Reviews

Pros:

• Anya Taylor-Joy becomes a true action hero with one of her best performances, even without much dialogue, she does a great job acting with her eyes.

• Chris Hemsworth plays his unpredictable villain to perfection, delivering one of his most menacing roles to date but adding a human side to his character's scene chewing lunacy.

• Thrilling vehicular action scenes return and are on the same level as Fury Road. One about halfway through the film is a standout.

Cons:

• This prequel has a hard time matching the same quality level as Fury Road. Which is an almost impossible task as Fury Road still stands as one of the greatest action movies ever made.

Pros:

• A stellar cast with some good performances by both adults and children. Along with a legendary voice cast that will have you checking the credits at the end of the movie.

• Some good moments of fun that are mixed in with some heartfelt moments that will bring back your childhood.

Cons:

• The plot is very over complicated (especially for a family movie) that will have both parents and kids scratching their heads at times.

• Besides a few scenes, the film lacks a lot of imagination and creativity which contradicts the film's message.

• The special effects used on the IFs comes off as flat instead of popping off the screen.

Pros:

• Another landmark achievement in visual effects and CGI with great motion capture performances that makes this world feel entirely believable.

• A great new cast of characters both ape and human that build off the previous trilogies characters in smart ways. Raka is a stand out.

• Proximus is a great villain that rivals Koba for best in the series.

Cons:

• While Noa is a great new lead character, he is unable to fill the massive shoes left behind by Caesar and Andy Serkis's great motion capture performances.

• The film has some pacing problems, especially in the slower earlier moments and then speeding things up in the second half of the movie.

Pros:

• A love letter made to all the hard working stunt men and women who make movie magic and do not get enough recognition for their work behind the scenes.

• Action scenes that utilize stunt men and women on the movie set were well done and thrilling.

• Great chemistry between the lead stars Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt.

Cons:

• Not all the jokes land and some FALL flat (not sure if this is what they were going for with a movie about stunt work.)

• The needle drops (aka music selections) are very much on the nose and used way too much throughout the movie.

• The many trailers for the film do give most of the movie away, including much from the final action sequence.

Creed III is a big budget movie from a long historic franchise for the directorial debut for Michael B. Jordan. This may seem like a very risky move, however, Jordan delivers knock outs both in front and behind the camera. The fight scenes stand out (the last one in particular), which do have an anime feel to them, as Jordan has stated.

The absence of Sylvester Stallone did not bother me much, besides a scene or two where he could have shown up. Creed III feels like Adonis finally stepping out of Rocky's shadow to become his own boxer.

Michael B. Jordan becomes a director to keep an eye on with his debut, Creed III. Jonathan Majors does everything he can to steal the spotlight but Jordan steps out of Rocky's shadow to deliver this third blow in the Creed trilogy.

Ant-Man and the Wasp return in Quantumania.

This third installment loses all the charm and charisma of first two films. Especially Paul Rudd's, Scott Lang, who takes a back seat (in his own movie). Most of the fan favorite characters from the first two films also do not make an appearance here. The film relies heavily on CGI and special effects, making it difficult to establish emotional connections with the characters.

The one character who stands out is KANG. Jonathan Majors makes a big impact with the role and stands out amongst the cast. Get use to seeing Majors, he will be showing up a lot in the MCU.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania feels like a setup movie for future MCU projects rather than its own story. Majors carries the film with his on screen presence and makes his mark on the MCU.

Another M. Night Shyamalan movie... another twist?

Knock at the Cabin is a well crafted thriller boasted by some unique camera work. This may also by Shymalan's most mature movie to date, not relying on a twist ending to satisfy the audience. Child actress, Kristen Cui, and Bautista are the stand outs from the cast. Bautista continues to show range with his unique roles.

However, the story left me wanting more by the end. As the film's message is pretty vague and obscure. It is hard to come up with any point Shymalan was trying to get across to the audience.

While Knock at the Cabin is not Shymalan's best film, it is far from the "head scratchers" that plagued the middle of his career. If you are a fan of his, you will enjoy his newest film, but this will not win over any of his haters.

