Hobbs & Shaw

The "Fast & Furious" spin-off will be a team-up between Dwayne Johnson’s Agent Luke Hobbs and Jason Statham’s Deckard Shaw.

This was textbook summer popcorn movie.  Crazy over the top action, tons of banter and laughs, an awesome villain, great chemistry between all parts and lots of random surprises.  I will always love The Rock no matter what.  The guy has made some giant turds of movies but I don't care because. . . . . . he's The Rock.  But outside of Fast Five - this is probably my favorite movie he has ever done.  It was just a very enjoyable ride.

I would absolutely recommend people checking this out.  It is easily one of the more enjoyable movies to come out this summer.

The Art Of Racing In The Rain

Based on the best-selling novel by Garth Stein, "The Art of Racing in the Rain" is a heartfelt tale narrated by a witty and philosophical dog named Enzo. Through his bond with his owner, Denny Swift, an aspiring Formula One race car driver, Enzo has gained tremendous insight into the human condition and understands that the techniques needed on the racetrack can also be used to successfully navigate the journey of life. The film follows Denny and the loves of his life, his wife, Eve, their young daughter Zoe, and ultimately, his true best friend, Enzo voiced by Kevin Costner.

Wow!  This movie massively and blatantly pulled every possible heart string it could but I didn't care.  I absolutely loved this movie.  I don't know how any pet lover or animal lover would be able not to.  I completely enjoyed this movie.

I would absolutely recommend people checking this movie out.  Its a massive tearjerker and punches you in the heart over and over again but I absolutely loved it.  This movie is a must see for anyone who loves or loved their pet.

The Kitchen

The Kitchen is an adaptation of the DC/Vertigo female-fronted comic book series of the same name. The original series was written by Ollie Masters and illustrated by Becky Cloonan and Ming Doyle. The series takes place in Hell’s Kitchen, New York, in the 1970s and follows the wives of Irish mobsters. Ultimately, the wives step in and take over to start running the business after several men are arrested during a mafia sweep.

This movie is was pretty much exactly what you would expect it to be from the trailer.  Nothing special.  Not a bad movie.  Not a great movie.  Ultimately its just there and has some really strange casting for a dramatic movie.  It was tough to watch at times having to take two of the funniest women in Hollywood serious but it was still somewhat enjoyable.

I wouldn't recommend anyone rush out to see this.  Certainly not if you are fans of the two leads because this is NOT the type of performances that you would normally be going to see for them.  Its a decent watch but there is not too much more to say past that.

Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark

This spooky addition to Alvin Schwartz's popular books on American folklore is filled with tales of eerie horror and dark revenge that will make you jump with fright. There is a story here for everyone -- skeletons with torn and tangled flesh who roam the earth; a ghost who takes revenge on her murderer; and a haunted house where every night a bloody head falls down the chimney. Stephen Gammell's splendidly creepy drawings perfectly capture the mood of more than two dozen scary stories -- and even scary songs -- all just right for reading alone or for telling aloud in the dark. If You Dare!

This is another exactly what you would expect from the trailer kind of movie.  It's a PG-13 horror movie so there is only so much that you can expect in terms of gore or frights.  This is basically a more edgy Goosebumps and was exactly what I expected.  It kept you interested in seeing how it would play out and was a decent watch.

Again - I wouldn't recommend anyone rushing out to see this.  It's not a must see by any means but if you want to it's not the worst thing you could see.

The Lion King

Jon Favreau will direct a live-action version of "The Lion King." The film will include songs from the animated film. The Lion King (1994) is one of the biggest animated films of all time with a lifetime global box office gross of $968.8 million, including $422.8 million domestically. It won Academy Awards for the original song “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” (Elton John, Tim Rice) and original score (Hans Zimmer), plus two Grammy Awards, with the soundtrack selling over 14 million copies. In 1997, the stage production “The Lion King” made its Broadway debut, winning six Tony Awards; 19 years later, it remains one of Broadway’s biggest hits.

I was nervous about this movie because of how much the original owns a piece of my heart on a bunch of levels.  But it did not disappoint.  I actually thought that they did a really great job considering the animated facial reactions that they would not be able to do with the live animal CGI.  I was not a fan of pushing the Beyoncé voice/character so much and it definitely fell victim a little too much to the "Me Too" pc forcing that is so prevalent now.  But that being put aside - they really did a great job with characters that I have loved for decades.

I would absolutely recommend people checking this out.  There are great iconic moments that are included and some elaborated on a little bit to put their own twist on it.  This is a very enjoyable family movie just like the original animated version.

Stuber

When a mild-mannered Uber driver named Stu (Kumail Nanjiani) picks up a passenger (Dave Bautista) who turns out to be a cop hot on the trail of a brutal killer, he's thrust into a harrowing ordeal where he desperately tries to hold onto his wits, his life and his five-star rating.

