The Book Of Clarence

A down-on-his-luck man struggles to find a better life for his family while fighting to free himself of debt. Captivated by the power and glory of the rising Messiah, he risks everything to carve his own path to a divine life, ultimately discovering that the redemptive power of belief may be his only way out.  

Another movie that I really liked the premise of but the pacing and how it played out kind of lost the hook.  It kept going back and forth between being a satirical comedy and a character drama.   This reminded me alot of a bit coming off of the show Atlanta where it might have been too smart for its own good to fully deliver.

I would lukewarmly recommend this movie only because of the spiritual satire that I found kind of entertaining.   Otherwise, its not a bad movie but its not great either.

I.S.S.

Tensions flare in the near future aboard the International Space Station when a worldwide conflict breaks out on Earth. Soon, the U.S. and Russian astronauts each receive orders from the ground: take control of the station by any means necessary.

This was actually a really good premise and the movie was actually really good as it started to play out and stuff but it didn't really pay off after that.   The pacing kind of went eh and the hook that they had let up.  Kind of disappointing because it actually had a lot of good supporting actors and actresses in it that you recognize from other shows and movies but have no clue what their name is.

I would lukewarmly recommend this movie.  It's not a bad watch.  They just kind of dropped the ball as the movie went on from a really interesting premise.

Mean Girls

New student Cady Heron gets welcomed into the top of the social food chain by an elite group of popular girls called the Plastics, ruled by the conniving queen bee Regina George. However, when Cady makes the major misstep of falling for Regina's ex-boyfriend, she soon finds herself caught in their crosshairs.

Was always a fan of the original movie.  Was a fan of the musical.   So was kind of psyched to see the movie version of the musical for a whole new generation.  Was a little nervous that they went out of their way to not advertise it as a musical but ended up loving the movie.  There were great shout outs to the originals.  The songs from the musical translated really well in the movie.  The new crew of actors were great and seeing it in a sold out nostalgia enjoying audience made it a pretty fun experience.

I would definitely recommend people checking this movie out.  It was a very fun watch with some huge laughs.

The Beekeeper

One man's brutal campaign for vengeance takes on national stakes after it's revealed he's a former operative of a powerful and clandestine organization known as Beekeepers.

The Beekeeper ……… Transporter 32 ……….. Jason Statham 71.   Doesn’t really matter what you call this.  It’s just another Statham movie without The Meg.  Fights for the rights of a victim friend.  Kick kick kick punch punch punch.  Roll credits.  You see it because of the mindless escape and you forget about it twenty minutes later.

If you like his repetitive movies check it out.  It’s more of the same.  If you don’t why would you start now?  

Night Swim

Forced into early retirement by a degenerative illness, former baseball player Ray Waller moves into a new house with his wife and two children. He hopes that the backyard swimming pool will be fun for the kids and provide physical therapy for himself. However, a dark secret from the home's past soon unleashes a malevolent force that drags the family into the depths of inescapable terror.

This movie was trash.  Complete and total trash.  No scares.  No suspense.  A textbook lame January horror movie that is a waste of 90 minutes.

I wouldn’t recommend anyone bothering with this.  Ever.

American Fiction

Monk is a frustrated novelist who's fed up with the establishment that profits from Black entertainment that relies on tired and offensive tropes. To prove his point, he uses a pen name to write an outlandish Black book of his own, a book that propels him to the heart of hypocrisy and the madness he claims to disdain.

The social commentary of this movie was priceless.  Constantly made you go back and forth between laughing and being like that is so messed up.  The evolution of how it played out was also a great hook and made this movie a great watch.

I would definitely recommend people checking this out.  It was a very enjoyable well written movie.

The Ten Best Movies Of 2023

 Honorable Mention - Air

For a movie about a sneaker contract to be this entertaining and hook you so much is very, very impressive.  You find yourself hanging on with all sorts of emotions to what literally amounts to the signing of a sneaker sponsorship.

10 - The Creator

I am a huge fan of sci-fi done well.  When they take you to the alternate world that they have created and make you feel like it could actually be a thing then I am all in.  This movie did this very well and solidified Gareth Edwards as an awesome sci-fi director.

9 - Sound Of Freedom

Take out all the politics surrounding this movie and the people that made it and just watch it and this is an awesome movie and very well done.  The child actors were incredible.  This movie was definitely helped by the personal story of seeing it that even further solidified it as a movie I will never forget.

8 - Wonka

I was beyond suspect about this movie because of what the original has meant to me.  This movie did an excellent job of capturing the same whimsy and imagination of the first one.   I thoroughly enjoyed this.

