The Many Saints Of Newark

Young Anthony Soprano is growing up in one of the most tumultuous eras in Newark, N.J., history, becoming a man just as rival gangsters start to rise up and challenge the all-powerful DiMeo crime family. Caught up in the changing times is the uncle he idolizes, Dickie Moltisanti, whose influence over his nephew will help shape the impressionable teenager into the all-powerful mob boss, Tony Soprano.

This movie would have been a million times better as a miniseries.  It honestly didn't work as a movie.  Like at all.  You got introduced to younger versions of all the character you had come to know on the show but I didn't really see the whole development of Tony Soprano.  The movie was much more about Dickie Moltisanti and the only character that I felt like I saw any development of was Junior.  

I'd still recommend people checking it out because it is not a bad watch.  Just really didn't work as a movie and could have worked a lot better as a miniseries.

Venom: Let There Be Carnage

Venom springs into action when notorious serial killer Cletus Kasady transforms into the evil Carnage.

This franchise is a perfect example of having expectations for movies.   I was so pumped for the first one because of the Venom character and Tom Hardy playing it and that movie was absolutely trash.  Like DC Universe level trash.  Possibly one of the most disappointing movies for me ever.  So going into this I had bottom of the barrel expectations and I have to honestly say that it made the movie more watchable.  It's not a good movie by any means.  It is a very bad movie that is overly campy and what not but it was actually somewhat enjoyable because I expected nothing.  The tie in to other Spider-Man stuff at the end is a TBD because Sony has done this before and then never paid it off so I will go ahead and reserve any excitement about it whatsoever.  

I would not really recommend anyone going to see this in terms of it being a good movie.  But there is something about it being so bad that its entertaining.

The Last Duel

Jean de Carrouges is a respected knight known for his bravery and skill on the battlefield. Jacques Le Gris is a squire whose intelligence and eloquence makes him one of the most admired nobles in court. When Le Gris viciously assaults Carrouges' wife, she steps forward to accuse her attacker, an act of bravery and defiance that puts her life in jeopardy. The ensuing trial by combat, a grueling duel to the death, places the fate of all three in God's hands.

This is a weird movie to review.  In terms of the story telling of the rape told from the three different points of view with the leading up to, the actual attack and the fallout from it was completely genius.  Like off the charts good.  But this movie taking place in medieval times and all the crazy battle violence and what not ended up being completely pointless. Like I was loving all that stuff for the first 45 minutes or so and then it got to what the story really was and I was like wait . . . . . . . What!?!  Again - not that it was bad.  I actually really liked this movie.   Just a very weird "epic" feel to a movie about rape.

I would definitely recommend people checking this out.   I really enjoyed it- especially the three perspectives thing.  But the placement in medieval times even though its based on a true story just felt odd as hell.

The Card Counter

William Tell is a gambler and former serviceman who sets out to reform a young man seeking revenge on a mutual enemy from their past. Tell just wants to play cards. His spartan existence on the casino trail is shattered when he is approached by Cirk, a vulnerable and angry young man seeking help to execute his plan for revenge on a military colonel. Tell sees a chance at redemption through his relationship with Cirk.

This movie was exactly what I was afraid it would be when seeing the trailer.   It wanted to be a good and enjoyable, well done movie.  But it went all for style and not too much substance.   Like all effort was put into the movie looking good instead of actually being good.  It wasn't awful by any means.  It just wasn't really that good either.

I wouldn't really recommend anyone bothering with this.  Especially not a trip to theaters or spending any money on it.

Dear Evan Hansen

Evan Hansen is an anxious, isolated high-school student who's aching for understanding and belonging amid the chaos and cruelty of the social media age. He soon embarks on a journey of self-discovery when a letter he wrote for a writing exercise falls into the hands of a grieving couple whose son took his own life.

Few musicals have ever owned my heart as much as this one did.  I have been waiting for this movie for years and heard all bad reviews - which I expected.  I very much enjoyed the movie though.  I don't care that Ben Platt is too old to play a high schooler.  He is Evan Hansen.  I don't care that he is more of the villain in this story to the common eye.  I totally understand that those who are not as aware of mental health issues or don't have anxiety or don't have depression not getting this but I'm not one of those people.  I identify with so much of this on so many levels and I thoroughly enjoyed the movie.

