1917

At the height of the First World War, two young British soldiers, Schofield (Captain Fantastic’s George MacKay) and Blake (Game of Thrones’ Dean-Charles Chapman) are given a seemingly impossible mission. In a race against time, they must cross enemy territory and deliver a message that will stop a deadly attack on hundreds of soldiers—Blake’s own brother among them. 1917 is directed by Sam Mendes, who wrote the screenplay with Krysty Wilson-Cairns (Showtime’s Penny Dreadful). The film is produced by Mendes and Pippa Harris (co-executive producer, Revolutionary Road; executive producer, Away We Go) for their Neal Street Productions, Jayne-Ann Tenggren (co-producer, The Rhythm Section; associate producer, Spectre), Callum McDougall (executive producer, Mary Poppins Returns, Skyfall) and Brian Oliver (executive producer, Rocketman; Black Swan). The film is produced by Neal Street Productions for DreamWorks Pictures in association with New Republic Pictures. Universal Pictures will release the film domestically in limited release on December 25, 2019 and wide on January 10, 2020. Universal and Amblin Partners will distribute the film internationally, with eOne distributing on behalf of Amblin in the U.K.

This movie was amazing simply because of the camera work.  It was done in such a way that it basically brought you there with these soldiers on their mission.  That along with the changing score of the soundtrack really ratcheted up the tension throughout the movie.  There was down time inbetween major stress but the movie was paced awesome and felt so incredibly real throughout.

I would definitely recommend people checking this movie out.  It was a very good watch.  

Parasite

Meet the Park Family: the picture of aspirational wealth. And the Kim Family, rich in street smarts but not much else. Be it chance or fate, these two houses are brought together and the Kims sense a golden opportunity. Masterminded by college-aged Ki-woo, the Kim children expediently install themselves as tutor and art therapist, to the Parks. Soon, a symbiotic relationship forms between the two families. The Kims provide “indispensable” luxury services while the Parks obliviously bankroll their entire household. When a parasitic interloper threatens the Kims’ newfound comfort, a savage, underhanded battle for dominance breaks out, threatening to destroy the fragile ecosystem between the Kims and the Parks.  Parasite is a peculiar tale about two families who are worlds apart yet somewhat alike, portraying a striking reality of the world we live in. The film stars Lee Sun-Kyun (A Hard Day), Cho Yeo-Jeong (Obsessed), Choi Woo-Shik (Okja), Park So-Dam (The Priests), and Chang Hyae-Jin (Poetry).

Holy crap!   Talk about mind blown.  Completely mind blown.  If you were to ever tell me that I would watch a North Korean movie with subtitles and be completely hooked on a ton of different levels and that even thought it was already cruising to a top 10 list for 2019 would have me yelling holy shit over and over again for the last 20 minutes - I would tell you to get out of my face and stop being a fool.  But that just happened.  This movie is absolutely amazing on so many levels.  I am stunned.  I want to watch it again.

I would 100% recommend people checking this out.  Outside of a mega-franchise coming to a close, this would be the best movie of the year hands down.

Just Mercy

Bryan Stevenson was a young lawyer when he founded the Equal Justice Initiative, a legal practice dedicated to defending those most desperate and in need: the poor, the wrongly condemned, and women and children trapped in the farthest reaches of our criminal justice system. One of his first cases was that of Walter McMillian, a young man who was sentenced to die for a notorious murder he insisted he didn’t commit. The case drew Bryan into a tangle of conspiracy, political machination, and legal brinksmanship—and transformed his understanding of mercy and justice forever.

Wow!  This was a very powerful movie acting wise and story wise.  The cast absolutely killed it and they keep you hooked from beginning to end.  They made you feel like you were there in that time period and got you the proper amount of upset based on the times and mentality.  

I would definitely recommend people checking this movie out.  It is a great watch with powerhouse performances.

Little Women

Four sisters come of age in America in the aftermath of the Civil War.

My 100% achilles heel is period piece movies like this.  I just can't get into them no matter what.  On top of that this is like the 700th version of Little Women that has been made.  Why do they keep redoing it.  I forgot about this movie like 5 minutes after I saw it.

Again - I'm not exactly the one to go to for a recommendation on this because I am really not a fan of these kinds of movies.   I was not hooked whatsoever.

Spies In Disguise

"Spies in Disguise" is a buddy comedy set in the high octane globe-trotting world of international espionage. Will Smith ("Men in Black") voices Lance Sterling, the world's most awesome spy. Cool, charming and super-skilled, saving the world is his occupation. And nobody does it better.  Almost the exact opposite of Lance is Walter, voiced by Tom Holland ("Spider-Man: Homecoming"). Walter is a great mind but perhaps not a great socializer. What he lacks in social skills though, he makes up for in smarts and invention: Walter is the scientific genius who invents the gadgets Lance uses on his missions.  But when events take an unexpected turn, Walter and Lance suddenly have to rely on each other in a whole new way. And if this odd couple can't learn to work as a team, the whole world is in peril.

