Ready Player One

From filmmaker Steven Spielberg comes the science fiction action adventure Ready Player One, based on Ernest Cline’s bestseller of the same name. The film is set in 2045, with the world on the brink of chaos and collapse. But the people have found salvation in the OASIS, an expansive virtual reality universe created by the brilliant and eccentric James Halliday (Mark Rylance). When Halliday dies, he leaves his immense fortune to the first person to find a digital Easter egg he has hidden somewhere in the OASIS, sparking a contest that grips the entire world. When an unlikely young hero named Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan) decides to join the contest, he is hurled into a breakneck, reality- bending treasure hunt through a fantastical universe of mystery, discovery and danger.

I had read this book and LOVED it.  Could not have been more excited to see the movie if I tried.  Spielberg directing a movie like this again finally?  Where do I sign!?!  There were MANY changes made from the book.  Normally this would royally set me off disappointment wise.  However, these changes majorly worked movie wise and both of them equally awesome.  This movie was basically a pop culture fan's dream.

I absolutely recommend people checking this out.  This was old school Spielberg at his best.  It was a very fun popcorn movie.

Sherlock Gnomes

The beloved garden gnomes from "Gnomeo and Juliet" are back for a whole new adventure in London. When Gnomeo and Juliet first arrive in the city with their friends and family, their biggest concern is getting their new garden ready for spring. However, they soon discover that someone is kidnapping garden gnomes all over London. When Gnomeo and Juliet return home to find that everyone in their garden is missing – there’s only one gnome to call… Sherlock Gnomes. The famous detective and sworn protector of London’s garden gnomes arrives with his sidekick Watson to investigate the case. The mystery will lead our gnomes on a rollicking adventure where they will meet all new ornaments and explore an undiscovered side of the city.

Ehhhhhhhh . . . . . this was pretty much garbage.  Not going to lie.  I was pleasantly surprised by Gnomeo And Juliet.  Went into it with no expectations and it was pretty good.  This one - was not.  What seemed funny and natural in the first one felt very forced and often missed its mark in this one.  The sight gags were totally not the same and nothing really generated the big laughs that Gnomeo & Juliet did.  

I wouldn't really recommend anyone bothering with this.  It's a pretty lame sequel offering to what was a pretty enjoyable family film out of left field with the original.  

Unsane

A young woman is involuntarily committed to a mental institution where she is confronted by her greatest fear--but is it real or is it a product of her delusion?

This was a clever premise and the filming style that looked like it was all done from someone's phone was very catchy for a while.  Unfortunately, it kind of fell off the rails a little bit when it became more real than her just being crazy.  I can't say too much more without spoiling anything.

I would kind of recommend people checking this out.  It's not a must see by any means but was a pretty decent short watch for a while even if it plays out kind of flat.

Pacific Rim Uprising

John Boyega (Star Wars: The Last Jedi) stars as the rebellious Jake Pentecost, a once-promising Jaeger pilot whose legendary father gave his life to secure humanity’s victory against the monstrous “Kaiju.” Jake has since abandoned his training only to become caught up in a criminal underworld. But when an even more unstoppable threat is unleashed to tear through our cities and bring the world to its knees, he is given one last chance to live up to his father’s legacy by his estranged sister, Mako Mori (Rinko Kikuchi)—who is leading a brave new generation of pilots that have grown up in the shadow of war. As they seek justice for the fallen, their only hope is to unite together in a global uprising against the forces of extinction.  Jake is joined by gifted rival pilot Lambert (The Fate of the Furious‘ Scott Eastwood) and 15-year-old Jaeger hacker Amara (newcomer Cailee Spaeny), as the heroes of the PPDC become the only family he has left. Rising up to become the most powerful defense force to ever walk the earth, they will set course for a spectacular all-new adventure on a towering scale.

This was your textbook popcorn movie sequel.  Not much story.  Not much substance at all.  Some minor returning characters.  Ties between new characters and the ones that didn't come back.  Get back in the robots and fight the monsters again.  That was literally it.  If you like the action from the first one then  this is an enjoyable watch.  If you are looking for something better or with actual substance you are wasting your time.

I wouldn't really recommend anyone rushing to check this out.  Like I said - its a decent watch for the action but it really isn't anything that you have not seen before.

Love, Simon

Everyone deserves a great love story. But for seventeen-year old Simon Spier it's a little more complicated: he's yet to tell his family or friends he's gay and he doesn't actually know the identity of the anonymous classmate he's fallen for online. Resolving both issues proves hilarious, terrifying and life-changing.  Love, Simon is a funny and heartfelt coming-of-age story about the thrilling ride of finding yourself and falling in love.

This was a very genuine and enjoyable movie.  I have never been a fan of overly dramatic and artsy fartsy movies about someone struggling with who they are or coming out like this.  It just always feel so over the top and fake.  This movie felt so real.  It felt real on the friend level.  It felt real of the societal level.  And oh my god on the parental level it felt so real and amazing.  This was a very enjoyable movie and it was great to go on the ride with this character as he comes to terms with who he is.

