The Whale

An obese and reclusive English teacher tries to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter for one last chance at redemption.

Wow!   This movie was something.   Really something.  Amazing performance by Brendan Fraser.  Excellent directing of a play like story/setting by Arnofsky.  It REALLY makes me question eating my feelings and its a massive kick to the head for people who judge based on appearances without thinking of what have made things get to that point.  

I would definitely recommend people watching this because it really does say ALOT about society as a whole in several aspects.   It was not an easy watch at all but was a great movie with an amazing performance. 

A Man Called Otto

When a lively young family moves in next door, grumpy widower Otto Anderson meets his match in a quick-witted, pregnant woman named Marisol, leading to an unlikely friendship that turns his world upside down.

Every once and a while a very simple emotionally charged movie hits you at exactly the right time.  This is one of those movies.  I absolutely loved this movie.  I loved how real it felt.  I loved how genuine and random all the characters were.  I loved how it all came together and how the background info was told.  I loved the overall journey.  

I would absolutely recommend people checking this movie out.  I hope that it emotionally hooks and resonates as much with others as it did with me.

Women Talking

Women Talking takes place shortly after members of the fictional Mennonite community of Molotschna learn that the rape of many of its women over the previous two years has been committed not by demons or devils, but by male colonists, after using an animal anaesthetic to incapacitate the women.

This was a very great and disturbing content movie.   Its terrifying to think about how something like absolutely has happened and probably much closer to our time then when this was based.  I liked seeing the women communicate and work together but it still was very upsetting hearing all the different psychologies interacting with each other.  

I would definitely recommend people checking this out just because it is a necessary eye opening kind of watch although it really feels like you are watching a play.

Puss In Boots: The Last Wish

Puss in Boots discovers that his passion for adventure has taken its toll: he has burnt through eight of his nine lives. Puss sets out on an epic journey to find the mythical Last Wish and restore his nine lives.

This was a great continuation of the story with the characters that you are already attached to and they did a great job of working in new variations to other fables and children's stories that worked tremendously.  There were lots of laughs and cheers at certain points and this is really one of those ideal holiday movies for the whole family.  

I would definitely recommend people checking this movie out.  Who doesn't enjoy the Shrek series and this spinoff of it?

I Wanna Dance With Somebody

Discovered by record executive Clive Davis, Whitney Houston rises from obscurity to international fame in the 1980s to become one of the greatest singers of her generation.

This was a pretty decent biopic movie.  I very clearly remembered the rise and "fall" of Whitney Houston and this movie did a really good job of staying true to that even though it didn't really do the fall justice.  Things were alluded to and glossed over instead of really dived into which is nuts considering the movie was 2 1/2 hours long.  

I would somewhat recommend people checking this out.  It is a great tribute to her even if the pacing was definitely screwy at times.

Devotion

The inspirational true story of Jesse Brown, the first Black aviator in U.S. Navy history, and his enduring friendship with fellow fighter pilot Tom Hudner. Helping to turn the tide in the most brutal battle in the Korean War, their heroic sacrifices ultimately make them the Navy's most celebrated wingmen.

This movie was a decent watch.  Especially because of the true story hook to it.  The flight scenes were good and the character development was good but for this to come out the same year as Top Gun 2 was kind of a death sentence just because you can't help but kind of compare then and this loses in a landslide.

I would lukewarmly recommend people checking this out.  It is a good watch but not a must watch by any means. 

The Fabelmans

Young Sammy Fabelman falls in love with movies after his parents take him to see "The Greatest Show on Earth." Armed with a camera, Sammy starts to make his own films at home, much to the delight of his supportive mother.

This was a really really great movie.  Anyone who has been sucked into movies and been a fan of every aspect of them will surely love this movie.   Adding to it the person's life that you follow the journey on through the eyes of his camera and the people around him and you have a movie that I think will definitely be nominated (and win) a bunch of awards this year.  

I would definitely recommend people checking this out.  It's a very real feeling movie with great emotional hooks.  

Strange World

The Clades are a legendary family of explorers whose differences threaten to topple their latest and most crucial mission into uncharted and treacherous territory.

Wow.  This was pretty much Disney's biggest disappointment in a long time.   The story was eh.  The characters were dull as hell.  And there was like no hook whatsoever.  The only other Disney animation movies that I can even remotely compare this to would be Treasure Planet and Atlantis but at least both of those had small niches.  This was just there and released on Thanksgiving as THE family film.   Pretty much a money grab.

I wouldn't really recommend anyone bothering with this movie.  I had very to little interest while watching and forgot about most of it by the next day.

House Party

Aspiring club promoters and best buddies Damon and Kevin are barely keeping things together. Out of money, down on their luck and about to lose the roofs over their heads, they need a huge windfall to make their problems go away. They soon decide to host the party of the year at an exclusive mansion, which just happens to belong to none other than NBA superstar LeBron James. What could go wrong?

