The Book Of Henry

Sometimes things are not always what they seem, especially in the small suburban town where the Carpenter family lives. Single suburban mother Susan Carpenter (Naomi Watts) works as a waitress at a diner, alongside feisty family friend Sheila (Sarah Silverman). Her younger son Peter (Jacob Tremblay) is a playful 8-year-old. Taking care of everyone and everything in his own unique way is Susan’s older son Henry (Jaeden Lieberher), age 12, whose creativity is without limits. Protector to his adoring younger brother and tireless supporter of his often self-doubting mother – and, through investments, of the family as a whole – Henry blazes through the days like a comet. Susan discovers that the family next door, which includes Henry’s kind classmate, 12-year-old Christina (Maddie Ziegler), has a dangerous secret – and that Henry has devised a surprising plan to help. As his brainstormed rescue plan for Christina takes shape in thrilling ways, Susan finds herself at the center of it.

Wow!   This movie is the dictionary definition of being all over the place.  This was like three very different movies in one.  They should have picked what type of movie they wanted it to be and gone with that.  The kid actors were great.  Honestly - so was the mom.  But the story was something that the great acting simply could not solve.

I doubt anyone will be seeing this regardless since it came out very strangely in summer and will be buried, but nobody really should bother anyway.   It was an unfortunate disappointment because with proper direction this could have been a really good movie.

Transformers: The Last Knight

The Last Knight shatters the core myths of the Transformers franchise, and redefines what it means to be a hero. Humans and Transformers are at war, Optimus Prime is gone. The key to saving our future lies buried in the secrets of the past, in the hidden history of Transformers on Earth. Saving our world falls upon the shoulders of an unlikely alliance: Cade Yeager (Mark Wahlberg); Bumblebee; an English Lord (Sir Anthony Hopkins); and an Oxford Professor (Laura Haddock).

Congratulations, Michael Bay!   You have done the unthinkable.  You have manage to push the guy that pretty much sees EVERY movie that comes out to announce that I will absolutely not be seeing any more Transformers movies.  I couldn't even make it through this one.  I pushed to get to about the half way mark but then the list of things I could rather be doing was so massive that I just couldn't do it anymore.  This is just more of the same crap from the other Transformers sequels.  They try the Fast & Furious idea of bringing actors back to the franchise but nobody cares.  The script is so beyond painfully bad that I was groaning out loud within the first 5 minutes and never stopped.  The action is just over the top - tons of crap happening on the screen stuff.  And all of this kills me because the original Transformers is absolutely one of my favorite movies ever.  Never have I seen something get this much worse as it goes on.  I pray that people stop going to see this garbage so that they will stop making them.  

I would absolutely not recommend anyone see this.  It is pretty much a lock for worst movie of the year for me.   I'm literally annoyed even writing about it right now.  I've literally been shaking my head in disgust the whole time.

47 Meters Down

On the rebound after a devastating break-up, Lisa (Mandy Moore) is ready for adventure while on vacation in Mexico. Even still, she needs a little extra persuasion when her daring sister Kate (Claire Holt) suggests they go shark diving with some locals. Once underwater in a protective cage, Lisa and Kate catch a once in a lifetime, face-to-face look at majestic Great Whites. But when their worst fears are realized and the cage breaks away from their boat, they find themselves plummeting to the bottom of the seabed, too deep to radio for help without making themselves vulnerable to the savage sharks, their oxygen supplies rapidly dwindling. 

I thought that this was going to be a cheesy single camera type of movie.  Like Paranormal Activity underwater.  They had done one a few years back and I can't remember what it was called.  But it wasn't.  This was actually a pretty decent shark scare movie.  They didn't show you as much I'm sure because of budget reasons but they did a good enough job of building the tension and kept it at a super tight running time of under 90 minutes.

I would kind of recommend people checking this out. It's not a must see by any means but I definitely enjoyed it more than I thought I would.