I would absolutely recommend people checking this movie out.  It was an incredibly enjoyable watch with great laughs and a HUGE heart.

Tomb Raider

Lara Croft (Alicia Vikander) is the fiercely independent daughter of an eccentric adventurer who vanished when she was scarcely a teen. Now a young woman of 21 without any real focus or purpose, Lara navigates the chaotic streets of trendy East London as a bike courier, barely making the rent. Determined to forge her own path, she refuses to take the reins of her father’s global empire just as staunchly as she rejects the idea that he’s truly gone. Advised to face the facts and move forward after seven years without him, even Lara can’t understand what drives her to finally solve the puzzle of his mysterious death. Leaving everything she knows behind, Lara goes in search of her dad’s last-known destination: a fabled tomb on a mythical island that might be somewhere off the coast of Japan. But her mission will not be an easy one; just reaching the island will be extremely treacherous. Suddenly, the stakes couldn’t be higher for Lara, who—against the odds and armed with only her sharp mind, blind faith and inherently stubborn spirit—must learn to push herself beyond her limits as she journeys into the unknown. If she survives this perilous adventure, it could be the making of her, earning her the name tomb raider.

This is the movie that the original Tomb Raider should have been.  It felt more generic.  It felt more natural.  Not as campy and silly.  Alicia Vikkander was excellently cast as was the rest of the cast honestly.  The action was much more intense because of the more natural feel and the pacing of the movie was perfect.  I really enjoyed this.

I would absolutely recommend people checking this out.  It's a very fun watch and a great reboot start for the franchise.

The Hurricane Heist

Under the threat of a hurricane, opportunistic criminals infiltrate a US Mint facility to steal $600 million for the ultimate heist. When the hurricane blows up into a lethal Category 5 storm and their well-made plans go awry, they find themselves needing a vault code known only by one Treasury Agent (Maggie Grace), a need that turns murderous. But the Treasury agent has picked up an unlikely ally, a meteorologist (Toby Kebbell) terrified of hurricanes but determined to save his estranged brother kidnapped by the thieves. He uses his knowledge of the storm as a weapon to win in this non-stop action thriller ride charged with adrenaline throughout.

This movie was literally nothing more than a 90 minute excuse to film stunts.  With the storm effects as the added threats this was just as many driving stunts as you could cram into a movie.  There really is nothing more to say about this.  Zero substance.  Just driving stunts and honestly not the most impressive ones.

I would not recommend anyone bothering with this.  I only did because it showed up online and am pretty sure I fell asleep for awhile during it and honestly I don't think I missed anything because I was able to still completely follow it.  

The Strangers: Prey At Night

A family’s road trip takes a dangerous turn when they arrive at a secluded mobile home park to stay with some relatives and find it mysteriously deserted. Under the cover of darkness, three masked psychopaths pay them a visit to test the family’s every limit as they struggle to survive. Johannes Roberts directs this horror film inspired by the 2008 smash hit "The Strangers."

Let me start by saying that the first movie was one of the scariest movies I've ever seen.  That movie messed my head up big time and I had a hard time sleeping for a while after it.  I actually insisted on seeing this during the day just in case.  It was nowhere near as straight up scary but it was still plenty creepy and very watchable for a horror movie.  This was more about violence/murder than the first one was.  They just started right up and sent straight through the really short run time.

I would definitely recommend horror fans checking this out.  It's a textbook creepy stalker movie.

A Wrinkle In Time

Meg Murry is a typical middle school student struggling with issues of self-worth who just wants to fit in. The daughter of two world-renowned physicists, she is intelligent and uniquely gifted, as is Meg’s younger brother, Charles Wallace, but she has yet to realize it for herself. Complicating matters is the mysterious disappearance of Mr. Murry, which has left Meg devastated and her mother broken-hearted. Charles Wallace introduces Meg and her fellow classmate Calvin to three celestial beings (Mrs. Which, Mrs. Whatsit and Mrs. Who) who have journeyed to Earth to help search for their father, and together they embark on their formidable quest. Travelling via a wrinkling of time and space known as tessering, they are transported to worlds beyond their imagination where they must confront a powerful evil force. To make it back home to Earth, Meg must face the darkness within herself in order to harness the strength necessary to defeat the darkness rapidly enveloping the Universe.

Wow!  This movie was massively disappointing.  The key to any fantasy movie is to fluidly takes you to this different place and make you enjoy the ride.  There was nothing fluid about this.  It was all very forced.  It was way too wordy with explanations by the characters about what was going on.  That right there pretty much ruins any magic of the journey.  That on top of all the wasted talent involved in this really made it even more disappointing.  

I really would not recommend anyone bothering with this movie.  I'm a huge Disney fan but this was pretty much their most blah and disappointing offering in a long time.  

