his unfulfilling life and the mistakes he's made towards his loved ones. The fact that this is based on a true story only made it more engrossing. Eastwood isn't the only performance that shines here though, the supporting cast also does an excellent job! Bradley Cooper, Andy Garcia, and Michael Pena in particular stood out. And without spoiling anything, the ending was surprisngly emotional and had me on the verge of tears.

While I don't think this is quite as good as some of Eastwood's greatest, it's still a great movie that will please both his fans and anyone looking for a good crime drama. Hopefully Eastwood still has a little bit left in him because this shows even at his age he's still a great director and writer!

I was really looking forward to this after how much I loved The Big Short and the excellent trailer and was expecting it to be one of the best movies of the year, so I was shocked by how bad this movie was!

The only redeeming factor was Christian Bale and Amy Adams performances. Both of them were fantastic and deserve to be nominated for awards. Steve Carell and Sam Rockwell who I am both big fans of played their characters like they were cartoons and felt very unrealisitc and took me out of the movie.

This movie tried too hard to be like The Big Short and failed miserably at it. It had no idea what kind of movie it wanted to be and was an odd mix of biopic drama, documentary, dark-comedy, and political thriller and never came together. Although Bale is great as Cheney, we never gain any true insight into him as a person or what drove him other than he is power hungry. There isn't even much of a story here and instead the movie just hops from scene-to-scene showing big moments in Cheney's life. The narration was awful which in the first 5 minutes tells us that most of America is stupid and doesn't want to know the truth about how evil Cheney is and adds nothing to the movie but to spoonfeed us information that isn't all that hard to understand. This movie advertises itself as an "Untold True Story", but there is nothing new here to learn about Cheney or the Bush Administration you can't learn by skimming a Wikipedia article. While a good amount of the film is historical accurate, it exagerrates Cheney's involvement in a lot of areas and only skims or completely glosses over his in others. There is a montage towards the end of the film that implies Cheney is responsible for almost all the major problems in the world that goes on for nearly 10 minutes and is laughably bad.

I despise Dick Cheney and am no conservative, but this film is the exact kind of liberal smugness that so many people in America are tired of. It feels like Adam McKay was less interested in making a compelling biopic and more interested in just making a 2 hour movies on how much he hates Dick Cheney. It honestly felt like it was put together by an leftwing type Infowars organization. Aside from the performances, I'm honestly shocked this got nominated for any Golden Globe awards. I think this could have been a great movie with a different director. Even Oliver Stone's mediocore Bush movie is miles ahead of this.

This movie was nothing like the trailer. I thought it would be an inspirational movie about the real guy, but instead much of it was focused on the fake story with the dolls. There actually wasn't even much of a story here at all and instead just a lot of scenes of Steve Carrell's character either struggling with his PTSD or being a creep and stalking his neighbor. We never got any insight into his character, what made Marwen so successful, or even learn much about the women that inspired him. This just felt like Hollywood trying to cash-in on a true story. The only good things were Steve Carell did a good job and some of the effects looked pretty good. Overall though I thought this was really dissapointing and boring despite being based on a true story. I really wish i would've just stayed home and rented the documentary and not wasted my time and money on this one.

Whether you enjoy American Assassin or not will most likely depend on what kind of film you are expecting. If you are expecting a thriller with a complex plot and characters in the vein of the Bourne series then you are probably going to be disappointed. However, if you are looking for an espionage action film that delivers when it comes to decent action sequences, you'll probably have a good time.

American Assassin isn't anything anything that you haven't seen before. It's generic, predictable, and not particularly inspired. The plot is one of the most predictable I've seen in a film in quite some time where every twist is seen coming from a mile away. The climax even revolves around the old trope of our heroes trying to stop a nuclear- type weapon from killing a bunch of people. However, what makes the film work more than it doesn't is that it delivers when it comes to providing some above-average high-octane action sequences. There are a few moments of shaky-cam here and there, but most of the scenes are rather well-choreographed for a film of this caliber, especially the opening sequence which is done in the style of a single shot. The film also takes full advantage of it's R-rating displaying plenty of brutal and bloody violence including a particular torture scene that even had me wincing.