7 - Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part 1

It's a shame that this movie got killed box office wise by the whole Barbienhopper thing because it really was an awesome movie and another great entry in the franchise.  Like if you enjoy action movies this movie was easily the best action of the year.  

6 - Guardians Of The Galaxy Volume 3

This was easily Marvel's best movie post Endgame so far.  It was a very fitting end to the trilogy and this absurd group of characters that we have grown to love.  I really hope James Gunn can carry this magic over to the DCEU and make it worthy rival to what Marvel was for the first 10 years.

5 - Killers Of The Flower Moon

I wish that this movie was not so crazy long but it was a very well done movie across the board.  This should easily be an awards season frontrunner on every level.  

4 - The Boys In The Boat

A very well done sports underdog movie that has you cheering throughout the movie and invested in pretty much every character.

3 - Leave The World Behind

This was a Netflix movie that was a real thinker with excellent social commentary.  Lots of people were annoyed by the ending but I honestly thought that was the most brilliant part of it.   Made me laugh out loud at myself.

2 - Cocaine Bear

This movie will likely go down as the best guilty pleasure movie ever.  I remember seeing the trailer and being like there is no way this is a thing.   I saw this movie twice in theaters and five times overall and laugh my ass off every time.   Few things can be more entertaining then when a movie doesn't take itself to seriously and really embraces the ridiculousness.

1 - Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse

There really was no contest of this movie as the best one for me this year.   This movie built amazingly on the awesome original.  The story is genius and keeps you hanging on every scene so much that you forget that you are watching an animated movie.  

The Ten Worst Movies Of 2023

 Dishonorable Mention - The Marvels

While it didn't make the 10 worst movies and honestly wasn't as close as others, this was another trainwreck of a movie for Marvel post-Endgame that has become incredibly concerning.  This movie was beyond flawed in sooooooo many ways and they really need to right the ship asap.

10 - 65

What the hell was this.  A barely 90 minute movie with little to no story where Adam Driver crashes a spaceship back in time where the dinosaurs are?   Why?   Who was asking for this movie?

9 - Magic Mike's Last Dance

A - How did this franchise end up as a trilogy?   B - How did they think that making a movie that was about as sexy as watching paint dry be a good idea?   This was such a mailed in money grab.   

8 - Thanksgiving

A serial killer pilgrim terrifies a town after a Black Friday Walmart incident from the previous year.   Read that again.  That was the movie.   Thanksgiving was always missing its own serial killer and luckily we found it in 2023.

7 - Winnie the Pooh: Blood And Honey

I'm still having a hard time accepting that this actually happened.  Even more alarming is that this might become a thing with other children's fables being turned into horror movies.  REALLY!?!?   Such total trash.

6 - Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom

And the DCEU as we knew it comes to an end with the biggest dud thud ever.  LOL!   This was so bad on so many levels and it was like they knew it.  Such a waste of time and money.   Honestly should have just owned that is was pointless and released it on Max instead.

5 - Meg 2: The Trench

How do you mess up such an obvious guilty pleasure movie?   The first one was great because it owned what it was.  This one tried for like a story and showed little to no Meg until like the last 1/3 of the movie.  Nobody is putting this on to watch Jason Stratham act.  Trust me.

4 - Expendables 4

Come on!  This is up to number 4?  Stop it!  This was completely a direct to blu ray kind of movie that got a theatrical release.  No clue why.  Between covid and the two writer strikes these are the kind of movies that break through.  Yuck!

3 - Beau Is Afraid

This is one of two movies that will show up on most movie critics best movies of 2023 lists but is on my worst.  This movie was THREE HOURS LONG.  I made it about 1/3 through the movie being beyond bored an not remotely understanding what was supposed to be so great about it.   Hate movies like this.

2 - Asteroid City

Here is the other movie that will show up on several critics top 10 lists.  I keep trying with Paul Anderson movies.  I want to like them.  The casts are always incredible because everyone wants to work with this guy but the movies are just babbling garbage to me.  So annoying.  

1 - Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts

My hatred of the Transformers franchise after the absolutely amazing original one is very well documented.  I swore off going to see them any more after the last one.  Only saw this one because of the movie pass thing I have.  Once a Transformer puked nuts and bolts I was out.  I really wish this franchise would die so bad.

The Color Purple

Torn apart from her sister and her children, Celie faces many hardships in life, including an abusive husband. With support from a sultry singer named Shug Avery, as well as her stand-her-ground stepdaughter, Celie ultimately finds extraordinary strength in the unbreakable bonds of a new kind of sisterhood.

