The Hitman's Bodyguard

The world’s top protection agent (Ryan Reynolds) is called upon to guard the life of his mortal enemy, one of the world’s most notorious hitmen (Samuel L. Jackson). The relentless bodyguard and manipulative assassin have been on the opposite end of the bullet for years and are thrown together for a wildly outrageous 24 hours. During their raucous and hilarious adventure from England to the Hague, they encounter high-speed car chases, outlandish boat escapades and a merciless Eastern European dictator (Gary Oldman) who is out for blood. Salma Hayek joins the mayhem as Jackson’s equally notorious wife.

This was a throwback summer action movie.  Turn off your brain and don't question the logic/validity of the things happening on screen and enjoy the show.  Lots of crazy banter.  Lots of sarcasm between the leads.  Lots of silliness and some love stuff mixed in.  I have always been able to enjoy movies like this especially when there is great chemistry between the actors like in this one.  

I would recommend people checking this out.  It is by no means a good or great movie but it can be very enjoyable if you can turn your brain off.

Annabelle: Creation

She’s back! In Annabelle: Creation, several years after the tragic death of their little girl, a dollmaker and his wife welcome a nun and several girls from a shuttered orphanage into their home, soon becoming the target of the dollmaker’s possessed creation, Annabelle.

This movie was impressively creepy.  It made me wish that I was more into the Conjuring universe because they did a good job of connecting all the movies.  There were more than enough scares and tension to make this an entertaining scary movie.  It was much better than expected.  

I would definitely recommend this movie to people that like scary movies.  This was a much better than average one and worth the trip to the movies.

Detroit

From the Academy Award winning director of The Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty, Detroit tells the gripping story of one of the darkest moments during the civil unrest that rocked Detroit in the summer of '67.

Wow!  This was one hell of an intense movie.  It pretty much took you directly to this time and made you sit through some incredibly uncomfortable stuff. The direction was amazing and the performances were top notch too.  I left the theater beyond annoyed at the world that something like this could have happened and honestly continues to happen on a regular basis.  

I would absolutely recommend that everyone check this bad boy out.  It is an absolute must see from both a society/historical view point.  It's also an excellent example of filmmaking at its best.  Just be prepared to be very uncomfortable watching it.

The Dark Tower

Stephen King’s The Dark Tower is the most ambitious and expansive story from one of the world’s most celebrated authors. Now the story comes to the big screen starring Idris Elba as Roland Deschain and Matthew McConaughey as Walter O’Dim. The film is being directed by Nikolaj Arcel ("A Royal Affair"). 

This is one of the biggest movie disappointments ever for me.  I have read all the books and have been dying to see it end up on a big screen or a tv screen for what feels like forever.  I was thrown off when I first saw the trailers because they didn't make sense in terms of which book they were doing.  I kept putting off looking into anything because I didn't want spoilers or anything.  It turns out that they did not adapt any of the seven books.  Actually they just took bits and pieces from some of them and positioned the story AFTER the whole book series kind of.  It was very choppy and rushed and completely wasted the best parts of the movie - which were Idris Elba as the Gunslinger and what could have been McConaughey as the Man In Black.  They made the movie more about the kid and through his eyes with no adequate background given to everything else.  Basically, they tried to make the movie "down the road" so that you could enjoy it if you read the books but also enjoy it if you hadn't and failed on both fronts.  No fan of the book will be a fan of this movie because of how wrong it fells on so many levels and no newbie will be a fan becuase the books end up being like a prerequisite for understanding it.  

I would not recommend anyone bother with this movie.  It was flawed in so many ways.  The show really should have been brought to tv like Game Of Thrones or Westworld.  That would be the only way that I could see this whole story being given justice.

Girls Trip

Four lifelong friends who travel to New Orleans for the annual Essence Festival and rediscover their sisterhoods and wild sides – enough dancing, drinking, brawling and romancing to make the Big Easy blush.

Wow!!!  I never saw this one coming.  This movie was by far the funniest movie of the summer.  Like nothing else was even close.  I can't tell you how many times this movie had me crying from laughing.  All of the characters delivered on one level or another but the unknown actress playing Dena stole the show.  She was beyond hysterical.  The only thing I can compare it to was Catherine Hahn in Bad Moms.  She literally stole every scene she was in and its the type of character that would normally get stale as the movie went on but not at all.  Even the running time of two hours for this movie should have been a major red flag.  Even the attempt to get dramatic at times that normally ruins comedies didn't ruin this one.  This was A LOT of laughs.  Definitely rated R laughs but so many of them.

I would absolutely recommend people checking this movie out.  Again - easily the funniest movie of the summer.

Atomic Blonde

The crown jewel of Her Majesty’s Secret Intelligence Service, Agent Lorraine Broughton (Theron) is equal parts spycraft, sensuality and savagery, willing to deploy any of her skills to stay alive on her impossible mission. Sent alone into Berlin to deliver a priceless dossier out of the destabilized city, she partners with embedded station chief David Percival (James McAvoy) to navigate her way through the deadliest game of spies. 

Charlize Theron was one bad ass mofo in this movie.  She was perfectly cast as a female Jason Bourne type.  The action was great.  The spy stuff was great.  The pacing was great. This movie was a very fun ride and the 80s soundtrack was awesomely worked in to the different moods on screen at that time.