Dylan O'Brien is fine in the lead role, but I personally don't feel like his character was given a lot to work with emotionally or depth beyond his motivation. The true star of the film is Michael Keaton who steals every scene he's in and providing some truly laugh-out-loud moments of comic relief. If it wasn't for him, the film honestly wouldn't have been quiet as enjoyable as it was. On a side note, Taylor Kitsch who i'm personally not a fan of did a decent job as the films villain.

While it's certainly a run-of-the-mill action espionage thriller, American Assassin has enough to make it worth checking out if you are a fan of the genre thanks to solid action scenes and a great performance from Michael Keaton, although fans of the novels and those looking for a film with more depth will probably be disappointed.

After two great films that proved that summer blockbusters could deliver big-budget effects and action sequences audiences love while also conveying a story that was intelligent and emotional, the rebooted Planet of the Apes trilogy unfortunately ends Caesars journey on a rather weak note compared to it's predecessors.

Like the previous films, this one is also visually stunning presenting what is probably some of the best visual effects to ever be displayed on the big screen. Andy Serkis once again delivers an amazing performance as Cesar and makes the most-effective argument yet that motion-capture performances don't just deserve, but need to be recognized by the Academy. Woody Harrleson is also a great addition to the cast portraying a complex antagonist who fits right in with the strong characters within this universe. The action-scenes are top-not as always and one has to give major props to Director Matt Reeves and the writers for having the guts to tackle a big-budget summer blockbuster with such a dark and grim tone (all within the PG-13 limits of course).

The main issue with War is that it's story isn't near as strong as the previous entries in the series. This is in part because while this has always been Caesars journey, the films focusing on him as well as human characters has added a complex layer that is missing here. This installment focuses only on Caesar and the apes, therefore removing an element that made the last two installments as great as they were. The main issue though is when in the films second-half it goes from what starts out as pretty strong Sci-Fi Drama to a routine prison escape movie. For a series that has been acclaimed for it's strong writing, effects, and originality, was this really the best they could give us? When it comes to this portion of the film, it slows down dramatically and ends up feeling rather dull almost as if the writers wanted to shoehorn some weird tribute to WWII films such as The Great Escape out of nowhere. Although it does all lead up to a rather fantastic action sequence, that same scene concludes on a complete cop-out that will even the most forgiving viewers rolling their eyes. While Harrelson also plays a great character, he unfortunately feels underused considering how much depth he had.

I really did have high hopes for this film considering how excellent the last two were and the early praise for this one and while I wouldn't go as far to say it's a bad film, it's certainly a disappointing one. While it still has the impressive visuals and performances that he series has been recognized for, it's story and script leaves a lot to be desired making it easily the weakest installment in the series and one of the more disappointing films of the year so far.

Make no mistake, from a technical perspective Dunkirk is an absolute achievement in filmmaking. Shot in portion on IMAX and completely on film, it's a visually gorgeous movie with breathtaking cinematography of dogfights in the sky and battles at sea. The sound effects and mix are possibly the best I've ever heard in a film! The gunshots are and loud, frightening, and realistic and every scene with a plane closing in sounds as if it i flying right above the audience making for an all the more immersive experience. And as always, Hans Zimmer delivers another excellent and powerful score that is one of the best I've heard in a film in quite sometime.

