One of my father’s day traditions is to go to the movies with my family and this year we saw Dark Phoenix, the latest X-Men film. We’ve seen all the other films in this dying franchise, so why stop now? This installment focuses on Jean Grey’s (Sophie Turner) character who get’s caught up in some space accident while on a rescue mission which causes her mutant abilities to get enhanced and uncontrollable. She more or less goes to the dark side after that with a little help from an evil alien witch played by Jessica Chastain in a long blonde wig. I’m not quite sure why they made this movie. It’s not exactly anything that moves the X-Man mythology forward or is all that interesting. They tried something similar in the underwhelming X-Men: Last Stand as well, and until this movie was probably the least interesting of all the entries. Watching this, I felt a little bored and so did the actors. I got the feeling that some of them such as Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Fassbender & James McAvoy were just cashing paychecks. JLaw especially. She had very little to do in this and checks out about 45 minutes in. The movie’s last reel and final battle perks the movie up and almost makes it worth sitting through, but leaving this I still felt like scratching my head and saying what was the point of this story.

Rating (**)

This is the latest beginning of the year action film starring Liam Neeson where he plays either a vengeful dad or a man in the wrong place at the wrong time trying to stay alive. Keep in mind, the guys is in his mid 60’s. This whole annual parade of carnage films started more than a decade ago with the very successful “Taken” and he hasn’t stopped since. Many of these movies have been fun and quite good (Taken, The Grey, Unknown) and some have been quite awful & forgettable (Taken 2 & 3, Nonstop & The Commuter). But he knows what works and for that, I give him credit. “Cold Pursuit” feels a bit different. The formula is there and the premise is familiar, but the style is more artsy and it’s a bit more lighthearted despite a death toll which rises by the frame. The bad guys are something out of a cartoon including an overprotective crazy dad who is also campaigning for world’s worst father at the same time. My favorite aspect of the movie is that Liam Neeson’s job is to be the town snow plower and he takes that job very seriously. I love how he gushes over all fleet of plows that he gets to drive. The scenery is also quite beautiful. This movie drags and the story is muddled. I never fully understood who these bad guys were. Laura Dern seems wasted in her role as Neeson’s wife and you never see her again after the first 15 minutes or so. I didn’t mind Cold Pursuit as there are worse movies to sit through, but I felt the script and story could’ve been tighter and the artsy style felt out of place. It’s forgettable, but not too bad. (**)

I decided to save the Elton John movie for a date night because my wife isn’t big on giant radioactive monsters. I took my 20 yr son and relived some of the glory of the Saturday matinees I used to watch on TV. Matter of fact, I used to edit these movies when I was a film editor at WGN. Anyways, this picture checks all the Godzilla boxes. Giant monsters, great special effects, epic battles & lots of destruction. They even leveled Fenway Park which I appreciated because I hate the Red Sox. The story is goofy and the dialogue is straight from a cheese whiz can. All the human characters are pretty much there to help things along, run and look amazed and confused while dodging giant monster feet. But who cares, I didn’t go into this expecting to have to think about anything except how bad ass are the monsters and they big, bad and kicking ass. The monster effects are terrific and very true to their individual details. It’s a fun popcorn film and nothing else. This is a PG-13 movie, so please leave your little kiddies at home. 

Rating: (**1/2)

The concluding chapter in M. Night Shyamalan’s trilogy left me scratching my head and a little confused. Where Unbreakable & Split were a little more straightforward, I had a difficult time wrapping my head around this movie. I guess, my biggest problem was how slow it was. The movie clocks in at just over 2 hours but it felt a lot longer to me. It’s very talky and deliberate and until the last reel, I was pretty bored and just waiting for something to happen. The conclusion to me left things even more up in the air and asked more questions. Where did these people come from? Who do they represent? I think to fully understand this, I’ll need to watch a second time, but the problem is that I really don’t want to. It’s a shame because I enjoyed the first 2 films and these are very interesting characters. I find the Elijah Glass character fascinating. But do we know why he is wired to do these things? I don’t know, I felt kind of empty when I was done watching. I guess I just didn’t get it.

Rating (**)

In the 1980’s, I was a HUGE fan of the WWF and all their stable of wrestling stars. From Macho Man to Rowdy Piper to the Hulkster and so on, I couldn’t get enough of them. This form of entertainment has always touched some kind of a nerve with me and I find the whole thing just a lot of fun. I got away from it and now it’s the WWE and they put out a brand new inspiring film based on a true story of a family of wrestlers from a small town of England. Their dream is for their 2 of their most talented kids make it big in the WWE. A brother & sister team audition and when the sister makes it and he doesn’t things get complicated because neither takes it very well. She has an attitude and difficult fitting in with the models & actors who can’t wrestle, while the brother has trouble missing out on his dream. The story is very predictable and follows all the formulas you’d expect, but what makes this film work, at least for me is that the characters are interesting, very likable and the family is very funny. The cast includes Nick Frost, Lena Headey, Vince Vaughn in a tough as nails instructor role and Florence Pugh as Sayara (aka. Paige), the youngest female to ever win the Diva’s Championship. Dwayne Johnson appears in this briefly to offer some encouragement, but his role is important. Mainly because they need people to see the film, which many did not. This is a fun and inspiring movie that probably the only way you’ll catch is by word of mouth or on home video. I liked it.