Ugh.  Just plain ugh.  Did I laugh a couple of times?  I'll admit.  But was this movie awful?  Oh my god yes.  And not in the kind of a way where you can enjoy it because of how awful it is.  It was just outright bad.  Even more baffling is that I can't get past how in the blue hell this was a mid-July release.  That is how bad this summer is.  Stuber is a summer wide release in the middle of July.  Did you read that?  Read it again.  How insane is that?   Unreal!

No - nobody should waste their time with this movie.  It is absolutely not worth your time or money.  It's just completely baffling how this movie is a thing . . . . . . . and then the fact that its a summer release.  What in the actual hell is going on in Hollywood!?!

Crawl

When a massive hurricane hits her Florida hometown, Haley (Kaya Scodelario) ignores evacuation orders to search for her missing father (Barry Pepper). Finding him gravely injured in the crawl space of their family home, the two become trapped by quickly encroaching floodwaters. As time runs out to escape the strengthening storm, Haley and her father discover that the rising water level is the least of their fears.

This movie was exactly what you thought it would be.  It's a movie that could have been made for tv with a little less blood that somehow ended up in theaters in this lamest summer movie calendar of all time.  Were there a couple of moments that made me jump out of my seat?  Yes.  Did you pretty much see everything else coming?  Yes.  This movie was totally formula in every way but still watchable for what it was.

I would not recommending anyone rushing to see this.  It's by no means a must see movie.  But like I said - if you like disaster and wild animal type of movies - you could definitely do worse than this.

Toy Story 4

Woody (voice of Tom Hanks) has always been confident about his place in the world, and that his priority is taking care of his kid, whether that’s Andy or Bonnie. So when Bonnie’s beloved new craft-project-turned-toy, Forky (voice of Tony Hale), declares himself as “trash” and not a toy, Woody takes it upon himself to show Forky why he should embrace being a toy. But when Bonnie takes the whole gang on her family’s road trip excursion, Woody ends up on an unexpected detour that includes a reunion with his long-lost friend Bo Peep (voice of Annie Potts). After years of being on her own, Bo’s adventurous spirit and life on the road belie her delicate porcelain exterior. As Woody and Bo realize they’re worlds apart when it comes to life as a toy, they soon come to find that’s the least of their worries.

I was beyond the realm of skeptical of this movie because I really thought that Toy Story 3 was one of the best franchise ending movies ever.  That ending still messes me up.  They even flashed through it at the beginning of this movie and I got choked up.  Anywho - I kept bringing my expectations down for this movie hoping that they had not caved and just made a money grab type of sequel.  They 100% did not do that.  This movie was excellent on many levels.  The kids will obviously love it.  The cords that it pulls in the minds and hearts of adults though . . . . . . WOW!!!  This movie made me crazy emotional a couple of times.  They new characters introduced were all awesome.  There were TONS of laughs throughout the movie and had an incredibly heartfelt ending.  Not as tear inducing as Toy Story 3 but kind of close.

I would 100% recommend people checking this movie out.  It is an awesome watch for all ages and I feel very guilty for having doubted Pixar.  I am ashamed.

Annabelle Comes Home

The film will pick up with the Warrens bringing Annabelle to the place where it can really no longer wreak havoc, which is their artifact room, of course, it turns out she can also wreak havoc there. And she really awakens the evil within that room and they target the Warrens’ 10-year-old daughter, Judy.

This movie was pretty much a snoozefest - especially compared to the others in the "franchise".  There was a solid hour of pointless build in this before anything actually happened.  Strike one.   When stuff finally did start happening it honestly was not scary/creepy at all.  Strike two.  Once they did start with the traumatic sight gag type stuff it was honestly cheesy as hell.  Strike three.

I wouldn't really recommmend anyone bothering with this but my opinion is not much of a factor here.  Either you like the franchise and you will see it or you don't.  But it is a pretty lame entry compared to the others.

Midsommar

Ari Aster’s next horror film, a story about a vacation gone violently wrong - as a couple travels to Sweden to visit their friend’s rural hometown for its fabled mid-summer festival. What begins as an idyllic retreat quickly devolves into an increasingly violent and bizarre competition at the hands of a pagan cult.

What in the blue hell was this movie?  I went into it knowing that this was not a mainstream type of movie and that there was only so much of a "horror" movie that it could be.  I have seen Hereditary and loved it but it was still one of those movies that I couldn't just blindly recommend to everyone.  It's for very particular tastes.  I assumed this one would be just like that and apparently it was because it has gotten amazing reviews but my review of it is that it was total and complete garbage.  Like what in the blue hell was this?  Why was it 2 1/2 hours long?  I was so annoyed by it that I just starting yellling WTF openly in the theater.  I understand it was well done from a directorial view and what not.  Like I get that.  But I still thought that movie was a giant turd.   

I would not recommend anyone bothering with this.  Do not buy the hype like its a must see or a mainstream/enjoyable movie.

Spider-Man: Far From Home

Spider-Man: Far From Home sequel will continue to explore the adventures of Tom Holland’s Peter Parker in the Marvel Cinematic Universe - the 2019 sequel to Homecoming will take Peter Parker out of New York for a European adventure in London that will reflect the global aftermath of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.

