Operation Finale

Fifteen years after the end of World War II, Israel’s intelligence agency Mossad and security agency Shin Bet – led by the tireless and heroic agent Peter Malkin (Isaac) - launched a daring top-secret raid to capture the notorious Eichmann (Kingsley), who had been reported dead in the chaos following Nazi Germany’s collapse but was, in fact, living and working in a suburb of Buenos Aires, Argentina under an assumed identity along with his wife and two sons. Monitoring his daily routine, Malkin and his operatives plot and execute the abduction under the cover of darkness just a few feet from Eichmann’s home. Determined to sneak him out of Argentina to stand trial in Israel, Malkin and Eichmann engage in an intense and gripping game of cat-and-mouse.

This was a surprisingly well done under the radar movie.  They did a great job with "taking you there" and making you feel like you were in that time.  They did a great job with the escalating tension of if they would complete the mission or not.  They did a great job with the team struggling with its emotions while performing said mission.  I was very pleasantly surprised.  

I would definitely recommend people checking this out.  Pretty solid cast and well told story from beginning to end.

Blackkklansman

From visionary filmmaker Spike Lee comes the incredible true story of an American hero. It’s the early 1970s, and Ron Stallworth (John David Washington) is the first African-American detective to serve in the Colorado Springs Police Department. Determined to make a name for himself, Stallworth bravely sets out on a dangerous mission: infiltrate and expose the Ku Klux Klan. The young detective soon recruits a more seasoned colleague, Flip Zimmerman (Adam Driver), into the undercover investigation of a lifetime. Together, they team up to take down the extremist hate group as the organization aims to sanitize its violent rhetoric to appeal to the mainstream.

This was an excellent movie across the board.  The acting was great.  The directing was great.  The build up of both sides along with the cops working on both of them was great.  The only flaw that I could give this movie isn't really a knock on the movie, but more of a leaving the theater hating the world kind of thing.  This movie strikes a lot of nerves and does an incredible job at it.  It's portrayal of the levels of hatred that very unfortunately exist in this world was so well done but so upsetting at the same point.

I would absolutely recommend that people check this out.  This movie is an awesome piece of work and should be seen by all and hopefully open lots of eyes to the very big need for change in this world.

The Happytime Murders

No Sesame. All Street. The Happytime Murders is a filthy comedy set in the seedy underbelly of Los Angeles where puppets and humans coexist. Two clashing detectives with a shared secret, one human (Melissa McCarthy) and one puppet, are forced to work together again to solve the brutal murders of the former cast of a beloved classic puppet television show.

Honestly, this was a very stupid movie.  That being said - there were enough aight gags and laughs that I was more than able to enjoy it even though it was so stupid.  Melissa McCarthy mixed in with the completely vulgar muppet stuff killed me at times.  I definitely expected it to be worse than it was so that might have helped it but the laughs were worth it and the movie was kept to a short running time.

Would I recommend this based on it being a great movie?  Absolutely not.  Were there enough laughs in 90 minutes though to watch it?  Absolutely yes.

Crazy Rich Asians

Rachel Chu is happy to accompany her longtime boyfriend, Nick, to his best friend's wedding in Singapore. She's also surprised to learn that Nick's family is extremely wealthy and he's considered one of the country's most eligible bachelors. Thrust into the spotlight, Rachel must now contend with jealous socialites, quirky relatives and something far, far worse -- Nick's disapproving mother.

This was best described by my friend as it being like seven Hallmark movies rolled into one.  That is completely accurate.  There a couple different stories in the family that all played out the exact way you knew they would but there were enough laughs and enough heart strings pulled that you end up enjoying the movie even though it is so predictable.  

I would recommend people checking this out.  Its not a must see by any means but it is definitely an enjoyable watch for all.  

Mile 22

In a visceral modern thriller from the director of Lone Survivor, Mark Wahlberg stars as James Silva, an operative of the CIA's most highly-prized and least-understood unit. Aided by a top-secret tactical command team, Silva must retrieve and transport an asset who holds life-threatening information to Mile 22 for extraction before the enemy closes in.

