Triple 9

In Triple 9, a crew of dirty cops is blackmailed by the Russian mob to execute a virtually impossible heist. The only way to pull it off is to manufacture a 999, police code for “officer down”. Their plan is turned upside down when the unsuspecting rookie they set up to die foils the attack, triggering a breakneck, action-packed finale filled with double-crosses, greed and revenge.

This was a pretty good dirty cop movie.  The cast was awesome and the back and forth between the team members and the lack of trust playing out developed slowly but surely keeping you hooked throughout the movie.  

I would recommend people checking this out.  It's a fun and tightly paced ride with a really good collection of actors.

Gods Of Egypt

In this spectacular action-adventure inspired by the classic mythology of Egypt, the survival of mankind hangs in the balance as an unexpected mortal hero Bek (Brenton Thwaites) undertakes a thrilling journey to save the world and rescue his true love. In order to succeed, he must enlist the help of the powerful god Horus (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) in an unlikely alliance against Set (Gerard Butler), the merciless god of darkness, who has usurped Egypt's throne, plunging the once peaceful and prosperous empire into chaos and conflict. As their breathtaking battle against Set and his henchmen takes them into the afterlife and across the heavens, both god and mortal must pass tests of courage and sacrifice if they hope to prevail in the epic final confrontation.

Wow.  This was garbage.   Even the usual production value of movies like this were garbage.  No special effects or set production could save this.  How were these actors in this?  Total crap.

I would definitely not recommend anyone waste a single minute watching that.  Again - this was crap.

Pride & Prejudice & Zombies

A zombie outbreak has fallen upon the land in Jane Austen’s classic tale of the tangled relationships between lovers from different social classes in 19th century England. Feisty heroine Elizabeth Bennet (Lily James) is a master of martial arts and weaponry and the handsome Mr. Darcy (Sam Reilly) is a fierce zombie killer, yet the epitome of upper class prejudice. As the zombie outbreak intensifies, they must swallow their pride and join forces on the blood-soaked battlefield.

The version I watched was a bootleg with choppy sound, but I really don't think it would have mattered.   This movie was just a time period variation of a zombie movie and it was pretty blah.  Part of the allure of the zombie stuff is the thought of it actually happening so putting it in this time period takes that away and leaves you with no hook.  It's just boring.

I wouldn't recommend anyone bothering with this movie.  I'm usually a fan of zombie stuff but this movie really is just kind of there.

Zoolander 2

The original 2001 film about a dimwitted male super-model turned wannabe spy earned $60.8 million worldwide. The beginning of the movie is set 10 years later, and Derek & Hansel are literally forgotten. Nobody even knows who they are, so they have to re-invent themselves. Stiller said that Will Ferrell's Mugatu would be back, if the actor is up for it. "If Will says yes, he definitely has to be a part of it. To me, Mugatu is one of the classic screen villains of all time."

This is definitely one of those did we really need a sequel to this movie situations.  Zoolander was what it was - an SNL like skit idea that was expended to a movie.  There are some good laughs but no real need to expand on this as a continuing story.   There were some decent laughs throughout the movie but nothing that warrants a need to see it.  

I wouldn't really recommend anyone bothering with this.  It could have been worse but it wasn't all that good and ultimately there was just no need for a continuation to the Zoolander story.

Risen

Risen is the epic Biblical story of the Resurrection, as told through the eyes of a non-believer. Clavius (Joseph Fiennes), a powerful Roman Military Tribune, and his aide Lucius (Tom Felton), are tasked with solving the mystery of what happened to Jesus in the weeks following the crucifixion, in order to disprove the rumors of a risen Messiah and prevent an uprising in Jerusalem.

Eh.  That's really all I have to say about this bad boy.  These movies are not and never have been my cup of tea.  Outside of Passion Of The Christ, I really have never been into movies about Jesus.  They all just seem like snoozefests that I would be forced to watch in religion class when I was younger and would struggle to stay awake in the uncomfortable folding chairs.  This movie was really no different for me.  

I wouldn't really recommend this to anyone unless they are really devout Catholics and heard from other devout Catholics that they should see it.  I was pretty much tuned out for most of the movie.

