The Odyssey

The Odyssey follows veteran warrior Odysseus on his grueling journey home from the Trojan War.  Facing mythical monsters and divine wrath, he struggles to return to his kingdom, where his wife Penelope (Anne Hathaway) and son Telemachus (Tom Holland) fight to save their home from ruthless suitors.

This movie was amazing on every level.   The acting from an incredible and massive cast.   The telling of two stories and bringing them together.   The set pieces and chapters of action.   And most of all the filmmaking of Christopher Nolan using no CGI in a movie that could have called for it throughout and made it much easier.   It really made the movie that much more genuine.   Did it need to be 3 hours long?   Of course not.   It could have been 15-20 minutes shorter but honestly I didn't care because it was a truly excellent movie.

I would definitely recommend people checking this out.  It is filmmaking at its finest and really establishes Nolan as the second coming of Spielberg in my lifetime.

Backrooms

When a failed architect and struggling furniture store owner, Clark (Chiwetel Ejiofor), discovers a mysterious portal in the basement of his strip mall warehouse, he stumbles into a sprawling, maze-like dimension of drab, yellow-wallpapered rooms known as the "Complex". After one of his patients vanishes into this otherworldly limbo, his therapist, Dr. Mary Kline (Renate Reinsve), is forced to venture into the dangerous, uncanny wasteland to save him. Soon, she and a group of others are dragged into a terrifying cosmic horror realm where they must navigate endless liminal labyrinths and confront both unseen forces and their own frayed minds.

This is one of those tension/scary movies that kill me.  The premise was interesting as hell.   The build up for the first 3/4 of the movie was great.   I was honestly enjoying it a lot even though I had no idea where it was going.   It was very well done . . . . . . to that point.   Then the movie completely went off the rails for the last 1/4 of it.   Like completely off the rails where I was watching the rest of it with the WTF look on my face.   And that sucks because I don't want to tank the movie review wise because again I was very much digging it but it really falls off the deep end.

I would somewhat recommend people checking out the movie for the premise and the first 3/4 but you have to know that it doesn't end well.

Runner

A former soldier and an unlikely partner (Owen Wilson) face a dangerous cartel during a critical medical delivery in a race to save a little girl's life.

This was a pretty formula movie from the trailer.   There was really nothing that you don't see coming as the movie plays out.   It was Alan Ritchson playing the throwback Bruce Willis type of role with Owen Wilson for the straight man comic relief.  

I'd recommend this to anyone that likes mindless action movies simply because it is only 90 minutes long and definitely watchable enough.  

Spa Weekend

The film follows three friends seeking relaxation on a Palm Springs spa break until their chaotic, uninvited childhood friend Mel arrives, turning a tranquil escape into an R-rated spiral of wild misadventures.

This was an under the radar wannabe Girls Trip kind of movie.   It's a shame that it didn't really get much marketing or publicity because it was a lot of fun with a great group of actresses/characters.   There were some really big laughs in this - especially from Michelle Buteau who I think is funny as hell.   With more exposure this could have made her get like a Tiffany Haddish type launch.  

I would definitely recommend people checking this out.   The movie has plenty of good laughs and is an enjoyable watch.

Fall 2: Deadpoint

In the survival thriller Fall 2: Deadpoint, a grieving woman named Jax connects with her late sister Hunter's fearless friend, Luce, to tackle a perilous climb across Thailand's Mount Kwan.  After a sudden rockslide leaves them stranded on a fragile plank high above the ground, the pair must face extreme vertigo and impossible odds to fight for survival.

Who in the blue hell was asking for this sequel?   Sure there were some cool action scenes and there were the same vertigo feeling heights shots from the first but like there was really a demand for this?   Very weak ass September sequel honestly.

I wouldn't recommend anyone bothering with this.  It's just there and is entirely pointless.

The End Of Oak Street

After a mysterious cosmic event rips Oak Street from suburbia and transports their neighborhood to someplace unknown, the Platt family soon discovers that their very survival depends on them sticking together as they navigate their now unrecognizable surroundings.

This was a fun throwback summer popcorn movie.   Take a very random and not overwhelming premise and run with it.  Lots a great jump scares.  Believable family drama and chaos.   And it was a perfect 90 minute run time.   Just a fun ride experience at the movie theater.

I would definitely recommend people checking this out.   It's what going to the movies in the summer used to be all about.

The Uprising

Andrew Garfield stars as the leader of a ferocious rebellion against the tyranny of King Richard II.  Set against the true events of the 1381 Peasants' Revolt in England, a humble farmer forms an army of ordinary people to face the King's might in a desperate fight for justice, survival and freedom.   

I had a very hard time watching this and not thinking the entire time that I watching a watered down and low budget Braveheart.   Like there were even several scenes that felt taken right from Braveheart but done much less epic.   It was a decent watch considering but Garfield in this role just didn't really click for me and the movie ultimately ended up just kind of being there.

I would not really recommend people bothering with this.  It's not necessarily a bad movie but it not really much of a memorable one either.

Mutiny

In Mutiny, after witnessing his billionaire boss's murder and being framed for the crime, Cole Reed (Jason Statham) boards a cargo ship on a one-man crusade to avenge his boss's death only to discover an international conspiracy.

This was just Jason Statham 34.   Same exact movie with a different setting.   They really should just called his names by his name and the location.   Jason Stratham on a shipping vessel.  That's what this was.  You basically forgot about it as watching and honestly they all kind of blur together.  There were several times where I thought I was rewatching a movie of his I already saw.

I wouldn't really recommend anyone bothering with this.  It's just more of the same and it's honestly pretty tired by now.