This was a very enjoyable and well paced action movie.  They wasted no time getting to the point with lots of tactical command ops action.  The character were quickly established and then they just stepped on the gas and didn't lead up for a perfect 90 minute running time.  At no point did the movie drag or was there lulls in the action.  This could easily become a pretty enjoyable franchise.  

I would definitely recommend people checking this one out.  This is the perfect end of summer movie to just go and enjoy the ride.  

Slender Man

In a small town in Massachusetts, a group of friends, fascinated by the internet lore of the Slender Man, attempt to prove that he doesn't actually exist - until one of them mysteriously goes missing.

Wow.  This was garbage.  Like really garbage.  Not even like cheap thrills or creepy images.  Overall so massively boring in every way.  I'm trying to think of one positive thing to say about it but I've got nothing.  Nothing at all.

I would not recommend anyone bothering with this.  It is a total waste of time and money and not even worth it for small scares because there were none of them.  

Teen Titans Go! To The Movies

It seems that all the major superheroes out there are starring in their own movies -- all but the Teen Titans. Robin is bound and determined to remedy that situation by becoming a star instead of a sidekick. With a few madcap ideas and a song in their hearts, the Teen Titans head to Hollywood to fulfill their dreams. Things soon go awry, however, when a supervillain plans to take over the planet -- putting the very fate of the young heroes on the line.

I can't believe how beyond funny this movie was.  Like REALLY funny and made fun of so much pop culture and comic book stuff.  I was in no rush to see this in theaters and was hoping it would show up online.  I even let it pass and didn't make it a nieces day like most animated movies.  And I shockingly now wish that I would have because this was a really enjoyable movie that we all would have laughed at so much.  

I would absolutely recommend people checking this out.  This is legitimately one of the better things that DC has churned out movie wise out of all of their stuff.  

The Meg

A deep-sea submersible—part of an international undersea observation program—has been attacked by a massive creature, previously thought to be extinct, and now lies disabled at the bottom of the deepest trench in the Pacific…with its crew trapped inside. With time running out, expert deep sea rescue diver Jonas Taylor (Jason Statham) is recruited by a visionary Chinese oceanographer (Winston Chao), against the wishes of his daughter Suyin (Li Bingbing), to save the crew—and the ocean itself—from this unstoppable threat: a pre-historic 75-foot-long shark known as the Megalodon. What no one could have imagined is that, years before, Taylor had encountered this same terrifying creature. Now, teamed with Suyin, he must confront his fears and risk his own life to save everyone trapped below.

This movie was EXACTLY what I had been hoping for.  Totally formula and super cheesy at times but lots of moments that made you jump and get tense even though you pretty much knew what was going to happen.  This was the perfect movie to just go, turn your brain off and enjoy the break from the real world for a while.

I would absolutely recommend this movie to people.  It is a very enjoyable guilty pleasure type of film that works in terms of knowing exactly what to expect and avoiding disappointment and what not.

The Spy Who Dumped Me

Audrey and Morgan are best friends who unwittingly become entangled in an international conspiracy when one of the women discovers the boyfriend who dumped her was actually a spy.

This is one of those "why" movies.  It was an okay watch and had some pretty good laughs.  I'm a fan of both of the leads.  But why was this made?  Was the world needing this movie?  What did this movie really have to offer except for the few laughs?  The story was dead in the water like 10 minutes in.  The action was very run of the mill.  The laughs - like I said - were good but even most of those were forced.   I just expected something better, funnier and most importantly something that mattered more.  I will remember none of this movie within a week.

I wouldn't really recommend that anyone bother with this movie.  It's pretty much a big waste of time and money and you can just wait to catch the few laughs when it shows up on tv or something.

Christopher Robin

Christopher Robin -- now a family man living in London -- receives a surprise visit from his old childhood pal, Winnie-the-Pooh. With Christopher's help, Pooh embarks on a journey to find his friends -- Tigger, Eeyore, Owl, Piglet, Rabbit, Kanga and Roo. Once reunited, the lovable bear and the gang travel to the big city to help Christopher rediscover the joy of life.