I was a huge fan of the first movie.  I remember seeing it in theaters and very much enjoying it.  I was annoyed when I heard of the existence of this movie but decided to give it a shot.  After 40 minutes of not even smiling once forget laughing I pulled the plug and left.  Maybe it got better. . . . . . . . . but I couldn't doubt that any more if I tried.  

I would not recommend anyone bothering with this.  It's a waste of time and another massively insulting remake.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Queen Ramonda, Shuri, M'Baku, Okoye and the Dora Milaje fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T'Challa's death. As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with Nakia and Everett Ross to forge a new path for their beloved kingdom.

Wow!  Just wow.  So emotional.  So action packed.  So entertaining.  This movie was such a massive home run under some of the most difficult circumstances ever.  They did a great job of honoring Chadwick.  They did a great job of introducing Namor.   They did a great job of continuing to develop a wide array of cast members across the board.   

I would absolutely recommend people checking this one out.  It is an awesome watch from beginning to end and you don't remotely feel the 3 hour time length.  

Bones And All

Love blossoms between a young woman on the margins of society and a disenfranchised drifter as they embark on a 3,000-mile odyssey through the backroads of America. However, despite their best efforts, all roads lead back to their terrifying pasts and a final stand that will determine whether their love can survive their differences.

This movie was basically a decent premise with good actors cast in it but then decided to be waaaaaaaay too artistic for its own good.  There was so much dead time throughout this movie of just a score playing and nothing really happening and then something crazy would happen and it would go back to treading water.  It kind of made it miss its mark overall.

I wouldn't really recommend anyone bothering with this movie.  It's not the worst watch but the movie kind of like ruins itself because of how it was too overdone.

Violent Night

An elite team of mercenaries breaks into a family compound on Christmas Eve, taking everyone hostage inside. However, they aren't prepared for a surprise combatant: Santa Claus is on the grounds, and he's about to show why this Nick is no saint.

This movie is 10000000% exactly what you thought it would be.  It's a longer version of the trailer and doesn't disappoint for what it was.  It's over the top in every way.  It's quite corny at times.  But it works completely because the filmmakers and cast don't take themselves too seriously.  

I would actually recommend people checking this movie out.  It's a very fun, turn your brain off kind of movie that is basically Santa Claus inserted into Die Hard.

The Menu

The film, penned by Will Tracy and Seth Reiss, "focuses on a young couple who visits an exclusive destination restaurant on a remote island where the acclaimed chef has prepared a lavish tasting menu, along with some shocking surprise."Deadline notes, "Fiennes plays the world-class chef who sets it all up and adds some unexpected ingredients to the menu planned. The action follows one particular A-list couple that takes part. I've heard Stone will play half of that couple."

This was a weird ass and demented movie.   Not bad.  Just very twisted.  The actors really committed to their roles and it made for a really good watch.  They were all great and there were plenty of intensity and anxiety spikes throughout to keep you hooked.

I would definitely recommend people checking this out.  It was a very enjoyable and twisted watch.

She Said

The New York Times journalists Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor publish a report that exposes sexual abuse allegations against powerful Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein. The shocking story also serves as a launching pad for the #MeToo movement, shattering decades of silence around the subject of sexual assault and harassment.

This was a good movie for what it was.  This was a great telling of the start of the MeToo movement with actual moments and soundbites from along the way.   Both of the reporters were great and it was paced in a way that doesn't bore you.

I would somewhat recommend people checking this out.  It's not a must see by any means and it doesn't expose any unknown information.  Just a good job of showing how it all happened.  

Black Adam

In ancient Kahndaq, Teth Adam was bestowed the almighty powers of the gods. After using these powers for vengeance, he was imprisoned, becoming Black Adam. Nearly 5,000 years have passed, and Black Adam has gone from man to myth to legend. Now free, his unique form of justice, born out of rage, is challenged by modern-day heroes who form the Justice Society: Hawkman, Dr. Fate, Atom Smasher and Cyclone.

I find it impossible to not watch DC movies skeptically now.  LOL!  This was a really good movie for like the first 3/4 of it.  The background origins of Black Adam were good.  The Rock was great in the part.  The new characters that were introduced were all good.  And then right when I actually said this is much better than I expected they went and ended it the same exact absurd way that all DC movies end.  Fire everywhere.  An oversized satan related villain and lots of massive slow motion jumping and action.  Like why in the blue hell is that a thing.  Still though - this movie did much better than any previous DC movies in terms of connecting things to it throughout the universe but like do they really know what they want to do with the DC Universe?   Like I think that is the massive problem.

I would still recommend people checking this out.  It is a better than average watch and I mean . . . . . . its The Rock.  Why would anyone not watch him?