Get Out

Now that Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) and his girlfriend, Rose (Allison Williams), have reached the meet-the-parents milestone of dating, she invites him for a weekend getaway upstate with Missy (Catherine Keener) and Dean (Bradley Whitford).  At first, Chris reads the family’s overly accommodating behavior as nervous attempts to deal with their daughter’s interracial relationship, but as the weekend progresses, a series of increasingly disturbing discoveries lead him to a truth that he could have never imagined.

I never would have imagined going in how awesome this movie was going to be on so many levels.  It was creepy as hell because of the constant level of tension throughout.  Something as simple as drinks on the patio had you sitting on the edge of your seat.  It was an incredible social commentary about racism in today's society.  It was also absolutely hilarious at times due to the lead's best friend whenever he would pop up.  And the laughs were so amazingly timed to relieve the built up tension.  I really can't say much more without giving too much away and this movie is too good to be spoiled.  I am willing to guarantee that this movie ends on my Top 10 list at the end of the year.

I absolutely recommend that everyone check this out.  This movie is very worthy of Must See status and is an amazing surprise for a random February release.

A Cure For Wellness

An ambitious young executive is sent to retrieve his company's CEO from an idyllic but mysterious "wellness center" at a remote location in the Swiss Alps. He soon suspects that the spa's miraculous treatments are not what they seem. When he begins to unravel its terrifying secrets, his sanity is tested, as he finds himself diagnosed with the same curious illness that keeps all the guests here longing for the cure. 

This movie had a massive aura of creepiness and tension right from the start and it properly elevated as the movie went on.  It was written and directed in a way where the viewer slowly got bits of information but it didn't drag so your interests were kept throughout.  Can't really talk to much about the ending without giving anything away but it did go a little off the rails.  I was worried that it would be one of those movies with amazing buildup to an ending that doesn't payoff so a little off the rails was not a problem at all.  This movie reminded me a lot of Shutter Island from a few years back but with more tension, creepiness and an overall look to everything.

I would definitely recommend this movie to fans of creepy thriller movies.  It was a very enjoyable watch.

A United Kingdom

A United Kingdom is based on extraordinary true events. In 1947, Seretse Khama, the King of Botswana, met Ruth Williams, a London office worker. The attraction was immediate: she was captivated by his vision for a better world, he was struck by her willingness to embrace it.  Both felt liberated by the social upheaval that followed the war - Seretse sensed the opportunity for change as the Empire weakened, Ruth saw the possibility for a "bigger life" as women pushed for independence and equality.  They were a perfect match, yet their proposed marriage was challenged not only by their families but by the British and South African governments. The latter had recently introduced the policy of apartheid and found the notion of a biracial couple ruling a neighboring country intolerable. South Africa threatened the British: either thwart the couple or be denied access to South African uranium (vital for the British nuclear program) and gold (vital to replenish reserves following the war) and face the risk of South Africa invading Botswana.  Despite the terrible pressures they faced, Seretse and Ruth never wavered - they fought for their love every step of the way, and in so doing changed their nation and inspired the world.

This was a very well told and acted story.  The necessary against all odds chemistry between the two leads was there from the beginning.  You are definitely hooked and rooting for them on this crazy journey they go on with unimaginable hurdles they have to face.  I went into this movie expecting boredom and a nap and was very pleasantly surprised.

I would definitely recommend people checking this out.  It was a very enjoyable as well as an educational watch.

A Dog's Purpose

Based on the beloved bestselling novel by W. Bruce Cameron, A Dog’s Purpose, from director Lasse Hallström (The Cider House Rules, Dear John, The 100-Foot Journey), shares the soulful and surprising story of one devoted dog (voiced by Josh Gad) who finds the meaning of his own existence through the lives of the humans he teaches to laugh and love. The family film told from the dog’s perspective also stars Dennis Quaid, Peggy Lipton, Britt Robertson, K.J. Apa, Juilet Rylance, Luke Kirby, John Ortiz and Pooch Hall.

This was a very cute movie with the Josh Gad commentary as the dog.  The difficult part was the dog passing from life to life.  To say that watching those parts were difficult is the understatement of the year.  But the movie did do a really good job of going back and forth between the joys and sadness of life with pets.  I've always been a cat person not a dog person but this movie made it very difficult to not love dogs.

I would recommend people checking this out.  It was a good watch as long as you can deal with the dog passing on multiple times.  Be warned taking kids to this that you will surely end up having talks about death.

Fist Fight

Ice Cube and Charlie Day star as high school teachers prepared to solve their differences the hard way. On the last day of the year, mild-mannered high school English teacher Andy Campbell (Day) is trying his best to keep it together amidst senior pranks, a dysfunctional administration and budget cuts that put jobs on the line. But things go from bad to worse when he accidentally crosses his much tougher and deeply feared colleague, Ron Strickland (Ice Cube), who challenges Campbell to an old-fashioned throwdown after school. News of the fight spreads like wildfire and ends up becoming the very thing this school, and Campbell, needed.

I had high hopes for this movie just because I'm a huge fan of Charlie Day.  I think that those expectations might have worked against this movie.  It ended up being absolutely hysterical towards the end but it took what felt like way too long to get there and there were not enough laughs along the way too.  Charlie Day playing the straight guy was weird and it really only started becoming funny once he was more unhinged. 

