Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald

The second Fantastic Beasts is finally here, but this time everything is a little more serious and a little darker. Grindelwald has escaped the American Ministry of Magic jail, and no one can find him. The British Ministry wants Newt's help, but Newt has other plans in mind. J.K. Rowling has done it again. She has created a world that people love, and a story that people love to hate. This film is full of secret messages and one heck of a cliffhanger that has left audiences in disbelief, but has she upset more people than she has pleased?

I will try not to give too much away in these first few paragraphs, and then I will go on to discuss my thoughts about the cliffhanger. If you have not seen the movie, I highly suggest you only read the beginning portion (until the bold words below that say stop) and come back later for the rest. I have now seen the movie twice and I have spent a few days in between both times to think about it all and come to terms with it. The first time I saw the movie, I was extremely confused. I didn't know what was going on or who was who and I left the theater with very few words. I didn't know what to say. So, I went home, and I watched the first movie again. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is super lighthearted and happy. Newt is running around collecting his beasts and taking them to safety, oh and by the way Newt there's an obscurial running around and no one knows who it is. The obscurial is not Newt's main concern however. Throughout the whole first movie, Newt rarely has anything to do with the obscurial until the end. The ministry is dealing with it, and we are even lead to believe that they kill it in the end. This turns out to be completely inaccurate.

Go back and watch the last few minutes of the first movie. Notice how Newt sees a small bit of the obscurial float away after the ministry aurors try to destroy it. The only way anything could be floating away is if Credence survived. Surprise! He's alive, and Grindelwald still wants him. I think this is where my main dislike comes in. The name of the movie is The Crimes of Grindelwald. So I'm thinking I'm going to see tons of crimes committed by Grindelwald in this movie...but I didn't. I saw some crimes, this is true, but Grindelwald doesn't do any of them. The only crime Grindelwald commits in this whole movie is escaping from prison. After that he is nothing but a glorified cult leader. He sits around in an apartment all day while his followers go out spreading his name and committing the crimes that Grindelwald can't commit himself. This man is supposed to be one of the evilest men alive, worse than Voldemort even will be (remember this is before Voldemort's time), and he never goes outside. He is nothing but a charismatic cult leader that promises everything he thinks people want to hear to gain their trust. I need more.

Some of my confusion in this series comes from the new faces and the story that I've never read. My love of Harry Potter came from the books that I could hold in my hands and that I could read and learn about the characters. Now, J.K. Rowling is introducing new people and new backstories that I don't like and I don't agree with. She always says she stands behind these stories, but I think she's become too politically correct (more on this below). One new face we meet is Leta Lestrange (Zoe Kravitz). We know from the first movie that Leta and Newt are old friends from school and they have a mysterious history that Newt doesn't like to talk about. In this sequel, we learn more about Leta and her family history. How is she messed up in all of this? How could she be so evil, but also be friends with Newt? I did like Leta's part in this movie. I like her story and I'm glad we were granted some clarifications.

Overall, I feel like I enjoyed the movie, but I'm not sure how I will like the rest. I don't see J.K.'s vision for this series and I don't know how she can connect all of this to the future story that we all know and love. I think she needs to tread carefully because she is upsetting more people than she is pleasing. Supposedly there will be three more movies (for a total of 5 in this series), and I am interested to see where she takes this. IMDb reviewers give this movie a 7/10 and Rotten Tomatoes gives it a 66%, but it is also rotten if you look at the critics reviews. I don't know where I stand. I so badly want to like it that I think I'd give it a 6/10, but at the same time, that could just be because I loved the last 15 minutes so freaking much. It was a huge build-up, full of confusion and little hints to the truth, that ended with a bang. I could watch the ending another ten times and it wouldn't get old, but is that enough to please the biggest Harry Potter fans, such as myself? I'm not sure.




 STOP IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE MOVIE! SPOILERS FOLLOW!




I think I made the above notice pretty clear, so if you're still reading, you better have already seen the movie. First, I'd like to discuss Rowling's politically correct-ness. 1.) The allusion to Dumbeldore being gay, 2.) Nagini is an Asian woman/maledictus. Do not get me wrong. I have nothing wrong with gay people or Asians, I just find it funny that in a world where people are complaining about not enough diversity or lack of fairness for minorities, that Rowling suddenly jumped on board. Harry Potter showed very little diversity. I'm pretty sure Cho Chang was one of very few Asians at Hogwarts. So why now? Why in this one movie do we throw two of the minorities in there? I don't like it. I do not like that Nagini is a woman at all. We have only known her to be a snake, which as a maledictus makes sense. Maledictus is able to transform from human to animal for their early lives, but they eventually get stuck in their animal form. Fine. I can accept that. I'm not a fan of change and seeing her as a human is not my favorite, but why is she in the circus? Does Nagini just love being under someone else's control? Doesn't look like it to me. You want me to believe that she leaves the circus to be free, just to end up working for Voldemort and his evilness? I don't see it.

Now Dumbledore being gay....with Grindelwald....are you serious? Have you looked at Grindelwald? He's creepy and not cute and I'm sorry, but Dumbledore is one of my favorites and I don't see it. Not once while reading the Harry Potter books did I think OMG he's gay! Why does J.K. do this to me now?! Why does he have to have any sexuality at all? Why can't he just be the bomb ass Dumbledore we know and love? The one that knows all and that is filled with so much wisdom he could make you sick with it. I just can't see him ever loving someone that is as evil and demented as Grindelwald is.

Now, that cliffhanger. I'm siding with Nagini and her last words to Credence. "He knows what you are, not who you are." As I mentioned earlier, Grindelwald is nothing but a cult leader willing to say or do whatever he needs to in order to succeed. Right now, we don't know Grindelwald's endgame. Why is he creating an army? Does he just want to be in control of the world? I think he just needs Credence for the same reason that Dumbledore needed Newt. The blood bond kept them from fighting each other, but Newt took that away from Grindelwald. I am positive that Dumbledore can break it. I know he will because he is going to get the elder wand from Grindelwald. (Which is also crazy because if Dumbledore loves Grindelwald, how can he kill him? Doesn't love conquer all? It did for Harry...end tangent.) Grindelwald thinks he needs Credence because he can't attack Dumbledore, and Credence is very special. Most obscurials die at a young age, but Credence hasn't. Why is that? Maybe that's part of Grindelwald's plan as well. To determine how Credence has survived so long? Don't know.

There is no possible way that Credence could actually be a Dumbledore. Albus's father was in Azkaban after attacking the muggles that attacked Ariana (Albus's sister) when she was doing magic. I'm pretty sure they don't allow visitors in Azkaban, and he didn't escape. Albus's mother was killed by Ariana when Ariana "exploded" one day. It is rumored that Ariana was also an obscurial, which occurred after her encounter with the muggles that tortured her. So, if both of the parents are dead, Dumbledore could not have another sibling, and Grindelwald specifically said brother. It is possible that Credence is Aberforth's son, making him Albus's nephew, but I don't believe this to be true either. How is it possible that Albus never knew about him? The man that knows everything, except that he didn't have a brother or nephew? Or did he know and just kept it a secret for years and years including through Harry's time at Hogwarts? I don't think it's possible, but I'm very excited to see where this all goes. I'd also love to hear other theories or debate mine, so please don't hold back! Fantastic Beasts 3 cannot come soon enough!

Overlord

True historical events meet the living dead in Overlord. The night before D-Day, American paratroopers drop into France to destroy a radio transmitter atop a fortified church. The task already seems impossible, but when they find what lies beneath the church, the mission goes from impossible to a death wish. With the help of a female villager, the remaining paratroopers fight for survival and face a nightmare they never thought possible.

