A Journal For Jordan

Deployed to Iraq, First Sgt. Charles Monroe King starts to keep a journal of love and advice for his infant son. Back at home, Dana Canedy, a senior editor for The New York Times, revisits the story of her unlikely, life-altering relationship with King and his enduring devotion to his beloved family.

This was a very well done and nice movie but it was all about pulling heartstrings.  You cared about the couple.  You cared about their journey.  You cared about their story but it was kind of forced and there was nothing that you didn't know was going to happen.  But credit where its due - even with that it was still a very enjoyable movie/story.  

I would lukewarmly recommend people checking this movie out.  It's not a must see by any means but it is a good heartstring pulling kind of movie.  

The Matrix Resurrections

Plagued by strange memories, Neo's life takes an unexpected turn when he finds himself back inside the Matrix.

This is a weird one to review.  The original Matrix is one of my favorite movies of all time.  The sequel had quite honestly one of the best long action sequences ever with the freeway scene.  The third one was very enjoyable although I had my issues with it.  I assumed that this movie would just be the fourth sequel but it was more of a reboot kind of.  Like it was weird.   They didn't really step on the gas with it too much and kept it grounded because honestly it played like more of a romance movie.  Like even writing that feels weird.  And all of that is not to say the movie was bad.  I actually liked it for the most part.  I could have done without the long talky talky stuff with the old Jada Pinkett Smith character but I really liked how they set it up.  I really liked the ending.  It just was more of a soft reboot as opposed to being a sequel or like the other Matrix movies.  

I would definitely still recommend people checking this out.  I mean it's a Matrix movie.  It's worth watching alone just because of the visuals.  Just be prepared that it's very different from the other Matrix movies.  

The King's Man

One man must race against time to stop history's worst tyrants and criminal masterminds as they get together to plot a war that could wipe out millions of people and destroy humanity.

This was strangely like two separate movies.  The first half dragged ALOT.  Had some very weird and funny moments with the over the top characters and acting but dragged overall.  The second half was alot better with the faster pace and what not and made the movie rebound nicely.  But honestly - this movie is just a prequel that nobody was asking for.  I would much sooner be excited to see Kingsman 3 instead of this kind of forced prequel. 

I would lukewarmly recommend people checking this out.  It's not a must see by any means but a worthy watch if you have the time.  Just no need to go out of your way to see it.

Spider-Man: No Way Home

With Spider-Man's identity now revealed, our friendly neighborhood web-slinger is unmasked and no longer able to separate his normal life as Peter Parker from the high stakes of being a superhero. When Peter asks for help from Doctor Strange, the stakes become even more dangerous, forcing him to discover what it truly means to be Spider-Man.

Wow!  Just plain wow!   This has to be the most surreal movie going experience ever.   I can't really go into too much detail without spoiling anything but to be watching characters or actors from different versions of Spider-Man interacting was truly mind-blowing.   It would have been awesome even in a small sample of it like I honestly expected but to see it on as grand a scale as it ended up being was amazing.   Tom Holland cemented himself more as my favorite Spidey.  The returning characters that you have grown to love were all awesome.  Doctor Strange made a great addition.  The action and overall story were great and then all that other stuff that I don't want to spoil for everyone.   A very very enjoyable watch that had a very high bar of expectations and completely surpassed said bar.  

I would definitely recommend everyone checking this out.  As much as the Avengers movies - especially the last two were mind blowing with all the people on screen together, this one took that idea and topped it in a way simply because it never should have been possible to see this stuff.  

Nightmare Alley

In 1940s New York, down-on-his-luck Stanton Carlisle endears himself to a clairvoyant and her mentalist husband at a traveling carnival. Using newly acquired knowledge, Carlisle crafts a golden ticket to success by swindling the elite and wealthy. Hoping for a big score, he soon hatches a scheme to con a dangerous tycoon with help from a mysterious psychiatrist who might be his most formidable opponent yet.

This is very much one of those movies where the cinematography makes the movies.   The overall appearance of everything was like an extra character.  Regarding the rest of the characters - there was some truly excellent acting in this movie across the board.  Very stellar cast delivered throughout.   And finally the direction of the movie really takes you there and sucks in the viewer to this world that. you feel like you are on the journey with them.  

I would definitely recommend people checking this out.   It was a very enjoyable watch and could definitely garner some year end award consideration.  