Death Wish

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures presents director Eli Roth's reimagining of the classic 1974 revenge thriller Death Wish.  Dr. Paul Kersey (Bruce Willis) is a surgeon who only sees the aftermath of Chicago violence when it is rushed into his ER - until his wife (Elisabeth Shue) and college-age daughter (Camila Morrone) are viciously attacked in their suburban home. With the police overloaded with crimes, Paul, burning for revenge, hunts his family's assailants to deliver justice. As the anonymous slayings of criminals grabs the media's attention, the city wonders if this deadly vigilante is a guardian angel or a grim reaper.

This was a good modernized version of Death Wish.  It wasn't as viscious as the older one with Bruce Willis feeling his way through his desire for vengeance.  One still has to question if this was the right time for this movie to come out.  Kept asking myself if a movie about vigilante justice with everything going on in the world today was a good idea.  Still you definitely feel/identify for the vigilante and want to cheer as he takes out the guys that did those things to his wife and child.  I can't say that I don't identify with that line of thought.

I would recommend people checking this movie out if they were interested.  It's not a must see by any means but it was a decent watch for this type of movie.

Red Sparrow

Dominika Egorova is many things. A devoted daughter determined to protect her mother at all costs. A prima ballerina whose ferocity has pushed her body and mind to the absolute limit. A master of seductive and manipulative combat.  When she suffers a career-ending injury, Dominika and her mother are facing a bleak and uncertain future. That is why she finds herself manipulated into becoming the newest recruit for Sparrow School, a secret intelligence service that trains exceptional young people like her to use their bodies and minds as weapons. After enduring the perverse and sadistic training process, she emerges as the most dangerous Sparrow the program has ever produced. Dominika must now reconcile the person she was with the power she now commands, with her own life and everyone she cares about at risk, including an American CIA agent who tries to convince her he is the only person she can trust.

This was a very enjoyable and well told movie.  It probably could have been paced a little better.  And I felt like Jennifer Lawrence's Russian accent definitely could have been more consistent.  But outside of that this was a pretty good and tense spy movie.  Jennifer Lawrence and Joel Edgerton both did great jobs with their performances.   

I would recommend people checking this one out.  Like I said - it ran a little bit long but it was a good watch.

Annihilation

Lena, a biologist and former soldier, joins a mission to uncover what happened to her husband inside Area X - a sinister and mysterious phenomenon that is expanding across the American coastline. Once inside, the expedition discovers a world of mutated landscape and creatures, as dangerous as it is beautiful, that threatens both their lives and their sanity.

This movie is a tough one to review.  I liked it.  I enjoyed it very much.  But this is not remotely a mainstream movie.  It is VERY sci-fi.  It is VERY artsy.  It is VERY open to interpretation without straight forward answers.  If that is not for you - stay super far away from this movie.  If you are able to enjoy movies like this than you should definitely check that out.  

That's really all that I can say regarding this movie.  It would have to be a specific recommendation knowing the person that I was recommending it to.

Game Night

Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams star as Max and Annie, whose weekly couples game night gets kicked up a notch when Max’s charismatic brother, Brooks (Kyle Chandler), arranges a murder mystery party, complete with fake thugs and faux federal agents. So, when Brooks gets kidnapped, it’s all part of the game...right? But as the six uber-competitive gamers set out to solve the case and win, they begin to discover that neither this “game”—nor Brooks—are what they seem to be. Over the course of one chaotic night, the friends find themselves increasingly in over their heads as each twist leads to another unexpected turn. With no rules, no points, and no idea who all the players are, this could turn out to be the most fun they’ve ever had...or game over.

This movie was alot funnier than I thought it would be.  I didn't want to be disappointed because of high expectations so I kept them in check.  Definitely paid off because I thought this movie was pretty damn funny.  Jason Bateman's delivery was excellent as always.  And the running joke of them not knowing what was real and what wasn't never got old because it was used perfectly.  

I would definitely recommend people check this movie out.  Worth the time and plenty of laughs.  

Early Man

Set at the dawn of time, when dinosaurs and wooly mammoths roamed the earth, Early Man tells the story of how one plucky caveman unites his tribe against a mighty enemy and saves the day!

Wow!  This was super lame.  I'm usually a huge fan of claymation movies like this but it was boring as hell.  There really was no hook character wise and it was a giant excuse for claymation soccer.  Which is not what the trailer made it out to look like.  

I would not recommend people or families wasting their time with this.  Peter Rabbit and Black Panther are MUCH better family viewing options than this.  Very disappointing.

Black Panther

Marvel Studios' Black Panther follows T'Challa who, after the death of his father, the King of Wakanda, returns home to the isolated, technologically advanced African nation to succeed to the throne and take his rightful place as king. But when a powerful old enemy reappears, T'Challa's mettle as king—and Black Panther—is tested when he is drawn into a formidable conflict that puts the fate of Wakanda and the entire world at risk. Faced with treachery and danger, the young king must rally his allies and release the full power of Black Panther to defeat his foes and secure the safety of his people and their way of life.