The movie was a decent watch with decent laughs that got much bigger towards the end.  I wouldn't really recommend it though because of way too much dull and down time building up to the laughs though.

John Wick: Chapter 2

In this next chapter following the 2014 hit, legendary hitman John Wick [Keanu Reeves] is forced back out of retirement by a former associate plotting to seize control of a shadowy international assassins’ guild. Bound by a blood oath to help him, John travels to Rome where he squares off against some of the world’s deadliest killers.

Wow!  This was really like massive amounts of testosterone and adrenaline in film form.  The fight scenes were crazy.  The shootouts were crazy.  Any time that there was driving included it was crazy.  This movie was a very enjoyable watch if you like these kind of action movies just like the first one.  They don't waste too much time with senseless stories or too much build up.  It's just badass across the board on the screen from beginning to end.  The only knock that I could make against this is just that maybe it didn't need to be as long of a movie.

I would absolutely recommend anyone who likes action movies checking this movie out.  Keanu Reeves career has really been brought back from the dead by this franchise that can easily continue as long as they keep the action as top notch. 

Fifty Shades Darker

Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson return as Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele inFifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed, the second and third chapters based on the worldwide bestselling “Fifty Shades” phenomenon. Expanding upon the events set in motion in Fifty Shades of Grey.

This movie was god awful.  Like painfully bad.  I didn't think that it could be worse than the original but I was wrong.  The acting was worse.  The story was nonexistabnt.  And the couple had zero chemistry.

I wouldn't recommend anyone watching this and hate that there is still another one on the way.  

The Lego Batman Movie

In the irreverent spirit of fun that made The LEGO Movie a worldwide phenomenon, the self-described leading man of that ensemble – LEGO Batman – stars in his own big-screen adventure: The LEGO Batman Movie. But there are big changes brewing in Gotham, and if he wants to save the city from The Joker’s hostile takeover, Batman may have to drop the lone vigilante thing, try to work with others and maybe, just maybe, learn to lighten up.

This movie was very enjoyable.  Not as funny as The Lego Movie but pretty close.  The constant making fun of Batman history was awesome and Will Arnett's egotistical voicing of Batman was also great.  The incorporating of villains outside of the D.C. Universe was an excellent surprise.  The Lego franchise definitely has a very bright future as long as they keep up the humor for the adults too.

I would absolutely recommend people checking this out.  It's a great watch for both the kids and adults.

Rings

A new chapter in the beloved "Ring" horror franchise. A young woman becomes worried about her boyfriend when he explores a dark subculture surrounding a mysterious videotape said to kill the watcher seven days after he has viewed it. She sacrifices herself to save her boyfriend and in doing so makes a horrifying discovery: there is a “movie within the movie” that no one has ever seen before…

This was poop.  Total poop.  Wait 12 years and deliver a mailed in and forced sequel.  Good idea.  I was so not scared at any point.  I was so not hooked or entertained that I literally said I'm going to sleep - wake me up if I start snoring and took like a 30 minute nap in the middle of the movie.  I was not too big on the first two Ring movies but this one was much, much worse.

I would absolutely not recommend anyone wasting their time with this.  It's a blatant money grab by the studio and a total waste of time and money.

Gold

Gold is the epic tale of one man’s pursuit of the American dream, to discover gold. Starring Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey (Interstellar, Dallas Buyers Club, The Wolf of Wall Street) as Kenny Wells, a modern day prospector desperate for a lucky break, he teams up with a similarly eager geologist and sets off on an amazing journey to find gold in the uncharted jungle of Indonesia. Getting the gold was hard, but keeping it would be even harder, sparking an adventure through the most powerful boardrooms of Wall Street. The film is inspired by a true story.

This movie basically relied entirely on the performance of Matthew McConaughey.  There was pretty much everything else around him just mailed in.  The performance was good but nowhere near good enough to carry the entire movie.  Especially since it could have been so much shorter.  I figured something had to be up when it was bumped from a high profile Christmas Day release date to the end of January wasteland and that was basically the studio admitting that the effort was pretty much a waste. 

I wouldn't recommend anyone bothering with this.  It's an overdone 2 hour movie that felt much longer and is definitely not worth your time and money. 

The Great Wall

Starring global superstar Matt Damon and directed by one of the most breathtaking visual stylists of our time, Zhang Yimou (Hero, House of Flying Daggers), Legendary’s The Great Wall tells the story of an elite force making a valiant stand for humanity on the world’s most iconic structure. The first English-language production for Yimou is the largest film ever shot entirely in China. 

I watched this entire movie with a confused dog look on my face.  A . . . . . How the hell is Matt Damon in this movie.  Could not get past this at any point during the movie.  It was worst casting than Tom Cruise back as The Last Samurai.  He looked so massively out of place and on top of that - why would he choose this movie that is really just . . . . . . B . . . . . This is a alien invasion type of movie.  Kind of like Starship Troopers based near or on The Great Wall of China.  That's it.  No joke.  It is advertised as this epic movie that is visually amazing (which at times it was) but it's them fighting against this big lizard alien army.  I really only watched it as long as I did because I was laughing so hard at how this was a big budget movie with a huge actor.  

