The French Dispatch

A love letter to journalists set in an outpost of an American newspaper in a fictional 20th-century French city that brings to life a collection of stories published in "The French Dispatch."

I honestly don't know why I keep trying Wes Anderson movies.  His entire catalog of movies are the definition of movies that critics absolutely love and fawn over but I have no interest in them whatsoever and can never see what is so great or funny when you legit don't laugh once.  

My opinion is not the one that you should really go off of with Wes Anderson movies.  I always try and I'm alway bored out of my mind.  I get that they are artistic and all but like they are barely watchable for me.

No Time To Die

James Bond is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica after leaving active service. However, his peace is short-lived as his old CIA friend, Felix Leiter, shows up and asks for help.

This movie was another very enjoyable Daniel Craig as James Bond movie.  He leaves the franchise possibly being my favorite Bond.  The edginess was still there.  There was great use of recurring and returning characters.  It was actually pretty cool for this to feel like the first actual sequel of a Bond movie.  The action was not crazy over the top and very realistic.  Great movie for Daniel Craig to wrap up with.   My only knock against it would be the 2 1/2 hour run time.  Definitely think that could have been scaled back by like 20-30 minutes.

I would definitely recommend people checking this out.  It was a very fun watch and an enjoyable ride that makes movies as enjoyable as they are.

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.