Dirty Grandpa

Jason Kelly (Zac Efron) is one week away from marrying his boss’s uber-controlling daughter, putting him on the fast track for a partnership at the law firm. However, when the straight-laced Jason is tricked into driving his foul-mouthed grandfather, Dick (Robert De Niro), to Daytona for spring break, his pending nuptials are suddenly in jeopardy. Between riotous frat parties, bar fights, and an epic night of karaoke, Dick is on a quest to live his life to the fullest and bring Jason along for the ride. Ultimately, on the wildest journey of their lives, “dirty” Grandpa and his uptight grandson discover they can learn from one another and form the bond they never had.

This movie had me dying.  The comedy and dialogue was off the charts vulgar but was so damn funny.  Robert DeNiro was hysterical and Zac Efron was also great at playing the straight guy.  I really did not expect to enjoy this movie or laugh nearly as much as I did.  One of DeNiro's better and funniest stuff in a while.

I'd absolutely recommend people checking this out.  Again - very vulgar but still incredibly enjoyable.

The Witch

Set in New England circa 1630, The Witch follows a farmer who get cast out of his colonial plantation and is forced to move his family to a remote plot of land on the edge of an ominous forest rumored to be controlled by witches. Almost immediately, strange and unsettling things begin to happen-the animals turn violent, the crops fail, and one of the children disappears, only to return seemingly possessed by an evil spirit. As suspicion and paranoia mount, everyone begins to point the finger at teenage daughter Thomasin. They accuse her of witchcraft, which she adamantly denies...but as circumstances become more and more treacherous, each family member's faith, loyalty, and love will be tested in shocking and unforgettable ways.

Let me start by saying that this movie was filmed in a specific way that made you weirded out from the start.  It was as if we were there and watching this family in their regular day to day life and should not be seeing what we were seeing.  Not sure if that makes sense or not but it did give the movie a certain kind of allure to it.  Unfortunately it failed to capitalize on that and the movie pretty much failed.  There were definitely a few scary moments and lots of creepiness but the whole audience pretty much groaned in disappointment when the credits started.  

I wouldn't recommend anyone seeing this.  It was a great filming style but not much more than that.

Deadpool

Based upon Marvel Comics’ most unconventional anti-hero, Deadpool tells the origin story of former Special Forces operative turned mercenary Wade Wilson, who after being subjected to a rogue experiment that leaves him with accelerated healing powers, adopts the alter ego Deadpool. Armed with his new abilities and a dark, twisted sense of humor, Deadpool hunts down the man who nearly destroyed his life.

This movie was awesome.  It was the R rated comic book movie that everyone wanted.  It mocked itself openly.  It mocked comic books openly.  It mocked Hollywood openly.  It didn't take itself seriously and still delivered on every level.  Great action.  Great writing.  Great back and forth story telling.  Great acting since Ryan Reynolds was basically born to play this part.  And there is the possibility of X-Men tie-ins too.

I absolutely recommend people checking this movie out.  It is ALOT of fun.  It's definitely a comic book movie for adults but it was awesome.

The Boy

The Boy is a frightening thrill ride directed by William Brent Bell (The Devil Inside) starring Lauren Cohan (The Walking Dead). Greta is a young American woman who takes a job as a nanny in a remote English village, only to discover that the family’s 8-year-old is a life-sized doll that the parents care for just like a real boy, as a way to cope with the death of their actual son 20 years prior. After violating a list of strict rules, a series of disturbing and inexplicable events bring Greta’s worst nightmare to life, leading her to believe that the doll is actually alive.

I am shocked at how much I ended up enjoying this movie.  I will be the first to admit that I had zero expectations for it based on the trailer but it was definitely done creepy enough to keep you interested and you are all in for the payoff by the time it comes around.   This is a prime example of Hollywood being able to do more than enough with a little premise as opposed to usually having this crazy over the top and detailed premise and failing to deliver.

I would definitely recommend people checking this out.  Like I said - I'm shocked at how much I enjoyed this movie and it was actually one of the better creepy/scary movies to come out in a while.

Regression

Minnesota, 1990. Detective Bruce Kenner (Ethan Hawke) investigates the case of young Angela (Emma Watson), who accuses her father, John Gray (David Dencik), of an unspeakable crime. When John unexpectedly and without recollection admits guilt, renowned psychologist Dr. Raines (David Thewlis) is brought in to help him relive his memories and what they discover unmasks a horrifying nationwide mystery.

