When the best part of the movie is the end credits that should tell you something. Not sure why Sly wanted to continue making Rambo movies especially after Rambo 3 & 4, which kind of sucked as well. But he did and here we are. Rambo is settled down living near the Mexican border playing with horses and living on a ranch with his niece. When his niece disobeys orders and gets in trouble, Rambo goes to see save her until it’s ultimately too late. He sets off revenge and then he knows they’re coming for him. That’s when the fun begins, when Sly goes into full Rambo with booby traps and all kinds of fun toys. It’s a violent bloody mess. The story isn’t very good and it’s not written very well, but it offers up some mayhem and action fans will probably enjoy it to some respect. The end credits which is an homage to the series is sweet and well done. Let’s hope he doesn’t make anymore.

Rating (*1/2)

I guess if I really wanted to I could nitpick for hours about the final installment of Star Wars, but the bottom line for me is did I have fun watching it and was it entertaining. Yes, I did and yes, it was. Of the 11 movies they’ve made which includes Rogue One & Solo, I’ve pretty much enjoyed all of them to a certain extent. All these movies have many plot holes, clunky dialogue and head scratching moments, but they all have entertained me. This one is no different. I was very satisfied with how they brought this whole thing to a close. Many of your favorite characters were brought back including Lando played by the old, but still suave Billy Dee Williams. The only thing missing was a Colt 45. JJ Abrams likes to use a lot of friends and this movie is littered with cast members from his TV shows. The movie is a bit slow at times, and many scenes you’ve seen before in other variations. You know what a light saber fight looks like and there are plenty of them and there also is no shortage of ghost images. Not a lot of “new” to this. But again, I had fun watching it and in my world, the film delivered.

Rating (***)

Really not much to these movies. You either have a good time or you don’t. I did. The first Jumanji was lots of fun, made lots of dough and naturally, they made a sequel. Some things got changed up such as the additions of Danny DeVito, Danny Glover and Awkwafina to the game and they’re nice window dressing to what is really a paint by numbers sequel. The action is well choreographed, specifically a thrilling sequence on a bridge with a pack of wild monkeys. There are some good laughs which many are the running gag variety such as Grandpa DeVito constantly forgetting people’s names and where he is half the time. Lots of funny old man jokes. I can’t say they offered anything really special in this sequel, but the film works because the stars Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart & Karen Gillan are all very likable and it’s fun which is good enough for me.

Rating: (***)

I was excited to see this movie when I heard they were making it. I work in the industry and I absolutely despise FOX news and all it stands for. Unfortunately, I felt underwhelmed while watching it despite some dynamite make-up and some very good impersonations of major FOX news personalities. Charlize Theron looks just like Megyn Kelly and had her down cold. The execution, at least to me didn’t go far enough with the rest of the FOX news downfalls, mainly that giant turd Bill O’Reilly. It felt a little disjointed and all over the place in parts meaning the script had a difficult time deciphering what direction it wanted to focus on. It felt like a topical TV movie with a parade of familiar actors imitating FOX anchors, hosts and reporters. It seemed forced with who can we cram in next and who can we get to play him/her. The casting of Richard Kind as Guliani is laughable and not sure who was under Geraldo’s mustache and glasses. I didn’t mind watching the movie and some of it was entertaining. Margot Robbie’s fictional character is used as a plot device to advance the story and she’s interesting, but I didn’t buy her relationship with Kate McKinnon’s character. It’s an important subject matter and I’m glad they made this movie and that I saw it. I just wish it was a better than it was. I recommend a marginal pass on this one. It’s worth seeing, but you can wait for it on the dvd. 