This was a pretty decent watch in terms of animation and story.  What really carried it was the voiceovers of Will Smith and Tom Holland.  They played excellently off of each other and really kept you hooked to the movie.  

I would somewhat recommend people checking this out.  It is by no means a must see but the movie is not bad.  It's definitely a decent holiday watch if you have kids and are looking for something to do as a family and what not.

The Rise Of Skywalker

"Star Wars: Episode IX" will conclude the third trilogy of Star Wars movies that began with "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" on December 18, 2015 and will continue on December 15 with "Star Wars: The Last Jedi."

I waited a couple of days before posting my thoughts on this one.  I wanted it to digest for a while because the more I thought about The Last Jedi the less I liked it.  Before reviewing this movie its important to point out in retrospect that Disney really screwed the pooch with the three different directors also writing each of their installments plan that they originally had.  It should have been one master script for the whole trilogy and then different director visions.  But making it so Rian Johnson could just alter things that JJ Abrams had set up is one of the dumbest things I've ever witnessed and completely screwed the continuity of this trilogy.  That being said - with JJ coming back for the third one he had to basically do a movie and a half to course correct things from The Last Jedi (and compensate for Carrie Fisher's death) and then make this movie.  Taking that into consideration - I think he did a great job with this movie.  Are there flaws?  Absolutely.  Did they leave too many things up in the air for a "conclusion" chapter?  Absolutely.  But it still felt like a Star Wars movie.  It was a very fun ride and in the end that is the main thing I always want from these.  He did a really good job of getting things reconnected to the plot line and course correcting.  The biggest problem with that was that there was ALOT to cover in this movie and the first 45 minutes or so were pretty much non-stop.  When I looked at my watch and it was only 19 minutes in and my head was spinning with all the different places they had gone already and everything that had happened I was like holy crap.  But it settled down and worked out very well.

I would of course recommend that people see it regardless.  It's Star Wars, people!!!  It's better and more connected to where the story seemed to be going than The Last Jedi.  

Cats

Oscar®-winning director Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech, Les Misérables, The Danish Girl) transforms Andrew Lloyd Webber’s record-shattering stage musical into a breakthrough cinematic event. Cats stars James Corden, Judi Dench, Jason Derulo, Idris Elba, Jennifer Hudson, Ian McKellen, Taylor Swift, Rebel Wilson and introduces Royal Ballet principal dancer Francesca Hayward in her feature film debut. Featuring Lloyd Webber’s iconic music and a world-class cast of dancers under the guidance of Tony-winning choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler (Hamilton, In the Heights), the film reimagines the musical for a new generation with spectacular production design, state-of-the-art technology, and dance styles ranging from classical ballet to contemporary, hip-hop to jazz, street dance to tap.

Wow!  This was . . . . . . . . . something.  And not remotely in a good way.  I watched this from beginning to end with a WTF look glued on my face.  I know that I saw the musical when I was pretty young and thought it was weird but not THIS weird.  This was . . . . . . . . . . something.  I will never understand what made all of the incredible talent involved in this think it was a good idea.  Like how mid-filming did none of these people say wait . . . . . . NO!  This is hot garbage and we are going to become the biggest punchline of the year.

I want to say that I don't recommend anyone seeing this because it is beyond the realm of bad BUT this movie is so bad that it almost makes it a must see just for the massive WTF emotions you go through as watching it.

Bombshell

Charlize Theron and director Jay Roach are teaming to tell the tale of disgraced Fox News chairman Roger Ailes. Theron will portray Meagan Kelly, a former lawyer who was a Fox News anchor for over a decade, rising up through the ranks from legal contributor to host of the popular series The Kelly File. Fox News reportedly tried to pressure her to come out in support of Ailes (John Lithgow), but she refused. Ailes ran Fox News and helped launch the careers of Sean Hannity, Megyn Kelly and Gretchen Carlson with his powerful channel. He also was also a prominent figure in Republican circles who helped elect presidents Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and George Bush. Ailes was forced to resign in 2016 when a host of accusations of sexual misconduct surfaced, with Carlson and Kelly’s the most high-profile, and which contributed to his exit from the network.

This was pretty much just a straight telling of everything you had heard about the #MeToo movement at Fox News.  The performances throughout the movie were excellent - especially Charlize Theron because you basically thought it was Meagan Kelly playing herself.  But once you get past the awesome performances - there just isn't much substance to the movie.  The stuff is all very recent so you remember it clearly.  There is no new information introduced.  It just felt kind of hollow on that front.  

I would somewhat recommend people checking this out.   The performances really were awesome.  It's just kind of there though unless you are overly connected to this specific story for some reason.