If you saw the musical and are a fan - go see the movie.  It is not as good.  How could it be?  But I still found it to be a great watch. 

Ron's Gone Wrong

Barney is a socially awkward schoolboy who receives a robot named Ron -- a walking, talking, digitally connected device that's supposed to be his best friend. Barney is excited to finally have his own robot -- until his new toy starts to hilariously malfunction, drawing the attention of a shady executive who wants to protect his company's stock price at all costs.

This movie was a decent family watch but honestly it felt like a knock off of Big Hero 6 for the most part and it was nowhere near as good.  There really is nothing else to say about this.  It's ultimately just there unless you have kids that this could be an entertaining distraction for them for a while.  

I would not really recommend this movie to others outside of those with kids that they would be taking to see.  You would be better off just rewatching Big Hero 6. 

Cry Macho

A onetime rodeo star and washed-up horse breeder, in 1978, takes a job from an ex-boss to bring the man's young son home and away from his alcoholic mum. Crossing rural Mexico on their back way to Texas, the unlikely pair faces an unexpectedly challenging journey, during which the world-weary horseman may find his own sense of redemption through teaching the boy what it means to be a good man.

What in the blue hell was the point of this movie?   Like seriously one of the more pointless movies I have watched in a long time.  I have been saying for years that Clint Eastwood is one of the weirdest directors in Hollywood because for every movie that he makes that is an amazing award contender and basically one of the best movies to come out that year he will turn around and make one of these.  Like his name being plastered on it "directed by Clint Eastwood" either means the movie will be amazing or a giant turd.  This is definitely in the turd pile.  I will never understand how he can flip flop as a director like that.

No I would not recommend anyone bothering with this movie.  It is a complete waste of time and there was no reason for millions of dollars to be spent making something so pointless.

Copshop

Screaming through the Nevada desert in a bullet-ridden car, wily con artist Teddy Murretto hatches a plan to hide out from lethal assassin Bob Viddick. He punches rookie officer Valerie Young to get himself arrested and locked up in a small-town police station. However, jail can't protect Murretto for long as Viddick schemes his own way into detention, biding his time in a nearby cell until he can complete his mission.

This movie is a throwback testosterone fest.  Every thing about it seemed like a late 80s/early 90s guys being tough and above the law kind of movie.  Gerard Butler and Frank Grillo were perfectly cast in this and both did a great job of playing their parts.  This movie was just a fun ride where you can turn off your brain and enjoy the over the top machismo oozing from the movie.

I would definitely recommend people who are into old school action movies to check this out.  If you like watching tough guys go against each other than this is pretty much a great watch. 

Shang Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings

Martial-arts master Shang-Chi confronts the past he thought he left behind when he's drawn into the web of the mysterious Ten Rings organization.

Marvel simply does not fail.  I knew nothing about Shang Chi or the ten rings going in.  It was never in any of the comics I read as a kid and it didn't matter at all.  They did a great job of telling the origin story, a great job of building up new characters, had one of the craziest connections ever to the rest of the MCU, had amazing fight scenes and action and introduced us to a whole other world that can now be revisited.  The comparisons to Black Panther are very justified and I can't wait to see more of these characters in future movies.

I would absolutely recommend people checking this movie out.  It was a great watch and another awesome entry/character added to the MCU.

Malignant

Paralyzed by fear from shocking visions, a woman's torment worsens as she discovers her waking dreams are terrifying realities.

This movie was a very crazy watch because it changed up like three times.  For the first third you are really pulled in and think you are watching some kind of a victim of abuse kind of a psychological thriller.  For the second third you are like what the hell is going on but not in a way that you want to turn it off.  And then the big swerve at the end is like WHAT and you are completely hooked even though you know how over the top and silly it pretty much is.  Can't say much more without spoiling it.

I would definitely recommend people checking this out.  It's very gory at times so be warned but really was an enjoyable watch and one of my more favorite ones from James Wan's body of work at this point.