Marvel at this point is only rivaled by Pixar in terms of the fact that they just don't make bad movies.  This one was no different.  It was an excellent origin story of a great character.  They also connected you to a ton of the side/supporting characters here - especially Black Panther's sister/techno wiz who might be one of my favorite characters in the Marvel Universe now.  The special effect were great.  The story was great.  The pacing and action was great.  The character development was great.  And Black Panther is now that much more of an excellent participant in the Avengers/Marvel Universe moving forward now.  Also deserving a ton of credit here is Michael B Jordan as the main villain.  He killed it in every scene he was in as a very convincing seething bad guy.  

I would absolutely recommend that everyone check this out.  This movie was an excellent watch and I can't wait to see more from this franchise.  

The 15:17 To Paris

In the early evening of August 21, 2015, the world watched in stunned silence as the media reported a thwarted terrorist attack on Thalys train #9364 bound for Paris—an attempt prevented by three courageous young Americans traveling through Europe. “The 15:17 to Paris” follows the course of the friends’ lives, from the struggles of childhood through finding their footing in life, to the series of unlikely events leading up to the attack. Throughout the harrowing ordeal, their friendship never wavers, making it their greatest weapon and allowing them to save the lives of the more than 500 passengers on board. The heroic trio is comprised of Anthony Sadler, Oregon National Guardsman Alek Skarlatos, and U.S. Air Force Airman First Class Spencer Stone, who play themselves in the film.

Wanted to like this movie.  I really did.  Unfortunately, it was the most boring build up to the event that it was about I have ever seen.  And by the time you get to the payoff - you really just don't care anymore because of the hour plus that you have watched of stuff that just doesn't matter in any way.  

I would not recommend that anyone bother with this.  It was a major disappointment and a huge waste of time.

Fifty Shades Freed

Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson return as Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele in "Fifty Shades Freed," the third chapter based on the worldwide bestselling “Fifty Shades” phenomenon. Expanding upon events set in motion in 2015 and 2017’s blockbuster films that grossed almost $950 million globally, the new installment arrives for Valentine’s Day 2018.


Thank God these movies are finally over.  This is seriously the most unsexy or not romantic sexy movies ever.  There is zero chemistry between the leads.  It's just awful.  Couldn't care less about what is happening on the screen.  

I wouldn't recommend anyone bothering with this giant turd.  It's a total waste of time and the finale of one of the worst translations from book to screen ever.

Peter Rabbit

Peter Rabbit, the mischievous and adventurous hero who has captivated generations of readers, now takes on the starring role of his own irreverent, contemporary comedy with attitude. In the film, Peter's feud with Mr. McGregor (Domhnall Gleeson) escalates to greater heights than ever before as they rival for the affections of the warm-hearted animal lover who lives next door (Rose Byrne). James Corden voices the character of Peter with playful spirit and wild charm, with Margot Robbie, Elizabeth Debicki, and Daisy Ridley performing the voice roles of the triplets, Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cottontail.

This was a very enjoyable family film.  They took the Peter Rabbit tale and pumped it full of current music which actually made it much more enjoyable and entertaining for kids and the adults that take them to see it.  James Corden was perfect as the lead rabbit voice and it really was so much more enjoyable than I thought it would be.

I would definitely recommend families checking this bad boy out.  This is a great trip to the movie theater for all of them.

Winchester

Inspired by true events. On an isolated stretch of land 50 miles outside of San Francisco sits the most haunted house in the world. Built by Sarah Winchester (Academy Award winner Helen Mirren), heiress to the Winchester fortune, it is a house that knows no end. Constructed in an incessant twenty-four hour a day, seven day a week mania for decades, it stands seven stories tall and contains hundreds of rooms. To the outsider it looks like a monstrous monument to a disturbed woman’s madness. But Sarah is not building for herself, for her niece (Sarah Snook) or for the brilliant Doctor Eric Price (Jason Clarke) whom she has summoned to the house. She is building a prison, an asylum for hundreds of vengeful ghosts, and the most terrifying among them have a score to settle with the Winchesters…

This movie was pretty much hot garbage.  It was yet another horror movie with legit actors in it that both looked and felt like a made for tv movie.  Could have been great with some actual effort and budget.  Instead this was just a mailed in "horror" movie.

I wouldn't recommend anyone bothering with this.  It was a pretty big waste of time all around.  

Hostiles

Fresh from 2015's gangster film Black Mass, director Scott Cooper ("Crazy Heart," "Out of the Furnace") has turned to another venerable American genre, the western, for Hostiles, the raw and compelling tale of an embittered and battle-hardened US Cavalry officer ordered to accompany a Cheyenne war chief and his family back to their tribal lands in Montana. The flinty-eyed Captain Blocker (Christian Bale) has seen more than his fair share of violence and bloodletting on the frontier, but this mission, which he is forced to accept, is a particularly bitter pill to swallow: Chief Yellow Hawk (Wes Studi) has been his mortal enemy for years due to a conflict that killed many of Blocker's friends. The Chief has also lost friends in the conflict.  Setting out through dangerous territory, much of it inhabited by hostile tribes, the small band of soldiers and Cheyenne navigate the beautiful prairies and wilds of the west, while facing a series of challenges. Blocker — much like John Wayne's character in the John Ford classic The Searchers — is a racist, a man who harbours a deep hatred towards the former prisoners now placed in his care. As the challenges mount, Blocker is forced to confront his own bigotry while carrying out his orders. To complicate matters, the ragged party is joined by a stricken widow (Rosamund Pike) who has just seen her family massacred in a raid.