So this review is coming out a bit late since I don't think you can still see Overlord in theaters, but you can use this for Netflix or if you think you might buy the DVD. I really enjoyed this movie. It is fast-paced and full of twists and turns. It starts a bit slow and you're not really sure where this movie is taking you, but J.J. Abrams does not let us down on this action, horror.

If you are big into zombies and historical films, this one is definitely for you. I liked the twist to the true events. American troops really did drop into Nazi-France the night before D-Day to take out radio towers. They didn't meet zombies along the way, but it is an interesting idea. Who ever thought to bring zombies into WWII?! Oh, and if you like gory films, this is definitely your movie. I was pretty grossed out, but I hate gore. I had to hide my eyes on more than one occasion.

At just under two hours, this is one of the longer zombie movies I can remember. I never felt like I was bored and needed it to end though. There's a lot going on at all times and I think it moved along pretty smoothly. Jovan Adepo that plays the lead (character named Boyce), does a great job at keeping you entertained. I think he did this role justice, and I hope we see more of him in other movies. (He does a lot of TV shows, not as many movies.) IMDb rates this one at a 7.1/10 and Rotten Tomatoes is at a 76% audience score, which is very good for both. I agree with the ratings, and I would see this one again.

Halloween

This is the eleventh and final (supposedly) installment of Michael Myers' reign of terror over Haddonfield, Illinois and Laurie Strode on Halloween night. Michael has been detained at Smith's Grove Sanitarium for four decades and hasn't spoken a word to anyone. He is set to be transferred to a new facility, but something goes horribly wrong. The bus ends up in a ditch, driver and transport crew all murdered, and Michael is on the loose. Laurie has been training and planning for this day to happen, and she won't stop until he's dead for good.

I'm not going to lie to you and say that I have watched all of the Halloween movies. I honestly don't think I ever watched any of them after the first one, and I'm not sure I even watched the first one in its entirety either. The first five movies came out before I was born so they were never on my must-see list. After seeing this new Halloween movie, however, I feel like I might go watch some of them. I enjoyed this movie. I wouldn't say I was drop-dead in love with it, but it was good. They even threw in some comedy, which I wasn't expecting to see in a horror film. Who knew I'd be laughing in a horror movie?!

I think that may be why I didn't love this one. It just wasn't super scary. I was creeped out for sure, but I only jumped one time. I've been to children's movies and jumped more times than that. I was looking for a dark, scary movie to get me in the Halloween spirit. I didn't get that. While I'm glad that this is the end of the Halloween franchise (eleven movies is far too many), I was expecting a bit more horror. 

The end was a little off-putting as well. I didn't feel satisfied with it. For forty years Michael didn't say a single word. No one knows why he murdered people or what made him so angry. Was it the mask? Was he just a messed up child? Did he really love Laurie but she wouldn't love him back? Who knows?! I liked the twist this movie had, but I was really hoping for some explanation or at least one word out of Michael.

One thing I really loved was Laurie's preparation and planning. She spent a lot of time training and building traps in order to protect herself and her family. The traps were brilliant and surprising to watch unfold. Jamie Lee Curtis did a fantastic job in this role. Andi Matichak, who played Laurie's granddaughter, Allyson, was good as well, but her character had a lot of "duh" moments. I guess the writers needed to keep that element of stupidity seen in all horror movies, and they decided she could pull them off brilliantly. Let's scream our head off in the middle of the street! Michael will never find us now...There were other characters that didn't seem to be completely relevant as well. Allyson's boyfriend for example. He's a big deal in the beginning, but then he just fades out and disappears. Did we need him? I don't think so.

IMDb says 7.3/10, Rotten Tomatoes says 76%, I'd say 6/10. Not bad, but not great either. Definitely kept to that classic 80's horror movie style, but in 2018 I'm expecting much more.

Venom

Investigative journalist Eddie Brock has it all: a beautiful fiance, an awesome motorcycle, and a great job. When he takes his investigations too far, however, he loses it all and is left struggling to make things right once again. The Life Foundation is to blame for it all, so when the chance for a comeback surfaces, Eddie takes it, and ends up becoming the host of an alien symbiote. Now, Eddie and Venom have to work together to protect the world from the other symbiotes that are taking control.

I may have mentioned this before, but I LOVE Spider-man movies. We first saw this character of Venom in Spider-man 3, way back in 2007. So, when I heard about this movie dedicated to Venom, I was super excited to see it. Thank you Columbia Pictures and Sony for not disappointing! This movie is fantastic. Tom Hardy does an amazing job bringing Eddie Brock and Venom together as one joint character. The comedy in the conversations between them, and Venom's use of third person in those conversations, makes for a lot of laugh out loud moments. The CGI was exceptional as well. I was loving it.



Venom is a Marvel character, but this movie is not produced by Marvel. This is a Sony picture in association with Marvel. Because of this, Sony was able to make this movie much darker than anything we've ever seen in a Marvel film before. They push the limits on the PG-13 rating, and I'm actually surprised they didn't cross over into an R rating. They definitely could have because Venom is extremely no nonsense; tells it like he sees it.

I read into some of the critic reviews. One such review, found on the Hollywood Reporter, actually made me laugh and wish I could meet this critic in person. He says that this movie "feels like a throwback" and that "the writing and filmmaking are blah in every respect." I'm am in awe at these statements and at the entire article in general (read it here). This critic clearly loves Marvel and hates Sony, or he's just an idiot. The entire article he has written is bashing on the movie. It has this feeling of extreme distaste and impatience with the whole thing. I'm sorry you had to sit through this two hour long movie and do your jobTodd McCarthy, you famous Hollywood Reporter you. I'm sure it was a horrible experience.

My only complaint with this movie is that it confused me a little bit. At first I thought that Venom was here to take over the world with all the other symbiotes, but then all of a sudden him and Eddie are trying to stop the symbiotes. Maybe this is something that I should have understood from the comics, but I never read the comics. There wasn't enough background on why Venom is the way he is or what his intentions are, and that's really the only thing I wish I knew. Maybe someone can simply explain it to me sometime?

Don't listen to the critics on this one, listen to me. Go see this movie. Everyone besides the critics are loving it. IMDb gives it a 7/10 and Rotten Tomatoes is at an 88%. This film has grossed more money than they spent producing it because Marvel fans cannot stop talking about it. Don't be a loser and not know the up-and-up on Marvel!

P.s. There are two end credit scenes, but the first one is the only one worth watching. The second one is a scene from the animated Spider-man movie that is coming out...that even I have no intention of seeing.

The House with a Clock in Its Walls

When Lewis Barnavelt's (Owen Vaccaro) mother passes away, he is sent to live with his Uncle Jonathan (Jack Black). He has never met his uncle or heard much about him, but he soon learns that this mansion he now lives in is full of magic, and his uncle is a warlock in the midst of a magical dilemma. Lewis finds himself in the middle of it all, and could be the only one to stop it.

The previews for this movie really got me interested. I had never heard of the book by John Bellairs, but I normally enjoy Jack Black's characters. He did not let me down here. This is a more serious role, although there is some joking around, for Jack Black, but I liked it. I think he did a really good job with it. I actually think he made this movie what it is. 

This movie is targeted for a younger audience, so I wasn't surprised that I wasn't satisfied with Vaccaro's character. He's young and lonely, and that always calls for stupidity. They try to impress people to make friends. Always do, in every movie involving lonely kids. You can predict what's going to happen from pretty early on. There's quite a bit of foreshadowing. This doesn't mean I hated the movie though. I actually enjoyed it. Just because I know where it's going to end, doesn't mean I don't enjoy the ride.