I would not recommend anyone checking this out.  It's one of the sillier movies made in a long time all things considered and will most likely end up being a punchline to Matt Damon's career.

Silence

Martin Scorsese’s Silence tells the story of two Christian missionaries (Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver) who face the ultimate test of faith when they travel to Japan in search of their missing mentor (Liam Neeson) – at a time when Christianity was outlawed and their presence forbidden. The celebrated director's 28-year journey to bring Shusaku Endo’s 1966 acclaimed novel to life will be in theaters this Christmas.

Easily one of the longest feeling movies I have ever watched.  The actual run time was 2 hours and 45 minutes but I felt like I was just watching this all day.  I'm not saying it's bad.  It's actually a pretty good movie for the most part and easily the best acting of Andrew Garfield's career by far.  But I cannot stress how long this movie felt.  If I would have seen this in theaters I don't think I ever would have made it.  

On quality - I do recommend the movie.  However, unless you have pretty much a whole day to give to it I don't know that many will be seeing this.

Resident Evil: The Final Chapter

Picking up immediately after the events in Resident Evil: Retribution, Alice (Milla Jovovich) is the only survivor of what was meant to be humanity’s final stand against the undead. Now, she must return to where the nightmare began – The Hive in Raccoon City, where the Umbrella Corporation is gathering its forces for a final strike against the only remaining survivors of the apocalypse.

Please tell me that this is actually the final chapter and that the movie title isn't just teasing us.  How in the blue hell that this franchise has six installments is beyond me.  It's not even like you can enjoy this stuff simply if you are into zombies because they have managed to ruin that with nonsense special effects and the worst acting ever.  This one was no different than any of the previous ones - just  more of the same crap where I half pay attention and half think of other things that I could be doing. 

No, I would definitely not recommend anyone wasting their time with this.  Hopefully this is really the end but people not seeing it could maybe ensure this process?

The Founder

The Founder, directed by John Lee Hancock (The Blind Side, Saving Mr. Banks), features the true story of how Ray Kroc (Michael Keaton), a struggling salesman from Illinois, met Mac and Dick McDonald, who were running a burger operation in 1950s Southern California. Kroc was impressed by the brothers' speedy system of making the food and saw franchise potential. Writer Robert Siegel (The Wrestler) details how Kroc maneuvered himself into a position to be able to pull the company from the brothers and create a billion-dollar empire.

How the hell did this movie not garner more academy attention?  This movie was better than more than half of the Best Picture nominees.  They did an excellent job of the slow build to this story.  You were very hooked and invested even knowing how it would play out.  They managed to make me hate Michael Keaton for the role he was playing and I have always loved that guy.  This was a very well done movie. 

I would absolutely recommend people checking this one out.  It is a great (although upsetting) story about ego and business. The irony of a story like this coming out in our present times was off the charts.

Sleepless

Sleepless stars Jamie Foxx (Django Unchained, White House Down) as undercover Las Vegas police officer Vincent Downs, who is caught in a high stakes web of corrupt cops and the mob-controlled casino underground. When a heist goes wrong, a crew of homicidal gangsters kidnaps Downs’ teenage son. In one sleepless night he will have to rescue his son, evade an internal affairs investigation and bring the kidnappers to justice.

This movie was beyond formula.  You saw the movie by seeing the trailer.  Still kind of watchable even factoring that in.  The only problem was that the movie just kept on going.  It should have been at least 30 minutes shorter.  The extra twists and turns knocked it down from an enjoyable cop trying to clear his name movie to how much longer is this movie going to go.

I wouldn't really recommend anyone bothering with this.  It's fine for like watching on tv when you are home doing nothing but there should be no kind of planning to see this or money involved at all.  

Moonlight

Moonlight is the tender, heartbreaking story of a young man's struggle to find himself, told across three defining chapters in his life as he experiences the ecstasy, pain, and beauty of falling in love, while grappling with his own sexuality.  Anchored by astonishing performances and the singular vision of filmmaker Barry Jenkins, Moonlight is a groundbreaking exploration of masculinity-a sensual, intoxicating piece of cinema that uncovers deep truths about the moments that define us, the people who shape us most, and the ache of love that can last a lifetime.

Every year there is always one move that comes out around award season that I know is artistically excellent and worthy of praise but I'm bored out of my mind while watching it.  This was that movie for 2016.  I know it was great movie.  I know it was well done.  But I was struggling to stay awake watching it and was not hooked by it no matter how much I really wanted to be.  It also doesn't help that I had heard such great things about this movie before finally seeing it because I have no doubt that altered my viewing of it as well.

I would sort of recommend people checking this out - especially if you want to be able to compare all of the heavily nominated movies.  I know that this was a very well done movie.  I just didn't enjoy it as much as I had hoped.

Monster Trucks

Looking for any way to get away from the life and town he was born into, Tripp (Lucas Till), a high school senior, builds a Monster Truck from bits and pieces of scrapped cars. After an accident at a nearby oil-drilling site displaces a strange and subterranean creature with a taste and a talent for speed, Tripp may have just found the key to getting out of town and a most unlikely friend. 

