Ghost In The Shell

Based on the internationally-acclaimed sci-fi property, Ghost in the Shell follows the Major, a special ops, one-of-a-kind human-cyborg hybrid, who leads the elite task force Section 9. Devoted to stopping the most dangerous criminals and extremists, Section 9 is faced with an enemy whose singular goal is to wipe out Hanka Robotic’s advancements in cyber technology. The film is based on the famous Kodansha Comics manga series of the same name, written and illustrated by Masamune Shirow.

This movie was excellent visually.  They did an incredible job of taking you into this world and making you feel that you are really there.  The action was great and the chemistry between Johansson and her partner was also very well done.  Unfortunately, the pacing of the story was slow as hell and there were several points throughout where the movie dragged tremendously.  It ended up being one of those hour and 45 minute movies that felt more like 2 1/2 hours.

I would somewhat recommend people checking this movie out.  It was great visually but kind of rough story wise.

Chips

Jon Baker (Dax Shepard) and Frank “Ponch” Poncherello (Michael Peña) have just joined the California Highway Patrol (CHP) in Los Angeles but for very different reasons. Baker is a beaten up pro motorbiker trying to put his life and marriage back together. Poncherello is a cocky undercover Federal agent investigating a multi-million dollar heist that may be an inside job—inside the CHP. The inexperienced rookie and hardened pro are teamed together, but clash more than click, so kickstarting a partnership is easier said than done. But with Baker’s bike skills combined with Ponch’s street savvy it might just work…if they don’t drive each other crazy along the way.

This movie was pretty much garbage.  I expected nothing from the movie and got even less.  Don't remember laughing at all.  I have no clue what the point of this movie was or why in the blue hell they thought that the world was missing a Chips reboot.  It wasn't.  

I would recommend that absolutely nobody waste their time with this.  I still don't know how I made it to the end without pulling the plug early.

Power Rangers

Saban's Power Rangers follows five ordinary high school kids who must become something extraordinary when they learn that their small town of Angel Grove – and the world – is on the verge of being obliterated by an alien threat. Chosen by destiny, our heroes quickly discover that they are the only ones who can save the planet. But to do so they will have to overcome their real-life issues and band together as the Power Rangers before it is too late.

Whether you like this movie or not might depend on how much of a fan boy or fan girl you are of the franchise.  I was a lukewarm fan of the Power Rangers when I was younger so I thought the movie was a pretty good watch.  They did a decent enough job of developing the characters and the story.  The action was better and didn't cross over into Transformers land of special effects vomit to the point of not being able to tell what was actually happening.  

I don't know if this one will satisfy the die hard fans or not but I was able to enjoy it.  I'd recommend people checking it out.  It was a pretty good reboot.

Life

Life is a terrifying sci-fi thriller about a team of scientists aboard the International Space Station whose mission of discovery turns to one of primal fear when they find a rapidly evolving life form that caused extinction on Mars, and now threatens the crew and all life on Earth.

This movie is exactly what you would think from the trailer for it.  It's a wannabe Alien.  That doesn't mean it's bad or anything.  It's definitely a decent watch.  But there is pretty much nothing original or not predictable about the story or any of its characters.  

I'd somewhat recommend people checking this out.  It's a decent watch but really just a retread of a story told several times already.

The Belko Experiment

In a twisted social experiment, a group of 80 Americans are locked in their high-rise corporate office in Bogata, Colombia and ordered by an unknown voice coming from the company's intercom system to participate in a deadly game of kill or be killed.

This was basically a slightly tweaked version of The Purge.  Same basic violent concept with a different setup of how to get there.  The movie was enjoyable for what it was.  If you like movies like The Purge, then this one won't disappoint you.  Lots of crazy violence.  Lots of people cracking under pressure.  Lots of uncomfortable laughs from the panicked participants.  

Again - I would recommend this movie to anyone that enjoyed The Purge or any of the sequels.  If you can turn your brain off and enjoy movies like that, this is an enjoyable watch.  If not - you shouldn't go near this with a ten foot pole.

T2: Trainspotting

Striking with preemptive speed, TriStar Pictures has acquired the worldwide rights to Danny Boyle’s much-anticipated sequel to Trainspotting.  T2 Trainspotting, based on characters created by Irvine Welsh, reunites director Danny Boyle with screenwriter John Hodge and all of the principal cast of the 1996 film—Ewan McGregor, Jonny Lee Miller, Ewen Bremner and Robert Carlyle will reprise the iconic roles of Renton, Sick Boy, Spud and Begbie.

