Second Act

Second Act is a comedy in the vein of "Working Girl" and "Maid In Manhattan." Jennifer Lopez stars as Maya, a 40-year-old woman struggling with frustrations from unfulfilled dreams. Until, that is, she gets the chance to prove to Madison Avenue that street smarts are as valuable as book smarts, and that it is never too late for a Second Act.

Never in a million years did I imagine that I would enjoy this movie as much as I did.  I totally expected a run of the mill formula and predictable movie.  And honestly for the most part - it absolutely was exactly that.  However, the chemistry between all the actors really made this movie a lot of fun.  You get hooked by the relationships.  There are plenty of laughs - especially from Leah Remini as the best friend and how she talks to her kids.

I would actually recommend people checking this out.  Again - never expected to be saying that after seeing this but this was a very, very enjoyable comedy even though you know exactly how its all going to play out from the start.  

Holmes & Watson

"Holmes & Watson" will feature Will Ferrell as the 21B Baker Street sleuth, with John C. Reilly playing Dr. Watson.

This movie was just as silly and pointless as the trailer made it out to be.  Luckily it was super short so you are able to enjoy the great chemistry between these two guys a little bit.  But totally not enough to warrant spending money on this.  It was pretty much just a money grab of cashing in on these guys history together.

I wouldn't really recommend anyone bother with this movie.  It's nowhere near the level of their previous offerings like Step Brothers or Talladega Nights.  

Welcome To Marwen

Robert Zemeckis directs Steve Carell, based on Jeff Malmberg's 2010 doc "Marwencol," which followed a man who builds a miniature WWII-era village with action figures and dolls as a way to recover from a violent assault. The studio is describing the project as “one broken man’s fight as he discovers how artistic imagination can restore the human spirit.”

This one is a tough movie to review.  On one hand - the movie was massively flawed in several ways.  They should have developed the side characters more so the audience could get to know them better outside of the doll versions.  They should have been more selective with how often they went into the doll world or not had the same kind of battles when they went there over and over.  They shouldn't have tried so blatantly to pull heartstrings and let it be more organic.   All of that being said - I still really enjoyed this movie.  I think that the story is amazing and really told itself.  Anyone who has studied psychology or anything related to that field won't be able to help but be intrigued by watching the character struggle with his therapy in such a specific and unique way.  That part I really enjoyed and it hit home.

I would recommend people check this out.  It is an enjoyable watch.  It definitely could have been better but it was still enjoyable for me regardless.  

Mary Poppins Returns

In Disney's Mary Poppins Returns, an all new sequel with a fresh sensibility that celebrates the spirit of the original, Mary Poppins is back to help the next generation of the Banks family find the joy and wonder missing in their lives. Emily Blunt stars as the practically-perfect nanny with unique magical skills who can turn any task into an unforgettable, fantastic adventure and Lin-Manuel Miranda plays her friend Jack, an optimistic street lamplighter who helps bring light -- and life -- to the streets of London.

This was a very decent watch.   The music was good.  Emily Blunt was great as Mary Poppins.  It will easily be the family film of the holidays this year.  The only problem is that there isn't much else to say about it.  It's not amazing.  It's not a must see.  It's not bad at all.  It's just kind of there and a redo of sorts of the first Mary Poppins.  

I would still recommend anyone with kids check this out - just like the first one.  It is an awesome family movie that drives home lots of points.  But honestly - it doesn't massively stick with you or anything outside of how good Emily Blunt is which is pretty much accurate for anything she does.

Aquaman

An icon for over 70 years, Aquaman is the King of the Seven Seas. This reluctant ruler of Atlantis, caught between a surface world constantly ravaging the sea and Atlanteans looking to lash out in revolt, is committed to protecting the entire globe.

I seriously hate DC Cinematic Universe so much.  Like its my biggest ranting trigger ever.  I will never understand how they churn out such garbage and refuse to follow the Marvel model that is 20 films in and has yet to churn out a single subpar movie.  Aquaman was always one of my favorites.  And honestly - how can you not enjoy Jason Momoa.  The dude is just awesome and charismatic as hell.  But they literally just had that.  Everything else was corny as hell.  The CGI was WAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYY too much.  The dialogue and jokes were cheesy as hell.  The movie was crazy too long.  And it gave ZERO hope for DC Universe moving forward.

I'm sure everyone will see this regardless but I wouldn't recommend it.  It's just like other DC Comics movies that I will probably never watch again because of my annoyance levels when watching it this one time.   I will just never understand how they can screw these up so bad.  

The Mule

In The Mule, Clint Eastwood stars as Earl Stone, a man in his 80s who is broke, alone, and facing foreclosure of his business when he is offered a job that simply requires him to drive. Easy enough but, unbeknownst to Earl, he’s just signed on as a drug courier for a Mexican cartel. He does well—so well, in fact, that his cargo increases exponentially, and Earl is assigned a handler. But he isn’t the only one keeping tabs on Earl; the mysterious new drug mule has also hit the radar of hard-charging DEA agent Colin Bates. And even as his money problems become a thing of the past, Earl’s past mistakes start to weigh heavily on him, and it’s uncertain if he’ll have time to right those wrongs before law enforcement, or the cartel’s enforcers, catch up to him.

