The Equalizer 2

Denzel Washington returns to one of his signature roles in the first sequel of his career. Robert McCall serves an unflinching justice for the exploited and oppressed - but how far will he go when that is someone he loves?

The parts of this movie that you want to see (the "equalizing" if you will) are very enjoyable and great.  The problem is that there is ALOT of this movie where he is not getting revenge on the scum of the earth.  Those parts drag to no end and really weigh this movie down.  If this was a 90 minute movie or less I would have loved it.  Two hours and 10 minutes?  No need for that at all!

I wouldn't really recommend people bothering with this.  It's a sequel that really did not need to be made and should have been majorly shorter and to the point than it was.

Sorry To Bother You

In an alternate present-day version of Oakland, telemarketer Cassius Green discovers a magical key to professional success, propelling him into a macabre universe.

Damn!  This was one hell of an amazing and very off the wall filmmaking effort oozing with social commentary.  The irony, the sarcasm and the satire were all firing on all cylinders in both the smartest of ways and the most acid trip of ways.  It really shined a crazy light on the idea of selling out or going corporate and what one has to do in order to get there at times.  

I would definitely recommend people checking this out.  Just be warned that it is in no way a mainstream movie and is very much an artistic and open for interpretation movie.

Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation

Mavis surprises Dracula with a family voyage on a luxury Monster Cruise Ship so he can take a vacation from providing everyone else's vacation at the hotel. The rest of Drac's Pack cannot resist going along. But once they leave port, romance arises when Dracula meets the mysterious ship Captain, Ericka. Now it's Mavis' turn to play the overprotective parent, keeping her dad and Ericka apart. Little do they know that his "too good to be true" love interest is actually a descendant of Abraham Van Helsing, ancient nemesis to Dracula and all other monsters.

This movie is pretty much just more of the same from the franchise.  Not really sure that this should qualify as a big summer movie like it's release date but I guess if they can milk more money out of the parents - why not.  The characters were still enjoyable and the story was fun for both children and parents.  The best part was probably the soundtrack of the movie really doing a great job keeping the audience invested in what was going on.

If you have kids - I would definitely recommend checking this one out.  They will certainly enjoy it and you will not feel like you are getting tortured as part of the outing.

Skyscraper

FBI Hostage Rescue Team leader and U.S. war veteran Will Sawyer now assesses security for skyscrapers. On assignment in Hong Kong he finds the tallest, safest building in the world suddenly ablaze, and he's been framed for it. A wanted man on the run, Will must find those responsible, clear his name and somehow rescue his family who are trapped inside the building...above the fire line.

This was one of the most over the top movies I've ever seen.  Like if you just wanted to do a wannabe Die Hard with The Rock playing the Bruce Willis part - I'm so in.  But to add 200 more floors to the building, raging fires throughout and give The Rock a prosthetic leg?  Come on!  Also - the most important part of Die Hard was Hans Gruber as the villain.  There is absolutely no Hans Gruber in this movie and although I will never not like The Rock and some of the scenes were cool, the stunts were again so over the top and one could say that this movie was actually a two hour commercial for the power of duct tape.

I would not recommend people checking this out.  Actually - I take that back.  This is one of those movies that are so over the top that it ends up being a fun watch because you are laughing at it.  

Ant-Man And The Wasp

Scott Lang is grappling with the consequences of his choices as both a superhero and a father. Approached by Hope van Dyne and Dr. Hank Pym, Lang must once again don the Ant-Man suit and fight alongside the Wasp. The urgent mission soon leads to secret revelations from the past as the dynamic duo finds itself in an epic battle against a powerful new enemy.

Another excellent entry in the Marvel universe.  Great laughs, great action, great story progression and an amazing job of doing justice to not only the leads but the whole supporting cast.  It also did a great job of tying itself to the current Marvel storylines.

That's it.  No spoilers.  No gushing.  Just a tip of the cap to Marvel for doing such a good job that even Ant-Man is a household name and a mainstream hero and my obvious recommendation to check this movie out.  

The First Purge

To push the crime rate below one percent for the rest of the year, the New Founding Fathers of America test a sociological theory that vents aggression for one night in one isolated community. But when the violence of oppressors meets the rage of the others, the contagion will explode from the trial-city borders and spread across the nation.