I don't know that I have ever seen a more blatant attempt to take money from parents looking to keep their kids entertained or busy for an hour or two.  I basically made it 30 minutes into this movie before yelling how in the blue hell was something like this made and turning it off.  I felt the same way from the trailer but figured I would give the movie a shot since it showed up online.  But my expectations were dead on.  I honestly can't even see kids caring enough about this movie to want to finish watching it either.  It was that silly, pointless and a waste.

I would absolutely not recommend anyone wasting their time with this.  I honestly want my 30 minutes back.

Split

While the mental divisions of those with dissociative identity disorder have long fascinated and eluded science, it is believed that some can also manifest unique physical attributes for each personality, a cognitive and physiological prism within a single being.  Though Kevin (James McAvoy) has evidenced 23 personalities to his trusted psychiatrist, Dr. Fletcher (Betty Buckley), there remains one still submerged who is set to materialize and dominate all the others. Compelled to abduct three teenage girls led by the willful, observant Casey (Anya Taylor-Joy, The Witch), Kevin reaches a war for survival among all of those contained within him—as well as everyone around him—as the walls between his compartments shatter apart.

Finally - a movie from M Night Shalamalalalalan that I liked instantly and wasn't annoyed at any point or had to think for a while on whether it was good or bad.  The trailer for this looked awesome and I was very strongly braced for a massive disappointment but ended up liking it very much.  Don't want to give anything away but while the split personality went a little over the top towards the end, the final scene oh $hit moment was great.

I would recommend people checking this out.  It was an enjoyable watch and James McAvoy was excellent in it.

XXX: Return Of Xander Cage

The third explosive chapter of the blockbuster franchise that redefined the spy thriller finds extreme athlete turned government operative Xander Cage (Vin Diesel) coming out of self-imposed exile and on a collision course with deadly alpha warrior Xiang and his team in a race to recover a sinister and seemingly unstoppable weapon known as Pandora’s Box. Recruiting an all-new group of thrill-seeking cohorts, Xander finds himself enmeshed in a deadly conspiracy that points to collusion at the highest levels of world governments. Packed with the series’ signature deadpan wit and bad-ass attitude.

This movie was beyond corny.  I was literally groaning at the dialogue pretty much every two minutes.  The stunts were ridiculous but that's the main sell of the movie.  It's one thing for a movie like this to not take itself seriously.  I'm usually all for that but this one was basically openly mocking itself and it's level of corniness.  I couldn't even make it through the whole movie because of how bad it was.

I wouldn't recommend anyone wasting their time or money with this.  It was really that bad and this is coming from a huge Vin Diesel fan

Live By Night

What you put out into this world will always come back to you, but it never comes back how you predict. Taking fatherly advice is not in Joe Coughlin’s nature. Instead, the WWI vet is a self-proclaimed anti-establishment outlaw, despite being the son of the Boston Police Deputy Superintendent. Joe’s not all bad, though; in fact, he’s not really bad enough for the life he’s chosen. Unlike the gangsters he refuses to work for, he has a sense of justice and an open heart, and both work against him, leaving him vulnerable time and again—in business and in love. Driven by a need to right the wrongs committed against him and those close to him, Joe heads down a risky path that goes against his upbringing and his own moral code. Leaving the cold Boston winter behind, he and his reckless crew turn up the heat in Tampa. And while revenge may taste sweeter than the molasses that infuses every drop of illegal rum he runs, Joe will learn that it comes at a price.

This was a textbook half and half movie.  When they were doing the gangster stuff - this movie was awesome.  Kept marvelling once again at how good of a director Ben Affleck is.  But when it was the slow and romance stuff it was kind of blah and dragged.  The movie was still watchable and enjoyable but it kind of felt like it didn't know what kind of a movie it wanted to be.  Because of that it ended up probably being the worst directorial effort from him to date.

I would somewhat recommend people checking this out.  It's not a bad movie but doesn't really commit to what it wants to be enough and gets dragged down because of it.

The Bye Bye Man

People commit unthinkable acts every day. Time and again, we grapple to understand what drives a person to do such terrible things. But what if all of the questions we’re asking are wrong? What if the cause of all evil is not a matter of what… but who?   When three college friends stumble upon the horrific origins of the Bye Bye Man, they discover that there is only one way to avoid his curse: don’t think it, don’t say it. But once the Bye Bye Man gets inside your head, he takes control. Is there a way to survive his possession?

Wow this was bad.  Like really bad.  I know that horror movies are not known for their acting but this was seriously some of the worst ever.  Like homemade movie acting.  The story was garbage and the scares were also non-existent.  I was pretty much begging to leave less than halfway through the movie.  

I would not recommend that anyone bother wasting their time with this.  It's a textbook January horror movie that is a complete waste of time and money.