Wonder Woman

Before she was Wonder Woman, she was Diana, princess of the Amazons, trained to be an unconquerable warrior. Raised on a sheltered island paradise, when an American pilot crashes on their shores and tells of a massive conflict raging in the outside world, Diana leaves her home, convinced she can stop the threat. Fighting alongside man in a war to end all wars, Diana will discover her full powers…and her true destiny.

This was easily - and by far - DC Universe's best offering so far.  This felt a lot more like a Marvel origins movie than the rushed and way too CGI method that DC tends to do.  They still went a little overboard towards the end in terms of the CGI stuff but the movie had massively already won me over by that point.  I was also very wrong in having low expectations for Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman.  She turned out to be awesome in this role.  Hopefully, DC can learn from this movie and start producing more high level and rewatchable comic book movies.  See how great following the Marvel template can actually be?

I would absolutely recommend everyone checking this one out.  It is a very fun ride and definitely meets all the hype leading up to it.  Very pleasantly surprised.

The Big Sick

Based on the real-life courtship: Pakistan-born comedian Kumail and grad student Emily fall in love, but they struggle as their cultures clash. When Emily contracts a mysterious illness, Kumail must navigate the crisis with her parents and the emotional tug-of-war between his family and his heart.

I did not know until the end that this was based on a real-life couple.  Even before finding that out, this was one of the most real feeling movies I have seen in a while.  You get hooked by all the chemistry between the characters and with all the movies that try so hard to be all out comedies - this one didn't but was easily one of the funnier movies of the year.  Just the awkwardness of some of the conversations and being honest about them had me belly laughing at so many points.

I would absolutely recommend people checking this one out.  It was a very enjoyable watch with a great story and family dynamics.

The Mummy

Thought safely entombed in a crypt deep beneath the unforgiving desert, an ancient queen whose destiny was unjustly taken from her, is awakened in our current day, bringing with her malevolence grown over millennia and terrors that defy human comprehension.  From the sweeping sands of the Middle East through hidden labyrinths under modern-day London, The Mummy brings a surprising intensity and balance of wonder and thrills in an imaginative new take that ushers in a new world of gods and monsters.

This was an old school summer popcorn movie.  Lots of action.  Lots of effects.  Mix in some humor.  Totally done to set up a sequel (or in this case the whole "Dark Universe").  I grew up loving movies like this so I was definitely able to enjoy this for what it is.  Was it game changing for the monster genre?  No.  But it didn't have to be.  It moved along well enough.  It did a good job introducing the whole monsters thing that Universal is starting.  I enjoyed it for what it was.

I would recommend people checking this out just because it's an enjoyable ride.  If you have high hopes of being blown away or whatever though it will most likely disappoint you.  

Captain Underpants

Based on the worldwide sensation and bestselling book series, and boasting an A-list cast of comedy superstars headed by Kevin Hart and Ed Helms, DreamWorks Animation brings audiences the long-awaited global movie event, Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie.  This raucously subversive comedy for the entire family tells the story of two overly imaginative pranksters named George and Harold, who hypnotize their principal into thinking he's a ridiculously enthusiastic, incredibly dimwitted superhero named Captain Underpants.

This was a pretty funny and cute kids movie.  It's not like most Pixar or Dreamworks Animation movies that are made for the adults just as much as they are for the kids.  It's definitely a kids movie but it's still very enjoyable because of the characters and storytelling bits that they sprinkled in here and there.  

I would definitely recommend all families checking this out.  Lots of laughs and good times with you and the kids.  

It Comes At Night

Imagine the end of the world— Now imagine something worse.  Award-winning filmmaker Trey Edward Shults follows his incredible debut feature "Krisha" with It Comes At Night, a horror film following a man (Joel Edgerton) as he learns that the evil stalking his family home may be only a prelude to horrors that come from within.  Secure within a desolate home as an unnatural threat terrorizes the world, the tenuous domestic order he has established with his wife and son is put to the ultimate test with the arrival of a desperate young family seeking refuge.  Despite the best intentions of both families, paranoia and mistrust boil over as the horrors outside creep ever-closer, awakening something hidden and monstrous within him as he learns that the protection of his family comes at the cost of his soul.