I don't want to say that this movie was disappointing.  I will go with it just being much different than what I expected.  The best part of the original Trainspotting was the manic way that it was filmed where you kind of felt like you were on the same drugs as the characters and you went along for the crazy ride and perceptions of the world through their eyes.  This movie didn't touch any of that with a ten foot pole.  The closest that they came to it was random side vignettes.  This movie was more about how none of the characters had changed in the last 20 years and it kind of made the movie more depressing than manic and hopeful like the first one.  It was still a watchable movie and pretty decent for what it was.  It was just very different and more mellow than I had expected.

I would still recommend any fans of the original and these characters check it out because the familiarity with them is what still makes the movie good even with its way different tone and what not.  Just go into it with very different expectations.

Rock Dog

For the Tibetan Mastiffs living on Snow Mountain, a dog’s life has a simple riff: Guard a peaceful village of wool-making sheep from the thuggish wolf Linnux (Lewis Black) and his rabid pack. To avoid distractions, Mastiff leader Khampa (J.K. Simmons) forbids all music from the mountain. But when Khampa’s son Bodi (Luke Wilson) discovers a radio dropped by a passing airplane, it takes just a few guitar licks for his fate to be sealed: Bodi wants to be a rock ‘n’ roll star. Yet that means defying his father’s wishes, heading to the city, and locating the legendary – and reclusive – musician Angus Scattergood (Eddie Izzard), who needs to write a new song and fast.  If Bodi can put a band together, help Angus with his song, and defeat the wolves’ plot to take Snow Mountain, his life will be in tune. Bodi will become what he’s always dreamed of being: More than a dog … more than a Rock God… he’ll be a ROCK DOG!

Wow!  This is easily one of the most boring animated movies I've seen in a long time.  And I'm pretty much a huge fan of them.  This movie had no hook.  No characters that stick with you.  And you can't even say that it was no good for adults because it's technically a kids movie anyway because the story is kind of too over the head of kids too.  It wanted to be a Pixar or Dreamworks animation type of movie with parents liking it as much as the kids but pretty much massively missed on both fronts.

I wouldn't recommend anyone bothering with this movie.  I honestly only watched it because it showed up online and I was bored out of my mind watching it.

Beauty And The Beast

The beloved tale will be retold for the big screen with a modern live-action lens and the help of transformative CG magic. Emma Watson and Dan Stevens will star as Belle and the Beast/Prince respectively, and Luke Evans will play the role of Gaston. Emma Thompson has joined the cast as Mrs. Potts and Kevin Kline as Belle's father, Maurice.

This was easily one of Disney's better live action remakes of their classic animated movies.  I still think that overall Jungle Book is still the best but that was pretty much entirely CGI with the animals.  With the actors included - this one becomes the best one that they have done so far.  All the classic songs were there and they did a really good job of capturing the characters quirks that made you love the animated versions from back in the day.  Emma Watson was perfectly cast along with Luke Evans as Gaston and Josh Gad  as his sidekick that literally stole every scene that he was in.  There are some scenes in this live action version that will terrify the younger kids but it was a very enjoyable watch and will probably end up being the biggest movie of this year that doesn't have Star Wars in the title. 

I absolutely recommend everyone checking this out.  It's rare that remakes are enjoyable as this one was.

The Shack

Based on the New York Times best-selling novel, The Shack takes us on a father’s uplifting spiritual journey. After suffering a family tragedy, Mack Phillips (Sam Worthington) spirals into a deep depression causing him to question his innermost beliefs. Facing a crisis of faith, he receives a mysterious letter urging him to an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness. Despite his doubts, Mack journeys to the shack and encounters an enigmatic trio of strangers led by a woman named Papa (Octavia Spencer). Through this meeting, Mack finds important truths that will transform his understanding of his tragedy and change his life forever.

To say that I am not really a spiritual or religious person is a massive understatement.  Movies like this tend to make me roll my eyes and pretty much lose my attention very easily.  This was all prior to the last year and a half.  After all of that my faith is even more shattered and I find it very difficult to believe in things spiritually.  All of that being said - this movie was like a roundhouse kick to the side of the head.  This movie connected with me more than I could have possibly imagined.  The Mack character was saying things and asking questions about God and faith that I have been.  There were so many points throughout this movie that were gut shots and really made me think about things.  