This was a really good watch.  I don't understand how this didn't get a wider release or get more attention.  It had the big name actor and was a very well done movie all around.  I guess it just kind of got lost in the shuffle.  Great story.  Great pacing.  Great all around film.

I would definitely recommend that people check this bad boy out.  It really should have gotten more fanfare when being released as far as I'm concerned.  

Phantom Thread

Set in the glamour of 1950s post-war London, renowned dressmaker Reynolds Woodcock (Daniel Day-Lewis) and his sister Cyril (Lesley Manville) are at the center of British fashion, dressing royalty, movie stars, heiresses, socialites, debutants and dames with the distinct style of The House of Woodcock. Women come and go through Woodcock’s life, providing the confirmed bachelor with inspiration and companionship, until he comes across a young, strong-willed woman, Alma (Vicky Krieps), who soon becomes a fixture in his life as his muse and lover. Once controlled and planned, he finds his carefully tailored life disrupted by love. With his latest film, Paul Thomas Anderson paints an illuminating portrait both of an artist on a creative journey, and the women who keep his world running. 

This is another one of those movies that you know you are watching film making and acting excellence but unless you are really into artsy movies like this - it is the biggest snooze fest that you could possibly see.  I fall into that latter category.  I only saw this because of Daniel Day Lewis (who was really, really great as always) and the fact that it was the only movie nominated for Best Picture I had not seen.  It was boring as hell and I took a nap for a middle chunk of it.  The artsy peeps in the audience seem to love it though so take that for what you will.

I would not recommend anyone outside of extremely artsy film making fans seeing this.  There is no way you will not be bored otherwise.  

Maze Runner: The Death Cure

In the epic finale to the Maze Runner saga, Thomas leads his group of escaped Gladers on their final and most dangerous mission yet. To save their friends, they must break into the legendary Last City, a WCKD-controlled labyrinth that may turn out to be the deadliest maze of all. Anyone who makes it out alive will get answers to the questions the Gladers have been asking since they first arrived in the maze.

This was a pretty disappointing ending to what was a pretty enjoyable franchise.  It was the same problem with the books that it started out so great and got a little more eh with each offering but I think that the final chapter of the movies was actually more disappointing than the final chapter of the books.  They didn't do as good of a job as they could have and the movie was waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too long.  

I would recommend fans of the others still watch this to get the "closure" of the series but just keep your expectations not too high because it was pretty disappointing.  Anyone who has not watched the others should obviously not bother with this one.

Den Of Thieves

Den of Thieves is a gritty Los Angeles crime saga which follows the intersecting and often personally connected lives of an elite unit of the LA County Sheriff's Dept. and the state's most successful bank robbery crew as the outlaws plan a seemingly impossible heist on the Federal Reserve Bank of downtown Los Angeles.

Wow!  This movie was waaaaaaaaaaaay too long.  They took a run of the mill cops and robbers movie with dime a dozen, stereotypical characters and a boring to non-existent story that would be rough for a 90 minute movie and decided to add another 45 minutes to it.

I wouldn't recommend anyone bothering with this.  It's a very long and not interesting movie you have pretty much seen ten times over at this point.

12 Strong

The story of heroism is based on true events that unfolded a world away in the harrowing aftermath of 9/11 when a U.S. Special Forces team, led by their new Captain, Mitch Nelson (Chris Hemsworth), is chosen to be the first U.S. troops sent into Afghanistan for an extremely dangerous mission. There, in the rugged mountains, they must convince Northern Alliance General Dostum (Navid Negahban) to join forces with them to fight their common adversary: the Taliban and their Al Qaeda allies. In addition to overcoming mutual distrust and a vast cultural divide, the Americans—accustomed to state-of-the-art warfare—must adopt the rudimentary tactics of the Afghani horse soldiers. But despite their uneasy bond, the new allies face overwhelming odds: outnumbered and outgunned by a ruthless enemy that does not take prisoners.

This was a great military movie.  The story, action and characters were great.  You really left it having that much more respect for anyone serving in the armed forces and you felt proud to be American.  Mission accomplished across the board on what they wanted to do.  

I would definitely recommend people checking this out.  It is a very enjoyable movie that fills you with pride and respect for those protecting the country.

Proud Mary

Taraji P. Henson is Mary, a hit woman working for an organized crime family in Boston, whose life is completely turned around when she meets a young boy whose path she crosses when a professional hit goes bad.