This was a well done psychological thriller but is very much not a mainstream movie.  There is no straight delivery of fear or answers to any questions.  Almost all of the tension is built between the creepy score and the filming style of slowly zooming in during tense situations. The it from the title refers more to the unknown or paranoia about it.  And that is what all the suspense and fright in this movie is about.  

This was a pretty well done movie that a lot of people with different expectations will end up not liking.  Knowing that it is a thinker instead of just a scary movie might help.  I liked it but didn't love it.

Rough Night

The stars play five best friends from college who reunite in Miami 10 years later for a wild bachelorette weekend. But when the partying ends up taking a dark turn and they accidentally kill a male stripper, the longtime friends are forced to put their heads together and cover up the accident.

This is absolutely one of those movies where if you have seen the commercial then you have seen the movie.  There were no big laughs that you had not already seen.  Honestly the movie really wasn't that funny at all.  There were a few scattered laughs here or there but not nearly enough to carry the whole movie.  

I wouldn't really recommend that anyone bother seeing this.  It's not worth the time or the money because you can just watch the two minute version on your tv during a commercial break.

All Eyez On Me

All Eyez on Me tells the true and untold story of prolific rapper, actor, poet and activist Tupac Shakur. The film follows Shakur from his early days in New York City to his evolution into being one of the world’s most recognized and influential voices before his untimely death at the age of 25. Against all odds, Shakur’s raw talent, powerful lyrics and revolutionary mind-set propelled him into becoming a cultural icon whose legacy continues to grow long after his passing.

After Straight Outta Compton, I was kind of excited about this movie.  I remember growing up during all of this and even though I was never really the biggest fan of Tupac, I wanted to see how they covered everything.  I ended up royally disappointed.  Outside of the fact that the actor really looked like Tupac, this movie was a giant waste of time.  The acting and storytelling was mailed in.  Most of the huge events were just cutaways to news reporters telling about it.  And why in the blue hell did this movie have to be almost 2 1/2 hours long when it breezed through so much!?!

I would definitely not recommend people waste their time with this.  It was a major disappointment and pretty much just mailed in trying to cash in on the success and great job done on Straight Outta Compton.

Baywatch

Baywatch follows devoted lifeguard Mitch Buchannon (Johnson) as he butts heads with a brash new recruit (Efron). Together, they uncover a local criminal plot that threatens the future of the Bay.

Not going to sugarcoat this one.  This is a bad, bad movie.  Like really bad.  Disappointingly bad.  That being said - all the critics that are panning it as a horrible tv show to movie adaption are clearly forgetting just how bad of a show Baywatch was.  It technically did a great job of adapting the show.  The problem with this is that they didn't follow the same formula that 21 Jump Street did with not taking itself to seriously.  And I never thought I would say this in my life - but The Rock was the problem.  His banter with Zac Efron was honestly the only thing that kept this movie afloat and those were the scenes where his character wasn't being portrayed to seriously.  But outside of that his seriousness was a dead weight that wouldn't allow the movie to break loose fully comedy wise.  

I am sad to say that I wouldn't really recommend people watching this.  It really was disappointing because the commercials for it were so damn funny.  Sad.

Guardians Of The Galaxy: Volume 2

Set to the backdrop of Awesome Mixtape #2, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 continues the team’s adventures as they traverse the outer reaches of the cosmos. The Guardians must fight to keep their newfound family together as they unravel the mysteries of Peter Quill’s true parentage. Old foes become new allies and fan-favorite characters from the classic comics will come to our heroes’ aid as the Marvel cinematic universe continues to expand.

