Lilo & Stitch

A tale of a young girl's close encounter with the galaxy's most wanted extraterrestrial. Lilo is a lonely Hawaiian girl who adopts a small ugly "dog," whom she names Stitch. Stitch would be the perfect pet if he weren't in reality a genetic experiment who has escaped from an alien planet and crash-landed on Earth. Through her love, faith and unwavering belief in ohana, the Hawaiian concept of family, Lilo helps unlock Stitch's heart and gives him the ability to care for someone else.

I could be a little biased because of emotional connections this movie generates related to my daughter and my cat and by the fact that Stitch is pretty much my favorite Disney character but I honestly thought that this was the best live action remake that they have made to date.  This movie perfectly captured the laughs and more importantly the massive heart from the original.   All of the connections came through, all of the characters were carried over and done great and the kid actor that played Lilo was awesome.

I would absolutely recommend everyone checking this out.  This movie is a lock for my Top 10 of 2025 and was such a really good time at the movies. 

Karate Kid Legends

After moving to New York City with his mother, kung fu prodigy Li Fong struggles to let go of the past as he tries to fit in with his new classmates. When a new friend needs his help, Li enters a karate competition -- but his skills alone aren't enough. With help from Mr. Han and Daniel LaRusso, he soon learns to merge two styles into one for the ultimate martial arts showdown.

Wow.  Just wow.  This movie was such a pointless money grab.  I have not seen a money grab movie this blatant in a long, long time.  Chan and Machhio are barely in the movie.  And there is literally nothing new in this whatsoever.  It is the same story that has been redone a ton of times and for this to come out in theaters after Cobra Kai (which is actually nostalgia done right!) has ended is so ridiculous.

I would not recommend anyone ever bothering with this.  Please do not put your money towards such an insulting money grab of a movie.

Materialists

A young New York City matchmaker's lucrative business gets complicated as she finds herself torn between the perfect match and her imperfect ex.

So there are few things that annoy me more than advertising a movie as something and then it not being that.   This was hyped as a romantic comedy.   There was literally not one laugh in this whole movie.  And quite honestly there wasn't much romance in it either.   I give the movie credit for being a good character drama about how matchmaking has made dating life brutal with very realistic characters and situations.  BUT . . . . that was not what was advertised.  

I would somewhat recommend this movie for anyone who wants to feel more hopeless about dating in today's world than they might already.  But if you are looking for a comedy this is absolutely not one.

Bring Her Back

A brother and sister witness a terrifying ritual at the secluded home of their new foster mother.

When it comes to these under the radar, low budget horror movies it feels like 1 out of 10 seem to hit me as good.  This was one of those.   I expected pretty much nothing and when the movie started it definitely seemed like it would be one of those trash ones.   As it went on though they did a really good job of sprinkling in some nasty visuals that hook you along with a good job of developing curiosity about what is wrong with the kid at the house.   As it played out it definitely kept you hooked and interested and made you cringe plenty of times.   I was very surprised.

I would surprisingly suggest people checking this out.   Just be warned that there are some really nasty and gory scenes that are difficult to keep your eyes on the screen for.

How To Train Your Dragon

On the rugged isle of Berk, a Viking boy named Hiccup defies centuries of tradition by befriending a dragon named Toothless. However, when an ancient threat emerges that endangers both species, Hiccup's friendship with Toothless becomes the key to forging a new future. Together, they must navigate the delicate path toward peace, soaring beyond the boundaries of their worlds and redefining what it means to be a hero and a leader.

Part two of the greatest live action due of all time.  The original is a lock for my Top 5 movies of all time and just like Lilo & Stitch a month ago - this movie completely delivered.  It was not original at all and NOTHING was different from the animated version but I am honestly completely okay with that.   Why change perfection?   The movie still had the amazing emotional connections and it pulled all the same heartstrings.

I would absolutely recommend people checking this out.   It is an amazing watch and just as incredible visually as the animated version was.

The Accountant 2

Forensic accountant Christian Wolff teams up with his estranged but highly lethal brother to track down mysterious assassins.

Who in the blue hell was asking for this sequel?  I quite honestly remember nothing from the first movie.  Like at all.  This movie was pretty much the same I believe.  Like okay action while watching but it is all forgotten 5 minutes after you are done.   Like it's really just kind of there.   Very confused about where the demand for this came from.

I wouldn't really recommend anyone bothering with this.   Unless you were one of the people that was hoping for this sequel to a very forgettable action movie.

Thunderbolts

Ensnared in a death trap, an unconventional team of antiheroes -- Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes, Red Guardian, Ghost, Taskmaster and John Walker -- embarks on a dangerous mission that forces them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts.

I enjoyed this movie a lot.  Bucky Barnes has been one of my favorite Marvel characters.  Yelena skyrocketed towards the top of the list of characters for me as soon as she was introduced and Red Guardian - while enjoyable in Black Widow - legit stole every scene that he was in during this movie.  This is the first movie to really feel like one of the older Marvel movies in a while.  Great pacing, great action and a ton of great laughs.  The chemistry between the characters was great and the movie surprisingly had a very great story that I thought hit very well with the world today.  And most importantly for me - this felt the most continuity connected Marvel movie to come out since Endgame.