Clint Eastwood continued his streak of his movies being so much better when he is in them and directing them at the same time.  This was a great story that was well paced and you totally connect with the character and his reasoning.  And you totally get caught up in the building tension and not wanting Earl to get caught.

This was an excellent movie across the board.  Not sure why I didn't hear more awards buzz about this movie because I'm pretty sure that this will end up on my top ten list at the end of the year.

Bumblebee

On the run in the year 1987, Bumblebee finds refuge in a junkyard in a small Californian beach town. Charlie (Hailee Steinfeld), on the cusp of turning 18 and trying to find her place in the world, discovers Bumblebee, battle-scarred and broken. When Charlie revives him, she quickly learns this is no ordinary, yellow VW bug.

I swore off on seeing any more Transformers movies in theaters after walking out of the last one.  Well this one showed up online so I decided to check it out.  It was not great, but it was definitely better than all of the Transformers sequels by far.  It wasn't as annoyingly over the top with effects like them and gave you a backstory.  The problem was that a lot of the backstory you already knew as the viewer.  Like Bumblebee communicating via the radio.  Like when that was a revelation it was like um . . . . yeah.

I would sort of recommend this movie but honestly just because it wasn't as bad as the other Transformers sequels.  Transformers is still one of my favorite movies ever but its just been so bad every movie since then.   This was a welcome much less painful option.  But again not great.  Just watchable.

Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse

Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, the creative minds behind "The Lego Movie" bring their unique talents to a fresh vision of a different Spider-Man Universe, with a groundbreaking visual style that’s the first of its kind. "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" introduces Brooklyn teen Miles Morales, and the limitless possibilities of the Spider-Verse, where more than one can wear the mask.. Jake Johnson is Peter Parker, Shameik Moore will voice Miles Morales, and Liev Schreiber will voice a mystery villain. Cage will voice Spider-Man Noir, an alternate Spider-Man from the 1930s. Kimiko Glenn as SP//dr aka Peni Parker; John Mulaney as Spider-Ham.

I am shocked at how much I enjoyed this movie.  I figured it was a throwaway animated movie that was coming out during a down time as sort of a money grab.  Not the case at all.  This was better than most live action comic book movies (especially from DC) and showed along with Teen Titans Go To The Movies earlier this year how cartoon comic book movies can still be an awesome watch.   Loved the story told here and how well it worked across the board.

I would definitely recommend people checking this bad boy out.  It was a very enjoyable watch and a very pleasant surprise.  

Green Book

When Tony Lip (Mortensen), an Italian-American bouncer with a seventh-grade education, is hired to drive Dr. Don Shirley (Ali), a world-class African-American pianist on a concert tour from Manhattan to the Deep South, they must rely on the “Negro Motorist Green Book” to guide them to the few establishments that were then safe for Blacks. Confronted with racism, danger—as well as unexpected humanity and humor—they are forced to set aside differences to survive and thrive on the journey of a lifetime.

This was an excellent movie that told so many excellent stories from different viewpoints.   The chemistry between the two leads was perfect and so believable.  I see this movie being nominated for a TON of awards come the end of the year and it massively deserves all the accolades it has coming.

I would absolutely recommend people check this movie out.  It's pretty much a must see and will certainly make my top ten list at the end of the year.  Probably in the top 5 at a minimum.  

Instant Family

When a couple decides to start a family, they are inspired to pursue adoption through the foster care system. They feel like wonderful, altruistic people until they suddenly have three wild kids in their home. Now they must learn to love and parent children who have no interest in being parented in this heartwarming comedy.

Wow!   I really enjoyed this movie a lot.  It was just as predictable and formula as you would think from the commercial but the on screen chemistry between the two leads and the kids was very good and there were ALOT of big and unexpected laughs throughout the movie that kept everything fresh.
I would definitely recommend people checking this movie out.  It really was a perfect family friendly movie.

Mortal Engines

Hundreds of years after civilization was destroyed by a cataclysmic event, a mysterious young woman, Hester Shaw (Hera Hilmar), emerges as the only one who can stop London — now a giant, predator city on wheels — from devouring everything in its path. Feral, and fiercely driven by the memory of her mother, Hester joins forces with Tom Natsworthy (Robert Sheehan), an outcast from London, along with Anna Fang (Jihae), a dangerous outlaw with a bounty on her head.

Very surprised at how much I was able to enjoy this movie.  I thought it would just be an overdone fantasy movie with great visuals and at its core - it definitely was that, but it was also very watchable from beginning to end.  There was good enough action and the story progressed well enough that at no point did the movie get bloated and blah.  I was very surprised.

I would actually recommend people checking this out.  It is not must see by any means but it definitely is a better than average watch that can be enjoyed.

The Possession Of Hannah Grace

A shocking exorcism spirals out of control, claiming the life of a young woman. Months later, Megan Reed (Shay Mitchell) is working the graveyard shift in the morgue when she takes delivery of a disfigured cadaver. Locked alone inside the basement corridors, Megan begins to experience horrifying visions and starts to suspect that the body may be possessed by a ruthless demonic force.

Wow!  What a giant piece of crap this was.  Like for real.  How was this even a legit movie that got a wide release?  I tried to push through all of it but after not giving a rats ass what was happening for the first two-thirds of it I just couldn't anymore.  This was downright awful.

I would not recommend anyone bothering with this movie.  Ever.  Total waste of time.