This was an attempt to keep the franchise going by doing a prequel.  I don't want to say that this was a complete failure but it was not too good. It definitely would have helped to actually have this tie in more to the others but continuity pretty much went out the window and they tried to introduce political elements as new and corrupt that had actually already been introduced in previous films that took place later in the timeline.  They also made this one ALOT more about race than the others which kind of felt like a blatant demographic money grab.

I would still kind of recommend people who have seen the others check this out.  No rush though and keep your expectations low because it's easily the lamest entry in the franchise.

Uncle Drew

After draining his life savings to enter a team in the Rucker Classic street ball tournament in Harlem, Dax (Lil Rel Howery) is dealt a series of unfortunate setbacks, including losing his team to his longtime rival (Nick Kroll). Desperate to win the tournament and the cash prize, Dax stumbles upon the man, the myth, the legend UNCLE DREW (NBA All-Star Kyrie Irving) and convinces him to return to the court one more time. The two men embark on a road trip to round up Drew's old basketball squad (Shaquille O’Neal, Chris Webber, Reggie Miller, Nate Robinson, and Lisa Leslie) and prove that a group of septuagenarians can still win the big one.

This movie was a lot more enjoyable than I thought it would be.  Only went because it was free tickets but it ended up being a cute movie with plenty of laughs and a lot of heart.  Totally formula in every way but much better than I expected.

I would actually recommend peeps checking this out.  No rush or anything and it is definitely not a must see but definitely better than expected.  

Sicario: Day Of The Soldado

FBI agent Matt Graver calls on mysterious operative Alejandro Gillick when Mexican drug cartels start to smuggle terrorists across the U.S. border. The war escalates even further when Alejandro kidnaps a top kingpin's daughter to deliberately increase the tensions. When the young girl is seen as collateral damage, the two men will determine her fate as they question everything that they are fighting for.

This is one of those movies that really concerns you about what is going on in other parts of the world and all the behind the scenes decision makers on things.  Its stuff like this that make me very happy about my distance and ignorance when it comes to things like this.  The movie was very well acted and felt incredibly real across the board.  It was different from the original in tone and story but still a very enjoyable watch.

I would recommend people checking this one out.  It's not a must see by any means but it is a very real feeling government cover up type of movie.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

Three years after the destruction of the Jurassic World theme park, Owen Grady and Claire Dearing return to the island of Isla Nublar to save the remaining dinosaurs from a volcano that's about to erupt. They soon encounter terrifying new breeds of gigantic dinosaurs, while uncovering a conspiracy that threatens the entire planet.

This was another carbon copy type of entry in the Jurassic franchise.  If you liked the others, you will like this one.  Great dinosaur action, great laughs from the characters, and a pretty decent story to keep it moving and set up the "last" chapter in the trilogy.  The returning characters were great.  The new ones were introduced to the audience well and they even did a great job of giving the dinosaurs some personality which sounds weird to say but it's definitely true.

I would of course recommend people checking this movie out.  There is no reason to stop watching them now.  

Tag

A small group of former classmates organize an elaborate, annual game of tag that requires some to travel all over the country.

This movie sounds silly as hell and even though it honestly was - it definitely was one of the funniest movies of the year and had A LOT of heart to it as well.  The fact that this is a true story made this even better/funnier.  The levels that these friends went to were hilarious and the casting was perfect.  All of them played so well off of each other.   

I would absolutely recommend people checking this out.  It is funny as hell and is an excellent movie about getting older and friendship.  

The Incredibles 2

Elastigirl springs into action to save the day, while Mr. Incredible faces his greatest challenge yet -- taking care of the problems of his three children.

FINALLY!!!!   I feel like I've been waiting for this movie forever and it did not disappoint.  It literally started right where the original left off and it was like 14 years hadn't passed.  The audience was so into the movie and cheering when favorite characters returned and what not.  Jack Jack clearly stole every scene he was in and the combo of him with Edna Mode might be one of the funniest things Disney has ever done.  

I absolutely recommend everyone checking out the return of The Incredibles.  Pixar doesn't do bad movies (except for Cars 2) and this is no different.  So glad that they are back.

Hereditary

When the matriarch of the Graham family passes away, her daughter's family begins to unravel cryptic and increasingly terrifying secrets about their ancestry.

Holy cow!!!!   What a creepy ass movie that I was completely not expecting.  I figured that this would be an artsy psychological thriller - which it definitely was.  But it was done so well (and lets be honest - that is beyond difficult to do nowadays) that I was looking through my fingers at numerous times.  There were 4-5 points in this movie where the acting or the scenes will pretty much be etched in my memory forever.   It was a very jarring watch due to the acting and the filming style.  The camera work in this was AMAZING and made the movie even creepier.  This movie is a must see for anyone interested in filmmaking.  

