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.