Annihilation

Lena, a biologist and former soldier, joins a mission to uncover what happened to her husband inside Area X - a sinister and mysterious phenomenon that is expanding across the American coastline. Once inside, the expedition discovers a world of mutated landscape and creatures, as dangerous as it is beautiful, that threatens both their lives and their sanity.

This movie is a tough one to review.  I liked it.  I enjoyed it very much.  But this is not remotely a mainstream movie.  It is VERY sci-fi.  It is VERY artsy.  It is VERY open to interpretation without straight forward answers.  If that is not for you - stay super far away from this movie.  If you are able to enjoy movies like this than you should definitely check that out.  

That's really all that I can say regarding this movie.  It would have to be a specific recommendation knowing the person that I was recommending it to.

Game Night

Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams star as Max and Annie, whose weekly couples game night gets kicked up a notch when Max’s charismatic brother, Brooks (Kyle Chandler), arranges a murder mystery party, complete with fake thugs and faux federal agents. So, when Brooks gets kidnapped, it’s all part of the game...right? But as the six uber-competitive gamers set out to solve the case and win, they begin to discover that neither this “game”—nor Brooks—are what they seem to be. Over the course of one chaotic night, the friends find themselves increasingly in over their heads as each twist leads to another unexpected turn. With no rules, no points, and no idea who all the players are, this could turn out to be the most fun they’ve ever had...or game over.

This movie was alot funnier than I thought it would be.  I didn't want to be disappointed because of high expectations so I kept them in check.  Definitely paid off because I thought this movie was pretty damn funny.  Jason Bateman's delivery was excellent as always.  And the running joke of them not knowing what was real and what wasn't never got old because it was used perfectly.  

I would definitely recommend people check this movie out.  Worth the time and plenty of laughs.

Red Sparrow

Dominika Egorova is many things. A devoted daughter determined to protect her mother at all costs. A prima ballerina whose ferocity has pushed her body and mind to the absolute limit. A master of seductive and manipulative combat.  When she suffers a career-ending injury, Dominika and her mother are facing a bleak and uncertain future. That is why she finds herself manipulated into becoming the newest recruit for Sparrow School, a secret intelligence service that trains exceptional young people like her to use their bodies and minds as weapons. After enduring the perverse and sadistic training process, she emerges as the most dangerous Sparrow the program has ever produced. Dominika must now reconcile the person she was with the power she now commands, with her own life and everyone she cares about at risk, including an American CIA agent who tries to convince her he is the only person she can trust.

This was a very enjoyable and well told movie.  It probably could have been paced a little better.  And I felt like Jennifer Lawrence's Russian accent definitely could have been more consistent.  But outside of that this was a pretty good and tense spy movie.  Jennifer Lawrence and Joel Edgerton both did great jobs with their performances.   

I would recommend people checking this one out.  Like I said - it ran a little bit long but it was a good watch.

Early Man

Set at the dawn of time, when dinosaurs and wooly mammoths roamed the earth, Early Man tells the story of how one plucky caveman unites his tribe against a mighty enemy and saves the day!

Wow!  This was super lame.  I'm usually a huge fan of claymation movies like this but it was boring as hell.  There really was no hook character wise and it was a giant excuse for claymation soccer.  Which is not what the trailer made it out to look like.  

I would not recommend people or families wasting their time with this.  Peter Rabbit and Black Panther are MUCH better family viewing options than this.  Very disappointing.

The 15:17 To Paris

In the early evening of August 21, 2015, the world watched in stunned silence as the media reported a thwarted terrorist attack on Thalys train #9364 bound for Paris—an attempt prevented by three courageous young Americans traveling through Europe. “The 15:17 to Paris” follows the course of the friends’ lives, from the struggles of childhood through finding their footing in life, to the series of unlikely events leading up to the attack. Throughout the harrowing ordeal, their friendship never wavers, making it their greatest weapon and allowing them to save the lives of the more than 500 passengers on board. The heroic trio is comprised of Anthony Sadler, Oregon National Guardsman Alek Skarlatos, and U.S. Air Force Airman First Class Spencer Stone, who play themselves in the film.

Wanted to like this movie.  I really did.  Unfortunately, it was the most boring build up to the event that it was about I have ever seen.  And by the time you get to the payoff - you really just don't care anymore because of the hour plus that you have watched of stuff that just doesn't matter in any way.  

I would not recommend that anyone bother with this.  It was a major disappointment and a huge waste of time.