Patriot's Day

In the aftermath of an unspeakable attack, Police Sergeant Tommy Saunders (Mark Wahlberg) joins courageous survivors, first responders and investigators in a race against the clock to hunt down the bombers before they strike again. Weaving together the stories of Special Agent Richard DesLauriers (Kevin Bacon), Police Commissioner Ed Davis (John Goodman), Sergeant Jeffrey Pugliese (J.K. Simmons) and nurse Carol Saunders (Michelle Monaghan) this visceral and unflinching chronicle captures the suspense of one of the most sophisticated manhunts in law enforcement history and celebrates the strength of the people of Boston.

I have always tried to stay away from any current event type stories or tragedies.  I am worried about the sadness and tragedy weighing me down.  Just a thing I've always done.  This story was completely different for me.  I don't know if it's because so many of my favorite childhood memories are from my regular trips to Boston, my Red Sox fandom, my college memories from once again regular visits to Boston or the fact that I was there with my daughter and her boyfriend 24 hours earlier than the incident and even asked my father what they needed alll the heavy police vehicles and presence for.  I followed this whole story non-stop for days and remember standing at my nieces first bday party watching Big Papi's speech the following weekend with one of my oldest friends who grew up near Boston in dead silence.  I was very eager to see this movie but was afraid that it would be the usually tragedy movie that is done all wrong.  Very happily - that was not the case.  They did this one right by focusing on the everyday people that stepped up to become heroes when their times came.  They didn't focus on the act or the criminals as much as the news does.  I very much enjoyed this movie.

I would absolutely recommend that people check this movie out.  It was a very good watch and made you feel good after such a horrible event.  

Hidden Figures

Hidden Figures is the incredible untold story of Katherine G. Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe)—brilliant African-American women working at NASA, who served as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in history: the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit, a stunning achievement that restored the nation’s confidence, turned around the Space Race, and galvanized the world. The visionary trio crossed all gender and race lines to inspire generations to dream big.

This was a very enjoyable and historically important movie.  It's not like you didn't know everything that was going to happen but you were still hanging on each development or hurdle that the characters had to face and you were hooked by all of them as well.  They also did a great job of balancing the seriousness of it all and doing that justice with spurts of sarcasm/humor.  That balance is what really carried the movie besides the great performances of all involved.

I would definitely recommend people checking this out.  It was very entertaining and did great justice to the importance of these women's achievements.  

A Monster Calls

A visually spectacular drama from acclaimed director Juan Antonio Bayona (“The Impossible”), based on the award-winning children’s fantasy novel. 12-year-old Conor (Lewis MacDougall) attempts to deal with his mother’s (Felicity Jones) illness and the bullying of his classmates by escaping into a fantastical world of monsters and fairy tales that explore courage, loss, and faith.

Wow!  I can't tell you the last time a movie hooked me and destroyed me so much emotionally.   To say that 2016 was easily the most difficult year of my life would be a massive understatement.  There were of course tons of positives but the losses and the events around them were huge.  This movie basically combined several aspects from 2016 and showed how the 12 year old processed it all.  The movie while crushing was also very touching and incredibly imaginative.   I am not even sure that this review is doing justice to how good of a movie it was because I'm starting to get emotional all over again like I was during the movie.

I would absolutely recommend people checking this out.  Be warned that it is a very emotional movie but was so well done.  

Underworld: Blood Wars

Kate Beckinsale returns as Selene. Theo James is also back as Selene’s ally David, reprising the role he played in Underworld: Awakening.  Tobias Menzies and Lara Pulver take on the roles of a formidable new Lycan leader and a fiercely ambitious Vampire, and Charles Dance again plays Vampire elder Thomas.

There has to be a way that they will stop these movies?  It's sad that at this point this is really the only thing that Kate Beckinsale does.  The movie was just more of the same tired stuff from the other movies.  It's not even worth me writing about it.

I would not recommend anyone bother with this.  It's just a 90 minute viewing of Kate Beckinsale in leather and vampires fighting werewolves.  If you have seen any of the others - you have pretty much already seen this one then too.

The Ten Best Movies Of 2016

Honorable Mention - Arrival
Never in  a million years did I ever think that I would walk out of this sci-fi movie thinking or having some of the most intense thoughts/conversations about life and a what if type scenario like the one this movie ends up posing.

10 - Pete's Dragon
This was one of my favorite movies growing up as a kid so I was pretty skeptical when they announced a remake of it.  But Disney kept their live action remake magic going with this very enjoyable watch that unfortunately got lost with its end of summer release.

9 - Bad Moms
This movie had me laughing my ass off from beginning to end.  I loved the three moms and Katheryn Hahn seriously stole every scene she was in.  She was on a Will Ferrell level from Old School.  This was definitely my favorite comedy of the year.

8 - Finding Dory
Pixar doesn't do bad (except for Cars 2).  I would like to see more original stuff from them but was more than happy enough with the sequel to Finding Nemo.  They did a great job of respecting the old characters and introducing the new ones.

7 - Loving
Joel Edgerton continues to climb my favorite actors list with his turn in this movie about a bi-racial couple against all odds.  This movie did an amazing time of taking you to a time and place and made you feel the plight of people like the main characters in this movie.

6 - Manchester By The Sea
This was one of the most real feeling movies I've ever seen.  I mean they take you right in to a family's experience with the toughest thing to deal with.  Casey Affleck put in one of the best performances of the year here and this movie should get a lot of love come awards time.