I would definitely recommend peeps checking this out.  It was a very enjoyable watch and a hell of a ride of action.

The Emoji Movie

Hidden within the messaging app is Textopolis, a bustling city where all your favorite emojis live, hoping to be selected by the phone’s user. In this world, each emoji has only one facial expression – except for Gene (T.J. Miller), an exuberant emoji who was born without a filter and is bursting with multiple expressions. Determined to become “normal” like the other emojis, Gene enlists the help of his handy best friend Hi-5 (James Corden) and the notorious code breaker emoji Jailbreak (Anna Faris). Together, they embark on an epic “app-venture” through the apps on the phone, each its own wild and fun world, to find the Code that will fix Gene. But when a greater danger threatens the phone, the fate of all emojis depends on these three unlikely friends who must save their world before it’s deleted forever.

The unfortunate thing for this movie is that animated movies have stepped up their game so much with Pixar & Dreamworks pretty much leading the way that adults enjoy them just as much (if not more) than the kids.  That being said - we can sometimes lose sight of the general idea that these movies are technically for kids.  This movie has been the worst reviewed movie of the year.  And it very much was a mess of a movie in every way . . . . . For adults.  Thats the part that a lot of these critics shot right past.   Kids will most likely love or at the very least enjoy this movie.  The parents that take them and will want to go to sleep for the movie.  I did for a chunk of it.  But just grin and take it for the children, it will be over soon enough and they will be glad they saw it.

The movie was definitely garbage but . . . . I didnt think it was as bad as hyped and the kids still liked it.  That's really all that is supposed to matter with this.  Adults seeing it without kids?   You should hard pass on that!

Kidnap

A typical afternoon in the park turns into a nightmare for single mom Karla Dyson (Academy Award winner Halle Berry) when her son suddenly disappears. Without a cell phone and knowing she has no time to wait for police help, Karla jumps in her own car and sets off in pursuit of the kidnappers. A relentless, edge-of-your seat chase ensues, where Karla must risk everything to not lose sight of her son. 

How was this a full length movie?  Better question - how the hell has Halle Berry fallen this far?  It wasn't too long ago that she was a top actress in Hollywood, right?   Now she is in what should be straight to DVD movie or an extended Criminal Minds episode.  This is pretty much a giant waste of time and you have pretty much seen it by watching the commercial.

I wouldn't recommend anyone bother with this.  Really don't understand how this was made at all.

War For The Planet Of The Apes

In War for the Planet of the Apes, the third chapter of the critically acclaimed blockbuster franchise, Caesar and his apes are forced into a deadly conflict with an army of humans led by a ruthless Colonel. After the apes suffer unimaginable losses, Caesar wrestles with his darker instincts and begins his own mythic quest to avenge his kind. As the journey finally brings them face to face, Caesar and the Colonel are pitted against each other in an epic battle that will determine the fate of both their species and the future of the planet.

This movie was great just like the other ones.  It really is amazing how they make the apes seem like such fluid and normal characters.  And the fact that they develop the apes over the course of the franchise like they are legit actors is even more impressive.  You feel for this apes that you have been watching for three movies now and you get excited about new additions - especially Bad Ape.  That one had me laughing out loud so many times during this movie.  The only knock I'll make against this movie is that in the grand scheme of things it just felt like a long isolated battle.  It didn't feel like another chapter in this progressing story as much as the other two did.  It just kind of felt like well let's fight this group of humans now.  Not sure if that makes sense or not but it just seemed to be lacking a little bit of a hook that the other movies had.  It was also way too long considering what I just said above.  Sorry - that was two knocks.  

I would still recommend people check this movie out - especially if you are fans of the franchise.  It is a very enjoyable watch even if it kind of lacked as much substance as the others.  

Dunkirk

Dunkirk opens as hundreds of thousands of British and Allied troops are surrounded by enemy forces. Trapped on the beach with their backs to the sea they face an impossible situation as the enemy closes in.

Wow!  This was one hell of an intense war movie from beginning to end.  And it was done in such an engulfing your senses way that you feel like you are there through all the chaos.  No time for a "story" or for character development.  Honestly, I don't even remember a single characters name.  And it didn't matter.  You were just there with these soldiers trying so desperately to survive through three different stories/vantage points that all eventually converge.  Christopher Nolan truly is the genius filmmaker of this generation.  

I would absolutely recommend that everyone check this out.  It's easily the best war movie I've seen since Saving Private Ryan and is a lock for one of the best movies of the year.

Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets

In the 28th century, Valerian (Dane DeHaan) and Laureline (Cara Delevingne) are a team of special operatives charged with maintaining order throughout the human territories. Under assignment from the Minister of Defense, the two embark on a mission to the astonishing city of Alpha—an ever-expanding metropolis where species from all over the universe have converged over centuries to share knowledge, intelligence and cultures with each other. There is a mystery at the center of Alpha, a dark force which threatens the peaceful existence of the City of a Thousand Planets, and Valerian and Laureline must race to identify the marauding menace and safeguard not just Alpha, but the future of the universe.