This was an extremely cute and very enjoyable telling of Christopher Robin as an adult and doing what he thinks is right for his family but forgetting about his inner child in order to do so.  This movie had lots of excellent family related layers throughout it and the Winnie The Pooh characters were great but only involved when they had to be to move the story along.  I did not have very high hopes for this movie and was very pleasantly surprised.

I would definitely recommend people checking this out but the one really weird thing is that this movie really isn't for younger children.  Even though it has the Winnie The Pooh characters they are not in the movie nearly enough to keep young ones entertained and the adults end up enjoying this movie more than them.  

The Darkest Minds

Imprisoned by an adult world that now fears everyone under 18, a group of teens form a resistance group to fight back and reclaim control of their future.

This movie started out pretty good.  I liked the premise and everything but about halfway through it massively lost its way and you could tell that this movie was literally just for those that had read the young adult novels it was based on.  The movie very much started feeling like a set up for a movie franchise instead of a stand alone movie and I pretty much lost interest knowing full well that this movie would probably end up the way of The Golden Compass or Divergent and that it would never do well enough to warrant the sequels or completion of the book series that again - I was not familiar with.

I wouldn't really recommend anyone who has not read the books bothering with this.  They were not very well done in terms of being stand alone movies for the regular movie goer not familiar with the book material.  

Mission: Impossible - Fallout

The best intentions often come back to haunt you. MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - FALLOUT finds Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team (Alec Baldwin, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames) along with some familiar allies (Rebecca Ferguson, Michelle Monaghan) in a race against time after a mission gone wrong. Henry Cavill, Angela Bassett, and Vanessa Kirby also join the dynamic cast with filmmaker Christopher McQuarrie returning to the helm.

Wow!  This movie was awesome.  As if the usual twists and turns were not entertaining enough - the action in this one went to a whole other level.  This might honestly have been the most enjoyable of the six movie franchise to date and that says A LOT!  Cruise was great.  The returning cast was great.  The new additions were great - especially Henry Cavill who was such an awesome badass opposite of Cruise.  

I would absolutely recommend people checking this out.  This is easily one of the best movies of the summer and possibly one of the best movies of the year honestly.  

Unfriended: Dark Web

Tells the story about a teen who comes into possession of a new laptop and finds that it may have been stolen. He discovers the previous owner may be watching every move he makes and will do anything to get it back.

This was basically a horror/thriller movie for millennials who basically live for their laptops and what not.  There were some decent thrills and good buildup but it just doesn't have the same effect if you are not someone as familiar with scouring their laptops and having all those things going on the screen at once.  The whole screen of the movie was basically the desktop of a computer with facetime, skype, texting, etc all worked in.   And it all took a very strange and dark downward sp

I wouldn't really recommend anyone bothering with this.  Honestly - you probably won't have a chance to in theaters because its already on its way out after one week pretty much.  You can watch this in passing at some later date without having to pay or schedule time for it.

Mamma Mia! - Here We Go Again

Discover Donna's (Meryl Streep, Lily James) young life, experiencing the fun she had with the three possible dads of Sophie (Amanda Seyfriend). Sophie is now pregnant. Like Donna, she'll be a young mother, and she realizes that she'll need to take risks like her mother did. 

I tried.  I really did.  Just like the first one, I gave it a shot.  I am a big fan of musicals and usually find them entertaining as hell, but for some reason I just 100% cannot get into these movies.  I find them to be so beyond silly and a waste of time.  The singing just feels so massively forced and absurd that I automatically tune out and start thinking of all the things I could do with the time that would be wasted watching this and I pull the plug.

My recommendation on this is not valid because I know many people who have loved the first one and I just couldn't finish it/enjoy it.  If you liked the first - I believe you will like this.  If you didn't like me - I would assume that you wouldn't like this one either.  