There were some creepier moments in the movie as well. I actually jumped once, which my friends thought was funny. What can I say, I'm a jumpy person, but I do think this movie would scare some younger kids a little. The young boy sitting near us was definitely cuddled into his mom for awhile. I think that the level of horror/suspense is what really brought me in. Even though this was one for kids, I liked that scarier aspect. The suspense along with Jack Black made for an enjoyable time.

Rotten Tomatoes ratings are pretty low so far. The audience score is at a 50%. IMDb is a bit higher at a 6.3/10. I'd probably listen more to IMDb this time than Rotten Tomatoes. It really wasn't that bad. It wasn't the best movie ever, and it's definitely more for kids even with the suspense, but I liked it. It's not going to be a big seller in the future, and will probably spend some time on Netflix, but that's OK. Not every movie will be a hit, and I'm guessing the novel wasn't either. I mean it did come out in 1973, and just now was made into a movie...I guess there are other books in the series as well. John Bellairs wrote twelve novels about Lewis Barnavelt, but I'm not sure we will ever see a sequel. This movie did not end with a cliffhanger. Maybe they are waiting to see how it does in the box office first? Who knows? Only time will tell...😏

A Simple Favor

Emily Nelson (played by Blake Lively) has always lived a secretive and secluded life. When she finally allows Stephanie Smothers (Anna Kendrick) into her life, they become quick friends. Then, Emily asks Stephanie to pick up her son from school one day, and never comes to get him. Everyone thinks Emily is gone on another one of her secret trips, except Stephanie. Stephanie goes on a mission to find her new best friend, and finds herself mixed up in something she never saw coming.

I am a huge Anna Kendrick fan, but I can't remember ever seeing a preview for this movie. I don't think it was overly advertised (at least not in Tulsa). When I finally heard about it, I knew I had to see it, and I wasn't disappointed...but I wasn't blown away either. It was a good movie. It starts out like a comedy with some good jokes from Blake and Anna. Then it goes on and slowly gets darker and more serious. There were moments where I was left wondering what was going to happen next. Blake Lively's character is super dark and super creepy, and next to Anna Kendrick's light, silly character, you're left on the edge of your seat.

Reviews are pretty good for this one. IMDb says 7.2/10 and Rotten Tomatoes is at an 81%. I probably would've rated it around a 6/10. Like I said, I enjoyed it, but I wasn't blown away. It wasn't one that I was left in shock and awe over, and it's not one I'll be rushing to the stores to buy. I did really love the ending. The way it ended made it seem like this was based on a true story, saying "where they are now." It's not a true story, but it is a book. Darcey Bell wrote and published the book about a year ago. It is her first and only published novel in her career. I can only assume the book is amazing and a huge hit since it was picked up and transformed into a movie within a year. That's really fast for movie-making, but there really isn't any special effects that would make production take longer.

Don't have much else to say about this one. Short, sweet, and to the point.

The Predator

The Predator returns to Earth in a crash-landing in the midst of a military hostage retrieval mission led by Quinn McKenna (Boyd Holbrook). When McKenna manages to incapacitate the Predator, he decides to take the Predator's armor, and mails it home where his autistic son Rory (Jacob Tremblay) receives it. Rory mistakenly calls more Predators to Earth, and these newer, genetically modified Predators are on a mission to find the boy that was smart enough to break into their technology.

I was really excited for this new Predator movie. The original Predator is a classic Sci-Fi that every science fiction nerd should see. To me, predators are extremely smart, hard to catch, and insanely strong creatures. The predators in this new movie, however, are extremely different. We see McKenna catch one in the first ten minutes, and he makes it look easy. Even the genetically modified predators we see later in the movie are easily killed or captured. I was extremely let-down and ashamed to even put this in the same movie series as the originals.

The original Predator was basically a one vs one combat movie. In this new movie, we have a band of military guys fighting these supposedly stronger and smarter Predators. The military guys are all off-duty guys that are either crazy (mentally), or they've been taken into custody for some other incident. These are not strong men that are clever enough to come up with traps to capture a predator, or smart enough to figure out how predator technology works. I even found the main character, Quinn McKenna, somewhat cocky and unlikable. It almost seemed like I was watching a comedy/wannabe Sci-Fi movie. The one-liners were enough for a giggle here and there, but who goes to see Predator for a laugh? I hated it. I was bored and confused the entire time.

Audiences around the world are agreeing with me as well. Rotten Tomatoes has this scored at a 48%. Ouch. IMDb has it at a 6/10, but scrolling through the first 20 reviews or so the majority of ratings are 1/10. I have no idea who would rate this movie over a 5/10. It's not a Predator movie, and it should be ashamed to call itself that. The worst part is that they set it up for sequels. I can't say I have any interest in a sequel. I truly hope that kids today don't watch this movie before seeing the original films because if they do I fear they never will go back to those classics.

The new Predator's have dogs that can track humans. They also turn out to be a huge let-down, and bad addition to this movie series.

Searching

When a 16-year old girl goes missing, her father is left alone to discover what happened. Did she run away, is she dying in a field somewhere, did he know his daughter at all? He breaks into her computer to discover where she may have gone, and learns that he may not have known the real Margot after all.

Why are you reading this blog right now? If you have not yet seen Searching (and I know it's been out for weeks now), then you need to leave your phone or your computer and go to the movies right now! This movie was phenomenal. 10/10 I would see it again one thousand times and it would never get old. The work that went into making this film is amazing and so unbelievably well done that I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. I had chills for most of the movie, nearly cried three times, and ended up staring at the credits with OMG circling around my head. Critics across the board are raving for this movie, and you have to see it to believe it.

At first, I wasn't sure how this movie was going to be. Instead of actors and a video camera, as all movies are, this one is all through social media. So we watch it through FaceTime, Facebook, or YouTube, etc. There were even apps that I had never heard of before, but the way that they are all brought together is amazing. It took over two years to put everything into order, but the actors did all their parts in less than two weeks. Also, because we are seeing it all unfold through social media, it adds to the suspense. You aren't right there as it's happening. You have to wait, and then they drop the bomb on you and you don't know what's going to come next. I sat frozen in the theater with nothing other than oh my God going around and around in my head, and it continued as I drove myself home afterwards.

I absolutely loved how real this movie is, and how it portrays our society today. How when something bad happens everyone jumps in to give their two cents even if it's all a lie. Yes, she was my best friend! Even though a week ago I told her father I don't really know her. Why do we do that? It happens all the time, and I am so glad this movie included it. It just made the whole thing more real to me. I have grown up with social media and I know how it changes people to fit into their social norms. It's easy to pretend you're something you're not when a trauma happens because the person who could call you out for it isn't there.

From the acting to the cinematography, this is not one to miss. IMDb gives it a 7.9/10 and Rotten Tomatoes gives it a 90%. I give it a 10/10, and it WILL be a part of my movie collection someday. I will also watch my future children like a hawk when it comes to social media and their friends. I will never question whether I know who my kids really are, and I will know each and every one of their friends.

The Nun

Prequel to The Conjuring and Conjuring 2, The Nun takes place in Romania in 1952. A priest with a background in exorcisms, played by Demian Bichir, and a young woman about to take her vows to be a nun (Taissa Farmiga), are sent to investigate the death of a nun at the abbey. What they discover is an abbey haunted by an evil presence, and grounds that are anything but holy.