Wow!  This was really bad.  Like really bad.  Zero substance whatsoever.  It was like an hour and 15 minute blah blah session just for one badass car scene with Taraji to the Tina Turner song.  Seriously.  Like that was it.  All forced.  All pointless.  Wow.

I wouldn't recommend anyone bothering with this total waste of time.  Although the super short running time was the best part.  This is a shining example of not seeing movies released in January.

The Commuter

In this action-packed thriller, Liam Neeson plays an insurance salesman, Michael, on his daily commute home, which quickly becomes anything but routine. After being contacted by a mysterious stranger, Michael is forced to uncover the identity of a hidden passenger on his train before the last stop. As he works against the clock to solve the puzzle, he realizes a deadly plan is unfolding and is unwittingly caught up in a criminal conspiracy. One that carries life and death stakes for himself and his fellow passengers.

Most boring action/suspense movie ever.  I get that Taken was a pretty badass movie.  But how did that turn Liam Nesson into a regular action movie star.  I just don't get it.  And this movie was a prime example of it.  Every fight scene was boring as hell.  The movie felt like twice as long as it had to.  I didn't care about anything that was happening or any of the characters.  If I had been watching this online - I never would have made it to the end.  I'm actually shocked I stayed until the end in the theater.  

I wouldn't recommend that anyone bother with this one.  Huge waste of time and boring as hell.

Insidious: The Last Key

The creative minds behind the hit Insidious trilogy return for Insidious: The Last Key. In the supernatural thriller, which welcomes back franchise standout Lin Shaye as Dr. Elise Rainier, the brilliant parapsychologist faces her most fearsome and personal haunting yet: in her own family home.

It was kind of a lame overall attempt at continuing the franchise by branching off to explain the psychic woman.  It had some good scares and definitely did a good enough job of covering the background of her character but I am just not really sure that there was a demand for this to be done.  It seemed like a strange sideways move for the franchise as a whole.

I would still recommend the movie to people looking for a scare.  There were plenty sprinkled throughout.  Just could have been a standalone movie instead of forcing the connection to an already established horror franchise.

The Post

Steven Spielberg directs Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks in The Post, a thrilling drama about the unlikely partnership between The Washington Post's Katharine Graham (Streep), the first female publisher of a major American newspaper, and editor Ben Bradlee (Hanks), as they race to catch up with The New York Times to expose a massive cover-up of government secrets that spanned three decades and four U.S. Presidents. The two must overcome their differences as they risk their careers - and their very freedom - to help bring long-buried truths to light.

Never would I have thought that a movie about a newspaper could be this suspenseful and intriguing.  This movie was a pretty intense watch and was paced in such a way that you were sitting on the edge of your seat as it played out.  All of the actors were excellent.  Spielberg's direction was top notch.  They managed to take the kind of material that usually bores the hell out of me and totally hook the audience for an awesome ride.  

I would absolutely recommend people checking this out.  It's excellent filmmaking and storytelling all around.  

Father Figures

Owen Wilson and Ed Helms star in the Alcon Entertainment comedy Father Figures, marking the directorial debut of veteran cinematographer Lawrence Sher (“The Hangover” films). Wilson and Helms are Kyle and Peter Reynolds, brothers whose eccentric mother raised them to believe their father had died when they were young. When they discover this to be a lie, they set out together to find their real father, and end up learning more about their mother than they probably ever wanted to know.

This movie was pretty much a giant waste of time.  I barely laughed and these guys should be easily able to make me do that.  The cast had all the potential in the world and it was pretty much just wasted.  There really isn't anything else to say because this poop was just there.

I wouldn't recommend that anyone bother with this movie.  I really don't know why they bothered making it or why any of these actors are in it.  

Paddington 2

Paddington 2 continues the story of the enduringly popular little bear in the trademark blue coat and red hat that touched audiences worldwide. The new story finds Paddington (Ben Whishaw) happily settled with the Brown family in Windsor Gardens, where he has become a popular member of the community, spreading joy and marmalade wherever he goes. While searching for the perfect present for his beloved Aunt Lucy's hundredth birthday, Paddington spots a unique pop-up book in Mr. Gruber's antique shop, and embarks upon a series of odd jobs to buy it. But when the book is stolen, it's up to Paddington and the Browns to unmask the thief.

This was a very cute family movie sequel.  It's pretty much more of the same with Paddington making people's hearts warm up - even those of criminals in jail.  The material is mostly for younger kids but it's not terribly painful for the parents taking them because it is a pretty cute and heartwarming movie.

I would recommend that families check this out.  You could definitely do much worse than this for a family trip to the movies.

All The Money In The World

All the Money in the World follows the kidnapping of 16-year- old John Paul Getty III (Charlie Plummer) and the desperate attempt by his devoted mother Gail (Michelle Williams) to convince his billionaire grandfather (Christopher Plummer) to pay the ransom. When Getty Sr. refuses, Gail attempts to sway him as her son’s captors become increasingly volatile and brutal. With her son’s life in the balance, Gail and Getty’s advisor (Mark Wahlberg) become unlikely allies in the race against time that ultimately reveals the true and lasting value of love over money. 