This was a very great and powerful watch.  The acting, singing and choreography was awesome and didn't seem forced or awkward.  The only knock I would make on this is the same knock I have made on all the versions of it that the time jumps are a little too choppy to get through all of the traumatic events over a lifetime and introduce all of the important supporting characters.

I would definitely recommend people checking this out.  It was a very enjoyable and powerful watch filled with awesome performances.

The Boys In The Boat

During the height of the Great Depression, members of the rowing team at the University of Washington get thrust into the spotlight as they compete for gold at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin.

This movie was the textbook underdog sports movie but was done sooooooooo well.  You are hooked to pretty much every character and on edge for every race.  You are so hooked that you are cheering and clapping during the movie.  Never in a million years thought that one of my favorite underdog movies ever would be about rowing.  LOL!

I would definitely recommend people checking this out.  It was a very very enjoyable movie and leaves you feeling really really good.

Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom

After failing to defeat Aquaman the first time, Black Manta wields the power of the mythic Black Trident to unleash an ancient and malevolent force. Hoping to end his reign of terror, Aquaman forges an unlikely alliance with his brother, Orm, the former king of Atlantis. Setting aside their differences, they join forces to protect their kingdom and save the world from irreversible destruction.

And the DCEU as we know it comes to an end with possibly the biggest dud of them all.  This movie was honestly hot garbage.  The dialogue was so beyond groan worthy.  The effects were total trash.  The story . . . . . who cares.  And it has to be the most pointless comic book movie release with it being public knowledge that nothing was coming of this and that it was just a money grab.  Excited to see what James Gunn can do moving forward but so glad that these DC movies are over.   How do you have Jason Momoa who is just fun to watch be this bad?

No - I would never recommend anyone bothering with this movie.  Again - absolute hot garbage on every level.   

Anyone But You

Despite an amazing first date, Bea and Ben's initial attraction quickly turns sour. However, when they unexpectedly find themselves at a destination wedding in Australia, they pretend to be the perfect couple to keep up appearances.

This is your textbook run of the mill rom-com but it works.  The chemistry was there.  The side characters checked all the boxes and you care about how it's going to play out even though it is completely formula in every way.

Even though it is is formula and very over the top at times I would still recommend fans of rom-coms checking this out just because of the chemistry between the two leads.

The Iron Claw

The true story of the inseparable Von Erich brothers, who make history in the intensely competitive world of professional wrestling in the early 1980s. Through tragedy and triumph, under the shadow of their domineering father and coach, the brothers seek larger-than-life immortality on the biggest stage in sports.

This was a very good and enjoyable biographical drama.  The performances were good (except for the guy playing Ric Flair - that was terrible) and the story was heartbreaking.  My only knock against it would be the pacing was a little off.   Like they spent so much time with you getting to know the characters and then it was one thing after another in rapid fire with the family even though there was a lot of time inbetween the incidents.

I would definitely still recommend people checking this out.  It was one of the better end of year biographical offerings this year.

Ferrari

During the summer of 1957, bankruptcy looms over the company that Enzo Ferrari and his wife built 10 years earlier. He decides to roll the dice and wager it all on the iconic Mille Miglia, a treacherous 1,000-mile race across Italy.

This is one of those movies where you know you are watching a very well made movie and a very well acted movie but like there is next to zero hook that makes you care.  Like I very much respect the movie but it wasn't that high on the enjoyable meter because it ended up just kind of being there and led to me wondering how/why this guy was worthy of an autobiographical movie.   

I would kind of recommend people checking this out because I'm pretty sure that it will be in the running for end of year awards.  Again - very well done but kind of dropped the ball on the emotional hook for me at least.

Wonka

Armed with nothing but a hatful of dreams, young chocolatier Willy Wonka manages to change the world, one delectable bite at a time.

Not going to lie - I had very low expectations for this movie.   Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory is one of my favorite movies ever.   Pretty much a staple of my childhood.   So when I heard that they were doing a prequel I thought for sure this was another here we go with ruining something remake or prequel style.  I was happily very wrong.  I absolutely loved this movie.   It could have been paced a little better but overall I loved the characters, I loved the songs and I loved the story with callouts to the original.  I thought Timothy Chalemet was great as Wonka and Hugh Grant as the Oompa Loompa didn't bother me as much as I thought it would.

I would definitely recommend people checking this out.  This was a movie that is perfect for seeing in theaters and just escaping the world for a couple of hours.