Rumble

In a world where monsters are tame and monster wrestling is a popular sport, Winnie seeks to follow in her father's footsteps as a manager by turning an inexperienced monster into a contender.

This movie was nothing more than one of those animated money grabs for parents/families.  Got bumped around a couple of times because of Covid and then Paramount Plus decided to use it to drive up family subscriptions instead of the lame box office it was guaranteed to make.  Some good voices in this and it had its connections to wrestling and stuff but honestly not worth watching at all for anyone including families.  Very subpar by today's animated standards.  

I wouldn't recommend anyone bothering with this movie.  It's 90 minutes that could surely be spent better in any other way.  

West Side Story

Love at first sight strikes when young Tony spots Maria at a high school dance in 1957 New York City. Their burgeoning romance helps to fuel the fire between the warring Jets and Sharks -- two rival gangs vying for control of the streets.

This one is a little tough to review.  It was very excellently made.  Spielberg's camera work and using the background setting as a character in pretty much every shot was beyond top notch.  The performances were all great.  The singing and choreography were all great too.  I just have never been that big of a fan of the story.  I was hoping that maybe this would help me like it more but it didn't.  

Again - I would still recommend people checking it out because it is an incredibly well done movie.  Don't let my lack of enjoyment of the story be a downer.  

Licorice Pizza

Alana Kane and Gary Valentine grow up, run around and fall in love in California's San Fernando Valley in the 1970s.

This is one of those movies that is definitely effected by so much advance hype from awards consideration and what not.  It's a very enjoyable movie and you can absolutely feel like you are growing up with the characters in the 70s because of the very genuine overall feel.   There are tons of laughs - especially Bradley Cooper's hilarious part.  I just kind of felt myself thinking why did all the critics say this was so great all along and I feel like it took away from it a bit.  

Regardless, I would definitely recommend people checking this out.  It is a very enjoyable coming of age story with some really great characters.  

National Champions

Three days before the college football national championship game, star quarterback LeMarcus James and teammate Emmett Sunday ignite a player's strike -- declaring they won't compete until all student athletes are fairly compensated. With billions of dollars at risk and legacies on the line, the stakes couldn't be higher. Now, with only hours until kickoff, their head coach and various power brokers must race against the clock to protect or destroy the prevailing collegiate athletics system.

I really liked this movie alot because it is about a topic that has bothered me for a long, long time.   This movie basically perfectly addressed the absolute bs that exists in college sports with the players that universities and coaches are making billions of dollars off of not getting paid in any way for essentially their name.  This movie covered pretty much every point I have ever made when debating this and told it in a way where the escalation and politics of it all was perfectly played out.  

I would definitely recommend people checking this movie out and hopefully it opens lots of eyes about college athletics moving forward.  

Wolf

Believing he's a wolf trapped in a man's body, Jacob eats, sleeps and lives like one -- much to the shock of his family. When he's sent to a clinic, Jacob and his animal-bound peers are forced to undergo increasingly extreme forms of curative therapies. However, once he meets the mysterious Wildcat, their friendship blossoms into an undeniable infatuation, and Jacob must decide whether to renounce his true self for love.

Um . . . . .  I have no idea what this was.  Like I get the artistic premise and stuff but this was a super strange watch.  One of those critically praised independent type movies that is 10000000% not intended for mainstream audiences.  Like at all.  This was just weird as hell.

I would not recommend anyone really bothering with this.  It's just a strange watch.  I understand the artistic hook of it but still.  Just weird as hell.  

Sing 2

Can-do koala Buster Moon and his all-star cast of animal performers prepare to launch a dazzling stage extravaganza in the glittering entertainment capital of the world. There's just one hitch -- he has to find and persuade the world's most reclusive rock star to join them. What begins as Buster's dream of big-time success soon becomes an emotional reminder of the power of music to heal even the most broken heart.

This is another one of those Universal animation franchises that are watchable but pretty forgettable right after.   Like they have the Despicable Me franchise that I love but then all the rest are decent watches but I feel no real connection to the characters and stuff to care.  The music in this was great just like the first one but you really forget all about the movie like 15 minutes after you watch it.  

I wouldn't really recommend anyone bothering with this unless it's families with younger kids.  They will certainly enjoy it and it's not beyond painful for the parents but it's not really memorable either.