Yet, Dunkirk makes the same mistake that many technical and visually impressive films do, it forgets to give us any reason to care about what's going on within it's craft. Nolan has made a film that is strictly about the event that took place and has chosen to tell it in an unconventional non-linear structure with three different areas of the event taking course over the span of a week, day, and hour. By within a few minutes dropping us into all the chaos unfolding and not stating the structure aside from brief "One week...etc." cards in the very start, it takes a little bit of time to fully grasp the way the story is being unfolded and difficult to get into during the first act with things moving at such a quick pace . The biggest issue with Dunkirk though is that there is nothing to get invested in. I'm debating whether to even say this movie has any characters because none of them have any depth, personality, or background. This is a film where we are suppose to be rooting for the survival of these people, yet aren't given any reason to care about them other than the fact they are soldiers fighting the enemy. As the film progressed, I found myself not wanting to see where the actual story would progress, but instead hoping that there would be something else I could appreciate visually or technically to keep me from losing complete interest.

Another big issue is that Nolan desperately wants this to be a grim and horrific portrayal of war. However, this is difficult to do when the film is restricted to the boundaries of a PG-13 rating. This is the perfect example of a film that needed an R rating to fully be effective in what it was trying to do. Take films such as Saving Private Ryan or the recent Hacksaw Ridge in which the battle scenes become borderline horror films due to not just their suspense, but brutality and graphicness. Not that Dunkirk needed to be a Gibson gorefest, but it's portrayal of war feels all too tame and can't deliver on the level of suspense that's built up in the scenes proceeding it.

That isn't to say the film isn't without tense scenes, one in particular where soldiers are hiding in a ship that is being shot at for target practicing is particularly nerve-wrecking as well as the climax and the ending are also very well done. As for the acting, there isn't a bad performance here, but with little dialogue or much to do other than look frightened the cast isn't given a lot to work with to show off much. Tom Hardy's role could have been played by any other actor and it wouldn't have changed a thing which can be said for most of the cast here.

For a film that has openly taken pride in how experimental, unique, and going against what is norm in Hollywood, Dunkirk ends up being exactly what Nolan has been criticizing. It's a complete exercise in spectacle that's trying to get a pass with it's unique style and filmmaking techniques to excuse it's lack of depth and emotional core. I can appreciate Nolan for taking a different approach to a war film and it certainly showcases his talent as a director, but just because it's different doesn't automatically make it good and without any real depth, characterization, or emotion only further provides evidence of his weakness as a writer. If the film had been trimmed down to 30-40 minutes and released as an IMAX feature it would have been much more impressive, but the film itself is an empty exercise in technical achievement that's in it's own way a new breed of cynical filmmaking.

Fist Fight is a movie that I really did want to find some sort of enjoyment in. I'm a pretty big fan of Charlie Day and really would like to see him get some bigger roles outside of It's Always Sunny. Yet, there is no denying that Fist Fight is not only a new low for, but also one of the worst studio comedies to ever be released.

The biggest problem with the film itself is buying the premise itself. I understand that this is suppose to be a goofy comedy not meant to be taken too seriously, but there is only so far one can go out into the realm of disbelief before it becomes so implausible it brings us back into reality. Nothing in this film feels authentic or makes sense at all and only as a way for the writers to be able to advance an already stupid plot forward. Not since Identity Thief have I seen a film that bends and disregards so many rules of reality just to advance the story. if the laziness of the plot wasn't annoying enough, every character in the film is extremely unlikable and annoying to the point they feel like complete cartoons.

The other big problem with the film is that it is painfully unfunny. Even in the worst of comedies I can at least find one or two jokes that made me laugh, but I didn't even crack a smile at all during Fist Fight. It's very clear that the actual script for the film itself didn't contain many jokes and that the director/writers are relying on the actors to improvise most of the jokes to fill up the runtime. This results in almost every joke relying on forced profanity and sex gags. It thinks it's being edgy, but the jokes are so weak and tired it just comes off as desperate. Charlie Day is trying his best here, but with nothing to work with he constantly resorts to doing the fast-talking and freaking out shtick that he does in every other show and movie he's in to excess. Ice Cube phones it in playing the exact same role he does in the Jump Street movie (except much less funny) and Jillian Bell plays the stereotypical annoying woman character who constantly says lewd things for a cheap laugh. Even worse is to see Tracy Morgan first big role in a film since his accident gives him absolutely nothing to work with. If there is anything redeeming about Fist Fight at all, the actual fight during the climax is actually much better than one would expect given the rest of the films quality leading up to it, but it's not worth sitting through the rest of the film just to reach those 5 minutes.