5 - Rogue One
This movie being at 5 on my list is not a sign of it being not as good as other Star Wars movies, it's more a testament of the movies ahead of it being that good.  Regardless, this first attempt at a stand alone Star Wars story was awesome.  They did a great job of introducing you to a whole new band of characters and making them an important part of the overall story.  The one knock I'll make about this is that besides knowing how it would end - you don't feel as strongly as you would otherwise as the end plays out.

4 - Deadpool
So glad that they finally had the balls to make a R rated comic book movie.  This was easily the most enjoyable ride of the year (for adults) and Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool is one of the greatest pieces of casting ever.  So glad that this movie finally came to be after years of trying.

3 - Captain America: Civil War
This movie was incredible.  Consider the large scale of characters in it and the sky high expectations and I have to say that the combination of Marvel with The Russo Brothers just gets better and better.  I'm very glad that they are taking over the Avengers movies moving forward.

2 - Birth Of A Nation
Hopefully this movie does not get forgotten come awards season because of its early release date.  This was one hell of a powerful movie.  I left the theater so angry that things were like this at one point.

1 - La La Land
A musical has not hooked me like this movie did since Moulin Rouge.  From the opening number (which has been my alarm clock song since seeing the movie) I was hooked.  The chemistry between the two leads was electric and this movie was just a very enjoyable watch and one of those movies that makes going to the cinema in the first place feel magical.

The Ten Worst Movies Of 2016

Dishonorable Mention - Batman Vs Superman: Dawn Of Justice
The movie was watchable and really was not bad enough for the Bottom 10 list of the year but I will never understand DC Comics complete and total inability to get out of their own way.  Especially with the constant success of every Marvel movie no matter what hero that they bring to the big screen, how can they screw the pooch so much with the most recognizable superheroes in all of comic book land?

10 - Hardcore Henry
First person video games are a huge success.  Why not make first person movies?  This movie is exactly why you should not do that.

9 - Fifty Shades Of Black
I'm usually a fan of spoof movies and really like Marlon Wayans.  But this movie was just weak subject matter I guess because it didn't hook me and was a total waste of time.

8 - Krampus
Were we really missing a Christmas based horror movie?  Is that was the masses were calling for?  No.  No they weren't.  And if they were - make it look more than a homemade movie.

7 - The Forest
A wannabe knock off of The Blair Witch Project from a couple years ago.  Pretty much watched this whole movie with my annoyed face on.  Just stop, Hollywood!

6 - Nine Lives
Really?  Is this where Kevin Spacey's film career has gone?  Voicing a cat?  So sad.  Also - total garbage that I don't even think kids would enjoy.

5 - When The Bough Breaks
Why bother making a suspense movie if there is literally no suspense?  I've never been less bored by a movie like this.  True they are always formula but you don't have to literally mail it in as much as they did with this one.

4 - Boo!  A Madea Halloween
I'm saying this as a huge fan of the Madea character . . . . . . please stop, Tyler Perry.  Please.  You are ruining a classic character with garbage like this.

3 - Blair Witch
I let my hopes get up for this and that they would finally do justice to the original movie based on the marketing that they were doing for this movie.  But no.  Just another wannabe turd.

2 - Gods Of Egypt
How the hell do you make a big budget movie about Egyptian gods look so cheesy?  This was like an 80s cheesy movie that wanted to be taking seriously with current filmmaking abilities.  Just looked completely awful.

1 - Independence Day: Resurgence
Wow!  I can't remember that I saw a sequel this bad.  It takes alot for me to become the guy in the audience that is just talking out loud and heckling the movie basically but this movie brought me there.  This was so bad that I couldn't even walk out because my annoyance needed to see how much worse it would get.

Lion

Adapted from the non-fiction book "A Long Way Home" by Saroo Brierley. Five-year-old Saroo gets lost on a train which takes him thousands of kilometers across India, away from home and family. Saroo must learn to survive alone in Kolkata, before ultimately being adopted by an Australian couple. Twenty five years later, armed with only a handful of memories, his unwavering determination, and a revolutionary technology known as Google Earth, he sets out to find his lost family and finally return to his first home.

This movie was an incredible journey.  It fully took the audience along with the lead character.  The first half of the movie was rough watching young Saroo go through his journey and at the same time you couldn't help but love the child actor playing him.  That hook carried you through the rest of the movie with Dev Patel taking over.  I've loved him in everything I have seen of his and this was no different.  It's the type of movie that you want to stand up applaud at the end.

I would definitely recommend people checking this out.  It's a very feel good movie that makes you feel like you are on the journey as well.

Fences

An African American father struggles with race relations in the United States while trying to raise his family in the 1950s and coming to terms with the events of his life. Based on the play "Fences" which opened on Broadway in 1987, and the production won the Tony Awards for Best Play, Best Actor, James Earl Jones and Best Featured Actress, Mary Alice. A revival of "Fences" opened in 2010, and the production won Tony Awards for Best Revival of a Play, Best Actor, Denzel Washington and Best Actress, Viola Davis.

