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.

Ordinary Angels

A struggling hairdresser finds a renewed sense of purpose when she meets a widowed father working hard to care for his two daughters. With his youngest critically ill and waiting for a liver transplant, the fierce woman single-handedly rallies an entire community to help.

This is one of those annual faith above all movies where every heartstring is pulled mercilessly and what not.   These movies are either waaaaaaay too much or actually very enjoyable watches if done right.  This one was done right and I liked it very much even though I knew what a sap fest it would be.  It was done well enough that you get caught up in the story even though you know how it's gonna go.  The two lead actors did a really good job with their parts.

I would recommend anyone who is feeling down and at the end of their rope checking this out.  It could definitely inspire you in one way or another hopefully.

Madame Web

Cassandra Webb is a New York City paramedic who starts to show signs of clairvoyance. Forced to confront revelations about her past, she must protect three young women from a mysterious adversary who wants them dead.

Yuck.  Just yuck.  This was such a pointless turd of a movie in every way.  The script was crap.  The story was crap.  The acting was crap.  Sony's handling of all things Spider-Man not under the control of Marvel is off the charts bad.   Like I'm not even sure that this was like a legit movie.  It was like a really lame set up for something that is clearly never going to happen.  What in God's name was the thought process here?

I would never recommend anyone watching this.  Ever.  You essentially forget about it as you are watching it.

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?  

Drive-Away Dolls

In search of a fresh start, two women embark on an impromptu road trip to Tallahassee, Fla. However, things quickly go awry when they cross paths with a group of inept criminals along the way.

The Coen Brothers are one of those directors where the movies are always greatly reviewed and I am left like what the hell did I just watch.   This one was only one of them so I was hoping that the movie would be a little more watchable.  It kind of was.  But it was still a very random and weird movie.  Had some good quirky laughs but a lot of WTF moments.   The best part is that it is incredibly short and wastes no time with any kind of unnecessary build and what not.

I would still not really recommend anyone rushing to see this.  It's not a bad movie but it's honestly not that good either.

Lisa Frankenstein

A misunderstood teenager and a reanimated Victorian corpse embark on a murderous journey together to find love, happiness, and a few missing body parts.

What in the blue hell was this?  I basically watched almost the whole movie asking that question before I snapped out of it and moved on.   There was like a tongue in cheek kind of approach that made me hope a little bit that it would pay off or make it worth watching but that very much did not happen.

I would not recommend anyone bothering with this.  I honestly have no idea why this movie was made and even more questionable is how it got a wide release.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.  

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.