I would definitely recommend people checking this movie out.  It was an excellent scary movie.  One of the better ones I've seen in a long time.  

Hotel Artemis

Set in riot-torn, near-future Los Angeles, HOTEL ARTEMIS is an original, high-octane action-thriller starring Jodie Foster as The Nurse, who runs a secret, members-only hospital for criminals.

This was a really enjoyable, dark movie with great social commentary.  The cast was great and they really did a great job of taking you to this future world and make it all feel legit.  Batista continues to be a massive scene stealer.  So crazy.

I would definitely recommend peeps checking this bad boy out.  No clue how this is a June release and it will undoubtably get lost in the shuffle but it's an enjoyable watch.

Ocean's 8

Five years, eight months, 12 days and counting -- that's how long Debbie Ocean has been devising the biggest heist of her life. She knows what it's going to take -- a team of the best people in the field, starting with her partner-in-crime Lou Miller. Together, they recruit a crew of specialists, including jeweler Amita, street con Constance, suburban mom Tammy, hacker Nine Ball, and fashion designer Rose. Their target -- a necklace that's worth more than $150 million.

This was a good idea and a pretty good watch.  The only problem is that I was hooked a lot more by the lesser characters than the main ones.  Aquafina and Rihanna were pretty much the two most enjoyable characters and I don't know if that's a bad thing or not with them upstaging so many big names.  I also feel like they could have killed it with better connected cameos to the other Ocean movies.  That would have caused much more buzz and for this movie to stick with people more.  Not that it was a bad movie.  It was enjoyable for sure.  It just didn't resonate as much as it could have honestly.

I would still recommend people check this out. It's a fun watch but felt much more like Ocean's 12 or 13 instead of 11.

Adrift

Tami Oldham and Richard Sharp couldn't anticipate that they would be sailing directly into one of the most catastrophic hurricanes in recorded history. In the aftermath of the storm, Tami awakens to find Richard badly injured and their boat in ruins. With no hope of rescue, Tami must now find the strength and determination to save herself and the only man she has ever loved.

This was a pretty decent watch.  It's told in such a way between post storm survival and leading up to the storm that you really get hooked by the journey and the mental curveball really hits home.

I would kind of recommend peeps checking this out.  It's not a must see by any means but it is a decent watch if you were interested.

Action Point

D.C. is the crackpot owner of Action Point -- a low-rent, out-of-control amusement park where the rides are designed with minimum safety for maximum fun. Just as his estranged daughter Boogie comes to visit, a corporate mega-park opens nearby and jeopardizes the future of Action Point. To save his beloved park and his relationship with Boogie, D.C. and his loony crew of misfits must risk everything to pull out all the stops and save the day.

Wow!  This was soooooooooo bad.  Like I expected garbage with some laughs at stupid stunts Jackass style but this was even worse than expected.  Even the stunts were lame.  I couldnt even make it through the movie and pulled the plug after an hour.  They tried to give it a story when there is zero chance of anyone caring.

I wouldn't recommend anyone bothering with this.  Ever.  It's total garbage.

Solo

Through a series of daring escapades, young Han Solo meets his future co-pilot Chewbacca and encounters the notorious gambler Lando Calrissian.

All the advance word about this was that it was good but not great.  That turned out to be extremely accurate.  I don't know if it was released too soon after the last Star Wars movie, if it was too difficult to follow Avengers: Infinity War and Deadpool 2 or if the movie just didn't quite hook audiences enough but it just kind of felt like something was missing.  The kid turned out to be pretty good as Han Solo and clearly got better and looked more comfortable as the movie went on.  Donald Glover was perfect as Lando Calrissian and there were some great surprises and shout outs to things from Star Wars past.  It just was missing more of a hook to have you loving every second like you would expect.

I would still recommend peeps checking this out.  It was an enjoyable watch.  It was NOT bad.  It just wasn't great either.

Breaking In

Shaun Russell takes her son and daughter on a weekend getaway to her late father's secluded, high-tech vacation home in the countryside. The family soon gets an unwelcome surprise when four men break into the house to find hidden money. After managing to escape, Shaun must now figure out a way to turn the tables on the desperate thieves and save her captive children.