Migration

A family of ducks decides to leave the safety of a New England pond for an adventurous trip to Jamaica. However, their well-laid plans quickly go awry when they get lost and wind up in New York City. The experience soon inspires them to expand their horizons, open themselves up to new friends, and accomplish more than they ever thought possible.

This was a great movie for what it is supposed to be - a quick and enjoyable family movie for the holiday season at theaters.  Does it have franchise material?   Not really.  But is it an enjoyable enough watch with some good laughs and characters for both adults and the kids they bring?   Yes.

I would definitely recommend families checking this movie out.  It's an enjoyable and quick watch that will put smiles on everyone's faces.  

Poor Things

Brought back to life by an unorthodox scientist, a young woman runs off with a lawyer on a whirlwind adventure across the continents. Free from the prejudices of her times, she grows steadfast in her purpose to stand for equality and liberation.

This was a weird weird weird movie.  LOL!   Like next level weird.  The filming style of it, the subject matter, the performances were all off the charts weird.   I'm actually very surprised I was able to make it through this movie but the social commentary throughout really had me hooked and made me want to see how things play out.  It also definitely helped that I love Emma Stone.   I'm pretty sure this movie will be up for a lot of end of year awards but this is about as far from a mainstream movie that you can get.

I would have to know who was asking whether or not to recommend checking this out.  Like I have said it was very arthouse weird but it managed to keep me hooked.

Silent Night

On Christmas Eve, a man witnesses the death of his young son when the boy gets caught in crossfire between warring gangs. Recovering from a wound that cost him his voice, he soon embarks on a bloody and grueling quest to punish those responsible.

Imagine if The Punisher and Rocky got mushed together and former blockbuster director John Woo decided to make a movie about it with no dialogue and you have this.  That is honestly so spot on as ridiculous as it sounds.   This movie was a silent training for a calendar year and then the act of getting revenge in one night with zero words.   And you felt like you were there for the whole damn year and don't honestly care by the time the revenge starts playing out.

I wouldn't remotely recommend anyone bothering with this.   I really have no idea how I made it through this movie without leaving because it was epically pointless.

Saltburn

Set in England in the mid-2000s, it follows a young university student who becomes obsessed with his wealthy schoolmate, who invites him to spend the summer at his eccentric family's estate.

This was a very very weird movie.  And that is probably a massive understatement.   The lead was very creepy and there were certain scenes that very much make you look at the movie like WTF.  Yet you are somehow hooked by the performances throughout the movie to see how it will all play out.  

I would kind of recommend people checking this out.   It's not a must see at all but it is a very eccentric and weird character drama.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes takes place in the dystopian world of Panem, during the tenth annual Hunger Games. It follows the story of Coriolanus Snow, who later becomes the tyrannical President Snow depicted in the original series.

I don't know how I never knew this but this is a prequel that is pretty much the origin story of the main bad guy in the rest of The Hunger Games movie.   So I was a little confused at times like am I supposed to like this guy because he kind of seems like a jerk?  LOL!   And then I was like ooooooooooooooooh that makes sense.  This was pretty good movie.  I would not say awesome or must see but it was a decent watch.  However, I feel like I have been saying this ALOT lately but it's simply waaaaaaaaay too long and again you feel it.  There are legit three acts to this movie and I was thinking that the ending would be around where act II ended.  

I would still recommend people checking this out because it is an enjoyable watch and a well done movie.   Just a heads up again that it is pretty damn long.

Napoleon

A look at the military commander's origins and his swift, ruthless climb to emperor, viewed through the prism of his addictive and often volatile relationship with his wife and one true love, Josephine.

This movie definitely delivered on the epicness of the battle scenes you would expect from Ridley Scott and the performance you would expect from Joaquin Phoenix.   I am not remotely a history buff but it was told in a way that kept you hooked and intrigued.  The only thing would have to be that the movie was crazy long and you felt how long it was.  

I would still recommend people checking this out.  It was a really good watch and is sure to be nominated for several end of year awards.   Just be warned that it is a long ass movie.

Wish

Young Asha makes a wish so powerful that it's answered by a cosmic force, a little ball of boundless energy called Star. With Star's help, Asha must save her kingdom from King Magnifico and prove that when the will of one courageous human connects with the magic of the stars, wondrous things can happen.

I just didn't like this movie.  I can't really put my finger on it but something about it just annoyed me.  Like the movie didn't really know what it wanted to be and I guess I was expecting something more straight forward Disney princess wise.  The music didn't work and fell very flat.  The characters were all pretty forced and dull.  I was very surprised at how not enjoyable this movie really was.