This was one hell of a twisted "true" story.  There were so many different emotions at play.  The grandfather being obsessed with money.  The mother willing to do anything.  The kid being scared.  Even the kidnappers covered all different kinds of angles of looking at what they were doing.  This was very well told and played from beginning to end with the audience hooked on where it was going.  As for the controversy about this movie - the removal and reshooting of Chrisopher Plummer taking over for Kevin Spacey ended up being awesome because there is no way that Kevin Spacey could have been as good in that role.

I would definitely recommend people checking this out.  It was a hell of a story and a very entertaining watch.  

The Ten Best Movies Of 2017

Honorable mentions:  Wonder Woman, Girls Trip and Beauty & The Beast
Wonder Woman would have been a lock for the top 10 if it were not for the stupid need of DC to overdue the CGI at the end.  Girls Trip was easily the funniest movie of the year.  Beauty & The Beast was by far the best live action remake of Disney since they started doing these a few years back.

10 - Thor: Ragnarok
Always been a huge fan of Marvel movies and even though I liked the Thor movies they were always towards the bottom of the list for Marvel movies.  That changed with this one.  This one was easily the best of the Thor movies and might be the funniest Marvel movie to date.

9 - Baby Driver
I can't tell you when I have ever seen the music in every scene used so well that it was like an extra character.  The action was great too.  This is the type of movies that I'm sure I will rewatch casually when its on over and over for years to come.

8 - The Shape Of Water
The true mark of an excellent fantasy movie is that they hook the audience and make you feel like what you are watching could truly be happening.  This movie was done so well that I would not be surprised to see a fish man as I was walking out of the theater.

7 - The Greatest Showman
This movie had me wanting to jump out of my seat and start dancing along.  The music was awesome and I loved the quick pacing that got you through all the material they wanted to without it taking forever.

6 - IT
Easily one of the best remakes ever.  This version of Pennywise was terrifying and the scene with him in the sewer has to be one of the best scenes at movies this year.

5 - I, Tonya
I never thought I would have laughed as hard at this movie as I did.  All of the acting in this was awesome and Allison Janney gave one of the best performance of the year at Tonya's mother.

4 - Dunkirk
Christopher Nolan delivers again.  Outside of Saving Private Ryan, I don't know of a war movie that has made you feel more like you were there with them.  Add to that the three different timed stories intersecting and its another example of why he is the greatest director of this generation.

3 - Get Out
This movie was equal parts creepy, hysterically funny and filled with social commentary.  I was so uncomfortable watching at times and others terrified from the suspense of what might happen.  The fact that it was made by Jordan Peele only made it that much more impressive.

2 - Spider-Man: Homecoming
I have always been a huge fan of Spidey and this is by far the best movie that they have done to date.  So glad that he is back under the Marvel umbrella.  This movie served as an excellent relaunch of Spider-Man (with Tom Holland being perfectly cast) but also surprised throughout with character twists and surprises.  It also ties into the Marvel timeline perfectly.  I was cheering throughout this movie like a young teenager pumped up to see it.

1 - Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
This was easily the most real feeling movie of 2018.  The acting was awesome across the board and even though the subject matter was incredibly dramatic - you laugh from beginning to end because of the sarcasm, wit and delivery from all involved.

The Ten Worst Movies Of 2017

Dishonorable Mention - Star Wars: The Last Jedi
This is only on here because it kills me that it's not on the top 10 list.  There was a lot to like about it but there was also a lot to not like.  I don't have the same major issues that a lot of fan boys have with it but there are some things that really do bother me.  I thought for sure this would be a lock for a top 3 after The Force Awakens and at worst maybe a little lower in the top 10 but for it to not come close to making that list - it gets the dishonorable mention of the year.

10 - Mother!
You want to talk about false advertising destroying a movie?  This one tried to capitalize on the scary movie hype from IT and went all out advertising it as the next big scary movie.  It was so not that.  It was a philosophical movie that was not in any way meant to be for mainstream audiences.  This definitely had the biggest WTF audience reaction to a movie I have seen in a long time.

9 - Fifty Shades Darker
This was easily the most not sexy movie about sex I've ever seen.  It was just plain painful.  The actors looked like they didn't even want to be doing it and couldn't wait for this franchise to be over.  The feeling is quite mutual.

8 - Valerian & The City Of A Thousand Planets
I was kind of excited to see this.  It looked like it could be Fifth Element-ish.  It very much was not.  It was a crapshow of special effects that honestly were not all that special.  I pulled the plug about halfway through the movie and have never bothered to watch the rest of it.

7 - Resident Evil: The Final Chapter
Please for the love of all that is holy let that tag line be true.