Jungle Cruise

Dr. Lily Houghton enlists the aid of wisecracking skipper Frank Wolff to take her down the Amazon in his ramshackle boat. Together, they search for an ancient tree that holds the power to heal -- a discovery that will change the future of medicine.

This movie was just plain fun.   Just great action, comedy, story, chemistry fun across the board.  This is the kind of movie that made me fall in love with them in the first place.   It felt very much like the first couple of Pirates Of The Caribbean or Indiana Jones films.  The Rock is always awesome.  So is Emily Blunt.  The chemistry between the two of them was perfect.  And they did a great job of actually telling you the story over the course of the film.  They didn't rush it.  They didn't drag it out.  They gave you the story piece meal as was needed.

I would definitely recommend people checking this movie out.  It was an incredibly enjoyable watch and just a very fun ride.

Candyman

In present day, a decade after the last of the Cabrini towers were torn down, Anthony and his partner move into a loft in the now gentrified Cabrini. A chance encounter with an old-timer exposes Anthony to the true story behind Candyman. Anxious to use these macabre details in his studio as fresh grist for paintings, he unknowingly opens a door to a complex past that unravels his own sanity and unleashes a terrifying wave of violence.

I am not sure how to feel about this movie yet.  Like it wasn't bad.  It wasn't trash like a lot of recent horror movies have been.  But it was alot more talking and psychological than the original was.  I'm not saying that I am all for gore and stuff but sometimes movies are better with more style and less substance if that makes sense.   And I definitely feel like Candyman falls into that.   Like comparing the two I definitely enjoyed the original alot more because it was less talking and more scares even if it was more of slasher movie.   It doesn't translate as well in this psychological context even though there were some creepy visuals.

I would kind of recommend people checking this out.  It's not a must see and if you do see just be expected a very different version of Candyman with more talking and psychological thrills as opposed to the slasher gore that made the first one so good.

The Eyes Of Tammy Faye

In the 1970s, Tammy Faye Bakker and her husband, Jim, rise from humble beginnings to create the world's largest religious broadcasting network and theme park. Tammy Faye becomes legendary for her indelible eyelashes, her idiosyncratic singing, and her eagerness to embrace people from all walks of life. However, financial improprieties, scheming rivals and a scandal soon threaten to topple their carefully constructed empire.

Kind of torn on this movie.  It was a really good biopic movie with great performances by all the actors involved.   Like end of year award nomination worthy performances.  My problem is that I can't stand the people the movie was about and hate that they continue to get attention years later because of a movie like this.  Like this clowns were essentially a pretend religious version of the Kardashians from years ago.  They are complete trash that just wanted all the attention in the world on them and I hate the amount they were given and that they are still getting it today because of this biopic.  

Like I said before - it is a good movie with great performances.  I just can't stand the morons that the movie was about so I can't fully recommend more people giving them undeserved attention.

Reminiscence

A scientist discovers a way to relive your past and uses the technology to search for his long lost love. Whilst a private investigator uncovers a conspiracy while helping his clients recover lost memories.

This movie was a pretty good watch.  I wouldn't say a great watch but I would say a pretty good watch.   The premise was great.  The cast was great and the pacing of it was pretty good.  My only issue is that they didn't completely hook the audience enough.  Like they got your attention and then just ran with it.  If they would have put a little more effort into really grabbing the viewer this movie could have actually been much better.  I know its not much details but its hard to talk about this movie without giving away spoilers.

I would still recommend people checking this movie out because it is a pretty good watch.  Just honestly could have been great. 

Respect

Following the rise of Aretha Franklin's career -- from a child singing in her father's church choir to her international superstardom -- it's the remarkable true story of the music icon's journey to find her voice.

This movie was you typical autobiographical music.  Covers a lot of time and a lot of material with the acting being top notch across the board.  That being said - this movie was definitely way too long.  And you feel it.  Not to say that the movie was bad but it definitely dragged alot.  There was also a lot of alluding to things or glossing over things that probably should have gotten more attention even though the movie was already too long.  

I would lukewarmly recommend people checking this movie out.  It is not a must see by any means but it is a decent watch if you have the time.