Fist Fight marks a new low for major studio comedies in which the rules of reality or thrown out the window only so a plot that makes no sense can exist and decent writing is replaced in favor of improvising whatever swear word or sexual noun can be thought of on the spot. It's excruciating to sit through and a complete embarrassing for everyone involved. It's only 2 months into the year, but Fist Fight is a strong contender for one of if not, the worst movie of 2017.

With the history behind the troubled production and numerous delays for this film, I had prepared myself for the worst. While Jane Got a Gun isn't the trainwreck I expected it to be, it's still a snooze of a western that won't do any favors to reigniting a dead genre.

The two things that helped keep me from falling asleep are the performances and the production. The cast actually does a great job despite having to work with weak material. The production also is really good here with some decent cinematography and captures a gritty version of the wild west that exhibits the dirtiness we don't always get to see in westerns.

The big problem with the film is the characters. Despite a talented cast who is trying their best to work with what they have, they can't make these characters work. This is because the script provides barely any development to these characters aside from what is presented in several flashbacks to feel completely out-of-place and detached from the rest of film. Despite being the title character, Jane is giving almost nothing to do here and Joel Edgarton seems to be the only character is is bringing some life into this dull western. Combine this with a sluggish pace, there is almost nothing to invest in.

As someone who want's to see more westerns in the mainstream, I really wanted to like Jane Got a Gun and somewhere in it there's a decent film, but it's trapped behind a poor script and weak direction. I honestly wonder how this film would've turned out if it hadn't faced so much trouble during it's production instead of the misfire we've got.

After hearing for years people talk how fantastic of a film this is (some would even say one of the best ever made) I finally decided to check it out. While it was enjoyable, it unfortunately failed to have the impact on me it has had on so many others.

The biggest strength of the film is it's performances. Robin Williams is at it's best here showcasing not just his ability as a comedic actor, but also as a dramatic as well. His character is a fascinating one and anyone who has had a teacher or mentor who was inspiring will be able to relate to his character. What really surprised me though was how well the actors portraying the kids were. This is one of the few films I've seen that is focused intensely around a group of young adults were all of the actors do a great job.

While the film has a good story at it's core, it hits so many of the same beats and themes as other coming-of-age films and stories that it pails in comparison to some of the better ones out there. The story takes a while to kick in as the film gets off to a rather slow start and while the actors do a great job, only one or two of the younger characters are actually interesting. Robin Williams really is the star here and when he disappears for too long the film begins to drag quite a bit. I honestly wish the movie had been focused on his character since he was the most interesting, but that's not the story this movie is trying to tell.

For all my complaints, I still found Dead Poets Society to be an enjoyable film. It has fantastic performances, a good message, and features one of the most iconic (and well-deserving) best final scenes in a movie I've ever seen. But there's no denying that it pales in comparison to some other coming-of-age films due to a predictable story that drags in areas. I have a feeling many of the people who adore this film saw it when they were younger which is why it has stuck with them for so long which is perfectly fine, but anyone who has seen other coming-of-age films might find this one a bit underwhelming.

I watched this film knowing almost nothing about expect that it was a documentary and it had received great reception. I'm not a football fan and had no idea who Steve Gleason was. With that said, it didn't take away any of my enjoyment from this powerful documentary.

The film follows retired NFL player Steve Gleason who is diagnosed with ALS just months before the birth of his son. As he prepares a video dairy for his son, we watch as Steve deals with the disease as it progresses as well as his family as they embark with him on the long and difficult journey. Even without any knowledge of his football career, the film does a great job of quickly introducing to Steve and his family and giving us a background of their live. Although Steve is the star here, his wife Michele also equally shares the spotlight with him as we get to know her and watch her world change as he helps support her husband.