This seems like it could have been a good movie but the hook and the payoff just were not there.  I was not remotely pulled in to be interested in the developing story and the payoff didn't really deliver.  A great movie comes with both of those.  A movie can be good with at least one of them but this movie kind of dropped the ball with both and ended up being a movie that is just kind of there.

I wouldn't really recommend people bothering with this movie.  Again - it is pretty much just there and you have forgotten all about it the day after seeing it.

Joy

Joy is the wild story of a family across four generations centered on the girl who becomes the woman who founds a business dynasty and becomes a matriarch in her own right. Betrayal, treachery, the loss of innocence and the scars of love, pave the road in this intense emotional and human comedy about becoming a true boss of family and enterprise facing a world of unforgiving commerce. Allies become adversaries and adversaries become allies, both inside and outside the family, as Joy’s inner life and fierce imagination carry her through the storm she faces. Jennifer Lawrence stars, with Robert De Niro, Bradley Cooper, Edgar Ramirez, Isabella Rossellini, Diane Ladd, and Virginia Madsen. Like David O. Russell’s previous films, Joy defies genre to tell a story of family, loyalty, and love.

David Russell did yet another great job with this movie.  He has an uncanny way of portraying the most dysfunctional families but make you totally identify with them in every way.  The movie really is about Joy though and her determination to succeed.  Usually movies like this become very heart string pulling and melodramatic but this movie doesn't end up like that.  You really enjoy watching Joy's rise with nothing but doubters around her.  It was a very feel good movie that was not done in the usual or formula way feel good movies are done.

I would definitely recommend people checking this movie out.  It was very enjoyable watch and further entrenched Jennifer Lawrence as the go to actress of this generation.

The Choice

When feisty medical student Gabby Holland moves in next door to perennial ladies’ man Travis Shaw, it sends them both on a romantic journey neither ever dreamed possible. Travis has always believed a serious relationship with a woman would cramp his easygoing lifestyle, while Gabby is all set to settle down her long-term boyfriend—until an irresistible attraction between the unlikely couple upends both of their well-planned lives. After a whirlwind courtship, Gabby and Travis wed and build a family together, making every decision hand-in-hand until one of them is forced to make the most important choice of their life alone. A poignant and life-affirming celebration of love, marriage and family that explores the most heart-wrenching question of all: how far would you go to keep the hope of love alive?

This was a textbook Nicholas Sparks movie.  Unlikely love story where just when everything seems too good to be true, something majorly dramatic traumatic happens and heartstrings are pulled.  This one was more watchable than I thought it would be and the heartstrings were not pulled too much which made the movie a decent watch.

I would lukewarmly recommend this movie to people.  It wasn't bad but it wasn't great.  It's just kind of floating inbetween.

The 5th Wave

In the new film The 5th Wave, four waves of increasingly deadly attacks have left most of Earth decimated. Against a backdrop of fear and distrust, Cassie (Chloë Grace Moretz) is on the run, desperately trying to save her younger brother. As she prepares for the inevitable and lethal 5th wave, Cassie teams up with a young man who may become her final hope – if she can only trust him.

This is a movie that is attempting to capitalize on the teen novel craze that has brought us The Hunger Games and Divergent series.  It failed miserably.  The movie started out pretty decent and the effects of the first few "waves" were cool.  But then it just went to crap.  I don't know if you can put it on Moretz being not as good as Jennifer Lawrence or Shainne Woodley, but it was just seriously lacking any quality once the special effects stopped.  

I wouldn't recommend anyone bothering with this movie.  It's a pretty big waste of time and I seriously doubt that it will do well enough to warrant making a series out of it.

Anomalisa

Charlie Kaufman's first stop-motion film about a man crippled by the mundanity of his life.

This was one weird ass movie.  I only watched it because it had been nominated for Best Animated Film of the year.  Had no idea what it was about or anything.  The stop-motion animation was definitely cool.  The weird thing was seeing it used for regular life.  Usually this would be for a silly over the top animation movie.  But it was just an old man's interactions with people . . . . . and then there was the sex scene.  So weird.  In a strange way it kept your attention just because of that.

I don't know that I would actually recommend anyone checking this out.  It was a very weird watch.  Interesting but weird.  Again - I only watched it because of its nomination and that it showed up online while I had some down time to watch.