I wouldn't really recommend anyone checking this movie out.  I thought it was easily one of the lamer Disney entries in a long long time.

Next Goal Wins

With the 2014 World Cup qualifiers approaching, down-on-his-luck coach Thomas Rongen tries to turn the American Samoa soccer team into winners.

This is pretty much every single underdog sports movie cliche to a tee.  But the trick with these is that it has to hook you enough.  This movie kind of did.  The quirky characters keep you interested enough.  It might help if you care about soccer which I don't.  But it also has Waititi's directorial touch that makes it kind of enjoyable.

I would somewhat recommend people checking this out because it is a decent watch.  It's not a must see by any means whatsoever but it is watchable.

Thanksgiving

An axe-wielding maniac terrorizes residents of Plymouth, Mass., after a Black Friday riot ends in tragedy. Picking off victims one by one, the seemingly random revenge killings soon become part of a larger, sinister plan.

How in the blue hell was this a movie?   Better question - how was this a wide release in theaters movie?  LOL!!!  Just reread that synopsis and/or watch the trailer and I dare you not to tilt your head like a confused dog and mutter what the hell?   

Would I recommend anyone watching this?   Not in a million years for all the money in the world.  It was so beyond dumb.

The Marvels

Carol Danvers, aka Captain Marvel, has reclaimed her identity from the tyrannical Kree and taken revenge on the Supreme Intelligence. However, unintended consequences see her shouldering the burden of a destabilized universe. When her duties send her to an anomalous wormhole linked to a Kree revolutionary, her powers become entangled with two other superheroes to form the Marvels.

This one was pretty disappointing.  Like kind of on a level with Thor: Love And Thunder.  I was able to enjoy it at times - mostly because of Ms Marvel and the cast from that show.  But that was the biggest problem.  The most irrelevant character in this movie was Captain Marvel.  This served as much more of a continuation of the Monica character from Wandavision, Ms Marvel and another show from the end of the movie that served as a great setup.  This movie started off good and then it was as if they just gave up while really only caring about getting to the final two scenes - both having nothing to do with Captain Marvel - that set great things up moving forward.   So like . . . . . what was the point?

I don't think my recommendation or not really matters here but this movie will definitely be on the shortlist of Marvel ones that I will likely never bother watching again.

The Holdovers

A curmudgeonly instructor at a New England prep school remains on campus during Christmas break to babysit a handful of students with nowhere to go. He soon forms an unlikely bond with a brainy but damaged troublemaker, and with the school's head cook, a woman who just lost a son in the Vietnam War.

This movie was a textbook example of how to do a great character dramedy.   They built up all three main characters and helped you understand why they were how they were.  The chemistry between the was great.  And all the performances were great.  This was a perfect role for Paul Giamatti.  

I really enjoyed this movie even though ultimately it is kind of just there.  The hook got me good enough and made me care about these characters.  I would definitely recommend people checking this movie out.  

What Happens Later

Snowed-in at a regional airport overnight, ex-lovers Willa and Bill realize they're still attracted to each other -- but also still equally annoyed with each other. As they unpack the riddle of their mutual past and compare their lives to the dreams they once shared, they begin to wonder if their reunion is a mere coincidence or something more enchanted.

This movie seemed like a decent premise and at the start it was pretty good but it went on waaaaaaaay too long and ran its course too soon.   The whole back half of this movie was after it had past the point of being watchable.  And the staying in the same setting for that long was pretty rough for a "rom-com" and killed all of the "com."

I wouldn't really recommend anyone checking this out.  It's that unspoken line of thinking that all of us have but it was only good as a premise apparently.

Trolls Band Together

Poppy discovers that Branch and his four brothers were once part of her favorite boy band. When one of his siblings, Floyd, gets kidnapped by a pair of nefarious villains, Branch and Poppy embark on a harrowing and emotional journey to reunite the other brothers and rescue Floyd from a fate even worse than pop culture obscurity.

This is a weird animated franchise.  This is like the 3rd or 4th one, right?   The characters are cool.  The spinoff cartoons were cool.   The voice cast is great.   The music is awesome.  But somehow it's all just there.  Like I don't know that there is a massive calling for more Trolls movies.  Would easily forget this franchise if they were to just stop.  Yet they keep going and it's like oh okay.   This movie is not bad.  There are some good laughs and the story is entertaining enough.  But you definitely kind of forget about it right after watching like the rest.