You can tell that this movie was based on a play because of the excellent decision to keep the setting isolated almost entirely to the backyard area.  It almost became one of the characters of the movie honestly.  This movie was all about acting and the two leads, as well as the supporting characters, did an amazing job.  The movie had a lot of talking but it was more about conveying things past the words with their body language and faces and they all did a remarkable job.  Denzel Washington did an amazing job being a very not likable person but yet understanding why he is the way he is and Viola Davis's face spoke full monologues before she finally got to deliver an amazing one.

I would absolutely recommend people checking this out.  The performances were great and it takes you on quite an emotional roller coaster even though it's so simple and keeps you mostly in the backyard of this family.  It was a little longer than I think it should have been but was great.

Sing

Set in a world like ours but entirely inhabited by animals, Sing stars Buster Moon (Matthew McConaughey), a dapper Koala who presides over a once-grand theater that has fallen on hard times. Buster is an eternal optimist—okay, maybe a bit of a scoundrel—who loves his theater above all and will do anything to preserve it. Now facing the crumbling of his life’s ambition, he has one final chance to restore his fading jewel to its former glory by producing the world’s greatest singing competition.  Five lead contestants emerge: A mouse (Seth MacFarlane) who croons as smoothly as he cons, a timid teenage elephant (Tori Kelly) with an enormous case of stage fright, an overtaxed mother (Reese Witherspoon) run ragged tending a litter of 25 piglets, a young gangster gorilla (Taron Egerton) looking to break free of his family’s felonies, and a punk-rock porcupine (Scarlett Johansson) struggling to shed her arrogant boyfriend and go solo. Each animal arrives under Buster’s marquee believing that this is their shot to change the course of their life.

This movie was a pretty fun watch but I have to honestly say that I feel like I saw the entire movie from the months of trailers leading up to its release.  There really was very little that I didn't remember already seeing.  The characters were cool but with this coming out less than a year after Zootopia (the same society premise but with singing), it seemed kind of like a repeat.  The songs were catchy and kids are sure to love it but this wasn't nearly as enjoyable for the parents as it was for the kids.

I would still recommend people with kids going to check this out but it's definitely not one of those top notch animated movies where the adults enjoy it as much as the children.  It's slightly below that.

Jackie

Jackie is a searing and intimate portrait of one of the most important and tragic moments in American history, seen through the eyes of the iconic First Lady, then Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy (Natalie Portman). "Jackie" places us in her world during the days immediately following her husband's assassination. Known for her extraordinary dignity and poise, here we see a psychological portrait of the First Lady as she struggles to maintain her husband’s legacy and the world of "Camelot" that they created and loved so well.

Every year there is a movie like this that is pretty much just a showcase of excellent acting while the movie as a whole leaves me thinking ehhhhh.  Jackie is that movie this year.  Natalie Portman was great but the rest of the movie was just okay and too artsy at times.  The timeline was all over the place and it probably would have benefitted. From a point a to point b approach instead.  I'm also about as far as you can get from being a history buff so that audience might find this more enjoyable than I did.

I would only recommend people checking this out for Natalie Portman's acting.  The rest of the movie left a lot to be desired.

Why Him?

Over the holidays, Ned (Bryan Cranston), an overprotective but loving dad and his family visit his daughter at Stanford, where he meets his biggest nightmare: her well-meaning but socially awkward Silicon Valley billionaire boyfriend, Laird (James Franco). The straight-laced Ned thinks Laird, who has absolutely no filter, is a wildly inappropriate match for his daughter. The one-sided rivalry-and Ned's panic level-escalate when he finds himself increasingly out of step in the glamorous high-tech hub, and learns that Laird is about to pop the question.

This movie was completely formula in every way and you pretty much have seen the movie just by watching the commercial.  That being said I still kind of enjoyed the movie.  James Franco was great talking vulgar freely and him and Cranston had really good chemistry.  The other supporting actors held their own laugh wise.  So even though completely predictable - still a decent watch.

I'd sort of recommend people checking this movie out.  It is by no means a must see but it was enjoyable still and you could do much worse than this.  It's definitely a R rated comedy though.

Assassin's Creed

Through a revolutionary technology that unlocks his genetic memories, Callum Lynch (Michael Fassbender) experiences the adventures of his ancestor, Aguilar, in 15th Century Spain. Callum discovers he is descended from a mysterious secret society, the Assassins, and amasses incredible knowledge and skills to take on the oppressive and powerful Templar organization in the present day.

Let me first say that I never played the game and I know nothing about the game.  Maybe I would have liked it more if I had.  That being said, this movie was a pretty giant turd.  They were all over the place.  I had little to no clue several times about what was going on.  So much of the movie was in subtitles.  It was just too much crammed in there and lamely connected.

I would not recommend anyone bothering with this.  Maybe it's better with a background knowledge of the video game but honestly - I doubt it.

Passengers

On a routine journey through space to a new home, two passengers, sleeping in suspended animation, are awakened 90 years too early when their ship malfunctions. As Jim (Chris Pratt) and Aurora (Jennifer Lawrence) face living the rest of their lives on board, with every luxury they could ever ask for, they begin to fall for each other, unable to deny their intense attraction... until they discover the ship is in grave danger. With the lives of 5000 sleeping passengers at stake, only Jim and Aurora can save them all.