I am a fan of the Conjuring series, and have been from the beginning. I see a lot of horror movies, and for some reason, the Conjuring always stood out. The Nun is no exception. I enjoyed it from start to finish. I wouldn't say it is the scariest movie I've ever seen, but it was still really good. Most of the scares come from the unexpected appearances that made me jump every time. My only dislike in the movie overall was that it was very dark the entire time. If you were to watch this at home in the middle of the day, good luck seeing anything. At times, I thought to myself that the lights along the walkways in the theater were too bright, but if that was the only problem, oh well.

For some reason, reviewers are hating on this movie. IMDb gave this a 6/10 and Rotten Tomatoes is at a 48% audience score. I would have given it a 7 or 8 out of 10. Reading through those reviews left me just as stumped. Some people were laughing at the Nun (played by Bonnie Aarons) and saying that the scares were predictable. Who are you people? That nun is creepy AF. If that thing was coming towards me in a creepy corridor I'd scream and run, but not you. No, you can stand there and laugh and be eaten by her. As long as it's not me! Yes, I will say some of the scares were predictable. We all watched the previews multiple times and knew that nun was coming from the side of the screen, but I still jumped. No matter how much I prep for these movies, I'm a jumpy person. Maybe you aren't, so you won't find this movie as creepy as I did, but my friends that aren't jumpy still loved this movie. One even said he'd buy it when it comes out on DVD sooooo yea...

The Nun came out on September 7, so that was 4 days ago. Anyone want to take a guess at the box office numbers?? The production budget was pretty similar to all the others in the series at around $22 million. That's two million more than the Conjuring (just for reference). The box office has brought in close to $54 million in the last 4 days alone. The Conjuring brought in a little over $137 million in its entirety. In four days, this movie has brought in close to 40% of the box office numbers for the Conjuring. So while all you haters are out there rating movies super low, the rest of the world doesn't care. If you enjoyed the previous movies, then you will enjoy this one as well.

My favorite part by far was how it wrapped around to the other stories. We finally get to see where it all began. The tie-in at the very end was perfect. I have always loved Ed and Lorraine Warren's story of exorcisms and creepy dolls that come to life, and the Nun shows us exactly how they came to be involved with the Perron family from the first film. It was beautifully done, and I don't think I could have seen a better ending. Please give this one a shot. I promise that if you liked the Conjuring and Conjuring 2, then you will like this one too. Just don't expect to wet yourself with the scares. Unless you pee when you jump at scares, then bring a diaper...

Kin

When Jimmy Solinski (Jack Reynor) is released from prison, his father and adopted brother don't have high hopes for his future. Jimmy has people to pay off from before his arrest and no money to pay them with, so he falls back on old ways. Him and his adopted brother Eli (Myles Truitt), end up on the run from a gang led by Taylor Balik (James Franco). What they don't know is that they are also running from a mysterious group of soldiers that are searching for an otherwordly weapon Eli found in an abandoned warehouse.

I saw the trailer for this movie maybe two times before I went to see it. This was not one that was overly advertised, which was surprising since it has so many big names. Dennis Quaid, James Franco, Zoe Kravitz, and others all play important roles in this film. I'm also pretty sure that there will be sequels, even if I'm not sure they deserve to make them.

From the previews, I thought I was walking into a Sci-Fi movie. It is in fact listed as an Action, Sci-Fi movie on IMDb. What I got was a heck of a lot of talking, some action scenes here and there, and an amazing ending that left me wondering what in the world I just witnessed. Never in my imagination did I think I would be sitting in the theater for an hour and a half before watching fifteen minutes of action/sci-fi. Where was the action?! Where was the Sci-Fi?! I feel like if you're going to classify a movie as Sci-Fi it needs to include more than fifteen minutes of aliens, or weird weapons, or whatever I saw because even now I'm not sure what was going on at the end. The only reason I want a sequel is to get some clarification. Who were those "alien-esque" soldiers? Where did the gun come from? Why was this movie created? So many questions to warrant a sequel, but I don't totally know if I could watch another 2 hours of boring talking.

This movie is getting a lot of mixed reviews, and I understand that completely. IMDb has this rated as a 5.7/10 and Rotten Tomatoes is at a 63% audience score. Not good enough to make a sequel. There just isn't enough Sci-Fi, and the brotherly connection you would expect from a movie titled Kin is lame. This movie was directed by two brothers, yet the two brothers in the film aren't brotherly. Jimmy is a horrible role-model, and Eli is too young to have any connection to someone he barely knows and that is twice his age. I mean my brother and I are only five years apart in age and we sometimes don't agree on things, but if I was twice his age, then we definitely wouldn't get along. Different times and different viewpoints, and I just didn't get a whole lot of feels from these two. All I know is that I would never want a brother like Jimmy. "I just got out of jail, let's go steal some money from bad guys!" "Oh, you'll like this. Let's go watch strippers!" The kid is like thirteen years old. He should not be watching strippers, you loser.

I really don't think this movie is worth your time or money, but hey maybe you'll disagree with me and be one of the people giving this film ten stars. I don't know. All I know is I need answers to the finale of the movie, but I won't be watching this one again any time soon.

Alpha

Alpha takes place twenty thousand years ago in Europe. It is the story of a young man that goes out on his first buffalo hunt only to become stranded and injured. He sets out on his way home and comes across a wolf pack intent on making him dinner. A battle ensues and he leaves the alpha of the pack injured and unable to return home. Unable to kill the wolf himself, the man decides to help it heal and they soon become a pack of their own on a mission to find home.

This movie wasn't entirely what I expected it to be. After seeing the movie preview for what feels like forever, the anticipation kept building and I was looking for a showstopper. I would rate this movie a 6.5/10, which is pretty in-line with other ratings. IMDb gives this film a 7/10 and Rotten Tomatoes has it at a 79% audience score.

My biggest disappointment was that I had to read the whole movie. It's not in English. You didn't know that either did you? Go watch that preview one more time and notice how there's not a single word in it. Yep, I missed that too. There isn't a whole lot of talking in the movie anyway (it's a wolf and a boy, they don't have much to say), but the little that there is, had to be read from subtitles. I normally don't enjoy reading my movies; this one is an exception. I thought some of it was comical the way he would talk to the wolf as if it knew what he was saying. His version of training a dog isn't the same as mine, but it was interesting to watch all the same.

With a production budget of $51 million, this movie is on the lower end for money to use on the special effects. For example, Bumblebee (the new Transformers movie coming out on Christmas), has a production budget of $102 million. Because of this small budget, the CGI is, well...let's be honest...it sucks. The buffalo looked like a puppet in front of a horrible green screen. Luckily, Alpha is played by a real wolf named Chuck. He is a Czech wolfdog which, according to MoviePaws.com, is a mix between wolves and German Shepherds. He is quite the handsome wolfdog, if I say so myself.

Photo courtesy of http://www.movie-trailers-blaze.com/alpha-official-trailer-2-2018-adventure-movie-hd-2/

If you're looking for a feel-good movie, this one is for you. It seems like a long movie, with some slow parts, but it's definitely worth it if you like wolves and movies about finding family in unbelievable places. It's an uplifting film that makes you feel like you should never give up because someone is always going to be there to help you succeed. Plus Chuck is a cutie, and he could be a real star one day. Go see his first performance so someday you can say, "I remember when he first started..."
 

The Darkest Minds

Based on the series of books by Alexandra Bracken, The Darkest Minds is about a mysterious "disease" named I.A.A.N. (see chart below) that kills all children under the age of 18, except for a select few. The adults are afraid of these surviving children and decide to send them away to entrapment camps. The children fight back and form a resistance group to survive.