Yikes.  I had given this movie the benefit of the doubt hoping that it would be somewhat like The Fifth Element - a totally off the wall movie from years ago that I will still watch all the time as one of the ultimate guilty pleasure movies.  It was ridiculously bad though.  I pulled the plug halfway through because of how not enjoyable this movie was in every way.  Characters - poop.  Story - poop.  Pacing - poop.  Even the visual spectacle of it which should have been enough to carry the movie by itself?  Poop.

I would not recommend anyone bother wasting their time or money on this one.  This will end up being one of the worst movies of the year I'm pretty sure.

Wish Upon

In the latest thriller from the director of Annabelle, 17-year-old Clare Shannon (Joey King) is barely surviving the hell that is high school, along with her friends Meredith (Sydney Park) and June (Shannon Purser). So when her dad (Ryan Phillippe) gifts her an old music box with an inscription that promises to grant the owner's wishes, she thinks there is nothing to lose. Clare makes her first wish and, to her surprise, it comes true. Before long, she finally has it all: money, popularity and her dream boy. Everything seems perfect - until the people closest to her begin dying in gruesome and twisted ways. Now, with blood on her hands, Clare has to get rid of the box, before it costs her and everyone she loves the ultimate price.

This movie was beyond formula.  If you see the trailer you have pretty much seen the movie.  That being said - it was still kind of enjoyable.  It was like a Final Destination kind of twist with the way that they teased the deaths to come and the story was told quickly and easily enough that it didn't drag and get boring like a lot of recent horror movies like this.  

I would kind of recommend peeps checking this out.  It's a pretty decent watch even though you know every little thing that is going to happen from beginning to end.

Spider-Man: Homecoming

A young Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tom Holland), who made his sensational debut in Captain America: Civil War, begins to navigate his newfound identity as the web-slinging super hero in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Thrilled by his experience with the Avengers, Peter returns home, where he lives with his Aunt May (Marisa Tomei), under the watchful eye of his new mentor Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.). Peter tries to fall back into his normal daily routine – distracted by thoughts of proving himself to be more than just your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man – but when the Vulture (Michael Keaton) emerges as a new villain, everything that Peter holds most important will be threatened.

This was easily the best Spider-Man movie to date.  It easily knocked Spider-Man 2 (the one with Doc Ock) out of the top spot.  They didn't insult us with the third take on the origin since we have already sat through that twice in the last 15 years pretty much.  They picked right up where Captain America: Civil War left off and tied it in to that in a truly hilarious way.   Tom Holland is beyond perfectly cast as Peter Parker.  Michael Keaton was awesome as the villain.  All side characters were given a good amount of development time and have a ton of room to grow as this franchise continues.  The writing was funny as hell and combined with the excellent direction made the movie play out so well that in the modern day where spoilers and plot points are given out months in advance this movie actually made me yell out HOLY $HIT twice by catching me off guard along with the rest of the audience.  Cannot do justice to how impressive that was to me.   

I recommend that everyone check this movie out.  I've always been a huge Spidey fan and this met and far exceeded all expectations of it.  This again is the best Spidey movie so far and definitely a top 5 - if not top 3 - Marvel movie to date.

The Beguiled

The Beguiled is an atmospheric thriller from acclaimed writer/director Sofia Coppola. The story unfolds during the Civil War, at a Southern girls’ boarding school. Its sheltered young women take in an injured enemy soldier. As they provide refuge and tend to his wounds, the house is taken over with sexual tension and dangerous rivalries, and taboos are broken in an unexpected turn of events.

What a snoozer.  It was advertised as this creepy build up kind of movie but the payoff was beyond weak.  And honestly, the build up to it was nothing that you had not seen in the trailer.  Honestly, I felt like I had seen the entire movie already just by watching the commercial.  This is just another log on the fire of Sophia Coppola being so loved by critics and me not understanding why whatsoever.

I would not recommend anyone waste their time checking this out.  There really is no reason this was made or no point for you to take the 90 minutes to watch it.

The Big Sick

Based on the real-life courtship: Pakistan-born comedian Kumail and grad student Emily fall in love, but they struggle as their cultures clash. When Emily contracts a mysterious illness, Kumail must navigate the crisis with her parents and the emotional tug-of-war between his family and his heart.

I did not know until the end that this was based on a real-life couple.  Even before finding that out, this was one of the most real feeling movies I have seen in a while.  You get hooked by all the chemistry between the characters and with all the movies that try so hard to be all out comedies - this one didn't but was easily one of the funnier movies of the year.  Just the awkwardness of some of the conversations and being honest about them had me belly laughing at so many points.

I would absolutely recommend people checking this one out.  It was a very enjoyable watch with a great story and family dynamics.

Despicable Me 3

The team who brought you "Despicable Me" and the biggest animated hits of 2013 and 2015, "Despicable Me 2" and "Minions," returns to continue the adventures of Gru, Lucy, their adorable daughters—Margo, Edith and Agnes—and the Minions. 

This movie was more of the same from the first sequel.  Nowhere near as good as the first one but still enjoyable for parents and kids.  The second one suffered from a very subpar villain.  This one's villain was one of the better parts of the movie.  But there was definitely not enough of the minions or of them with the girls or of Gru with the girls.  The whole group seemed very disconnected and it took away somewhat from the chemistry that was so awesome in the original.  