I would actually recommend people checking this out.  It was so much better than I thought I would and really tries to help people see things in a different light.

Kong: Skull Island

The producers of Godzilla reimagine the origins of one the most powerful monster myths of all in “Kong: Skull Island.” This compelling, original adventure tells the story of a diverse team of scientists, soldiers and adventurers uniting to explore a mythical, uncharted island in the Pacific, as dangerous as it is beautiful. Cut off from everything they know, the team ventures into the domain of the mighty Kong, igniting the ultimate battle between man and nature. As their mission of discovery becomes one of survival, they must fight to escape a primal Eden in which humanity does not belong.

If you are a fan of monster movies - this was a very enjoyable watch.  Plenty of excellent action and it was quality.  No gimmicky half showing of things or shaky camera work to compensate for the effects.  The effects were legit and not just quick shots and moving on.  These were pretty extended fights that you can't help but be in awe of.  The characters were not necessarily over developed which also helped make the movie enjoyable because you are really just there for the crazy monster stuff.  

I would definitely recommend people checking this bad boy out.  It was a very fun watch and it looks like the Monsterverse is going to be in full effect moving forward.  This was a great follow up to Godzilla from a few years back.

Before I Fall

What if you had only one day to change absolutely everything? Samantha Kingston has everything: the perfect friends, the perfect guy, and a seemingly perfect future. Then, everything changes. After one fateful night, Sam wakes up with no future at all. Trapped reliving the same day over and over, she begins to question just how perfect her life really was. As she begins to untangle the mystery of a life suddenly derailed, she must also unwind the secrets of the people closest to her, and discover the power of a single day to make a difference, not just in her own life, but in the lives of those around her--before she runs out of time for good.

This movie was based on a young adult novel and you could totally tell.  That being said - it was pretty well told of the girl reliving the same day before she dies over and over again in order to see the wrongs that she needs to right to be at peace.  The characters were done just good enough to make you not lose interest.  

I wouldn't really recommend anyone rushing to see this but I will admit it was a better watch than I had expected going in.

Logan

In the near future, a weary Logan cares for an ailing Professor X in a hide out on the Mexican border. But Logan’s attempts to hide from the world and his legacy are up-ended when a young mutant arrives, being pursued by dark forces.

This was a great, great movie.  It was an excellent ode to Hugh Jackman playing Wolverine for 17 years.  However - it was absolutely NOT an X-Men movie.  I can totally understand people going into this with those kinds of expectations being massively disappointed with this movie.  There were virtually no sci-fi special effects.  The action was very straight forward and they loved having the R rating and not having to hold back.  There was no futuristic cinematography.  Everything was very barren backgrounds and what not.  This movie was basically a legit movie about getting older and coming to terms with it but starring Wolverine.  There really is no other way to describe it.  In terms of acting and actual screenwriting - this is the best  of the X-Men movies. 

If you are able to see it for that, you will be able to really appreciate this movie.  If you are looking for a heavy special effects popcorn movie that X-Men has become known for - you will be heavily disappointed.

Table 19

Ex-maid of honor Eloise (Anna Kendrick) - having been relieved of her duties after being unceremoniously dumped by the best man via text - decides to hold her head up high and attend her oldest friend's wedding anyway. She finds herself seated at the 'random' table in the back of the ballroom with a disparate group of strangers, most of whom should have known to just send regrets (but not before sending something nice off the registry). As everyone's secrets are revealed, Eloise learns a thing or two from the denizens of Table 19. Friendships - and even a little romance - can happen under the most unlikely circumstances.

This was a very cute independent comedy.  It was a textbook artsy limited release.  Quirky characters that totally hook you.  More of a story than the trailer showed you to get you interested.  But the story really doesn't matter because its the characters that you care about.  Each one of the misfits at Table 19 delivered the needed laughs to make the movie worth watching and the short running time was also very important.  Stephen Merchant delivered yet another great supporting role and was probably my favorite of all of them.

I would sort of recommend people checking this out.  It's not a must see by any means and is absolutely not a main stream  comedy.  It is a decent watch though if you were interested by the trailer even with the added drama they thought was necessary to add to the movie.

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.