6 - XXX: The Return Of Xander Cage
No need for this return.  It was basically like watching Vin Diesel in really lame X-Games commercial for an hour and a half.

5 - Monster Trucks
There are lame kids movies and then there are ones that are just insulting grabs at the parents money.  This one definitely took the award for the latter in a year with lots of competition for that category.

4 - The Space Between Us
I would love to know whose idea it was to take the teenage romance craze from Twilight and say you know what that genre needs?  A sci-fi twist where a kid is born in space to add some spice to the whole long distance romance.  This movie was so bad that I just kept laughing through the whole thing.

3 - The Dark Tower
I have read all the Dark Tower books and am a HUGE fan of them.  I was so excited to hear that this would finally be getting brought to the big screen.  This was easily the most disappointing movie of the year and just such a jumbled mess of something that could be truly epic.

2 - Geostorm
How the hell do you screw up your run of the mill disaster movie?  You try to take it too serious and make it about a government conspiracy.  This movie was so bad and should have been a lock for worst of the year if it wasn't for the only movie to trump it.

1 - Transformers: The Last Knight
I literally see every movie that comes out but after suffering through an even worse sequel to one of my favorite moves ever in Transformers than the second turd, the third dung pile and fourth steaming pile of elephant crap - I swear that I am never going to watch a Transformers movie again.  So done with this over the top garbage.  Pulled the plug 1/2 way through this and am never going back.

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is a darkly comic drama from Academy Award winner Martin McDonagh ("In Bruges"). After months have passed without a culprit in her daughter’s murder case, Mildred Hayes (Academy Award winner Frances McDormand) makes a bold move, painting three signs leading into her town with a controversial message directed at William Willoughby (Academy Award nominee Woody Harrelson), the town's revered chief of police. When his second-in-command Officer Dixon (Sam Rockwell), an immature mother’s boy with a penchant for violence, gets involved, the battle between Mildred and Ebbing's law enforcement is only exacerbated.

Never in a million years would I have had this movie pegged as ending up as my favorite/best movie of 2017.  So glad I watched this on the last day of the year so it could qualify.  Frances McDormand should be a lock for best actress of the year.  All of the characters and the story progression just seemed so real and down to earth.  The audience is hooked right from the start and as deeply dramatic as the subject matter is - you will be belly laughing numerous times throughout the movie because of the witty script and delivery from the actors and actresses involved in the movie.   

I would absolutely recommend people checking this out.  It actually gets the must see stamp as the best movie of 2018 in my book.

The Disaster Artist

Based on Greg Sestero's best-selling tell-all about the making of Tommy Wiseau's cult–classic disaster piece "The Room" ("The Greatest Bad Movie Ever Made"), The Disaster Artist is a hilarious and welcome reminder that there is more than one way to become a legend – and no limit to what you can achieve when you have absolutely no idea what you're doing.

I never really thought that I would enjoy this movie as much as I did.  It did an awesome job of creating the "greatest bad movie ever made" and this might have honestly been the most enjoyable performance from James Franco ever.  He had me cracking up from beginning to end.  

I would actually recommend that people check this movie out.  Never thought I would say that when I saw the trailers but I liked it alot.

Molly's Game

Molly's Game is based on the true story of Molly Bloom, an Olympic-class skier who ran the world's most exclusive high-stakes poker game for a decade before being arrested in the middle of the night by 17 FBI agents wielding automatic weapons. Her players included Hollywood royalty, sports stars, business titans and finally, unbeknownst to her, the Russian mob. Her only ally was her criminal defense lawyer Charlie Jaffey, who learned that there was much more to Molly than the tabloids led us to believe.

I don't know that you will find better on screen chemistry between two actors like there was between Jessica Chastain and Idris Elba in this movie.  Every scene with the two of them going back and forth was a shining example of excellent screenwriting and the kind of delivery that can only happen when they have that kind of chemistry.  The back and forth storytelling of this movie only made it all even better.  Again - a testament to the screenwriting because choppy timelines like that can sometimes totally undo a movie.  

I would definitely recommend people checking this one out.  It was a very entertaining watch with great performances and writing.  

The Shape Of Water

From master story teller, Guillermo del Toro, comes The Shape of Water - an other-worldly fairy tale, set against the backdrop of Cold War era America circa 1963. In the hidden high-security government laboratory where she works, lonely Elisa (Sally Hawkins) is trapped in a life of silence and isolation. Elisa’s life is changed forever when she and co-worker Zelda (Octavia Spencer) discover a secret classified experiment.

This movie masterfully succeeded at the basic principle of what determines a good fantasy movie.  They take you there and make you feel like you are watching something that could be real by hooking the audience.  The second this movie started - I was 100% hooked.  Just the opening with the narration and the cinematography of it had me.  The hook never let up and I find myself saying that a movie about a fish man falling in love with a mute was one of the best movies of the year.   

I would absolutely recommend people check this out.  The acting and storytelling are excellent across the board and this movie is the definition of how to make an exceptional fantasy movie.