I would still recommend people checking this out.  It's a good family venture to the movies even with the knocks I made against it.

The House

After Scott (Will Ferrell) and Kate (Amy Poehler) Johansen lose their daughter Alex’s college fund, they become desperate to earn it back so she can pursue her dream of attending a university. With the help of their neighbor Frank (Jason Mantzoukas), they decide to start an illegal casino in the basement of his house.

This was pretty disappointing.  I wasn't really expecting much but had small hopes because of the short running time and that it was a R rated comedy.  But those hopes were not realized and I only laughed out loud once at a classic Will Ferrel random drunk scene.  The rest was pretty much what you saw in the trailer.

I wouldn't recommend anyone bother with this movie.  It's a pretty big waste of time and money.

Baby Driver

A talented, young getaway driver (Ansel Elgort) relies on the beat of his personal soundtrack to be the best in the game. But after being coerced into working for a crime boss (Kevin Spacey), he must face the music when a doomed heist threatens his life, love and freedom.

Wow!  This was the best use of music I've ever seen in a movie.  The music was like the best character honestly.  It was so woven into the dialogue and pretty much every scene.  On top of that some awesome acting from all the tough guy/girl criminals and this was a very enjoyable, edgy ride.  At a time of year where it's usually nothing but over the top effects sequels or retreads and zero originality - this was a very enjoyable break from the norm.  

I would definitely recommend people check this out.  The writing, acting, directing and editing were all top notch and made this a great watch.

47 Meters Down

On the rebound after a devastating break-up, Lisa (Mandy Moore) is ready for adventure while on vacation in Mexico. Even still, she needs a little extra persuasion when her daring sister Kate (Claire Holt) suggests they go shark diving with some locals. Once underwater in a protective cage, Lisa and Kate catch a once in a lifetime, face-to-face look at majestic Great Whites. But when their worst fears are realized and the cage breaks away from their boat, they find themselves plummeting to the bottom of the seabed, too deep to radio for help without making themselves vulnerable to the savage sharks, their oxygen supplies rapidly dwindling. 

I thought that this was going to be a cheesy single camera type of movie.  Like Paranormal Activity underwater.  They had done one a few years back and I can't remember what it was called.  But it wasn't.  This was actually a pretty decent shark scare movie.  They didn't show you as much I'm sure because of budget reasons but they did a good enough job of building the tension and kept it at a super tight running time of under 90 minutes.

I would kind of recommend people checking this out. It's not a must see by any means but I definitely enjoyed it more than I thought I would.

Rough Night

The stars play five best friends from college who reunite in Miami 10 years later for a wild bachelorette weekend. But when the partying ends up taking a dark turn and they accidentally kill a male stripper, the longtime friends are forced to put their heads together and cover up the accident.

This is absolutely one of those movies where if you have seen the commercial then you have seen the movie.  There were no big laughs that you had not already seen.  Honestly the movie really wasn't that funny at all.  There were a few scattered laughs here or there but not nearly enough to carry the whole movie.  

I wouldn't really recommend that anyone bother seeing this.  It's not worth the time or the money because you can just watch the two minute version on your tv during a commercial break.

Transformers: The Last Knight

The Last Knight shatters the core myths of the Transformers franchise, and redefines what it means to be a hero. Humans and Transformers are at war, Optimus Prime is gone. The key to saving our future lies buried in the secrets of the past, in the hidden history of Transformers on Earth. Saving our world falls upon the shoulders of an unlikely alliance: Cade Yeager (Mark Wahlberg); Bumblebee; an English Lord (Sir Anthony Hopkins); and an Oxford Professor (Laura Haddock).

Congratulations, Michael Bay!   You have done the unthinkable.  You have manage to push the guy that pretty much sees EVERY movie that comes out to announce that I will absolutely not be seeing any more Transformers movies.  I couldn't even make it through this one.  I pushed to get to about the half way mark but then the list of things I could rather be doing was so massive that I just couldn't do it anymore.  This is just more of the same crap from the other Transformers sequels.  They try the Fast & Furious idea of bringing actors back to the franchise but nobody cares.  The script is so beyond painfully bad that I was groaning out loud within the first 5 minutes and never stopped.  The action is just over the top - tons of crap happening on the screen stuff.  And all of this kills me because the original Transformers is absolutely one of my favorite movies ever.  Never have I seen something get this much worse as it goes on.  I pray that people stop going to see this garbage so that they will stop making them.  

I would absolutely not recommend anyone see this.  It is pretty much a lock for worst movie of the year for me.   I'm literally annoyed even writing about it right now.  I've literally been shaking my head in disgust the whole time.

All Eyez On Me

All Eyez on Me tells the true and untold story of prolific rapper, actor, poet and activist Tupac Shakur. The film follows Shakur from his early days in New York City to his evolution into being one of the world’s most recognized and influential voices before his untimely death at the age of 25. Against all odds, Shakur’s raw talent, powerful lyrics and revolutionary mind-set propelled him into becoming a cultural icon whose legacy continues to grow long after his passing.