I would sort of recommend people checking this out.  Not a must watch at all but a decent one for families and kids without much out there otherwise.

Freelance

Stuck in a dead-end desk job, former special forces operative Mason Pettis reluctantly takes on a freelance gig to provide private security for a washed-up journalist as she interviews a ruthless dictator. When a military coup breaks out just as she's about to get the scoop of a lifetime, the unlikely trio must figure out how to survive the jungle and one another to make it out alive.

This is the definition of a made for DVD movie.  This is the biggest example of how much the writers strike and actors strike have screwed Hollywood.  This being a theatrical release is crazy.  I like Cena and Alison Brie but this movie is a complete waste of time and was never meant to be seen on the big screen.   So crazy.

I wouldn't recommend anyone really bothering with this.  It's a just there movie and there are definitely better things you could be doing or watching.

Five Nights At Freddy's

The film follows a troubled security guard as he begins working at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. While spending his first night on the job, he realizes the night shift at Freddy's won't be so easy to make it through.

This movie is exactly what I thought it would be.  I never really understood the craze over the games years ago and once I heard the movie was opening up in theaters and streamers at the same time I figured it would be a just there, mailed in, PG-13 "horror" movie.   And that is what it was.

I wouldn't really recommend anyone bothering with this.  It plays more like a 10 minute sketch of Chuck E Cheese going bad.  

Killers Of The Flower Moon

Based on journalist David Grann's 2017 best-selling book of the same name, Killers of the Flower Moon recounts the true story of how a white businessman and self-proclaimed "true friend" of the Osage Nation orchestrated the brutal murders of numerous members of the tribe in early 1920s Oklahoma.

This was an amazing movie.  How could it not be with DiCaprio, DeNiro and Scorcese?   But like . . . . .  it was long as hell.  I had to split the movie in half to watch it.   It wasn't boring.  It was a great story with amazing performances but that's just a long time to be watching a movie that is not action packed.  That's a long time even if it was action packed.   But yes - the movie was amazing and should be up for a ton of awards this year.

I would definitely recommend people checking this out but it is a loooooooooooong watch.

The Exorcist: Believer

When his daughter, Angela, and her friend Katherine, show signs of demonic possession, it unleashes a chain of events that forces single father Victor Fielding to confront the nadir of evil. Terrified and desperate, he seeks out Chris MacNeil, the only person alive who's witnessed anything like it before.

I have truly grown to feel like exorcist movies have become the lamest version of horror movies.   For every ten made you get one that might be above average.  This was not the one even with the attempt at working the nostalgia angle with the original one.  It took way too long to get going and once it did you had pretty much seen everything in the trailer.   It's pretty much forgettable the second the movie is over.

I wouldn't really recommend anyone bothering with this movie that ultimately is really just kind of there.  

The Creator

As a future war between the human race and artificial intelligence rages on, ex-special forces agent Joshua is recruited to hunt down and kill the Creator, the elusive architect of advanced AI. The Creator has developed a mysterious weapon that has the power to end the war and all of mankind. As Joshua and his team of elite operatives venture into enemy-occupied territory, they soon discover the world-ending weapon is actually an AI in the form of a young child.

This was a really good sci-fi movie.  I have always said that the best sci-fi is when you are basically taken to their world and leave the theater thinking that you might be coming out into that world and this accomplished that.   The characters were well developed and I enjoyed the story.  It was a little too long and strangely tried to be a little too artsy at times but those are minimal knocks against a very enjoyable sci-fi ride of a movie.

I would definitely recommend people checking this out.  It was a very enjoyable watch and visually awesome.

Saw X

Hoping for a miraculous cure, John Kramer travels to Mexico for a risky and experimental medical procedure, only to discover the entire operation is a scam to defraud the most vulnerable. Armed with a newfound purpose, the infamous serial killer uses deranged and ingenious traps to turn the tables on the con artists.

I mean it's just more of the same.   This is the 10th one.  It's been going on for 20 years now.  You either are gonna see this or you are not and what I have to say about it will have zero effect on that.  LOL.   The background story was decent but let's be honest - this is just about the crazy setup traps and they were as nasty as always.

Like I said - no point in my recommending it or not.  If you like these I'm sure you will like them.  If you don't why in the blue hell would you start now?

A Haunting In Venice

Now retired and living in self-imposed exile in the world's most glamorous city, Poirot reluctantly attends a seance at a decaying, haunted palazzo. He soons gets thrust into a sinister world of shadows and secrets when one of the guests is murdered.