The Equalizer 2

Denzel Washington returns to one of his signature roles in the first sequel of his career. Robert McCall serves an unflinching justice for the exploited and oppressed - but how far will he go when that is someone he loves?

The parts of this movie that you want to see (the "equalizing" if you will) are very enjoyable and great.  The problem is that there is ALOT of this movie where he is not getting revenge on the scum of the earth.  Those parts drag to no end and really weigh this movie down.  If this was a 90 minute movie or less I would have loved it.  Two hours and 10 minutes?  No need for that at all!

I wouldn't really recommend people bothering with this.  It's a sequel that really did not need to be made and should have been majorly shorter and to the point than it was.

Sorry To Bother You

In an alternate present-day version of Oakland, telemarketer Cassius Green discovers a magical key to professional success, propelling him into a macabre universe.

Damn!  This was one hell of an amazing and very off the wall filmmaking effort oozing with social commentary.  The irony, the sarcasm and the satire were all firing on all cylinders in both the smartest of ways and the most acid trip of ways.  It really shined a crazy light on the idea of selling out or going corporate and what one has to do in order to get there at times.  

I would definitely recommend people checking this out.  Just be warned that it is in no way a mainstream movie and is very much an artistic and open for interpretation movie.

Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation

Mavis surprises Dracula with a family voyage on a luxury Monster Cruise Ship so he can take a vacation from providing everyone else's vacation at the hotel. The rest of Drac's Pack cannot resist going along. But once they leave port, romance arises when Dracula meets the mysterious ship Captain, Ericka. Now it's Mavis' turn to play the overprotective parent, keeping her dad and Ericka apart. Little do they know that his "too good to be true" love interest is actually a descendant of Abraham Van Helsing, ancient nemesis to Dracula and all other monsters.

This movie is pretty much just more of the same from the franchise.  Not really sure that this should qualify as a big summer movie like it's release date but I guess if they can milk more money out of the parents - why not.  The characters were still enjoyable and the story was fun for both children and parents.  The best part was probably the soundtrack of the movie really doing a great job keeping the audience invested in what was going on.

If you have kids - I would definitely recommend checking this one out.  They will certainly enjoy it and you will not feel like you are getting tortured as part of the outing.

Skyscraper

FBI Hostage Rescue Team leader and U.S. war veteran Will Sawyer now assesses security for skyscrapers. On assignment in Hong Kong he finds the tallest, safest building in the world suddenly ablaze, and he's been framed for it. A wanted man on the run, Will must find those responsible, clear his name and somehow rescue his family who are trapped inside the building...above the fire line.

This was one of the most over the top movies I've ever seen.  Like if you just wanted to do a wannabe Die Hard with The Rock playing the Bruce Willis part - I'm so in.  But to add 200 more floors to the building, raging fires throughout and give The Rock a prosthetic leg?  Come on!  Also - the most important part of Die Hard was Hans Gruber as the villain.  There is absolutely no Hans Gruber in this movie and although I will never not like The Rock and some of the scenes were cool, the stunts were again so over the top and one could say that this movie was actually a two hour commercial for the power of duct tape.

I would not recommend people checking this out.  Actually - I take that back.  This is one of those movies that are so over the top that it ends up being a fun watch because you are laughing at it.  

Ant-Man And The Wasp

Scott Lang is grappling with the consequences of his choices as both a superhero and a father. Approached by Hope van Dyne and Dr. Hank Pym, Lang must once again don the Ant-Man suit and fight alongside the Wasp. The urgent mission soon leads to secret revelations from the past as the dynamic duo finds itself in an epic battle against a powerful new enemy.

Another excellent entry in the Marvel universe.  Great laughs, great action, great story progression and an amazing job of doing justice to not only the leads but the whole supporting cast.  It also did a great job of tying itself to the current Marvel storylines.

That's it.  No spoilers.  No gushing.  Just a tip of the cap to Marvel for doing such a good job that even Ant-Man is a household name and a mainstream hero and my obvious recommendation to check this movie out.  