This could literally be the definition of if you saw the trailer than you saw the movie.  It's literally an expanded version of it and there is nothing that happened in this movie that you either didn't know was going to or didn't feel like you had already seen in the commercial.  It was basically just sit there and watch it play out . . . . .  a little bit longer.  There literally isn't even anything else to say about it.

I would not recomomend anyone bothering with this.  It's not necessarily a bad watch just a really big waste of time because you can watch the two minute trailer and give the same review that I just did.

Deadpool 2

Wisecracking mercenary Deadpool joins forces with three mutants -- Bedlam, Shatterstar and Domino -- to protect a boy from the all-powerful Cable.

I was a little bit worried about a sequel to this.  Would they be able to catch the wildly mature and inapporpriate magic from the original or would this be a mailed in sequel?  I was beyond surprised with how fresh and good this was.  Honestly - I think this one was actually funnier than the first one.  The pop culture references and music . . . . . . the knocking other Marvel characters comments . . . . . . the sight gags . . . . . . I laughed pretty much from beginning to end on this one.  The perfect casting continued with Brolin as Cable.  He was a favorite of mine in the comics when I was a kid and I thought he was brought perfectly to the screen.  And the chemistry between Brolin and Reynolds is awesome.

I would absolutely recommend peeps checking this out.  It's an extremely fun watch and will be viewed repeatedly by me no doubt.  

Life Of The Party

When her husband suddenly dumps her, longtime and dedicated housewife Deanna turns regret into reset by going back to college. Unfortunately, Deanna winds up at the same school as her less-than-thrilled daughter. Plunging headlong into the campus experience, the outspoken new student soon begins a journey of self-discovery while fully embracing all of the fun, freedom and frat boys that she can handle.

Let me preface my review by saying that I love Melissa McCarthy.  There is something about her that I just find absolutely hilarious.  That being said - even my enjoyment of her was not necessarily enough to carry this movie alone and that really was all that it had.  Outside of her talents and Maya Rudolph providing some funny but sporadic laughs, this movie ends up being just kind of there.  Honestly, it could have been so much funnier than it was.  I'm not saying it's bad because there are some very good laughs but not enough and you feel the movie dragging even though its really not that long.  

I would sort of recommend people checking this out.  It's not a must see by any means.  You could wait and see this due to the not high enough level of laughs contained within it.

Isle Of Dogs

When, by executive decree, all the canine pets of Megasaki City are exiled to a vast garbage-dump called Trash Island, 12-year-old Atari sets off alone in a miniature Junior-Turbo Prop and flies across the river in search of his bodyguard-dog, Spots. There, with the assistance of a pack of newly-found mongrel friends, he begins an epic journey that will decide the fate and future of the entire Prefecture.

This was a very strange movie.  Pretty much all of Paul Anderson's movies are.  They are usually a very acquired taste even with all of the acting talent involved and I tend to not like too many of them.  For some strange reason I was able to enjoy this one.  I don't know if it was the story line or the very clever and entertaining form of animation - but I did kind of like it.  That being said - I really can't just openly recommend this to peeps because it really was a weird movie.

If you like Paul Anderson's quirkiness, I would recommend you check this movie out.  It is a decent and original watch with a lot of really great voice talents being contributed to it.  This is not by any means a mainstream movie offering though.

Overboard

In a splashy new twist, Overboard focuses on Leonardo (EUGENIO DERBEZ), a selfish, spoiled, rich playboy from Mexico's richest family and Kate (ANNA FARIS), a working class single mom of three hired to clean Leonardo's luxury yacht. After unjustly firing Kate and refusing to pay her, Leonardo falls overboard when partying too hard and wakes up on the Oregon coast with amnesia. Kate shows up at the hospital and, to get payback, convinces Leonardo he is her husband and puts him to work - for the first time in his life. At first miserable and inept, Leonardo slowly settles in. Eventually he earns the respect of his new "family" and co-workers. But, with Leonardo's billionaire family hot on their trail and the possibility of his memory returning at any moment, will their new family last or will Leonardo finally put the clues together and leave them for good?

I loved the original Overboard.  That was such a guilty pleasure movie that I used to watch over and over again.  But what made that awesome was the obvious chemistry between Goldie Hawn & Kurt Russell.  This movie was massively missing that.  Plus what was funny back then is extremely lame and mailed in now.  The movie definitely had its funny or cutesy moments but not enough.

I wouldn't really recommend peeps checking this out.  It's a not needed and nowhere near good enough remake.