This is an example of a movie that is receiving a mix of different reviews, and I bet you don't know who to believe. IMDb has this rated a 5.5/10....ouch. Rotten Tomatoes is at 78% for the audience score. Who do you believe? Me! This movie is much better than a 5/10. I think 78% percent is about right or maybe a bit higher than I would rate it, but it's definitely not a bad movie.

The Darkest Minds is very similar to Divergent, where they separate the kids based on their abilities. In this movie, they are categorized by colors:

The higher up on the chart, the more dangerous the child is. Any child that is rated an orange or red, is set to be terminated immediately. Enter Ruby Daly (Amandla Stenberg). She is an orange that has managed to survive the camps undetected, and with only 2 remaining oranges left in this world, she is unsure of her full abilities.

Let me just take a minute to explain what I.A.A.N. stands for. The chart below explains a lot.

Idiopathic Adolescent Acute Neurodegeneration - sounds like a jumble of random words. Basically it just means that it's a disease that shows up extremely fast in children and that it's because of a decline in the nervous system. The adults don't know why it is happening and they don't know how to cure it, so instead they decide to go all WWII and send the surviving kids away or kill the ones higher up on the chart. Have we not learned from our past mistakes? When do these camps ever work? But, that's how it was in the book, I guess, so that's what happens in this film.

I think some of the acting was a bit adolescent, and some of the jokes just a little too corny, but overall I really enjoyed The Darkest Minds. They covered a lot of stuff and at times I found myself thinking, "Wow this movie is long." It's really not though. It's only 1 hour and 45 minutes. They just cover so much in that time.

I hope that people disregard the reviews and go see this one. It is hurting in terms of box office income. At a little over $8 million in sales and a $34 million production budget, this is not looking good for the rest of the series. I would really like to see where this all ends up, so please go see this movie. If you hate it because you think it's too similar to Divergent, I understand that. In my eyes, this movie is based on a book series, and if that series was able to do well in book sales, then something really good must happen in it to compete with such a popular trilogy such as Divergent. Give it a chance to prove itself. Everyone deserves a second chance.

Christopher Robin

Christopher Robin is the newest Winnie the Pooh film meant for every person, adult or child, that has ever loved the Hundred Acre Wood. We watch Christopher Robin go from a happy child to a workaholic with very little time to give to his family. Then one day, Pooh can't find his friends and so he enlists Christopher to help him. Christopher soon learns that family and friends are more important than any job.

I loved this movie from start to finish. Winnie the Pooh was always a presence in my home, and continues to be to this day. My mom is even named after Christopher Robin (her name is Christine), so yeah Winnie the Pooh is sort of important to us! I was so excited to see this movie, and it did not disappoint. The reviews on every media site are absolutely true. If you loved Pooh Bear in the past, then you will love this movie as well.

At first, I thought it was starting a bit slow. The beginning starts with Christopher as a young boy and then we jump through the years almost like we are transporting through the important parts of the book. Once Christopher is an adult (played by Ewan McGregor) it really picked up and had me laughing the whole time. There was something almost sentimental to me throughout the film. They kept us entertained by reminding us of all the old shows and all the old jokes: Pooh with his hunny, Piglet with the acorns, Tigger's bouncing song, etc. It was like I was being brought back to an easier time where my Hundred Acre Wood friends were all I needed. Pooh's wisdom was beautiful throughout the movie, even if he thinks he's just a bear with very little brain.

The character animations were also very well done. When Christopher was interacting with them it was like they were actually there having a conversation or off searching for their friends. Pooh had me laughing the whole time, especially with his sticky, hunny fingers and his need to understand the "real world." Eeyore was hilarious as well with his somber statements like "Thanks for noticin' me." I've always had a soft spot for Eeyore though so maybe that's just me.

I highly recommend seeing this movie if you ever loved Pooh and his friends. Even if you never got into Pooh before, I think you will love this movie. It will definitely be a part of my collection of DVDs someday. I mean with reviews like 8/10 from IMDb and a 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, you can't get much better than that.

P.S. There is a small scene during the credits that is a little weird, and not totally needed. It ends with the friends all sitting in some beach chairs relaxing by the ocean which was pretty cute.

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is the sequel every woman in Greece and America has been waiting for. Set five years after the original film (although it's been ten real years) and one year after the death of her mother, Sophie has finished remodeling the hotel and is set to throw a huge opening party. Following an argument with Sky that ends in a split, and a major storm destroying her decorations, however, Sophie is feeling alone and is left wondering how her mother ever survived.

I want to first start by saying that this sequel is getting better reviews than the original. People were not super crazy about the first movie (it got a 6/10 on IMDb), but they all know and loved the music, and this sequel is bringing them all to tears. While I did enjoy this movie and I loved hearing the old songs once again, I wasn't crazy about it. I left the theater in a bit of awe at the people that were crying, and wondering if I had missed something.

I did like following Lily James, who played the young Donna, as she met the three fathers on her international journey from the University of Oxford to Greece. She has an amazing singing voice, and she did a wonderful job in this role. The three fathers though? Young Harry, Hugh Skinner, is awkward and desperate for sex. Donna met him and not four hours later he's all, "Let's have sex!" I wasn't having any part of it. That was not how I had pictured young Harry at all from the first film.  Young Bill, Josh Dylan, wasn't much better. He wasn't as pushy about it, but still. The men in this film look like needy children that are only interested in one thing, and I hated it.

Left to right: Young Bill, Young Harry, and Young Sam (Josh Dylan, Hugh Skinner, and Jeremy Irvine)

The best parts in this movie were the original songs. I wasn't as into the new music as I thought I would be. They were all very slow or very weird (in terms of young Harry's song "Waterloo"). I didn't understand them. Sure they were catchy, but the attraction, to me, stopped there. Also, why is Cher in this film? Everyone loves Cher, I know, I agree. But...really? Her voice isn't even on the same level as the other people in this film. It sticks out among them and her character of Sophie's Grandma, Ruby Sheridan, really wasn't necessary to the story. Donna hated her, and yet here she is ready to be a grandma? No thank you. I could have done without that whole plot line altogether.

Left to right: Young Tanya, Young Donna, and Young Rosie (Jessica Keenan Wynn, Lily James, and Alexa Davies)

I think the hardest part about this whole movie is that Meryl Streep really isn't in it. To me, she made Mamma Mia what it is today. People didn't flock to see the original film for Sophie, no offense Amanda Seyfried, but it's true. Meryl hasn't won innumerable awards for nothing! How dare you make a movie she was a huge part of and then kill her off! Without any explanation no less! I never heard any mention of how she died. Maybe that's what I missed that made everyone cry. Or maybe I'm just weird and don't cry at movies. Who knows?

IMDb gave this sequel a 7.3/10 and Rotten Tomatoes gives it a 77%, and those are very good ratings. I did enjoy the movie, but it wasn't what I wanted it to be, and that's why I wouldn't have rated it as high. I would still go see it if you enjoyed the first Mamma Mia. You will love Lily James as I did, and you will feel for her when you see how young Sam lied to her and broke her heart. I hope you feel differently about this movie than I did, and I don't often say that.

Skyscraper

Skyscraper stars Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as he attempts to save his family from the tallest skyscraper in the world. Will Sawyer, The Rock, runs a security business and he has checked all the security measures of the Pearl skyscraper. Right before the Pearl housing section is set to open to the public, criminals have a different plan, which leads the Rock to jump to extreme measures.