The First Purge

To push the crime rate below one percent for the rest of the year, the New Founding Fathers of America test a sociological theory that vents aggression for one night in one isolated community. But when the violence of oppressors meets the rage of the others, the contagion will explode from the trial-city borders and spread across the nation.

This was an attempt to keep the franchise going by doing a prequel.  I don't want to say that this was a complete failure but it was not too good. It definitely would have helped to actually have this tie in more to the others but continuity pretty much went out the window and they tried to introduce political elements as new and corrupt that had actually already been introduced in previous films that took place later in the timeline.  They also made this one ALOT more about race than the others which kind of felt like a blatant demographic money grab.

I would still kind of recommend people who have seen the others check this out.  No rush though and keep your expectations low because it's easily the lamest entry in the franchise.

Uncle Drew

After draining his life savings to enter a team in the Rucker Classic street ball tournament in Harlem, Dax (Lil Rel Howery) is dealt a series of unfortunate setbacks, including losing his team to his longtime rival (Nick Kroll). Desperate to win the tournament and the cash prize, Dax stumbles upon the man, the myth, the legend UNCLE DREW (NBA All-Star Kyrie Irving) and convinces him to return to the court one more time. The two men embark on a road trip to round up Drew's old basketball squad (Shaquille O’Neal, Chris Webber, Reggie Miller, Nate Robinson, and Lisa Leslie) and prove that a group of septuagenarians can still win the big one.

This movie was a lot more enjoyable than I thought it would be.  Only went because it was free tickets but it ended up being a cute movie with plenty of laughs and a lot of heart.  Totally formula in every way but much better than I expected.

I would actually recommend peeps checking this out.  No rush or anything and it is definitely not a must see but definitely better than expected.  

Sicario: Day Of The Soldado

FBI agent Matt Graver calls on mysterious operative Alejandro Gillick when Mexican drug cartels start to smuggle terrorists across the U.S. border. The war escalates even further when Alejandro kidnaps a top kingpin's daughter to deliberately increase the tensions. When the young girl is seen as collateral damage, the two men will determine her fate as they question everything that they are fighting for.

This is one of those movies that really concerns you about what is going on in other parts of the world and all the behind the scenes decision makers on things.  Its stuff like this that make me very happy about my distance and ignorance when it comes to things like this.  The movie was very well acted and felt incredibly real across the board.  It was different from the original in tone and story but still a very enjoyable watch.

I would recommend people checking this one out.  It's not a must see by any means but it is a very real feeling government cover up type of movie.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

Three years after the destruction of the Jurassic World theme park, Owen Grady and Claire Dearing return to the island of Isla Nublar to save the remaining dinosaurs from a volcano that's about to erupt. They soon encounter terrifying new breeds of gigantic dinosaurs, while uncovering a conspiracy that threatens the entire planet.

This was another carbon copy type of entry in the Jurassic franchise.  If you liked the others, you will like this one.  Great dinosaur action, great laughs from the characters, and a pretty decent story to keep it moving and set up the "last" chapter in the trilogy.  The returning characters were great.  The new ones were introduced to the audience well and they even did a great job of giving the dinosaurs some personality which sounds weird to say but it's definitely true.

I would of course recommend people checking this movie out.  There is no reason to stop watching them now.  

Tag

A small group of former classmates organize an elaborate, annual game of tag that requires some to travel all over the country.

This movie sounds silly as hell and even though it honestly was - it definitely was one of the funniest movies of the year and had A LOT of heart to it as well.  The fact that this is a true story made this even better/funnier.  The levels that these friends went to were hilarious and the casting was perfect.  All of them played so well off of each other.   

I would absolutely recommend people checking this out.  It is funny as hell and is an excellent movie about getting older and friendship.  

The Incredibles 2

Elastigirl springs into action to save the day, while Mr. Incredible faces his greatest challenge yet -- taking care of the problems of his three children.

FINALLY!!!!   I feel like I've been waiting for this movie forever and it did not disappoint.  It literally started right where the original left off and it was like 14 years hadn't passed.  The audience was so into the movie and cheering when favorite characters returned and what not.  Jack Jack clearly stole every scene he was in and the combo of him with Edna Mode might be one of the funniest things Disney has ever done.  

