F9

Dominic Toretto and his crew join forces to battle the most skilled assassin and high-performance driver they've ever encountered -- his forsaken brother.

I have always enjoyed the movies in this franchise.   I am well aware of how far over the top the action is at times but I am able to just push that to the side and watch anyway.   These are just summer popcorn movies and I have no problem taking them for what they are.   That being said - this one went so far above and beyond over the top that anyone who had a problem with that stuff before is going to lose it with the silliness at times of this one.   But regardless - still find them entertaining as hell.   John Cena is a great addition to the franchise and really just makes me want to see The Rock come back to the franchise even more.

It's honestly just another crazy action entry in the very successful franchise.  If you like the others I have no doubt you will like this one.  If you don't - then you won't and honestly why would you start liking them now regardless?  

Luca

Set in a beautiful seaside town on the Italian Riviera, the original animated feature is a coming-of-age story about one young boy experiencing an unforgettable summer filled with gelato, pasta and endless scooter rides. Luca shares these adventures with his newfound best friend, but all the fun is threatened by a deeply-held secret: he is a sea monster from another world just below the water's surface.

The two things that you can always count on is Marvel and Pixar not letting you down.  Even their less than excellent movies are still great.   Luca is yet another triumph for Pixar when you really don't expect it at all.   A movie about sea people that turn to humans and want to win a race to get a vespa with very heavy Italian culture involved.  Read that again.   That would sound like an absolute trainwreck to me.  Yet since it's Pixar, it was a very enjoyable ride with incredibly original and diverse characters that keeps you hooked right from the start.

I would definitely recommend people checking this out.   I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and am eternally grateful for the excellence of Pixar.

In The Heights

In Washington Heights, N.Y., the scent of warm coffee hangs in the air just outside of the 181st St. subway stop, where a kaleidoscope of dreams rallies a vibrant and tight-knit community. At the intersection of it all is a likable and magnetic bodega owner who hopes, imagines and sings about a better life.

Had never seen the original musical and really didn't have any idea what it was about but almost instantly didn't care.  You get pulled in to this town and the different characters in it and automatically want to know their stories and how they will turn out.  The music from Lin Manuel Miranda is as great as his stuff always is and keeps you dancing in your seat throughout the movie.

I would definitely recommend people check this movie out.  It was a very enjoyable movie and just a great all around time watching it.

The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard

The world's most lethal odd couple -- bodyguard Michael Bryce and hit man Darius Kincaid -- are back for another life-threatening mission. Still unlicensed and under scrutiny, Bryce is forced into action by Darius's even more volatile wife. Soon, all three are in over their heads when a madman's sinister plot threatens to leave Europe in total chaos.

Very difficult to think of a sequel that was less in demand than this one.  Adding to that it being a summer release that is supposed to help people get back to going to theaters and my mind is beyond baffled.  Not to say that the first movie wasn't enjoyable.  It very much was because of the off the wall banter and the fact that honestly they really didn't take themselves too serious with the movie.   And this one was exactly the same.  Even adding in a lot more of Salma Hayek.  She was perfect playing off the other two.  Just one of those sequels that makes you do the dog head tilt like "really?"

I would lukewarmly recommend people checking this out.  It is not by any means whatsoever a must see.  But if you are a fan of Ryan Reynolds banter and want to see it going back and forth perfectly with the other two in this then you will enjoy it.  Just not sure its honestly worth money and a trip to the theater for it.

Dream Horse

The true story of Dream Alliance, an unlikely racehorse bred by small-town bartender Jan Vokes. With very little money and no experience, Jan convinces her neighbors to chip in their meager earnings to help raise Dream and compete with the racing elites. Their investment pays off as Dream rises through the ranks and becomes a beacon of hope for their struggling community.

This movie had no business whatsoever getting me hooked like it did.  But when the textbook underdog story hooks you then there is no point to fighting it.   The connection between the horse and the lead/town folk that I found myself enjoying and rooting for.   Sometimes that's all you need to make a movie enjoyable.

I would recommend people checking this out.  It was a very enjoyable watch with a lot of chemistry throughout the cast surrounding the horse that was kind of infectious.

Infinite

The hallucinations of a schizophrenic are revealed to be memories from past lives where he obtained talents that he still has to this day.

This was a very enjoyable action/sci fi movie and I can't for the life of me figure out why Paramount Plus would put this on streaming instead of in movie theaters in August.   It had awesome special effects throughout and I thought that Ejiofor was perfect in his role.  This is the type of movie that with the right build up had a chance to become a franchise starter because of the premise.  However, not sure that will happen with the under the radar marketing wise release of this on their streaming service.   Very, very strange.

I would definitely recommend people checking this out.   It's a pretty good watch and does a great job pacing with the movie not being too long and the story still getting fleshed out.

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It

Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren take on one of the most sensational cases of their careers after a cop stumbles upon a dazed and bloodied young man walking down the road. Accused of murder, the suspect claims demonic possession as his defense, forcing the Warrens into a supernatural inquiry unlike anything they've ever seen before.

I have always been lukewarm at best about this franchise and its spinoffs.   I am all for quality scare spots and there is no shortage of them in the previous Conjuring movies or this one.  My problem is that I find myself only watching them for those.   Like as this franchise has gone on they have tried to make it more about the characters and I'm sorry but I just don't care about them and their character development.  These movies are just about the scares for me.   And this latest entry really went in on the two recurring characters and it very much watered the movie down for me.   Again - there were decent scares and its not a bad watch but character caring is not what these movies are about for me.

I would still recommend that any fan of the franchises check this out and I'm sure that they will enjoy it but if you were on the fence about it all along like I have been, this one continues the decline from movie to movie.

Peter Rabbit 2: The Getaway

Despite his efforts, Peter can't seem to shake his reputation for mischief among the other rabbits. Once he adventures out of the garden Peter finds himself in a world where mischief is appreciated, but soon his family come to bring him home.

There are times when you know that a movie is destined for a sequel.  And then there are others where you just kind of tilt your head like a confused dog and think really?   They spent millions of dollars on that?   Was there that big of a demand for this?  This one definitely falls into the latter.  Don't get me wrong.  I understand its a family movie and what not but like put that money into something good for families to watch.  Not just a retread of the original.  Literally - the same movie over again.  

I would not really people, including families, bothering with this.   This should not be the way that you get back to going to theaters.  That needs to be saved for something more worthy.