After Straight Outta Compton, I was kind of excited about this movie.  I remember growing up during all of this and even though I was never really the biggest fan of Tupac, I wanted to see how they covered everything.  I ended up royally disappointed.  Outside of the fact that the actor really looked like Tupac, this movie was a giant waste of time.  The acting and storytelling was mailed in.  Most of the huge events were just cutaways to news reporters telling about it.  And why in the blue hell did this movie have to be almost 2 1/2 hours long when it breezed through so much!?!

I would definitely not recommend people waste their time with this.  It was a major disappointment and pretty much just mailed in trying to cash in on the success and great job done on Straight Outta Compton.

Cars 3

Blindsided by a new generation of blazing-fast racers, the legendary Lightning McQueen is suddenly pushed out of the sport he loves. To get back in the game, he will need the help of an eager young race technician, Cruz Ramirez, with her own plan to win, plus inspiration from the late Fabulous Hudson Hornet and a few unexpected turns. Proving that #95 isn’t through yet will test the heart of a champion on Piston Cup Racing’s biggest stage!

This was an excellent rebound for this franchise.  Cars 2 is pretty much recognized as the one big turd that Pixar has ever made.  They pretty much made that movie as a blatant attempt to sell a bunch of merchandise.  Everything about it was very much mailed in.   This movie is absolutely the worthy sequel to Cars.  This had all the same writing and emotional hooks that the original did and was a very pleasant surprise since I had gone in to it expecting another turd in an animation franchise that I have never really been hooked by even though I liked the original. 

I would definitely recommend people checking this out.  It was a very enjoyable family film with great messages for kids and adults alike.

The Book Of Henry

Sometimes things are not always what they seem, especially in the small suburban town where the Carpenter family lives. Single suburban mother Susan Carpenter (Naomi Watts) works as a waitress at a diner, alongside feisty family friend Sheila (Sarah Silverman). Her younger son Peter (Jacob Tremblay) is a playful 8-year-old. Taking care of everyone and everything in his own unique way is Susan’s older son Henry (Jaeden Lieberher), age 12, whose creativity is without limits. Protector to his adoring younger brother and tireless supporter of his often self-doubting mother – and, through investments, of the family as a whole – Henry blazes through the days like a comet. Susan discovers that the family next door, which includes Henry’s kind classmate, 12-year-old Christina (Maddie Ziegler), has a dangerous secret – and that Henry has devised a surprising plan to help. As his brainstormed rescue plan for Christina takes shape in thrilling ways, Susan finds herself at the center of it.

Wow!   This movie is the dictionary definition of being all over the place.  This was like three very different movies in one.  They should have picked what type of movie they wanted it to be and gone with that.  The kid actors were great.  Honestly - so was the mom.  But the story was something that the great acting simply could not solve.

I doubt anyone will be seeing this regardless since it came out very strangely in summer and will be buried, but nobody really should bother anyway.   It was an unfortunate disappointment because with proper direction this could have been a really good movie.

It Comes At Night

Imagine the end of the world— Now imagine something worse.  Award-winning filmmaker Trey Edward Shults follows his incredible debut feature "Krisha" with It Comes At Night, a horror film following a man (Joel Edgerton) as he learns that the evil stalking his family home may be only a prelude to horrors that come from within.  Secure within a desolate home as an unnatural threat terrorizes the world, the tenuous domestic order he has established with his wife and son is put to the ultimate test with the arrival of a desperate young family seeking refuge.  Despite the best intentions of both families, paranoia and mistrust boil over as the horrors outside creep ever-closer, awakening something hidden and monstrous within him as he learns that the protection of his family comes at the cost of his soul.

This was a well done psychological thriller but is very much not a mainstream movie.  There is no straight delivery of fear or answers to any questions.  Almost all of the tension is built between the creepy score and the filming style of slowly zooming in during tense situations. The it from the title refers more to the unknown or paranoia about it.  And that is what all the suspense and fright in this movie is about.  

This was a pretty well done movie that a lot of people with different expectations will end up not liking.  Knowing that it is a thinker instead of just a scary movie might help.  I liked it but didn't love it.

Captain Underpants

Based on the worldwide sensation and bestselling book series, and boasting an A-list cast of comedy superstars headed by Kevin Hart and Ed Helms, DreamWorks Animation brings audiences the long-awaited global movie event, Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie.  This raucously subversive comedy for the entire family tells the story of two overly imaginative pranksters named George and Harold, who hypnotize their principal into thinking he's a ridiculously enthusiastic, incredibly dimwitted superhero named Captain Underpants.

This was a pretty funny and cute kids movie.  It's not like most Pixar or Dreamworks Animation movies that are made for the adults just as much as they are for the kids.  It's definitely a kids movie but it's still very enjoyable because of the characters and storytelling bits that they sprinkled in here and there.  

I would definitely recommend all families checking this out.  Lots of laughs and good times with you and the kids.  

The Mummy

Thought safely entombed in a crypt deep beneath the unforgiving desert, an ancient queen whose destiny was unjustly taken from her, is awakened in our current day, bringing with her malevolence grown over millennia and terrors that defy human comprehension.  From the sweeping sands of the Middle East through hidden labyrinths under modern-day London, The Mummy brings a surprising intensity and balance of wonder and thrills in an imaginative new take that ushers in a new world of gods and monsters.