I literally love Tom Holland as Spider-Man.  He is such perfect casting in this role.  I cannot possibly stress that enough.  This movie was great in many ways.  It was a perfect standalone movie.  It was a great sequel too.  But most importantly this was an excellent follow up to start the next chapter after Avengers: Endgame.  They answered some questions which will leave fans very very happy.  They did is straightforward which is even more appreciated.   And they kept it simple in terms of focusing on Spidey's age and the stuff he was going through along with having to fight off the bad guy and it be connected to a bigger picture moving forward.

I very much enjoyed this movie from beginning to end.  Love the Spider-Man franchise now that it is connected to Marvel Studios so much more than before.

Yesterday

Yesterday, everyone knew The Beatles. Today, only Jack remembers their songs. He’s about to become a very big deal. From Academy Award®-winning director Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire, Trainspotting, 28 Days Later) and Richard Curtis, the Oscar-nominated screenwriter of Four Weddings and a Funeral, Love Actually and Notting Hill, comes a rock-n-roll comedy about music, dreams, friendship, and the long and winding road that leads to the love of your life. Jack Malik (Himesh Patel, BBC’s Eastenders) is a struggling singer-songwriter in a tiny English seaside town whose dreams of fame are rapidly fading, despite the fierce devotion and support of his childhood best friend, Ellie (Lily James, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again). Then, after a freak bus accident during a mysterious global blackout, Jack wakes up to discover that The Beatles have never existed … and he finds himself with a very complicated problem, indeed. Performing songs by the greatest band in history to a world that has never heard them, and with a little help from his steel-hearted American agent, Debra (Emmy winner Kate McKinnon), Jack’s fame explodes. But as his star rises, he risks losing Ellie — the one person who always believed in him. With the door between his old life and his new closing, Jack will need to get back to where he once belonged and prove that all you need is love.

This was a very enjoyable take on a relationship movie.  The whole Beatles being erased from people's memories and riding fake fame and the cost of that was a very original twist of the whole destiny and relationships ideal.  I really enjoyed this movie a lot.  The music was great.  The pacing was great - although the movie was a little bit long and the characters were all great.

I would recommend people checking this out.  It's not a must see by any means but it was a very enjoyable watch.  And the music alone made it worth it.

Shaft

He may be a cyber security expert with a degree from MIT, but to uncover the truth behind his best friend’s untimely death, JJ—aka John Shaft Jr. (Usher)—will need an education only his dad can provide. Absent throughout JJ’s youth, the legendary locked-and-loaded John Shaft (Jackson) agrees to help his progeny navigate Harlem’s heroin-infested underbelly. And while JJ’s own FBI analyst’s badge may clash with his dad’s trademark leather duster, there’s no denying family. Besides, Shaft’s got an agenda of his own, and a score to settle that’s professional and personal.

Keeping up with the why theme of the weekend.  Was there a demand for a continuation of Shaft and an expansion of the lineage that I was unaware of?  Like the movie was a decent watch but really don't understand the need for this movie to be made.  It really ends up just kind of there.  It even seemed kind of watered down and even campier than they had in the past.

I wouldn't really recommend anyone bothering with this.  It's not a bad movie but its just kind of there.  You will forget about seeing this 10 minutes after you do.

Child's Play

Chucky will be heading back to the big screen in a "Child’s Play" remake. The new version of the killer doll won’t be a doll possessed by a serial killer, but will be a defective ‘Buddy doll’ whose programming code was hacked so that he has no limitations to learning and also violence.

Oh my God this was atrocious.  Like just why?   It wasn't even scary at any point.  The doll looked lamer special effects wise than it did 30 years ago.  How is that possible!?!  Even the campiness of this one was just annoying and not enjoyable.  This is easily one of the worst remakes with this onslaught of them the last couple of years.   I can't believe I actually made it to the end of the movie.

I would not recommend anyone bothering with this.  Ever.  It is a blatant waste of time and a massive fail from a pretty enjoyable original.

Dark Phoenix

In DARK PHOENIX, the X-MEN face their most formidable and powerful foe: one of their own, Jean Grey. During a rescue mission in space, Jean is nearly killed when she is hit by a mysterious cosmic force. Once she returns home, this force not only makes her infinitely more powerful, but far more unstable. Wrestling with this entity inside her, Jean unleashes her powers in ways she can neither comprehend nor contain. With Jean spiraling out of control, and hurting the ones she loves most, she begins to unravel the very fabric that holds the X-Men together. Now, with this family falling apart, they must find a way to unite -- not only to save Jean's soul, but to save our very planet from aliens who wish to weaponize this force and rule the galaxy.

Wow!  This was such a mailed in X-Men movie.  Like massively mailed in.  It was as if they tried to remake The Last Stand which is so the worst of all the X-Men movies.  This was massively disappointing and I'm not officially thrilled that Disney is taking it over and can reboot the whole thing since the last two entries were total crap after what was an amazing reboot with this new cast.

I wouldn't recommend anyone bothering with this movie.  It really was just a massive waste of time.