I knew going into this one that it would be cheesy. I mean just watching the previews I was like ummm did he just jump from a crane to a building?? Yes, he very much did. While this film lacks in believability, it makes up for it in the action and effects. The Rock is awesome and we know he is very strong (clearly). He may not be as invincible as this movie makes him look, but it was still enjoyable to watch. No real man will ever be able to climb up a crane over 100 stories into the air, or hold a bridge together by sheer might alone, but this movie wasn't meant to be taken seriously. It was meant for pure entertainment, and it delivered on that aspect.

The Pearl Skysraper towers above all others.   Photo courtesy of Arch Daily: https://www.archdaily.com/888619/the-rock-is-starring-in-a-new-action-movie-called-skyscraper-and-it-looks-crazy

I would never give this one a rating of anything over a 6/10, and I know it won't be one that I go rushing to Walmart to buy as soon as it comes out. If it weren't for Movie Pass I wouldn't have gone to see it at all probably. I would watch it on Netflix when it came out, but it's definitely not going to be a big money maker.

Other reviewers are loving this film however. One reviewer on IMDb termed it "100%  Old School," and gave it an 8/10. They go on to state how this movie took them back to all the great movies of the 80s with a "superhero" that was strong and invincible. There are quite a few other reviewers that agree with this, some even rating the film 9 or more, but the overall is listed as a 6.2/10. Rotten Tomatoes has an audience score of 79% though, and that's pretty darn good in my eyes. So the decision is yours. To go see the Rock do impossibly amazing stunts, or not to go...that is the question.

Ant-Man and the Wasp

Ant-Man and the Wasp is the newest Marvel movie to hit center stage. The story takes place right after Captain America: Civil War and right before Infinity Wars. We watch as Ant-Man goes from housebound criminal with an ankle monitor, to a super hero yet again. Hope Van Dyne (The Wasp, played by Evangeline Lilly) and her father, Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), enlist Ant-Man's help in bringing back Hope's mother from the quantum realm. That is, until others have better plans for Dr. Pym's quantum machine.

There was a lot going on in this film. First you have the main story with the rescue mission of Hope's mother, but then you also have this villain that wants to use the quantum machine for her own needs. Much of the film is spent trying to keep the lab safe from this Ghost (Ava, played by Hannah John-Kamen) that jumps through walls and comes into and out of vision as if she's not actually of this world. She puts up a huge challenge for Ant-Man and the Wasp and it was interesting watching them try to fit someone that could actually jump right through them.

I actually think that this Ant-Man sequel beats the first one, and reviews so far agree. IMDb has this movie at a 7.6/10 whereas the first is rated a 6.3/10. The CGI is very well done especially in the quantum realm and for Ava. The comedy is great and kept me entertained throughout. I wouldn't say it's the best comedy by any means, but it was funny. My only complaint is that I prepped for this film with the wrong movie, and it references the past quite a bit. I thought, "OK, I'll watch Ant-Man first and then I'll be ready for this sequel." Wrong! If you have seen the first movie, that's good, but it won't help you here. You need to prep with Civil War. That movie explains why Ant-Man is on house arrest and why Hope and Dr. Pym are angry with him. I saw Civil War years ago when it first came out, but I haven't seen it again, so when this movie started I was very lost. So much has happened in the Marvel world that Civil War was certainly not on my mind.

To be completely honest, I don't totally understand why Ant-Man is even a thing. He's not one of the big name super heroes and his story really isn't a part of all the other Avengers. He's just there, and maybe some of you love these movies, and there is nothing wrong with that. All the power to you! Ant-Man is a good movie, but he will never be one of the super heroes that draws a big crowd. I really only wanted to see it because I love Evangeline Lilly (yay Lost!), and because I had to so as not to miss anything important in regards to the Avengers.

If you really love Marvel, then sure go see this one. You will probably be in a not-so-crowded theater which is always nice. Room to stretch out right? It was a good movie, but it's not helpful to the Avengers story. The best part by far was the cut-scene after the movie (there are 2 but only the first is worth watching). So, the decision is yours. If my lack-luster review does not help you, then I do apologize. I'll make it up to you soon!

The First Purge

The First Purge, as the title suggests, is a prequel to all the previous Purge films to hit the theaters. It takes place on Staten Island as an experiment in which anyone that stays and takes part in the 12 hour law-free zone will receive $5,000 from the New Founding Fathers. Will they fight? Will they survive?

I've seen every single Purge film. The First Purge was not one of my favorites. I found a lot of flaws in it, and I don't feel like it added anything to the series. I understand why they made this film, to explain how it all began, but after seeing the previous films I pretty much had it all figured out. The experiment had two aspects: sociological, and economical. Marisa Tomei plays Dr. Updale who is responsible for this whole experiment. She wants to see what would happen if a group of people are set free for 12 hours to commit any crimes, and having this in a controlled setting is exactly what she needs. Patch Darragh, who plays Arlo Sabian, the Chief of Staff of the New Founding Fathers, wants to see this experiment from the economical side, and he won't see this experiment fail.

If you've seen the other Purge films and enjoyed them, you can probably skip this one. If you live on Staten Island and have seen the Purge films and enjoyed them, definitely skip this one. My major complaint is how this film portrayed Staten Island, and I'd be surprised if natives of the island don't agree. I've been there once or twice and it has always been a very upscale area, with beautiful houses and landscaping like you've never seen before. I didn't see any of that in The First Purge. They made it look dirty and very much lower class. Honestly, the only white people in the entire movie were the people that were running this experiment. How is that supposed to look? Like the white upper class is killing the lower black population? I'm pretty sure this movie didn't do anything to help with discrimination these days.

The decision making of major characters in this movie are very stupid, and that's putting it lightly. "Let's all group together in this unguarded church! We'll totally be safe here!" Are you serious? I understand it's a church and that's sacred land, but this is the Purge and those killers don't care. You think murderers go to church? Maybe if they're playing you for a fool, but they aren't going because they're a believer.

The best character in this film was Dmitri, played by Y'lan Noel, but even he can't make up for the stupidity in this film. He's cool, but not worth sitting through this movie more than once. IMDb reviewers have rated this film a 5.3/10 and Rotten Tomatoes give it a 38% audience score. Ratings like that are painful to see, but sadly I must agree. Save your money. Wait for Netflix.

Tag

Tag is based on a true story about a group of friends that play an annual game of tag throughout the month of May, regardless of whether travel is required or not. This movie and these friends live by George Bernard Shaw's quote, "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing."

When I first saw the previews for this movie I thought there was no way this was based on a true story, but it is. In January 2013, the Wall Street Journal published an article titled "It Takes Planning, Caution to Avoid Being It." After that article was published, this film was set into motion, and most of it actually happened. History vs. Hollywood published an article that answered all of my doubts with factual information.You can view that article here, but only read it if you've seen the movie. You don't want any spoilers right?!

Photo taken from Twitter  @pschultheis

 

 

I really enjoyed this movie. The scenes where the actual game is happening are hilarious, and Jeremy Renner does a phenomenal job at never being tagged. I felt like some of the planning scenes and the beginning 10 minutes were a bit slow, but this movie makes up for it in the unbelievable tag scenes. As seen in the previews, where they play tag during baby deliveries, at AA meetings, or even at funerals, these are all true events. That fact alone makes this movie worthwhile. I wanted to see every instance and every scenario these men came up with simply to play tag and continue being friends for as long as they have.

The message this movie has is also very important. This game of Tag, that has been continuing for nearly 30 years now, has worked to keep this friend group together, as well as keeping them young at heart.  While these friends are not the best of friends who talk to each other every day of the week and go to the movies together or have game nights together, they still find a way to come together one month out of every year. They will take vacation time to travel to other cities or states simply to play tag, and that is something to admire. So often people move away and grow apart, but this group of friends has figured out a way to combat that.