This was an old school summer popcorn movie.  Lots of action.  Lots of effects.  Mix in some humor.  Totally done to set up a sequel (or in this case the whole "Dark Universe").  I grew up loving movies like this so I was definitely able to enjoy this for what it is.  Was it game changing for the monster genre?  No.  But it didn't have to be.  It moved along well enough.  It did a good job introducing the whole monsters thing that Universal is starting.  I enjoyed it for what it was.

I would recommend people checking this out just because it's an enjoyable ride.  If you have high hopes of being blown away or whatever though it will most likely disappoint you.  

Wonder Woman

Before she was Wonder Woman, she was Diana, princess of the Amazons, trained to be an unconquerable warrior. Raised on a sheltered island paradise, when an American pilot crashes on their shores and tells of a massive conflict raging in the outside world, Diana leaves her home, convinced she can stop the threat. Fighting alongside man in a war to end all wars, Diana will discover her full powers…and her true destiny.

This was easily - and by far - DC Universe's best offering so far.  This felt a lot more like a Marvel origins movie than the rushed and way too CGI method that DC tends to do.  They still went a little overboard towards the end in terms of the CGI stuff but the movie had massively already won me over by that point.  I was also very wrong in having low expectations for Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman.  She turned out to be awesome in this role.  Hopefully, DC can learn from this movie and start producing more high level and rewatchable comic book movies.  See how great following the Marvel template can actually be?

I would absolutely recommend everyone checking this one out.  It is a very fun ride and definitely meets all the hype leading up to it.  Very pleasantly surprised.

Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

Johnny Depp returns to the big screen as the iconic, swashbuckling anti-hero Jack Sparrow in the all-new Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. The rip-roaring adventure finds down-on-his-luck Captain Jack feeling the winds of ill-fortune blowing strongly his way when deadly ghost sailors, led by the terrifying Captain Salazer (Javier Bardem), escape from the Devil’s Triangle bent on killing every pirate at sea – notably Jack. Jack’s only hope of survival lies in the legendary Trident of Poseidon, but to find it he must forge an uneasy alliance with Carina Smyth (Kaya Scodelario), a brilliant and beautiful astronomer, and Henry (Benton Thwaites), a headstrong young sailor in the Royal Navy. At the helm of the Dying Gull, his pitifull small and shabby ship, Captain Jack seeks not only to reverse his recent spate of ill fortune, but to save his very life from the most formidable and malicious foe he has never faced.

This is a blatant attempt  at trying to pull a Fast & Furious with the Pirates Of The Caribbean franchise.  They are trying to go back to the storytelling and action that made it a success in the first place and they are bringing back characters that had previously left it to try and revive it.  It kind of works.  I mean this one is definitely better than the 4th one and is kind of on par with the 2nd and 3rd entries but its still nowhere near the original.  It's just kind of more of the same.  It's not like Fast Five was in bringing that franchise to a whole other level.  It's just more of another entry that sets up yet another one.  

I would kind of recommend people checking this out.  It's a decent watch if you like the Pirates movies but not a must see by any means.

Baywatch

Baywatch follows devoted lifeguard Mitch Buchannon (Johnson) as he butts heads with a brash new recruit (Efron). Together, they uncover a local criminal plot that threatens the future of the Bay.

Not going to sugarcoat this one.  This is a bad, bad movie.  Like really bad.  Disappointingly bad.  That being said - all the critics that are panning it as a horrible tv show to movie adaption are clearly forgetting just how bad of a show Baywatch was.  It technically did a great job of adapting the show.  The problem with this is that they didn't follow the same formula that 21 Jump Street did with not taking itself to seriously.  And I never thought I would say this in my life - but The Rock was the problem.  His banter with Zac Efron was honestly the only thing that kept this movie afloat and those were the scenes where his character wasn't being portrayed to seriously.  But outside of that his seriousness was a dead weight that wouldn't allow the movie to break loose fully comedy wise.  

I am sad to say that I wouldn't really recommend people watching this.  It really was disappointing because the commercials for it were so damn funny.  Sad.

Alien: Covenant

Ridley Scott returns to the universe he created, with Alien: Covenant, a new chapter in his groundbreaking "Alien" franchise. The crew of the colony ship Covenant, bound for a remote planet on the far side of the galaxy, discovers what they think is an uncharted paradise, but is actually a dark, dangerous world. When they uncover a threat beyond their imagination, they must attempt a harrowing escape.

This is a tough one to review.  Overall - the movie was pretty good.  Good story and the alien stuff was awesome.  Probably the best it's been since Aliens honestly.  The problem - and I never thought I would say this - was Michael Fassbender.  Or I guess his character.  It was like a momentum killer every time he showed up on screen and I can't say much more without giving too much away but it seemed like he was the bad guy and the aliens were just his henchmen as the movie went on.  It was very weird.  

It's not that I didn't like the movie.  I liked the stuff that was alien in nature.  That stuff was awesome.  There was just too many pacing issues with all the Fassbender stuff and all of that was done in a way where it was predictable too.  I would still recommend people check this out.  Just know that this is very much a Prometheus sequel - although not really advertised as one - and your liking of this will depend very heavily on how much you liked that movie.

Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul

In Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul, based on the record-breaking book series, a family road trip to attend Meemaw's 90th birthday party goes hilariously off course--thanks to Greg's newest scheme to (finally!) become famous.  

I read all the books and enjoyed the first couple of movies a lot.  But the recasting of everyone in the movie killed the franchise for me.  Especially Rowley and Rodrick.  It just was not the same at all.  Very sad.

I wouldn't really recommend anyone going to see this.  It's a shame because I really liked the old family/movies.

Everything, Everything

What if you couldn’t touch anything in the outside world? Never breathe in the fresh air, feel the sun warm your face…or kiss the boy next door? Everything, Everything tells the unlikely love story of Maddy, a smart, curious and imaginative 18-year-old who due to an illness cannot leave the protection of the hermetically sealed environment within her house, and Olly, the boy next door who won’t let that stop them. Maddy is desperate to experience the much more stimulating outside world, and the promise of her first romance. Gazing through windows and talking only through texts, she and Olly form a deep bond that leads them to risk everything to be together…even if it means losing everything.

Decent watch for a teenage girl movie pretty much.  Basically if you saw the trailer - you saw the movie.  There is a little twist that you kind of see coming regardless but I won't spoil it.  There really is not much more to say about this movie.

I would recommend any females between the age of 12 and 17 check this out.  Outside of that there really is no reason to see this.

Snatched

After her boyfriend dumps her on the eve of their exotic vacation, impetuous dreamer Emily Middleton (Amy Schumer) persuades her ultra-cautious mother, Linda (Goldie Hawn) to travel with her to paradise. Polar opposites, Emily and Linda realize that working through their differences as mother and daughter - in unpredictable, hilarious fashion - is the only way to escape the wildly outrageous jungle adventure they have fallen into.

I wanted this to be a hilarious movie where you didn't already see all the funny stuff in the commercials.  But that was really not to be.  The movie was definitely watchable and there were some big laughs.  The chemistry between the leads was great but they really did give away way too much in the commercials.

I would sort of recommend people checking this out.  It's not great.  It's not bad.  It's just sort of good but you really feel like you have already seen the whole movie with the 3 minute trailer.

King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword

Guy Ritchie brings his dynamic style to the epic fantasy action adventure King Arthur: Legend of the Sword. Starring Charlie Hunnam in the title role, the film is an iconoclastic take on the classic Excalibur myth, tracing Arthur’s journey from the streets to the throne. When the child Arthur’s father is murdered, Vortigern (Jude Law), Arthur’s uncle, seizes the crown. Robbed of his birthright and with no idea who he truly is, Arthur comes up the hard way in the back alleys of the city. But once he pulls the sword from the stone, his life is turned upside down and he is forced to acknowledge his true legacy…whether he likes it or not.

This movie started off very choppy and annoying.  The whole explanation of the father and uncle fighting and what not was way too rushed and had a lot of mage effects that were annoying.  Once it got to where Charlie Hunnam was King Arthur, the movie was actually very enjoyable.  The only times that it fell off again was any time that they went hard into the mage effects again.  It really kind of ruined what could have been an awesome movie and ended up making it and up and down enjoyable movie because the parts with King Arthur and his men with all the bickering really was great.  I have always been a huge fan of Charlie Hunnam and he was perfect in this.

I would recommend people checking this out.  Just be aware that the mage stuff is all kind of eh but everything around that stuff is great.

The Circle

The Circle is a gripping modern thriller, set in the not-too-distant future, starring Emma Watson (Harry Potter films), Tom Hanks (Sully) and John Boyega (Star Wars: The Force Awakens). When Mae (Emma Watson) is hired to work for the world's largest and most powerful tech & social media company, she sees it as an opportunity of a lifetime. As she rises through the ranks, she is encouraged by the company's founder, Eamon Bailey (Tom Hanks), to engage in a groundbreaking experiment that pushes the boundaries of privacy, ethics and ultimately her personal freedom. Her participation in the experiment, and every decision she makes begin to affect the lives and future of her friends, family and that of humanity.

I don't understand why the reviews for this movie were so bad.  Maybe it was that the reviewers are people that were all in on social media and what not?  I don't take part in any social media at all because of this exact kind of thing shown in this movie.  How pervasive and intrusive it all ends up being.  I thought this was actually a pretty good movie and it felt like an extended and more mainstream episode of a series called Black Mirror - which anyone who has not watched - really should!   I liked the cast and thought Emma Watson continued to show her acting chops with going back and forth on her feelings about The Circle. 

I would recommend people checking this movie out.  It's not a must see by any means but it was nowhere near as bad as the critics had made it out to seem.

Sleight

A young street magician (Jacob Latimore) is left to care for his little sister after their parents' passing and turns to illegal activities to keep a roof over their heads. When he gets in too deep, his sister is kidnapped and he is forced to use his magic and brilliant mind to save her.

The movie was a pretty good idea.  Unfortunately, it was too slowly aced at the start and fell flat before getting to the finish line.  They did a good job of hooking you with the characters but there was little else substance to this movie.

I wouldn't really recommend anyone bothering with this.  It's not worth the time or money.