I would definitely recommend people checking this out.  I will be rewatching this movie a couple of times and I have not been able to say that about a Marvel movie in years.

Final Destination: Bloodlines

Plagued by a violent and recurring nightmare, a college student heads home to track down the one person who might be able to break the cycle of death and save her family from the grisly demise that inevitably awaits them all.

This was definitely much longer than it had to be.  But that really is the only knock I had against it.  They took the time to explain the story and develop the victims which was weird for a 6th movie into the franchise but it did work.  I felt like there was actually less deaths than usual which limited the oh my god stop feeling.   All in all - it was definitely a good and surprising entry.

I would definitely recommend fans of the franchise or horror movies watching this because there is plenty of good stuff in it.  If you have never seen one of these - why would you start now?

Fight Or Flight

A mercenary takes on the job of tracking a high-value asset known only as "The Ghost" on an international flight. Realizing the plane is filled with assassins assigned to kill them both, the pair must work together in a fight for their lives.

This movie is another one of those new kind of genre of films.  I'm not sure what to call it.  But it's when you take all the blood and gore from the most graphic of slasher horror movies and put it into an action movie.  And this one all took place on a plane.  It is mindless and requires you to suspend pretty much all percentage of reality but if you like gore and action then it's right up your alley.

I would not recommend people checking this out.  There is little story, even less substance and it is just 90 minutes of senseless gore.

Sinners

Trying to leave their troubled lives behind, twin brothers return to their hometown to start again, only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back.

This is a weird movie to review because I can't help but think that if it wasn't for Michael B Jordan and Ryan Coogler this would have been another waste of a vampire movie.   But for whatever reason I really enjoyed this movie which is even weirder because I usually find vampire movies to be pretty silly.   On top  of that this movie was way too long and usually that is also a death sentence for me but I actually enjoyed all the character development that they did to make you care about the deaths as they came.

I would definitely recommend people checking this out.   It was a very enjoyable horror movie and really felt like it took you to where they were.

The Amateur

Charlie Heller is a brilliant CIA decoder whose world comes crashing down when his wife dies in a London terrorist attack. When his supervisors refuse to take action, his intelligence becomes the ultimate weapon as he embarks on a dangerous trek across the globe to track down those responsible.

This movie was very formula in every way.  Quite honestly you saw the movie by watching the trailer.  Like there is very little that they held back on giving away.  And the movie was definitely 20 minutes too long.  All that being said - it definitely was still a better than average and enjoyable watch of a revenge type of movie.

I would recommend people checking this out but just a heads up that there are definitely pacing issues that make the movie drag at times when it shouldn't.

Until Dawn

One year after her sister disappeared, Clover and her friends head to the remote valley where she vanished to search for answers. Exploring an abandoned visitor center, they soon encounter a masked killer who murders them one by one. However, when they mysteriously wake up at the beginning of the same night, they're forced to relive the terror over and over again.

This movie had a decent concept of including so many different types of horror movies into one.  But it honestly wasn't much more than just a concept.  It ultimately ends up just being a movie that is there and is instantly forgettable 5 minutes after it's over.

I wouldn't recommend anyone bothering with this.  It was a good idea and nothing more.

Warfare

A surveillance mission goes wrong for a platoon of American Navy SEALs in insurgent territory in Iraq.

It would be easy to say that this movie is pointless since there is no build up or story progression or whatever a normal movie layout would have.   This is really just a war movie about Iraq based on the soldier's memories on that one day when doing surveillance and getting attacked.   It was incredibly gritty and legit felt like it took you there.  And for that - I respected it a lot.   The cast was great and it would be very hard to watch this and not have a very high level of respect for what these soldiers do.

I would definitely recommend people checking this out.   It is a very good watch that like I said truly takes you there into the craziness and intensity of that day.

Death Of A Unicorn

When a man and his daughter accidentally hit and kill a unicorn with their car, his boss tries to exploit the creature's miraculous curative properties -- with horrific results.

Wow.  Talk about a spiraling out of control movie.   This was weird as hell.  I am baffled as to how this cast was in what really amounted to a complete and total gore fest.   It was honestly like Cocaine Unicorn.   Very strange watch.

I really don't know that I would outright recommend people seeing this.   Like if you like gory movies sure but it was marketed as more of a mainstream movie and it very much is not. 

A Minecraft Movie

A mysterious portal pulls four misfits into the Overworld, a bizarre, cubic wonderland that thrives on imagination. To get back home, they'll have to master the terrain while embarking on a magical quest with an unexpected crafter named Steve.

This movie was absolutely brutal.  I have always been a kid at heart and have always stayed on top of any kid related crazes.  Minecraft was probably the first one that I was like I am too old for this shit.  It felt like it was generated specifically for young kids with raging A.D.D. and I found it incredibly annoying.  This movie was beyond true to that feeling.   It was just ALOT and incredibly annoying outside of that very specific audience.

I would note recommend anyone bothering with this although parents with younger kids will likely be forced to go watch it.   Poor them.