This movie was pretty much poop.  It was basically a run of the mill sci-fi movie with very little substance.  They pretty much banked on the current "it" actress and "it" actor and a sleek look to everything to carry it.  It absolutely did not.  This is easily one of the more disappointing movies of the year.  

I wouldn't recommend anyone wasting their time with this.  There are many better options out there and not even the star power of the cast could save this movie.

Incarnate

Incarnate follows an exorcist (Eckhart) who comes up against an evil from his past when he uses his supernatural skills to enter the subconscious of a nine-year-old boy.

Wow!  This was bad.  Like a homemade exorcism movie kind of bad.  Has Aaron Eckhart really fallen this far?  This guy was a major player in The Dark Knight.  That is just sad.  As sad as this movie was.

I would not recommend anyone wasting their time with this.  I honestly can't for the life of me understand how this even got a wide release in theaters.

Rogue One

A rogue band of resistance fighters unite to steal the Death Star plans and bring new hope to the galaxy. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story takes place before the events of Star Wars: A New Hope and will be a departure from the saga films but have elements that are familiar to the Star Wars universe, exploring the galactic struggle from a ground-war perspective while maintaining that essential Star Wars feel that fans have come to know.

This one was for the die hard fans.  It was basically a full length version of the scrolling story at the beginning of Star Wars.  There were tons of connections to Star Wars -some literally.  They did a great job of developing a and of characters and making you feel attached to all of these new people.  The action was amazing and this movie featured possibly the best look at Darth Vader's visciousness in the entire Star Wars timeline.  If this is what the spinoff Star Wars movies are going to be like - sign me up!  

Pretty sure most of the free world is going to see this regardless but yes it has my full recommendation.  This was a greatly told story with very hooking characters that totally fit into the Star Wars universe.

La La Land

In this modern take on the Hollywood musical from Damien Chazelle, the Academy Award-nominated writer and director of Whiplash, Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) and Mia (Emma Stone) are drawn together by their common desire to do what they love. But as success mounts they are faced with decisions that begin to fray the fragile fabric of their love affair, and the dreams they worked so hard to maintain in each other threaten to rip them apart.

Wow!  This movie was a visual masterpiece.  The way it was filmed was remarkable and sucks you in right off the bat.  The music, choreography and chemistry between the leads on top of the camera usage really made this an amazing watch.  Didn't think I could like Emma Stone more but I totally do now.  And I had downloaded the soundtrack before the movie was even over.  This deserves all of the recognition it is getting and should be a front runner for Best Picture.

I absolutely recommend people seeing this movie.  It was an amazing watch and is probably my number one movie of the year.

Collateral Beauty

When a successful New York advertising executive suffers a great tragedy he retreats from life. While his concerned friends try desperately to reconnect with him, he seeks answers from the universe by writing letters to Love, Time and Death. But it’s not until his notes bring unexpected personal responses that he begins to understand how these constants interlock in a life fully lived, and how even the deepest loss can reveal moments of meaning and beauty.

Rule number one in trailers - don't falsely advertise the movie!  If you propose this spiritual opening/coping of Will Smith then give us that.  Do not give us a con job by Will Smith's friends where you are more excited by trying to outsmart the viewer instead of just giving us what you advertised.   Very disappointing.  So much so that by the time they actually got to the feel good spiritual ending you can't enjoy it because you are too annoyed.

I wouldn't really recommend anyone bothering with this.  It was a major disappointment.

Office Christmas Party

In Office Christmas Party, when the CEO tries to close her hard-partying brother’s branch, he and his Chief Technical Officer must rally their co-workers and host an epic office Christmas party in an effort to impress a potential client and close a sale that will save their jobs.

This was a pretty funny watch.  It was paced well and had tons of funny actors all pulling their weight.  I enjoyed it a lot but the one really weird thing was that it never reached hysterical level.  I didn't walk out of this with my face hurting from laughing like an Old School or The Hangover.  I was honestly a little disappointed about that because I thought for certain with all the talent involved that is what would end up being the case.  

I would still recommend people checking this out for a good laugh.  It was definitely a very fun watch but I had expected it to still be funnier.

Manchester By The Sea

After the death of his older brother Joe (Kyle Chandler), Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck) is shocked to learn that Joe has made him sole guardian of his nephew Patrick (Lucas Hedges). Taking leave of his job, Lee reluctantly returns to Manchester-by-the-Sea to care for Patrick, a spirited 15-year-old, and is forced to deal with a past that separated him from his wife Randi (Michelle Williams) and the community where he was born and raised. Bonded by the man who held their family together, Lee and Patrick struggle to adjust to a world without him.

This was honestly one of the most genuine movies I think I've ever seen.  Every part of it felt so real.  Watching the different characters (especially Casey Affleck) deal with losses and trying to move forward was so difficult but you couldn't help but feel like you were actually there going through all of it with him.  The movie pretty much automatically made you think back about any sort of major losses you have had and see yourself processing them - or at least that is what it did for me.   This was an excellent all around job of film making.

I would absolutely recommend that everyone see this movie.  It was incredibly well done and  it definitely going to win a lot of awards this year.