Although I highly recommend this film, be warned it's very difficult to watch. The film does not shy away from just how horrific of a disease ALS is and shows us Steve at several points where he is at his worst with the disease to the point he nearly gives up. What makes the film worth it though is watching somebody like Steve who once had it all have the courage and strength to want to continue living his life in his condition for the sake of his family.

By the end of the film, it's hard not walk away without thinking of Steve Gleason as one of the most inspiring people to ever live. It's the kind of film that when it's over makes you want to go outside and look around and makes you appreciate your own life and the ones around you. The only thing that really keeps the film from being perfect that it is a bit long at nearly 2 hours and a few scenes could've been trimmed down. If you enjoy documentaries and inspiring stories, this film is a must watch and one of the best documentaries I've seen in a long time!

There isn't anything that is particularity bad about The Siege of Jadotville, but rather that it just feels rather uninspired compared to other war films of it's kind. It's a shame too because it's a film that's trying to tell an important story that hasn't received the recognition it deserves. The first half-hour builds up the plot, but forgets to really build or develop it's characters leaving us with little to invest in emotionally. The acting isn't bad, but none of the performances are that impressive either. The war scenes themselves are actually what keeps the movie from falling completely flat. They are well-shot, but there's nothing about them that makes them all that impressive either (although it probably doesn't help I watched this right after seeing the fantastic Hacksaw Ridge). Overall, if you don't have anything else to watch and enjoy war movies then you might want to consider giving this a watch, but otherwise it really isn't worth it. There are much better and more entertaining war movies out there for you not to waste your time on this one. It's an admirable effort, but you'll forget about it shortly after viewing.

It should come as no surprise to anyone that Bad Santa 2 isn't anywhere near as good as it's predecessor. Aside from the fact that it's incredibly hard for sequels to out-do the original (and one that's as great as Bad Santa), none of the writers or director have returned for this installment. With that said, Bad Santa 2 still manages to be an enjoyable sequel that is much better than many other recent comedy sequels in recent memory.

One of the films biggest strengths is in it's casting. The majority of the original cast returns and all of the chemistry from the first film is still there. Kathy Bates who plays Willie's mother is a welcome addition to the cast and fits right into the filthy and vile atmosphere. Christina Hendricks is alright, but her character doesn't add too much to the film.

The biggest question about Bad Santa 2 is if it is in fact funny? For the most part, yes it is! A lot of the humor is reminiscence of the first film filled with crass, raunch, and insults galore. However, with none of the original writers returning this means that some of the wittiness of the first film is missing here. A lot of the jokes here are focused more on being offensive and vulgar which isn't necessarily a bad thing considering the type of movie this is, but at times it certainly feels like they are trying too hard to be so and jokes fall flat because of this. Fortunately, the majority of them still work. Like the first film, they don't forget to include a bit of drama and heart as well which seems like it would be missing here.

Mark Waters who has a rather mixed track record with his filmography ranging from decent to awful has taken over as the director. His direction isn't necessarily bad, but it does feel rather bland and unimpressive and at times feeling cheaper than the original film despite having a slightly bigger budget here and the film does suffer a bit because of it. Aside from that, the only other real flaw here is that there is a small portion in the middle where a few scenes drag a bit and the climax does feel a bit rushed.

Overall, Bad Santa 2 isn't going to achieve the cult classic status that the first film did, but as far as sequels go, it's honestly better than it should have been. While flawed, it's great to see Thornton and crew back and there are plenty of laughs to be had here and it even provides a satisfying conclusion to Willie's story. It's no 22 Jump Street, but it's miles ahead of Zoolander 2.

NOTE: I would rate the film a 6.5, but have rounded it up to a 7 due to IMDb's rating system.