Acrimony

A faithful wife (Taraji P. Henson) tired of standing by her devious husband (Lyriq Bent) is enraged when it becomes clear she has been betrayed.

Um . . . . . This was a massively mismarketed movie.  I kept waiting for the movie to turn into what was advertised and it never did.  It ended up kind of getting better towards the end but it was waaaaaaaaay too late for me to care at that point.

Very tired of Taraji being typecast as a version of Cookie from Empire.  I wouldn't recommend anyone suffer through this massively melodramatic and overdone movie.

Avengers: Infinity War

Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk and the rest of the Avengers unite to battle their most powerful enemy yet -- the evil Thanos. On a mission to collect all six Infinity Stones, Thanos plans to use the artifacts to inflict his twisted will on reality. The fate of the planet and existence itself has never been more uncertain as everything the Avengers have fought for has led up to this moment.

WOW!!!  I really would like the Russo Brothers to direct ever comic book movie from this point forward.  These guys are the best in the game and this movie is right up there with The Winter Soldier and Civil War as my favorite Marvel Universe movies.  This one also reaches that crazy level of the first Avengers in terms of having sky high expectations and managing to blow them out of the water and exceed them masterfully.  They managed to juggle all of these characters with awesome humor, excellent action, perfect pacing and introducing Thanos who clearly is the best villain in the Marvel movies to date.  I can't go into too much details because I wouldn't want to spoil anything but all I will say is that they so masterfully kept you on the edge of your seat emotionally and did such a good job with all the different characters interacting with each other.  

I would absolutely recommend everyone checking this out.  It's another shining example of how Marvel's master plan really is the greatest thing not named Star Wars to happen to movie watching fandom.  

I Feel Pretty

A woman who struggles with feelings of insecurity and inadequacy on a daily basis wakes from a fall believing she is suddenly the most beautiful and capable woman on the planet. With this newfound confidence, she is empowered to live her life fearlessly and flawlessly, but what will happen when she realizes her appearance never changed?

This was a pretty formula watch.  You saw the trailer . . . . you saw the movie.  I thought that it would be funnier and raunchier than it was based on Schumer's previous outings so that was a little disappointing.  It wasn't really a bad movie.  It just went more for cutesy than funny and was not really what I was expecting.

I wouldn't recommend anyone rushing out to see this.  It's not a must see by any means and would probably be a more enjoyable watch waiting for it to show up on demand or streaming it instead.

Truth Or Dare

Lucy Hale and Tyler Posey lead the cast of Truth or Dare, a supernatural thriller from Blumhouse Productions ("Happy Death Day," "Get Out," "Split"). A harmless game of "Truth or Dare" among friends turns deadly when someone-or something-begins to punish those who tell a lie-or refuse the dare.

This was a somewhat decent scary movie that went on a little too long.  The movie started off well and was pretty good while they were trying to figure out what was happening.  But it took a little too long to get there and dragged for a while before finally picking up again towards the end.

I would still recommend people checking this out. It was a better than decent watch for a scary movie.

Rampage

Primatologist Davis Okoye (Johnson), a man who keeps people at a distance, shares an unshakable bond with George, the extraordinarily intelligent, silverback gorilla who has been in his care since birth. But a rogue genetic experiment gone awry transforms this gentle ape into a raging monster. To make matters worse, it’s soon discovered there are other similarly altered alpha predators. As these newly created monsters tear across North America, destroying everything in their path, Okoye teams with a discredited genetic engineer to secure an antidote, fighting his way through an ever-changing battlefield, not only to half a global catastrophe but to save the fearsome creature that was once his friend.

This was a movie straight from the early 90s.  Like an Arnold Schwarzenegger or Sylvester Stallone brainless popcorn flick with overdone chaos/effects and the most massive overacting possible.  I would have loved this movie . . . . . . . . when I was like 15 years old.  Now it's just something to shake my head and scoff at pretty much.  Even though I love The Rock so much.  

I wouldnt recommend anyone bothering with this.  There were some good moments with The Rock and the ape being friends but that really was it.  Outside of that it was over the top junk and you pretty much saw the movie by seeing the trailer.