Rating: (**1/2)

“Richard Jewell” is the latest movie Clint Eastwood has done from true major events in recent history that made headlines. He recently did “15-17 to Paris” and “Sully” and I didn’t like either of those, but this movie seems to have a little more meat on it’s bone and made for a better story to watch. Richard Jewell is a socially awkward overweight security guard who lives with his mother, but he’s got a big heart, real ambition and he’s no dummy. He wants to do good, but is never taken seriously and has a checkered past only because he’s a little overeager at his past jobs. He’s played very well by Paul Walter Hauser (I, Tonya). When he saves hundreds at Centennial Park during the Olympics bombing, the FBI treats him as a suspect instead because he fits a profile of a hero bomber. This situation is made even worse by an over ambitious reporter. The story is very good and I enjoyed it. It does have a TV Movie feel to it though, which didn’t bother me, but I felt the film could’ve used a bit more drama. The movie is based on true events, obviously, but director Clint Eastwood, from what I read took many liberties with the facts. I also don’t believe that Olivia Wilde’s character Kathryn Scruggs is really that much of a lion as she is portrayed. That all being said, this is a pretty compelling movie driven by Hauser’s portrayal of a guy who truly got put through the ringer and got a raw deal. It’s worth seeing.

Rating (***1/2)

If you’re looking for a good drama that’ll knock you around a little bit but is also thought provoking and bittersweet, this film should do it for you. Much like a “Kramer vs. Kramer”, this is a realistic view of a couple going through a divorce, juggling child custody and trying to figure out how to deal with what comes with it. Deep down they really love each other but their professional lives, personal dreams and ideas are going in opposite directions forcing the reality of separation and ultimately divorce. It’s an unpleasant subject that couples deal with on a daily basis and for some this movie may be a chore to sit through. Noah Baumbach has tackled this material before with “Squid & the Whale”. That movie got under my skin because both leads were crazy and the kids were drips. This film, I think does a better job at portraying the parents in a more believable way. The performances by Adam Driver & ScarJo are terrific. Driver will probably take home a bunch of trophies for this. He’s great as you really feel for him as we continuously watch him get screwed over and over by Laura Dern as ScarJo’s psycho divorce lawyer who’s ad was probably found in a health food magazine published by a Stepford wive. She’s over the top, but her character is very fun to watch as is Ray Liotta’s lawyer who is something out of Goodfellas. Alan Alda is also good as a mensch lawyer who is way past his prime. This is a really good film. There are some moments which I didn’t buy or wished that the writing didn’t try to go for laughs, but that’s Baumbach’s MO. This is playing on Netflix so put it into your watchlist and check it out. It’ll be one of the movies nominated at Oscar time and may win. 

Rating: (****)

When the trailers came out a few months ago, my initial reaction was “stupid”, but boy am I glad I saw this because this movie is really fun. An old fashioned Agatha Christie style murder mystery. They don’t make these anymore, at least not very many. When the wealthy patriarch of a dysfunctional family suddenly drops dead, everybody is expecting a piece of the action, but its not so simple when all the money is left to the Brazilian nurse. A Louisiana detective (Daniel Craig) comes in and does his best Columbo if played by Foghorn Leghorn. The writing is very good and so is the mystery. You kind of suspect who the suspects are, but how will it come together because it can’t be this easy. Pay attention to detail as you’re watching this. After just sitting through the 3.5 hr marathon that was The Irishman, (although I liked it very much) I think I enjoyed watching this one more. Check it out. It’s a lot of fun.

Rating (****)

It took me multiple sittings, but I got through the most anticipated drama of the year. The past couple years actually. Is it worth all the hype and Oscar buzz? For the most part, yes, but it’s not without its flaws. Storywise, it’s very engrossing. You do get drawn in right away and most of the characters are pretty interesting. The movie especially perks up when Jimmy Hoffa is introduced. The acting by Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino are terrific. They’re great actors, but both of them kill it, esp. Pacino as Hoffa. This is easily the best work he’s done in decades. He also brings some much needed humor to the film. Joe Pesci is also really good in a quiet role very different than what were accustomed to.This is Scorsese’ wheel house and nobody tackles this genre better. There is a Goodfellas/Casino feel to it with the style and use of camera work and narration. Fans of those past films will also eat this movie up. That being said, this movie is way too long. There is no reason for this to be 3.5 hours. Sorry, the movie is very deliberate in it’s story telling, which many times was an asset to the film, but also brings it down to a slog, esp. the last 30 minutes. Scorsese could have accomplished everything he wanted with this movie in under 3 hours and it would still be a very good movie. I almost wished this was broken down to a 4 part mini-series. I think it might have been a little bit easier to sit through. The aging gimmick isn’t entirely seamless and is a distraction at times. Despite whatever complaints I have, this is still a must see.