I don't know if I'm just not feeling this Poirot movies or if they are just getting increasingly done badly.  Like the first one was good.  The second one was okay.  This one was just kind of eh.  Thankfully it wasn't too long but even the quality of the cast seems to drop off from movie to movie.  The overall extra dark style of this one was honestly preventing me from feeling the movie.  Like there was no connection to it and I was just watching kind of bored.

I wouldn't really recommend anyone bothering with this.  It was just a kind of their movie without any quality substance.  

Dumb Money

Everyday people flip the script on Wall Street and get rich by turning GameStop into one of the world's hottest companies. In the middle of everything is Keith Gill, a regular guy who starts it all by sinking his life savings into the stock. When his social media posts start blowing up, so does his life and the lives of everyone following him. As a stock tip becomes a movement, everyone gets wealthy -- until the billionaires fight back and both sides find their worlds turned upside down.

This feels like one of the quickest turnarounds for a real life story into a movie I've ever seen.  It has a great cast and the plotting out of the events that led to everything was done in such a quirky way that it really showed how the every day people "beat the system" and what not.  

I would definitely recommend people checking this out.   It's a good watch of a great story with a really awesome cast.  

Expendables 4

Armed with every weapon they can get their hands on, the Expendables are the world's last line of defense and the team that gets called when all other options are off the table.

Why is this still happening?   First one - fine.  Nice nostalgia throwback.  Second one - okay.  You want to include any action stars that you didn't put in the first.  I'll allow it.  But the third was garbage and this is hot flaming garbage.  Please just stop.

I would not recommend anyone bothering with this.  Ever.  It's not even worth it for like basic action stuff.  Total waste of time.

It Lives Inside

Desperate to fit in at school, Sam rejects her East Indian culture and family to be like everyone else. However, when a mythological demonic spirit latches onto her former best friend, she must come to terms with her heritage to defeat it.

This is a textbook eh September horror movie.  Concept seems pretty decent.  Trailer was okay.  But the movie is just kind of there and doesn't really deliver like at all.   There are always 2-3 of these every September.

I would not recommend anyone really bothering with this.  It's completely forgettable and a waste of time.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3

Members of the Portokalos family reunite in Greece for a hilarious and heartwarming trip full of love, twists and turns.

This movie was a decent watch / continuation of the quirky greek family from the first two movies.   I don't know that there was remotely any demand or need for it whatsoever but it you like the characters it is a decent continuation and short enough to avoid being painful.  

I would not really recommend anyone rushing to see this.  It's not a bad watch but is kind of just there and not really worth the time/money.

The Nun 2

In 1956 France, a priest is violently murdered, and Sister Irene begins to investigate. She once again comes face-to-face with a powerful evil.

I don't really know that anyone was calling for this sequel to be made.   I wouldn't say that it was a bad movie.  It was more like disjointed.   At one point during it the movie felt like it kind of split into two movies.   The nuns looking into something and the kids getting terrorized.   They never really seemed to properly connect when they met back up and it held the movie back as a whole despite some decent creepiness levels.

I would very lukewarmly recommend people checking this out.  It's not a must see by any means and it's borderline okay but it might be one of the better offerings that come out this month.  

Equalizer 3

Since giving up his life as a government assassin, Robert McCall finds solace in serving justice on behalf of the oppressed. Now living in Southern Italy, he soon discovers his new friends are under the control of local crime bosses. As events turn deadly, McCall becomes their protector by taking on the mafia.

I'm not really sure how much the world was clamoring for this movie or the franchise to be a trilogy.   Like at all.  The movie was a decent watch.  It started awesome and ended great but there was a lot of down time inbetween - which again that's probably because Denzel as an action hero has probably set sail so there was alot of dramatic talking and stuff that could have easily been trimmed down.

I would still somewhat recommend people checking this out.  It was a decent watch but definitely could have been better.  

Strays

Abandoned on the mean city streets by his lowlife owner, Doug, a naive but lovable dog named Reggie falls in with a fast-talking, foul-mouthed Boston Terrier and his gang of strays. Determined to seek revenge, Reggie and his new canine pals embark on an epic adventure to get him home and make Doug pay for his dirty deed.

I'm not going to lie.  I had pretty high hopes for this movie.  And I think that those high hopes definitely skewed my feelings about it.  Like the movie was funny and had some big laughs but I just wanted it to be much funnier than it was I guess.   

I would somewhat recommend people checking this out.  It's not too long and there were some good laughs.  I just didn't think that there were enough of them.  