Once again, Marvel doesn't make bad movies.  They have once again taken what should be a massive sci-fi specific audience into a blockbuster movie with appeal to all audiences.  It's also one of their funnier movies.  I can't tell you how many times this movie had me belly laughing.  Rocket The Raccoon was just as great in this one as the first one.  Baby Groot was definitely more entertaining than in the first.  But Drax completely stole the show in this one.  Still can't believe how former wrestler Batista is so great in this role.  The only knocks I'll make against it is that the group was not on screen together enough and that Chris Pratt's character had way too much solo screen time.  Can't wait to see these characters on screen with the rest of the Avengers.

This movie is a great way to kick off the summer.  It's a very enjoyable roller coaster ride and is another example of Marvel's excellence.

Alien: Covenant

Ridley Scott returns to the universe he created, with Alien: Covenant, a new chapter in his groundbreaking "Alien" franchise. The crew of the colony ship Covenant, bound for a remote planet on the far side of the galaxy, discovers what they think is an uncharted paradise, but is actually a dark, dangerous world. When they uncover a threat beyond their imagination, they must attempt a harrowing escape.

This is a tough one to review.  Overall - the movie was pretty good.  Good story and the alien stuff was awesome.  Probably the best it's been since Aliens honestly.  The problem - and I never thought I would say this - was Michael Fassbender.  Or I guess his character.  It was like a momentum killer every time he showed up on screen and I can't say much more without giving too much away but it seemed like he was the bad guy and the aliens were just his henchmen as the movie went on.  It was very weird.  

It's not that I didn't like the movie.  I liked the stuff that was alien in nature.  That stuff was awesome.  There was just too many pacing issues with all the Fassbender stuff and all of that was done in a way where it was predictable too.  I would still recommend people check this out.  Just know that this is very much a Prometheus sequel - although not really advertised as one - and your liking of this will depend very heavily on how much you liked that movie.

Everything, Everything

What if you couldn’t touch anything in the outside world? Never breathe in the fresh air, feel the sun warm your face…or kiss the boy next door? Everything, Everything tells the unlikely love story of Maddy, a smart, curious and imaginative 18-year-old who due to an illness cannot leave the protection of the hermetically sealed environment within her house, and Olly, the boy next door who won’t let that stop them. Maddy is desperate to experience the much more stimulating outside world, and the promise of her first romance. Gazing through windows and talking only through texts, she and Olly form a deep bond that leads them to risk everything to be together…even if it means losing everything.

Decent watch for a teenage girl movie pretty much.  Basically if you saw the trailer - you saw the movie.  There is a little twist that you kind of see coming regardless but I won't spoil it.  There really is not much more to say about this movie.

I would recommend any females between the age of 12 and 17 check this out.  Outside of that there really is no reason to see this.

King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword

Guy Ritchie brings his dynamic style to the epic fantasy action adventure King Arthur: Legend of the Sword. Starring Charlie Hunnam in the title role, the film is an iconoclastic take on the classic Excalibur myth, tracing Arthur’s journey from the streets to the throne. When the child Arthur’s father is murdered, Vortigern (Jude Law), Arthur’s uncle, seizes the crown. Robbed of his birthright and with no idea who he truly is, Arthur comes up the hard way in the back alleys of the city. But once he pulls the sword from the stone, his life is turned upside down and he is forced to acknowledge his true legacy…whether he likes it or not.

This movie started off very choppy and annoying.  The whole explanation of the father and uncle fighting and what not was way too rushed and had a lot of mage effects that were annoying.  Once it got to where Charlie Hunnam was King Arthur, the movie was actually very enjoyable.  The only times that it fell off again was any time that they went hard into the mage effects again.  It really kind of ruined what could have been an awesome movie and ended up making it and up and down enjoyable movie because the parts with King Arthur and his men with all the bickering really was great.  I have always been a huge fan of Charlie Hunnam and he was perfect in this.

I would recommend people checking this out.  Just be aware that the mage stuff is all kind of eh but everything around that stuff is great.