Rating: (***1/2)

“Midsommar“
A really long and dragged out story about a group of kids who discover a small community of people who turn out to be completely nuts. The set up seemed to take forever and there is no reason that this film should be almost 2 hours and 15 minutes. Good young cast is wasted.

UPDATE: I’m willing to give this movie another try. By talking to others, I may have missed something the first time around.

Rating: (*1/2)

“Child’s Play“
Chucky’s back, love him or hate him. This is a very crazy remake of the 80’s iconic toy from hell flick of the same name. The story is a little different, but the premise is the same and so is the result. The violence is really taken up a notch as the deaths are more creative and certainly more gory. Chucky must’ve been watching Rob Zombie or Eli Roth movies, cause damn. Aubrey Plaza is a nice casting touch as she plays her usual spacey person. I’ve sat through a lot worse than this and it fed my horror vein for 90 minutes.

Rating: (**1/2)

“47 Meters Down: Uncaged”
I sat through the first movie because I have a thing for shark movies. That movie was stupid and this one is equally as dumb. I was actually rooting for the sharks. That being said, what made this movie a little more suspenseful was that a bulk of it took place in underwater caves and I do not like closed spaces. The sharks are interesting that they’re enormous and prehistoric. This is still a movie about stupid people doing stupid things.

Rating: (**)

“Crawl”
A fun and effective thriller about a spunky college swimmer who checks on her estranged father in the middle of a hurricane only to discover that he is trapped in the basement of his run down house by a giant gator which entered thru a nearby drain pipe. If you think about it, it’s absolutely plausible. Anyway, the movie worked for me because the gator effects are terrific and there are a lot of tense and jump out of your seat scenes. Much of it is predictable and kinda dumb, but you get exactly what you signed up for and at 83 minutes, it goes by quickly. I liked it.

Rating: (**1/2)

“Ready or Not”

What if it was your wedding night, just married and to be accepted into the family, all you have to do is play a nice game of hide and seek? Not bad, right? Maybe, a little weird. Not if the family’s goal is to try and capture and kill you. This is a pretty bonkers of a horror movie with a pretty neat premise and a good cast including Andie McDowell of all people as the mom. It’s got a lot of standard stuff in it, but it works because it doesn’t take itself too seriously and is fun.

Rating: (***)

“Anna & the Apocalypse”

Released very early in the year, this is a Christmas musical with a zombie twist. If you were to combine High School Musical with Shaun of the Dead you would get this. The little town of Little Haven is celebrating the holidays, but a zombie apocalypse threatens to bring down the fun. It’s a cute premise that works for a while, but really runs dry after a while and gets bogged down by the inability to really develop its characters. The songs are cute and well performed by the cast led by Ella Hunt, but I think we needed more of them. The movie is short, but after the first 45 minutes or so, I was like, I get it and I’m getting bored.

Rating: (**1/2)

“The Dead Don’t Die””

Here is another comedy with a zombie twist, but this one has a lot more star power and isn’t a musical. I think a little music would’ve livened things up a bit because this is a really drab and dull film. Directed by Jim Jarmusch, he brings his sense of style to the genre and unfortunately, it didn’t work for me. It’s very slow and much of the humor is extremely dead pan. Bill Murray, a Jim Jarmusch regular, leads the cast as the sheriff and he seemed as bored as I was watching this. It came across to me as a vanity project by the director and the audience was feeding his whim. I know Jim Jarmusch can make some pretty great films (Stranger Than Paradise & Night on Earth), but this ain’t one of them.

Rating: (*1/2)