IMDb gives Tag a 7/10 Rotten Tomatoes gives it a 63%. I'd probably go somewhere in the middle there because the planning scenes were a bit boring to me. Either way, this is a film worth seeing, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

 We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/george_bernard_shaw_120971

We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/george_bernard_shaw_120971

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is the fifth Jurassic Park movie to hit theaters. When the volcano on Isla Nublar becomes an active volcano, Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) starts a campaign to save the dinosaurs. She enlists Owen's (Chris Pratt's) help to save Blue and as many other species as possible. When saving the dinosaurs from the volcano turns into a rescue mission to save them from Lockwood's partner, Eli Mills (Rafe Spall), everything takes a turn for the worse.

For those of you that know me, you know I love dinosaurs. I have my degree in geology and would gladly work in paleontology. So, I have a giant soft spot for Jurassic Park movies. This one was no different. I loved it from start to finish. Yes, it had its weak moments, but to me Jurassic World does no wrong. I mean it's dinosaurs and Chris Pratt in tight pants people! Count me in.

One of the best parts of this film is that it brought me through a lot of different emotions. I nearly cried at multiple parts through the movie. Volcano vs. Dinosaurs? What are you doing to me J.A. Bayona (the director)?! Why???? They were pulling on my heart strings and I nearly caved. So, if you tend to cry at movies, come prepared. Luckily for me, it ended relatively fast, so I was able to hold in the tears.

Another thing that I love about the Jurassic World films is that they always reference the originals. Elevator shaft door not closing? Woman with a hurt leg banging metal on metal to get the raptors attention? I see what you did there. Can't get that past me. Same metal noise too? Heck yes! Thank you for remaining true to the films we all love. Those references bring us all back and we love you for them.

Now, to talk about the unbelievable parts. Warning, spoilers may follow (in this paragraph only). Lava does not move that fast. I'm sorry to tell you this, but I have walked on an active volcano before. I stuck a tent stake into that lava flow on Hawaii and then watched it dry and took it home. So, an island does not get covered that quickly. Especially an island that size. If it did move that fast, the entire island of Hawaii's big island would be covered and no one would still be there. Then, the actors jumped into the water right off the island and were just fine. If lava is flowing into the waters off the island, that water will be very warm. Chris Pratt was doing just fine though, and oh my gosh does he have some professional level swimming skills. Holding your breath for the amount of time he did is amazing, and then to have the thinking skills to fire a gun under the water? Wow. That man is something special. Honestly, out of this entire film, the underwater scene was the most unbelievable and silly. We all know you aren't going to kill the main characters. Don't put stupid scenes in there where the CGI can't be as good.

IMDb has this movie rated at a 6.7/10 and Rotten Tomatoes has a score of 62%. I read a few of the other reviewers opinions, and you know how much I love roasting them. The most common complaint I saw is that the plot line is predictable and that the character development was horrible. My response to these reviews? *Insert hand smacking face here.* I just need to ask, who goes to the Jurassic World movies to see character development? It's a movie about dinosaurs.....not people. Why did that actor do or say what he/she did? Because that's what it said to do/say in the script. I don't want to see their whole entire life story. I don't care. The only thing I care about is whether Blue is going to live or die. Forget the people. Oh, and a predictable plot? Come on! I already said we can't kill the main characters. What did you think was going to happen when the movie description says we are going to save dinosaurs?! Why we need to save dinosaurs that we created anyway, I don't know, but that's what this movie is about. I loved the plot because for the first time I understood why the new sequels were called Jurassic World instead of Jurassic Park. If for no other reason, that right there is why you should see this movie. It is finally coming all together and this will not be the end. I personally cannot wait to see the finale that must be in the works now. Blue, my beautiful raptor girl (with your lack of feathers), I shall see you again soon.

What raptors should look like...

Incredibles 2

After 14 years, the Incredibles 2 movie has finally been released. In this sequel, we watch as Mr. Incredible (Bob Parr, voiced by Craig T. Nelson) goes from amazing superhero to stay-at-home dad, and Elastigirl (Helen Parr, voiced by Holly Hunter) takes the role of money-maker. This is the film that Incredibles lovers have been waiting for, but was it worth the wait?

Was I one of the people that was waiting impatiently for 14 years for this film? No, I was not. I did enjoy the first film, but I was not sitting around waiting to find out what Jack-Jack's powers are. It was a good movie and I enjoyed it a lot when I was 12 years old, but now that I'm 26, the idea of a sequel was like, "Really...now?!" That being said, viewers of this sequel either love it or hate it. I loved it, but I can see why people dislike it.

The action scenes in this movie are fantastic! The animation is spot on and beautifully done. You can tell that a lot of time was spent on perfecting each scene, and this film does not disappoint on the action. From start to finish, the balance of action to at-home scenes was perfectly executed. Elastigirl is a great superhero with some amazing skill at problem solving, and with a new super-suit she was looking pretty good. I bet all the guys that see this movie are thinking "man, she got some curves in that suit"...see for yourself:

For me, the best parts centered around Jack-Jack. A lot of the comedy in this film was sub-Parr (see what I did there?), but the Jack-Jack comedy was great.  I caught myself laughing out loud multiple times when it came to Jack-Jack and Mr. Incredible trying to figure out how to be a good stay-at-home dad. A lot of this movie is about that aspect. Being a stay-at-home dad is not easy, and I found it extremely enjoyable watching a big, tough man learn what it's like on the other side. This is, however, where a lot of people are upset by the film. They felt like this was unneeded and that it added nothing to the Incredibles story. They feel like the themes from the first film were not continued in this sequel. One reviewer on IMDb states:

              None of the conflict of the original film is present. The themes of family and the struggles that come with being that are so surface level it borders on the cliche in some respects. Helen is given NOTHING to be her own character in this, and instead is given action scenes to play-out and a sub-plot that only serves to remind me how much better the first film was. Rather than giving us a great and in-depth character plot for Helen, we get something so weak and honestly regressive for how hard this film brandishes itself to be a feminist advocate that I would dare say it's offensive how shallow Helen's character arc and story comes off in this.
              Bob's story arc doesn't fare much better. The concept of flipping the script and giving him the family to run and learning how to be a proper father on his own is an interesting way to parallel the first film and the story it gave him...but instead, we are only given small glimpses at the depth this story can provide."

 

This reviewer gave the movie a 4/10. In a way, I can see what they are saying, but I also think they looked too far into this. As I already stated, the balance of family to superhero-ism was well-balanced in my opinion. I enjoyed the action scenes with Elastigirl and I never once thought there was some hidden feminist agenda. That is never even brought up in the film so I'm confused as to where this reviewer came up with that. Elastigirl is chosen to be the face of superheroes because of the cost-potential. She costs the city less in damages when she solves problems, than Mr. Incredible ever has. I guess I can see how this may seem like a hidden agenda, but I never thought that before I read this review on IMDb.  

 

My only problem with the film was that it was predictable. From the moment that the bad guy was introduced, I was like hmm yep, gotta be that person. I'm not sure if the "acting" was meant to be so obvious or if I just found it to be that way, but I knew from very early on where this was going to end. This does not mean that it took anything away from the story. I was still interested in watching it all unfold. I would in no way rate this movie a 4/10. The overall rating of 8.4/10 is much more believable. I apologize to all the adults that have been waiting for so long for this movie only to be let down, but I feel like you had much too high expectations for a children's movie.