Chappaquiddick

In the riveting suspense drama, Chappaquiddick, the scandal and mysterious events surrounding the tragic drowning of a young woman, as Ted Kennedy drove his car off the infamous bridge, are revealed in the new movie starring Jason Clarke as Ted Kennedy and Kate Mara as Mary Joe Kopechne. Not only did this event take the life of an aspiring political strategist and Kennedy insider, but it ultimately changed the course of presidential history forever. Through true accounts, documented in the inquest from the investigation in 1969, director John Curran and writers Andrew Logan and Taylor Allen, intimately expose the broad reach of political power, the influence of America's most celebrated family; and the vulnerability of Ted Kennedy, the youngest son, in the shadow of his family legacy.

This was a great suspense/political drama.  They took this small and isolated incident and showed how much energy and conspiring really goes into political coverups.  The movie had great acting by the entire cast.  They really took you right into that timeline and showed you everything.

This was a very enjoyable watch.  I definitely recommend people checking this out - especially history buffs.  

A Quiet Place

In the modern horror thriller A Quiet Place, a family of four must navigate their lives in silence after mysterious creatures that hunt by sound threaten their survival. If they hear you, they hunt you.

This was one of the most intense watches that I have ever seen.  They didn't waste any time forcing a story or dragging things out.  They put you in this future where things are this way, it was isolated to this one family that you are instantly drawn to and care about even though they are literally not saying anything, and you don't leave the edge of your seat for the entire movie.  I was actually sore at the end of it because of how tense I was the whole time and must have tightened up in fear.  The fact that this was directed by Jim from The Office makes it a million times more impressive.

This movie is some serious must see stuff.  This is literally what going to the movies is all about.  It 100% should be seen in theaters for maximum intensity.  You will not regret it.  Incredible movie.

Blockers

When three parents stumble upon their daughters’ pact to lose their virginity at prom, they launch a covert one-night operation to stop the teens from sealing the deal. Leslie Mann (The Other Woman, This Is 40), Ike Barinholtz (Neighbors, Suicide Squad) and John Cena (Trainwreck, Sisters) star in Blockers, the directorial debut of Kay Cannon (writer of the Pitch Perfect series).

Wow!  I did not think that this movie would be this funny . . . . . . or raunchy.  I thought it would be a teen comedy with some decent laughs but this movie had me howling several times.  John Cena especially had me dying.  The chemistry between the parents and the kids made all jokes hit that much better.  This is an absolute must see (even though it is crazy raunchy at times) for any parents that have raised or are raising a daughter.  

I very much enjoyed this movie and laughed A LOT more than I thought I would.  I would definitely recommend people checking this bad boy out.

Ready Player One

From filmmaker Steven Spielberg comes the science fiction action adventure Ready Player One, based on Ernest Cline’s bestseller of the same name. The film is set in 2045, with the world on the brink of chaos and collapse. But the people have found salvation in the OASIS, an expansive virtual reality universe created by the brilliant and eccentric James Halliday (Mark Rylance). When Halliday dies, he leaves his immense fortune to the first person to find a digital Easter egg he has hidden somewhere in the OASIS, sparking a contest that grips the entire world. When an unlikely young hero named Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan) decides to join the contest, he is hurled into a breakneck, reality- bending treasure hunt through a fantastical universe of mystery, discovery and danger.

I had read this book and LOVED it.  Could not have been more excited to see the movie if I tried.  Spielberg directing a movie like this again finally?  Where do I sign!?!  There were MANY changes made from the book.  Normally this would royally set me off disappointment wise.  However, these changes majorly worked movie wise and both of them equally awesome.  This movie was basically a pop culture fan's dream.

I absolutely recommend people checking this out.  This was old school Spielberg at his best.  It was a very fun popcorn movie.

Sherlock Gnomes

The beloved garden gnomes from "Gnomeo and Juliet" are back for a whole new adventure in London. When Gnomeo and Juliet first arrive in the city with their friends and family, their biggest concern is getting their new garden ready for spring. However, they soon discover that someone is kidnapping garden gnomes all over London. When Gnomeo and Juliet return home to find that everyone in their garden is missing – there’s only one gnome to call… Sherlock Gnomes. The famous detective and sworn protector of London’s garden gnomes arrives with his sidekick Watson to investigate the case. The mystery will lead our gnomes on a rollicking adventure where they will meet all new ornaments and explore an undiscovered side of the city.

Ehhhhhhhh . . . . . this was pretty much garbage.  Not going to lie.  I was pleasantly surprised by Gnomeo And Juliet.  Went into it with no expectations and it was pretty good.  This one - was not.  What seemed funny and natural in the first one felt very forced and often missed its mark in this one.  The sight gags were totally not the same and nothing really generated the big laughs that Gnomeo & Juliet did.  