Retribution

While driving with his two kids, a man receives a phone call from an unknown assailant who claims there is a bomb in the car. Unable to exit the vehicle, he must now follow a series of twisted instructions while trying to figure out how to survive.

This is literally Taken in a car.  There is honestly nothing more to say than that.  It's what you thought from the trailer and it's exactly what you got.  Taken in a car.

I wouldn't really recommend anyone rushing to watch this.  It's decent enough and is less than 90 minutes long.  But it really is just Taken in a car.  

Blue Beetle

Jaime Reyes suddenly finds himself in possession of an ancient relic of alien biotechnology called the Scarab. When the Scarab chooses Jaime to be its symbiotic host, he's bestowed with an incredible suit of armor that's capable of extraordinary and unpredictable powers, forever changing his destiny as he becomes the superhero Blue Beetle.

I mean it might have been the bottom of the barrel expectations for this movie but this was a pretty enjoyable watch.  It was very basic, simple and formula but a good origin story for this superhero - especially by DC's standards.  

I would actually recommend people checking this out.  It's not a must watch or anywhere near the best comic book movie ever made but it was a pretty good watch and that is a major plus for a DC movie as far as I'm concerned.  

The Last Voyage Of The Demeter

The crew of the merchant ship Demeter sets sail from Carpathia to London to deliver a cargo of 50 unmarked wooden crates. However, they soon discover they're not alone as Dracula's unholy presence turns the trip into a nightmarish fight for survival.

Why is it so hard to make a memorable Dracula movie.  I feel like they always miss the mark and this one was more of the same.  Not sure who was remotely asking for this movie to be made but it is beyond forgettable.  I honestly waited too long to write this review and barely remember the movie.  That is how forgettable it is.

I would not recommend anyone bother with this movie.  It is a pretty big waste of time.

The Meg 2: The Trench

Jonas Taylor leads a research team on an exploratory dive into the deepest depths of the ocean. Their voyage spirals into chaos when a malevolent mining operation threatens their mission and forces them into a high-stakes battle for survival. Pitted against colossal, prehistoric sharks and relentless environmental plunderers, they must outrun, outsmart and outswim their merciless predators.

This was absolute trash.  Like complete and total trash.  I was excited to see this because the first one turned out to be a pretty good guilty pleasure movie.  This one massively dropped the ball.   There wasn't even any sea creature shit really until like the last 20-30 minutes.   Like there were humans talking for 90 minutes before anything good.  Nobody.  I repeat nobody is seeing this movie for that nonsense.

I would not recommend that anyone bother with this movie.  It's a complete waste of time and very disappointing even for a movie that was expected to be guilty pleasure bad already.  

Gran Turismo

A player wins a series of Nissan-sponsored video game competitions through his gaming skills and becomes a real-life professional race car driver.

This is one of those just kind of there movies.  You pretty much already saw it from the trailer.  It's formula in every way but watchable.  But you kind of forget about it a couple of days after watching it.  

I would not really recommend anyone rushing to see it.  Maybe it would mean more if I was a fan of or played the video game but outside of that again the movie is just kind of there.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem

After years of being sheltered from the human world, the Turtle brothers set out to win the hearts of New Yorkers and be accepted as normal teenagers. Their new friend, April O'Neil, helps them take on a mysterious crime syndicate, but they soon get in over their heads when an army of mutants is unleashed upon them.

I had very low expectations for this movie because the animation looked more like sketches and this franchise has honestly been rebooted like 8 or 9 times now I think.  However, I was very pleasantly surprised at how entertaining this movie was.  It was kept nice and simple and the animation actually added a new feel to the familiar story.

I would definitely recommend people checking this out.  It was much more enjoyable than I expected.  

Barbie

Barbie and Ken are having the time of their lives in the colorful and seemingly perfect world of Barbie Land. However, when they get a chance to go to the real world, they soon discover the joys and perils of living among humans.

I really don't know how to feel about this movie.  Like if I say I didn't like it does that make me anti-feminism because I'm not.  And the whole girl power thing was not the problem with the movie.  It was honestly just that the movie couldn't decide what it wanted to be.  Like when it was campy and silly it was actually pretty good.  Similar to Free Guy with the being in a video game or The Lego Movie.  I enjoyed all of the Barbie world schtick.  But then they would switch to trying to be deep and human and heartfelt and then I would get kind of annoyed.  It was just a very disjointed movie.

I would not really recommend people seeing it but I feel like everyone already has.  The marketing was absolutely genius but the payoff of the movie just didn't match the hype for me I guess.