Missing is not exactly a sequel to 2018's Searching but does take place in the same cinematic universe.

Missing takes us on yet another twisted thrill ride that will have you trying to keep up with its fast paced action on screen. The film does an excellent job of showing how useful social media and technology can be used to help bring people together from across the globe. Storm Reid carries this thriller very well (maybe not as good as Cho) in a role where she is constantly on screen reacting to the unfolding events.

Through all its twists and turns, watching Missing you may feel a sense of deja vu. The film is very similar to Searching in its structure and how the story is framed to the viewer.

Even though I am not a huge fan of this style of filmmaking, Missing still managed to hook me in with its smartly crafted story that reveals its clues at a fast pace and will leave you glued to the edge of your seat.

Is M3GAN a cheap knock off of Child's Play or a worthy horror/comedy that can stand on its own?

M3GAN actually tells a surprisingly thought provoking story about how technology has changed the relationship between parents and their children. The story also makes you care about its main characters (which is always a plus in horror movies) by taking the time to properly develop them before the horrific events occur.

The film's tone switches constantly throughout between comedy and horror. While it does have some laughs and some scares, the film never fully commits to either. So the movie is never fully terrifying or laugh out loud funny.

In the end, M3GAN rises above her meme status to deliver a surprisingly good first weekend of January release that could nail its tone better (hopefully in a sequel).

When Bullet Train is not trying to be a Tarantino rip-off or trying to cram eight separate movies into one, it can be an enjoyable ride. However, this is not the case most of the movie, getting derailed by the third act due to a mess of a story.

While DC League of Super Pets is not top notch DC animation, it provides a better experience than most live action DC outings. Boosted by a terrific voice cast, this is hilarious good time for both superhero fans and pet owners.

NOPE is good, very good at times, but it is inconsistent throughout its runtime. Peele delivers some awe inspiring camera work here but he seems to be aiming for too many targets, narratively, and not hitting all of them.

Thor: Love and Thunder is not the same breathe of fresh air that Ragnarok was. However, Chris Hemsworth continues to shine as Thor, delivering excellent comedic bits along with the big action scenes.

Minions: The Rise of Gru is not a game changer in terms of animated movies, however it will keep you entertained for 90 minutes or so with more minions shenanigans injected with a retro theme this time around.

Baz Luhrmann's Elvis frazzles and dazzles from start to finish in a music biopic filled with energy and style. Austin Butler fills the great showman's shoes perfectly, while Hanks holds the movie back from true greatness.

The Black Phone gets off to a slow start but the slower build up pays off in a thrilling third act with some help from Ethan Hawke's terrifying performance.

Lightyear is saved by its top notch animation because this Toy Story spin-off simply lacks the creativity and heart that have made Pixar the best animation studio.

The conclusion to the Jurassic era is pulverized into a bloated disaster. Jurassic World Dominion is an overstuffed mess that manages to diminish its own characters and even the dinosaurs.

I am not a huge fan of the original but Top Gun: Maverick blew me away. Pulling off a wildly entertaining summer blockbuster that will have you on the edge of your seat one moment and cheering the next.

Alex Garland's reach may have exceeded his grasp in a third act that will leave some viewers scratching their heads. But Garland is still able to convey an uneasy atmosphere throughout the first two acts of the film.

Sam Raimi's return to the superhero genre is a mixed bag. Multiverse of Madness starts strong but ultimately falls under its own spell in a rushed and undeveloped second half. Fans clambering for a horror MCU film or a huge amount of variant cameos will surely be disappointed.

The Northman finds director Robert Eggers right at home delivering a gritty Norse epic with the biggest scope of his films to date but without sacrificing his signature weirdness.

A love letter to Nicholas Cage and his films. The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is carried by the chemistry of Cage and Pascal through this smart and self aware comedy.

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore still can not manage to recapture the magic of the Harry Potter films. This third entry is entertaining but will leave fans unsatisfied by the trilogy's conclusion.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is yet another surprise hit delivering more fun action while also diving deeper into the Sonic mythology and adding great new characters.