I wouldn't really recommend anyone bothering with this.  It's a pretty lame sequel offering to what was a pretty enjoyable family film out of left field with the original.  

Unsane

A young woman is involuntarily committed to a mental institution where she is confronted by her greatest fear--but is it real or is it a product of her delusion?

This was a clever premise and the filming style that looked like it was all done from someone's phone was very catchy for a while.  Unfortunately, it kind of fell off the rails a little bit when it became more real than her just being crazy.  I can't say too much more without spoiling anything.

I would kind of recommend people checking this out.  It's not a must see by any means but was a pretty decent short watch for a while even if it plays out kind of flat.

Pacific Rim Uprising

John Boyega (Star Wars: The Last Jedi) stars as the rebellious Jake Pentecost, a once-promising Jaeger pilot whose legendary father gave his life to secure humanity’s victory against the monstrous “Kaiju.” Jake has since abandoned his training only to become caught up in a criminal underworld. But when an even more unstoppable threat is unleashed to tear through our cities and bring the world to its knees, he is given one last chance to live up to his father’s legacy by his estranged sister, Mako Mori (Rinko Kikuchi)—who is leading a brave new generation of pilots that have grown up in the shadow of war. As they seek justice for the fallen, their only hope is to unite together in a global uprising against the forces of extinction.  Jake is joined by gifted rival pilot Lambert (The Fate of the Furious‘ Scott Eastwood) and 15-year-old Jaeger hacker Amara (newcomer Cailee Spaeny), as the heroes of the PPDC become the only family he has left. Rising up to become the most powerful defense force to ever walk the earth, they will set course for a spectacular all-new adventure on a towering scale.

This was your textbook popcorn movie sequel.  Not much story.  Not much substance at all.  Some minor returning characters.  Ties between new characters and the ones that didn't come back.  Get back in the robots and fight the monsters again.  That was literally it.  If you like the action from the first one then  this is an enjoyable watch.  If you are looking for something better or with actual substance you are wasting your time.

I wouldn't really recommend anyone rushing to check this out.  Like I said - its a decent watch for the action but it really isn't anything that you have not seen before.

Love, Simon

Everyone deserves a great love story. But for seventeen-year old Simon Spier it's a little more complicated: he's yet to tell his family or friends he's gay and he doesn't actually know the identity of the anonymous classmate he's fallen for online. Resolving both issues proves hilarious, terrifying and life-changing.  Love, Simon is a funny and heartfelt coming-of-age story about the thrilling ride of finding yourself and falling in love.

This was a very genuine and enjoyable movie.  I have never been a fan of overly dramatic and artsy fartsy movies about someone struggling with who they are or coming out like this.  It just always feel so over the top and fake.  This movie felt so real.  It felt real on the friend level.  It felt real of the societal level.  And oh my god on the parental level it felt so real and amazing.  This was a very enjoyable movie and it was great to go on the ride with this character as he comes to terms with who he is.

I would absolutely recommend people checking this movie out.  It was an incredibly enjoyable watch with great laughs and a HUGE heart.

Tomb Raider

Lara Croft (Alicia Vikander) is the fiercely independent daughter of an eccentric adventurer who vanished when she was scarcely a teen. Now a young woman of 21 without any real focus or purpose, Lara navigates the chaotic streets of trendy East London as a bike courier, barely making the rent. Determined to forge her own path, she refuses to take the reins of her father’s global empire just as staunchly as she rejects the idea that he’s truly gone. Advised to face the facts and move forward after seven years without him, even Lara can’t understand what drives her to finally solve the puzzle of his mysterious death. Leaving everything she knows behind, Lara goes in search of her dad’s last-known destination: a fabled tomb on a mythical island that might be somewhere off the coast of Japan. But her mission will not be an easy one; just reaching the island will be extremely treacherous. Suddenly, the stakes couldn’t be higher for Lara, who—against the odds and armed with only her sharp mind, blind faith and inherently stubborn spirit—must learn to push herself beyond her limits as she journeys into the unknown. If she survives this perilous adventure, it could be the making of her, earning her the name tomb raider.

This is the movie that the original Tomb Raider should have been.  It felt more generic.  It felt more natural.  Not as campy and silly.  Alicia Vikkander was excellently cast as was the rest of the cast honestly.  The action was much more intense because of the more natural feel and the pacing of the movie was perfect.  I really enjoyed this.