Tony

Tony is a biographical comedy-drama following a 19-year-old Anthony Bourdain in 1976 as a transformative summer working in a Provincetown, Massachusetts kitchen helps shape the future culinary icon.

This was a decent autobiographical watch I guess.   It was more entertaining and catchy than I expected but honestly I didn't expect much at all.  I don't know where the demand really was for this movie as a whole.   But they made it kind of work interest level wise.

I would somewhat recommend people checking this out.   It's not a must watch by any means but it was not as big of a waste of time as I thought.

One Night Only

Set in a slightly fictionalized New York City, the 2026 romantic comedy One Night Only follows recently dumped pizza shop owner Owen and hopeful romantic jingle singer Allie. They navigate a chaotic 12-hour annual window when the government legally permits unmarried citizens to have sex, running into endless misadventures while trying to find a real connection.

This movie kept the very smart and laughs inducing premise of the one night only rule being a government mandate for single people being allowed to have pre-marital sex.   Kind of like a Sex Purge.  I had assumed it took place on New Years Eve from the trailer but the mandate thing became a whole important part of the movie that tons of laughs and predicaments came from.   The two leads were great and very believable as was their awesome chemistry that jumped off the screen.   As the night progressed you found yourself hoping more and more for them to get tothether and the payoff worked great.

I would absolutely recommend this movie to everyone.  It was an incredibly fun rom com with great chemistry that hooks the audience a lot and is full of laughs.

Masters Of The Universe

Fifteen years after the fall of Eternos, a now-adult Prince Adam (Nicholas Galitzine) lives an unfulfilling life on Earth, working a human resources job while obsessively searching for the Sword of Power. When he finally reclaims his ancestor's sword, he is whisked back across the universe to Eternia by his childhood friend, Teela. Upon returning, he discovers his home shattered under the fiendish rule of Skeletor (Jared Leto). To save his family and the kingdom, Adam must reunite with his allies—including Duncan/Man-At-Arms (Idris Elba) and the Sorceress (Morena Baccarin)—unlock the secrets of his past, and embrace his destiny as He-Man: the most powerful man in the universe.

This movie could have been good . . . . . . if it wasn't 2 hours and 15 minutes long.   How you make this movie that long when you are being campy, silly and not taking yourself too seriously makes zero sense.   If this was a 90 to 1 hour 45 minute movie it would have been fine for what it was.   A movie about a classic toy line that had a throwback nostalgia feel to the 80s or early 90s.   The action was cool and the look of all the over the top characters was good again in terms of throwback 80s type movies.  But it was sooooooooooooo long and you massively felt it.

I would not really recommend people checking this movie out.   I don't see the franchise picking up and going anywhere . . . .  . unless it ends up going straight to streaming on Amazon Prime.

Ice Cream Man

In Eli Roth's slasher film Ice Cream Man, an idyllic suburban town descends into absolute madness when a mysterious ice cream vendor arrives in a vintage truck and serves sweet, magical treats that brainwash local children into becoming bloodthirsty, homicidal maniacs set on destroying the adult population.

My god this movie was awful.  It was honestly so bad that you couldn't even laugh at or enjoy how bad it was with good company.   I'm all for a bad movie that you can roll your eyes at and somehow turn into a fun experience but then there are movies that are so bad that you can't even do that.   This is very much the former.   Eli Roth continues his spiral into someone that should truly be on an international watch list because of the truly gross shit that goes on in his head.

I would absolutely never recommend anyone seeing this.  Ever.

The Brink Of War

President Reagan races against time to salvage a deal with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev that could dismantle nuclear arsenals--or ignite disaster. With pressure mounting from advisors, intelligence agencies, and history itself, every word spoken brings the world closer to peace... or destruction.

This is another of those historical moment movies to come out this year that I'm not sure what the demand was for it.   The cast was great.  They did a good job of capturing the moment in time.   But it's kind of forgettable instantly after you watch it unless you are a history buff.

I would not recommend this to anyone that isn't a history buff because of what I said above but if you are a history buff, you would likely very much enjoy this.

Moana

In Disney's live-action reimagining of the beloved animated adventure, Moana (Catherine Lagaʻaia) answers the Ocean's call and, for the first time, voyages beyond the barrier reef of her island of Motunui. Accompanied by the infamous demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson), she undertakes an unforgettable, action-packed voyage to recover the heart of Te Fiti, restore the prosperity of her community, and fulfill her ancestors' quest to become a master wayfinder.

This is by far Disney's biggest money grab of a live action remake.   First off - the original only came out 10 years ago and just had an animated sequel last year.   It is waaaaaaaaaay too soon to do the live action version of this and I can't help but think it was The Rock's ego needing to play the live action Maui that got this fast tracked like it was.   And then for the movie to be a carbon copy of the animated version that feels like it just came out makes it even more pointless.   But worst of all is that going from an animated movie to live action but still using so much CGI instead of all the location stuff feeling genuine at least makes it such a rip off.

I honestly wouldn't bother recommending this to people.  Just rewatch the original animated version that is much better in every way.

Jackass: Best And Last

Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, Chris Pontius, Wee Man, and the rest of the gang are back on the big screen for one last ride. Embracing their middle-age maturation alongside the younger crew additions, they push their bodies and dignity to the absolute limit one final time. 

Do you really need me to review this?   It's more of the same.  You either are able to laugh at the stupidity or you would never watch something as dumb as this.   This movie is not going to change anything from decades of it that have past.   I personally had the dick and shit stuff but am able to laugh at the rest of the pranks.   And this one managed to pack in some strange sentimentality that actually worked somehow.

I would recommend this to anyone who is a fan of the franchise.  If not - again - why would you start trying now?