Rating: (***)

Starting off almost immediately after the conclusion of pt. 2. John Wick is off to the races with a bounty on his head. There are lots of kills, stabbing, gunfire, chases and bodies flying. It’s all very well choreographed, which is what I like most about these movies. Every fight scene is like watching a ballet of fistacuffs with knives and guns. The story is minimal, and so is the dialogue. Keanu has very little to say in this and why should he talk when he’s gotta be exhausted running for his life and fighting off just about everybody whether it be on a motorcycle, in a museum full of guns & knives, battling giant mean dogs with Halle Berry or breaking tons of glass cases in a fancy schmancy hotel. The movie is violent. Very violent. It’s also funny in parts but done in a very subtle way. I think the last fight scene droned on forever. How many ninja cronies does he have to fight before he gets to the main bad guy? Now, I’ve I’ve gotta give props to Keanu Reeves. The guy is in his 50’s and he’s pulling off some pretty amazing stunts and action scenes. He’s not at Tom Cruise Mission Impossible level, but it’s in the team photo. He also found another franchise that is perfect for his limited acting ability. I love Keanu, but Marlon Brando , he’s not. There is a set up for #4, which comes out in 2021. It’s a fun time at the show.

Rating (***)

“This is the story of Ted Bundy through the eyes of Elizabeth Kendall, the woman that Ted lived with for years and she couldn’t get out of head or her life despite how much she’s tried. The movie is really about her and the court system. You see very little of any of Ted’s crimes and murders, but much more focus on how he insisted on his innocence and continued to defend himself in court. A lot of this stuff is pretty interesting, even though you don’t really learn anything new. Zac Efron is really good as Ted and plays him as a charmer, just like he was. He looked just like him too. The film is very slow in the first hour, but perks up and gets a lot better once the trial starts. I was pretty impressed on much they paid attention to detail. You can see that in the end credits. Good cast with Jim Parsons, Lily Collins John Malkovich and Haley Joel Osment in supporting roles.

Rating: (***)

“Hellfest” (2018)
A mildly entertaining horror film about a group of teens having fun at the local amusement park for their Hellfest celebration. There is some throwback to the old slasher film style which I kind of miss, but aside from the main lead and the appearance of horror favorite Tony Todd there really isn’t anything special to see in this. (**)

“The Girl in the Spider’s Web” (2018)
Claire Bloom takes on the role as Lisbeth, the troubled reluctant assassin. The look of the film with all the beautiful European scenery and winter setting is very appealing and enhances the style, but the problem with this movie is that story is very slow and deliberate making sitting through this a bit of a slog. The villains are actually more interesting that the hero. It’s not bad, but I liked Noomi Rapace & Rooney Mara’s Lisbeth better. They just seemed to have a better feel for the character. (**)

“Destroyer” (2019)
Nicole Kidman plays against type as a tough former cop who reconnects with people from her past to help solve a case. It’s a violent film that just doesn’t work. (**)

“Assassination Nation” (2019)
Best way to describe this is Mean Girls meets The Purge and that is exactly how its being marketed. I liked both those films, but I didn’t like this one. It’s a stylish hyperviolent mess. Can’t believe high profile actors like Joel McHale & Bella Thorne appear in this in small garbage roles. I pretty much hated everybody in the movie. (*1/2)

“Escape Room” (2019)
A group of very different strangers all with a secret to their past take in an escape room, but when the effects seem to be a little too real and start knocking the participants off, who will be the last to survive? I liked this movie. It’s very suspenseful and all the characters are different and interesting. They try to set up a franchise, but not sure if they’ll succeed with that. Not a bad film for the genre. (***)

I loved this movie. It is the biggest, baddest, longest & easily the most entertaining entry in the MCU. The opening weekend took in 350 million so many of you have seen it, but I still won’t spoil any of the film for those who haven’t made it to the show yet. It’s a great culmination of the 23 movies that led up to this point. It’s very funny, sweet, sad at times, exciting and there are moments that will make you cheer and smile. It clocks in at 3 hrs and change, but it doesn’t feel like it. The surviving Avengers from the last film carry the load this time around with much needed help from absentees Ant Man, Clint (Hawk-Eye) and Captain Marvel who was introduced in her own film which is still killing at the box office. The original 6 Avengers are the core of this movie and all of them have a pivotal role. Robert Downey Jr. probably turns in one of his best performances yet. He’s always been a fine actor, but he’s great in this. Like all comic book films, there are a number of moments where you might be scratching your head or saying to yourself, well, that doesn’t make sense. My advice is to just let it go. It’s a comic book movie. Just have fun. There really isn’t anything else to say without giving away spoilers, but I will offer a couple tips. You don’t have to stay until the end of the credits. They offer a beautiful homage to the cast, but after that, you can take off. There is something at the end, but its not worth it and doesn’t set up anything. This will be the most profitable film in movie history until either “Rise of Skywalker” or until the release the Avatar sequels. It’s a blast. 

Rating: (****)

I’m not 100, so Laurel & Hardy never really meant much for me or made me laugh very much, but there is no denying their importance to film history and comedy. To a certain generation alive in the 30’s & 40’s, they were very beloved and meant a great deal especially during a difficult period when it was important to laugh and smile. This film is about the later days of their lives towards the end of their career. Hardy is sick and Laurel is struggling to keep the team alive and relevant. It’s a very poignant film and sometimes quite sweet. It’s also a little sad. We’re watching 2 old pros who know they’re way past their prime and should be hanging it up, but can’t. Abbott and Costello are the new Laurel & Hardy and they can’t compete with them. Their spouses want them to stop, yet hang with them. The performances by John C. Reilly and Steve Coogan are dynamite and so is the make-up job. They look just like them and the actors really became them. There really isn’t anything groundbreaking to this movie and at times it’s meanders along and drags, but if you stay with it until the end, it’ll bring a little smile.

Rating: (***)