Black Panther

Marvel Studios' Black Panther follows T'Challa who, after the death of his father, the King of Wakanda, returns home to the isolated, technologically advanced African nation to succeed to the throne and take his rightful place as king. But when a powerful old enemy reappears, T'Challa's mettle as king—and Black Panther—is tested when he is drawn into a formidable conflict that puts the fate of Wakanda and the entire world at risk. Faced with treachery and danger, the young king must rally his allies and release the full power of Black Panther to defeat his foes and secure the safety of his people and their way of life.

Marvel at this point is only rivaled by Pixar in terms of the fact that they just don't make bad movies.  This one was no different.  It was an excellent origin story of a great character.  They also connected you to a ton of the side/supporting characters here - especially Black Panther's sister/techno wiz who might be one of my favorite characters in the Marvel Universe now.  The special effect were great.  The story was great.  The pacing and action was great.  The character development was great.  And Black Panther is now that much more of an excellent participant in the Avengers/Marvel Universe moving forward now.  Also deserving a ton of credit here is Michael B Jordan as the main villain.  He killed it in every scene he was in as a very convincing seething bad guy.  

I would absolutely recommend that everyone check this out.  This movie was an excellent watch and I can't wait to see more from this franchise. 

Fifty Shades Freed

Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson return as Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele in "Fifty Shades Freed," the third chapter based on the worldwide bestselling “Fifty Shades” phenomenon. Expanding upon events set in motion in 2015 and 2017’s blockbuster films that grossed almost $950 million globally, the new installment arrives for Valentine’s Day 2018.


Thank God these movies are finally over.  This is seriously the most unsexy or not romantic sexy movies ever.  There is zero chemistry between the leads.  It's just awful.  Couldn't care less about what is happening on the screen.  

I wouldn't recommend anyone bothering with this giant turd.  It's a total waste of time and the finale of one of the worst translations from book to screen ever.

Peter Rabbit

Peter Rabbit, the mischievous and adventurous hero who has captivated generations of readers, now takes on the starring role of his own irreverent, contemporary comedy with attitude. In the film, Peter's feud with Mr. McGregor (Domhnall Gleeson) escalates to greater heights than ever before as they rival for the affections of the warm-hearted animal lover who lives next door (Rose Byrne). James Corden voices the character of Peter with playful spirit and wild charm, with Margot Robbie, Elizabeth Debicki, and Daisy Ridley performing the voice roles of the triplets, Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cottontail.

This was a very enjoyable family film.  They took the Peter Rabbit tale and pumped it full of current music which actually made it much more enjoyable and entertaining for kids and the adults that take them to see it.  James Corden was perfect as the lead rabbit voice and it really was so much more enjoyable than I thought it would be.

I would definitely recommend families checking this bad boy out.  This is a great trip to the movie theater for all of them.

12 Strong

The story of heroism is based on true events that unfolded a world away in the harrowing aftermath of 9/11 when a U.S. Special Forces team, led by their new Captain, Mitch Nelson (Chris Hemsworth), is chosen to be the first U.S. troops sent into Afghanistan for an extremely dangerous mission. There, in the rugged mountains, they must convince Northern Alliance General Dostum (Navid Negahban) to join forces with them to fight their common adversary: the Taliban and their Al Qaeda allies. In addition to overcoming mutual distrust and a vast cultural divide, the Americans—accustomed to state-of-the-art warfare—must adopt the rudimentary tactics of the Afghani horse soldiers. But despite their uneasy bond, the new allies face overwhelming odds: outnumbered and outgunned by a ruthless enemy that does not take prisoners.

This was a great military movie.  The story, action and characters were great.  You really left it having that much more respect for anyone serving in the armed forces and you felt proud to be American.  Mission accomplished across the board on what they wanted to do.  

I would definitely recommend people checking this out.  It is a very enjoyable movie that fills you with pride and respect for those protecting the country.

Winchester

Inspired by true events. On an isolated stretch of land 50 miles outside of San Francisco sits the most haunted house in the world. Built by Sarah Winchester (Academy Award winner Helen Mirren), heiress to the Winchester fortune, it is a house that knows no end. Constructed in an incessant twenty-four hour a day, seven day a week mania for decades, it stands seven stories tall and contains hundreds of rooms. To the outsider it looks like a monstrous monument to a disturbed woman’s madness. But Sarah is not building for herself, for her niece (Sarah Snook) or for the brilliant Doctor Eric Price (Jason Clarke) whom she has summoned to the house. She is building a prison, an asylum for hundreds of vengeful ghosts, and the most terrifying among them have a score to settle with the Winchesters…

This movie was pretty much hot garbage.  It was yet another horror movie with legit actors in it that both looked and felt like a made for tv movie.  Could have been great with some actual effort and budget.  Instead this was just a mailed in "horror" movie.

I wouldn't recommend anyone bothering with this.  It was a pretty big waste of time all around.