I would absolutely recommend people checking this out.  It's a very fun watch and a great reboot start for the franchise.

The Hurricane Heist

Under the threat of a hurricane, opportunistic criminals infiltrate a US Mint facility to steal $600 million for the ultimate heist. When the hurricane blows up into a lethal Category 5 storm and their well-made plans go awry, they find themselves needing a vault code known only by one Treasury Agent (Maggie Grace), a need that turns murderous. But the Treasury agent has picked up an unlikely ally, a meteorologist (Toby Kebbell) terrified of hurricanes but determined to save his estranged brother kidnapped by the thieves. He uses his knowledge of the storm as a weapon to win in this non-stop action thriller ride charged with adrenaline throughout.

This movie was literally nothing more than a 90 minute excuse to film stunts.  With the storm effects as the added threats this was just as many driving stunts as you could cram into a movie.  There really is nothing more to say about this.  Zero substance.  Just driving stunts and honestly not the most impressive ones.

I would not recommend anyone bothering with this.  I only did because it showed up online and am pretty sure I fell asleep for awhile during it and honestly I don't think I missed anything because I was able to still completely follow it.  

The Strangers: Prey At Night

A family’s road trip takes a dangerous turn when they arrive at a secluded mobile home park to stay with some relatives and find it mysteriously deserted. Under the cover of darkness, three masked psychopaths pay them a visit to test the family’s every limit as they struggle to survive. Johannes Roberts directs this horror film inspired by the 2008 smash hit "The Strangers."

Let me start by saying that the first movie was one of the scariest movies I've ever seen.  That movie messed my head up big time and I had a hard time sleeping for a while after it.  I actually insisted on seeing this during the day just in case.  It was nowhere near as straight up scary but it was still plenty creepy and very watchable for a horror movie.  This was more about violence/murder than the first one was.  They just started right up and sent straight through the really short run time.

I would definitely recommend horror fans checking this out.  It's a textbook creepy stalker movie.

A Wrinkle In Time

Meg Murry is a typical middle school student struggling with issues of self-worth who just wants to fit in. The daughter of two world-renowned physicists, she is intelligent and uniquely gifted, as is Meg’s younger brother, Charles Wallace, but she has yet to realize it for herself. Complicating matters is the mysterious disappearance of Mr. Murry, which has left Meg devastated and her mother broken-hearted. Charles Wallace introduces Meg and her fellow classmate Calvin to three celestial beings (Mrs. Which, Mrs. Whatsit and Mrs. Who) who have journeyed to Earth to help search for their father, and together they embark on their formidable quest. Travelling via a wrinkling of time and space known as tessering, they are transported to worlds beyond their imagination where they must confront a powerful evil force. To make it back home to Earth, Meg must face the darkness within herself in order to harness the strength necessary to defeat the darkness rapidly enveloping the Universe.

Wow!  This movie was massively disappointing.  The key to any fantasy movie is to fluidly takes you to this different place and make you enjoy the ride.  There was nothing fluid about this.  It was all very forced.  It was way too wordy with explanations by the characters about what was going on.  That right there pretty much ruins any magic of the journey.  That on top of all the wasted talent involved in this really made it even more disappointing.  

I really would not recommend anyone bothering with this movie.  I'm a huge Disney fan but this was pretty much their most blah and disappointing offering in a long time.  

Death Wish

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures presents director Eli Roth's reimagining of the classic 1974 revenge thriller Death Wish.  Dr. Paul Kersey (Bruce Willis) is a surgeon who only sees the aftermath of Chicago violence when it is rushed into his ER - until his wife (Elisabeth Shue) and college-age daughter (Camila Morrone) are viciously attacked in their suburban home. With the police overloaded with crimes, Paul, burning for revenge, hunts his family's assailants to deliver justice. As the anonymous slayings of criminals grabs the media's attention, the city wonders if this deadly vigilante is a guardian angel or a grim reaper.

This was a good modernized version of Death Wish.  It wasn't as viscious as the older one with Bruce Willis feeling his way through his desire for vengeance.  One still has to question if this was the right time for this movie to come out.  Kept asking myself if a movie about vigilante justice with everything going on in the world today was a good idea.  Still you definitely feel/identify for the vigilante and want to cheer as he takes out the guys that did those things to his wife and child.  I can't say that I don't identify with that line of thought.

I would recommend people checking this movie out if they were interested.  It's not a must see by any means but it was a decent watch for this type of movie.