I absolutely recommend everyone checking out the return of The Incredibles.  Pixar doesn't do bad movies (except for Cars 2) and this is no different.  So glad that they are back.

Hereditary

When the matriarch of the Graham family passes away, her daughter's family begins to unravel cryptic and increasingly terrifying secrets about their ancestry.

Holy cow!!!!   What a creepy ass movie that I was completely not expecting.  I figured that this would be an artsy psychological thriller - which it definitely was.  But it was done so well (and lets be honest - that is beyond difficult to do nowadays) that I was looking through my fingers at numerous times.  There were 4-5 points in this movie where the acting or the scenes will pretty much be etched in my memory forever.   It was a very jarring watch due to the acting and the filming style.  The camera work in this was AMAZING and made the movie even creepier.  This movie is a must see for anyone interested in filmmaking.  

I would definitely recommend people checking this movie out.  It was an excellent scary movie.  One of the better ones I've seen in a long time.  

Hotel Artemis

Set in riot-torn, near-future Los Angeles, HOTEL ARTEMIS is an original, high-octane action-thriller starring Jodie Foster as The Nurse, who runs a secret, members-only hospital for criminals.

This was a really enjoyable, dark movie with great social commentary.  The cast was great and they really did a great job of taking you to this future world and make it all feel legit.  Batista continues to be a massive scene stealer.  So crazy.

I would definitely recommend peeps checking this bad boy out.  No clue how this is a June release and it will undoubtably get lost in the shuffle but it's an enjoyable watch.

Ocean's 8

Five years, eight months, 12 days and counting -- that's how long Debbie Ocean has been devising the biggest heist of her life. She knows what it's going to take -- a team of the best people in the field, starting with her partner-in-crime Lou Miller. Together, they recruit a crew of specialists, including jeweler Amita, street con Constance, suburban mom Tammy, hacker Nine Ball, and fashion designer Rose. Their target -- a necklace that's worth more than $150 million.

This was a good idea and a pretty good watch.  The only problem is that I was hooked a lot more by the lesser characters than the main ones.  Aquafina and Rihanna were pretty much the two most enjoyable characters and I don't know if that's a bad thing or not with them upstaging so many big names.  I also feel like they could have killed it with better connected cameos to the other Ocean movies.  That would have caused much more buzz and for this movie to stick with people more.  Not that it was a bad movie.  It was enjoyable for sure.  It just didn't resonate as much as it could have honestly.

I would still recommend people check this out. It's a fun watch but felt much more like Ocean's 12 or 13 instead of 11.

Adrift

Tami Oldham and Richard Sharp couldn't anticipate that they would be sailing directly into one of the most catastrophic hurricanes in recorded history. In the aftermath of the storm, Tami awakens to find Richard badly injured and their boat in ruins. With no hope of rescue, Tami must now find the strength and determination to save herself and the only man she has ever loved.

This was a pretty decent watch.  It's told in such a way between post storm survival and leading up to the storm that you really get hooked by the journey and the mental curveball really hits home.

I would kind of recommend peeps checking this out.  It's not a must see by any means but it is a decent watch if you were interested.

Action Point

D.C. is the crackpot owner of Action Point -- a low-rent, out-of-control amusement park where the rides are designed with minimum safety for maximum fun. Just as his estranged daughter Boogie comes to visit, a corporate mega-park opens nearby and jeopardizes the future of Action Point. To save his beloved park and his relationship with Boogie, D.C. and his loony crew of misfits must risk everything to pull out all the stops and save the day.

Wow!  This was soooooooooo bad.  Like I expected garbage with some laughs at stupid stunts Jackass style but this was even worse than expected.  Even the stunts were lame.  I couldnt even make it through the movie and pulled the plug after an hour.  They tried to give it a story when there is zero chance of anyone caring.

I wouldn't recommend anyone bothering with this.  Ever.  It's total garbage.