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2

Set to the backdrop of Awesome Mixtape #2, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 continues the team’s adventures as they traverse the outer reaches of the cosmos. The Guardians must fight to keep their newfound family together as they unravel the mysteries of Peter Quill’s true parentage. Old foes become new allies and fan-favorite characters from the classic comics will come to our heroes’ aid as the Marvel cinematic universe continues to expand.

Once again, Marvel doesn't make bad movies.  They have once again taken what should be a massive sci-fi specific audience into a blockbuster movie with appeal to all audiences.  It's also one of their funnier movies.  I can't tell you how many times this movie had me belly laughing.  Rocket The Raccoon was just as great in this one as the first one.  Baby Groot was definitely more entertaining than in the first.  But Drax completely stole the show in this one.  Still can't believe how former wrestler Batista is so great in this role.  The only knocks I'll make against it is that the group was not on screen together enough and that Chris Pratt's character had way too much solo screen time.  Can't wait to see these characters on screen with the rest of the Avengers.

This movie is a great way to kick off the summer.  It's a very enjoyable roller coaster ride and is another example of Marvel's excellence.

Unforgettable

Tessa Connover (Katherine Heigl) is barely coping with the end of her marriage when her ex-husband, David (Geoff Stults), becomes happily engaged to Julia Banks (Rosario Dawson)—not only bringing Julia into the home they once shared but also into the life of their daughter, Lilly (Isabella Rice). Trying to settle into her new role as a wife and a stepmother, Julia believes she has finally met the man of her dreams, the man who can help her put her own troubled past behind her. But Tessa’s jealousy soon takes a pathological turn until she will stop at nothing to turn Julia’s dream into her ultimate nightmare.

This movie's title is  a total lie.  I had forgotten all about the movie by the time I got to the car.  You literally have seen the movie by watching the trailer for it.  There are no surprises or suspense whatsoever.  It's the same tired story of an obsessed ex.  Why do they bother churning these out without trying to put any sort of effort into making it interesting?

I would not recommend anyone bothering with this movie.  It's a huge waste of time and should have been called Beyond Forgettable.

Free Fire

Free Fire centers around an arms deal that goes spectacularly and explosively wrong. Justine (Larson) has brokered a meeting in a deserted warehouse between two Irishmen and a gang led by Vernon and Ord, who are selling them a stash of guns. But when shots are fired during the handover, complete pandemonium ensues, with everyone at the scene suddenly thrust into a heart-stopping game of survival..

This movie was pretty much just a massively over the top story of things going crazy when a collection of criminals are gathered in the same area.  There wasn't really any rhyme or reason to this movie but it's over the topness made it somewhat entertaining at times.  But ultimately it was just 90 minutes of watching people crawl around trying to shoot at each other. 

I would not really recommend anyone rushing to go see this in theaters or spending money on it.  It's not worth that at all.  Watch it when it's on cable or something and get a few laughs at the absurdity of it all.

The Lost City Of Z

Based on author David Grann’s nonfiction bestseller,The Lost City of Z tells the incredible true story of British explorer Percy Fawcett (Charlie Hunnam), who journeys into the Amazon at the dawn of the 20th century and discovers evidence of a previously unknown, advanced civilization that may have once inhabited the region. Despite being ridiculed by the scientific establishment who regard indigenous populations as “savages,” the determined Fawcett — supported by his devoted wife (Sienna Miller), son (Tom Holland) and aide-de-camp (Robert Pattinson) — returns time and again to his beloved jungle in an attempt to prove his case, culminating in his mysterious disappearance in 1925.

This was a very well done movie and told the story pretty well.  The problem was the up and down pacing of it.  The movie was super slow and drawn out at times.  Like you would actually feel like you were part of this for years.  Then it would speed up and become pretty intense, but then go back to the snail's pace approach.  It was very difficult to get too into the movie because of this.  I thought that Charlie Hunnam was great and have always been a fan.  The movie was just missing a complete hook to keep the viewers interested.

I wouldn't really recommend anyone bothering with this movie in theaters.  It's not really a bad movie but it ends up just kind of being there and not worth the time/money.  Check it out when it shows up on cable or something.

The Zookeeper's Wife

The real-life story of one working wife and mother who became a hero to hundreds during World War II. In 1939 Poland, Antonina Żabińska (portrayed by two-time Academy Award nominee Jessica Chastain) and her husband, Dr. Jan Żabiński (Johan Heldenbergh), have the Warsaw Zoo flourishing under his stewardship and her care. When their country is invaded by the Nazis, Jan and Antonina are stunned – and forced to report to the Reich’s newly appointed chief zoologist, Lutz Heck (Daniel Brühl). To fight back on their own terms, Antonina and Jan covertly begin working with the Resistance – and put into action plans to save lives out of what has become the Warsaw Ghetto, with Antonina putting herself and even her children at great risk.

I was enjoying this movie and the story very much for the first 3/4 of the movie even though it takes you to a time that I try to think about as little as possible.  They did a good job of taking you there and you felt rooted in the importance of what the characters were doing to help and what not.  For some reason the last 1/4 of the movie just felt very rushed.  It was like they took all this time to develop everything and then flew through all the payoff and what not.  It was kind of disappointing at the end of what really was a great movie.

I would still recommend people checking this out.  It's definitely an enjoyable watch but just kind of disappointing towards the end with the quick rush for closure and what not.