Richard Jewell

Based upon the Vanity Fair article "American Nightmare: The Ballad of Richard Jewell" by Marie Brenner, the film will tell the story of security guard Richard Jewell who, in 1996, became both a national hero and shortly afterwards a suspect in the Olympic Park bombing. Jewell, who's life was thrown into turmoil following the accusations, was eventually exonerated.

Very conflicted on this movie.  On one hand - I absolutely loved it.  I thought the direction and writing were top notch.  I thought that the guy playing the lead and Sam Rockwell were awesome.  I really, really enjoyed this movie ALOT.  However, it felt kind of hypocritical all along in the way that it showed the media and the law enforcement characters.  Like if you are making a movie about how Richard Jewell was wrongly accused and biased against shouldn't you walk that line more and not portray law enforcement and the reporter as biased.  Like yes - they were wrong and what not absolutely but like especially the reporter it was kind of uncomfortable how she was portrayed.  The funny thing is that I had no idea about the controversy surrounding this until after seeing the movie and felt better that it wasn't just me.

I would still recommend people checking this out.  The movie was a great watch and I very much enjoyed it.  It just did kind of rub me the wrong way at times because of what I said.

Uncut Gems

Set in the Diamond district of New York City which follows the story of a jewelry store owner (Sandler) with a gambling addiction while trying to handle two relationships and debts at once. Stanfield is set to play as a key ally to a famous client of the jewelry store.

All of the buzz about Adam Sandler's performance in this was warranted.  This was easily the best acting he has ever done.  He kept it straight and managed to avoid going into goofyness although you could tell several times that he wanted to start improving.  The development of the story and the people involved kept you very hooked from start to finish and this movie could definitely warrant award buzz at the end of the year.

I would definitely recommend people checking this out.  It was a great watch and really showed you the dangers of gambling and falling into that world.

Queen & Slim

While on a forgettable first date together in Ohio, a black man (Get Out’s Daniel Kaluuya) and a black woman (Jodie Turner-Smith, in her first starring feature-film role), are pulled over for a minor traffic infraction. The situation escalates, with sudden and tragic results, when the man kills the police officer in self-defense. Terrified and in fear for their lives, the man, a retail employee, and the woman, a criminal defense lawyer, are forced to go on the run. But the incident is captured on video and goes viral, and the couple unwittingly become a symbol of trauma, terror, grief and pain for people across the country. As they drive, these two unlikely fugitives will discover themselves and each other in the most dire and desperate of circumstances, and will forge a deep and powerful love that will reveal their shared humanity and shape the rest of their lives. Joining a legacy of films such as Bonnie and Clyde and Thelma & Louise, Queen & Slim is a powerful, consciousness-raising love story that confronts the staggering human toll of racism and the life-shattering price of violence.

This movie was much more of an artsy watch then I thought it would be.  It was also strangely more about the two leads relationship than the racial tensions brewing.  A lot of the racial tension stuff was done apart from them as they were really just getting to know each other the whole time they were on the run and the best part of the movie was the side by side development of those things.

I would somewhat recommend people checking this out.  It's not a must watch and is not really a mainstream movie because of how artsy it was.

Jumanji: The Next Level

In Jumanji: The Next Level, the gang is back but the game has changed. As they return to Jumanji to rescue one of their own, they discover that nothing is as they expect. The players will have to brave parts unknown and unexplored, from the arid deserts to the snowy mountains, in order to escape the world’s most dangerous game.

I loved the first one and it really ended up being some of the best casting all around in a big budget movie like this.  This movie was very much the same action and story wise but was so much funnier.  I will happily watch The Rock and Kevin Hart pretend to be old men any time.  The two of them had me belly laughing throughout the movie.  And Jack Black nailed it again just like in the first.  

I would absolutely recommend everyone check this out.  It is beyond entertaining and a great trip to the movies.

Black Christmas

Hawthorne College is quieting down for the holidays. One by one, sorority girls on campus are being killed by an unknown stalker. But the killer is about to discover that this generation’s young women aren’t willing to become hapless victims as they mount a fight to the finish.

This was complete garbage and a total waste of time.  There was not anything even "scary" until like 45 minutes into the movie.  A bunch of pointless build up for a massively disappointing and not scary whatsoever horror movie.

Nobody should bother with this.  It was a blatant Friday the 13th money grab and is complete garbage.

Dark Waters

Inspired by a shocking true story, a tenacious attorney (Ruffalo) uncovers a dark secret that connects a growing number of unexplained deaths due to one of the world's largest corporations. In the process, he risks everything – his future, his family, and his own life - to expose the truth.

This was a pretty decent watch about company corruption and the whole lawsuit/cover-up process.  The acting was good which was expected from the cast.  The movie did a good enough job of hooking you and making you want to see how it will play out.  That all being said - you will most likely forget about having seen this movie like a week after seeing it.

I would somewhat recommend people checking this out.  I wouldn't say that you have to go to the theater and pay because it is not worth that but it was a decent watch.  Just one of those not too memorable movies to be honest.