 

 



Ocean's 8

Ocean's 8 is the newest Ocean's movie, but this one is an all female group led by Debbie Ocean. They are on a mission to steal one of Cartier's most prized possessions, the Toussiant necklace, worth $150 million dollars. After Debbie is released from jail, she begins recruiting the other 7 women she needs to pull off this major heist at the Met Gala.

So, I've never seen any of the Ocean's movies before. The only reason I went to see this one is because it's a Sandra Bullock movie and it is loaded with other famous women actors. Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Mindy Kaling, Rhianna, etc. all have leading roles in this film, and they all did a great job. The acting was brilliant, but the plot line was nothing to be amazed by. I felt like I'd seen this all before. The impossible mission that no one thinks they can pull off, but it somehow works smoothly with very little problems.

My biggest problem with the movie is that it kept referencing past movies in the series, which I mentioned, I haven't seen. Normally references are fine because they help you understand what happened in the past. I found the references in this movie to be extremely unhelpful. They just confused me, and they weren't necessary to this story.

Other than that, not a whole lot to say about this one. The reviews online say it all with a 6/10 on IMDb and a 49% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. No one was super impressed by it. It was decent, but not something I'd race to the theaters to see. Also, I'm pretty sure there will be a sequel. The way it ended left it open for more films, but we'll see if the so/so reviews keep that from happening or not.

Solo: A Star Wars Story

Solo is the newest character development movie from Star Wars. We follow Han Solo from where he began, in the dark world of Coreilla under the control of Lady Proxima, up to his involvement in starting the Rebellion. This film is full of well-known actors: Emilia Clarke (Qi'ra), Woody Harrelson (Beckett), Childish Gambino (Lando Calrissian), etc. Notice how none of them played Han.....

Let me begin this review by saying that I am not a huge Star Wars fan. I probably just lost about half of my readers with that statement, but let me explain. I have seen every single film, I know all the main characters and I sort of know who is related to who and who slept with who. I got all that. I'm just not a fan of any movies that involve battles in space and lands with weird names that no human in their right mind should know how to spell. This includes Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica or any other space movie. (I'm sorry, please don't hate me.) For those that are still with me, I did enjoy Rogue One and the concept of a character development movie. Solo, however, was simply alright. I wasn't drawn in and invested as much as I have been for previous movies. I have been loving the newest trilogy and Rogue One was fantastic. Solo was like this huge build-up of anticipation, and then everyone left like meh ok.

Part of the reason I could not get into this movie is because of all the big name actors. Literally every main character was a big name, except for Han. Fail, Disney. I'm sorry, but I cannot look at Emilia Clarke and see her as anyone other than the Mother of Dragons. I have more anticipation waiting for the final part of the Game of Thrones than I did for Solo. Then to also add in Woody Harrelson, come on! Every time I see him I think Haymitch how you doing buddy?! Alden Ehrenreich did a great job as Han, but I honestly couldn't focus on him. He was a nobody in a land of celebrities, and I didn't feel like I was learning anything about Han that I didn't already know.

There is probably going to be a second Solo film. We were left with a cliffhanger ending: where is Qi'ra going, what's Han going to do about it, who is Rey's mother?! Really I think that last question is the only thing anyone cares about in the Star Wars realm right now, and if you read all the gossip people are talking about now, Qi'ra is hypothesized to be Rey's mother. This may be true, this may just be what Disney wants you to believe. In my opinion, I don't know, but I have a good feeling that Darth Maul isn't the father. Genetics tells me that can't be possible since Rey doesn't have horns, or a red face, or really any resemblance to Maul, but hey who am I to question genetics? You can read the theories here.

Solo has a IMDb rating of 7.2 and a Rotten Tomatoes score of 65%, but when you read what people are saying the numbers don't add up to the reviews. Most people aren't overly satisfied and don't really care for more Solo. They just want the trilogy to end and for everything to make sense. I sadly feel like it may be a bit longer before this happens. I hope everyone can keep calm and carry on until then.

Deadpool 2

Deadpool returns in this sequel about lost love and the boy who lived...wait that sounds familiar... This sequel follows Wade Wilson (Deadpool/Ryan Reynolds) as he bands together a group of mutants and tries to protect a mutant boy from the cyborg Cable (Josh Brolin). Reviewers from the Hollywood Reporter and Screen Rant are raving that this film is better than the first, but is it really?

Deadpool 2 took me on a roller coaster ride of emotions. I was happy and excited, then shocked and sad, then laughing out loud at the sly comments, then sad again. It was like every well-written speech should be. Funny to get you hooked, then they throw real life in your face like yeah take that, feel the sadness, to then finish with the happy yet again. The script was phenomenal and Ryan Reynolds is hilarious, but was it better than the first? I don't think so. I was super hyped up to see this movie after seeing and hearing all the reviews, and don't get me wrong, it is a fantastic Marvel film, but it doesn't beat the first for me.

I read Screen Rant's 2 Reasons Why... the sequel is better than the first. While I can agree with them that the second film is basically free range for Deadpool since the first movie set the backdrop, I do not agree that the jokes were better or that including the X-men into this film makes the huge difference. Honestly, I could do without another X-men movie. I tired of them a long time ago, and thankfully they only play a small role in this film. Thankfully, this is not an X-men film, it is very much Deadpool with his smart-mouth comments, and dark jokes that get a smile from everyone. But, ask me how many times I laughed out loud. Maybe twice? Yes, I giggled and tee-heed throughout, but there was no gut-wrenching laugh that made me think, "Man this movie was so freaking good I have to see it again right this second!" If it didn't make me feel that, then I have to say the first movie was better. One exciting part was the mysterious monster behind closed doors. My guy friends all guessed who it was and were sooooo happy. I was just like uhhh right...Juggernaut...never heard of him. He was pretty cool, but Domino was my girl for sure. Loved her.

If you liked Deadpool in the original, you will enjoy this sequel. I mean, come on, it's Ryan Reynolds. Enough said. But, I guess I should return to my original statement in this blog. Lost love is a huge part of this sequel. I will not say much more than that because I don't want to give it away, but maybe you've already heard or have guessed. Or maybe you'll get the same shock I got in the first 15 minutes of the movie. Either way, this is just another movie about Deadpool's damsel in distress. It's a different kind of distress sure, but it rocks Deadpool more than we've ever seen before. As for the boy who lived....well he lived, thanks to Deadpool stopping the cops and working with Cable to save him.

The one part of the film I could have done without came at the end. Deadpool goes through this series of "seeing the other side" at different parts of the film. Most of them are very fast, but the one at the end is longer, and drawn out and frankly I was bored. After seeing Avengers: Infinity Wars, I'm pretty sure Marvel can't kill anymore super heroes. It's just not nice. So, sitting there watching Deadpool in this dead but not dead state was like alright, OK, move on.

There are a couple of end credit scenes for Deadpool 2 so make sure to stay for all of them. The last one contains Wolverine and is probably the best cameo ever. Don't miss it!

Avengers: Infinity Wars

Avengers: Infinity Wars is the movie that all Marvel films have been leading up to, and the film that all Marvel fans were left in shock after seeing. The Avengers team up once again against Thanos who is on his mission of collecting all six Infinity Stones. The movie begins with him having one stone already in his possession, and then we follow him as he collects all the others, one by one.

I know what you're thinking. OMG Hayley, we've been waiting for this review. The movie has been out for weeks! All I can say is, I'm sorry, but if you people would have let me get a movie ticket before they were all sold out, you wouldn't have had to wait! MoviePass doesn't let me buy early remember?! But anyway, let's continue with the important information here...I absolutely loved this movie. I do not profess to be a huge comic book nerd, or a huge Marvel follower, but I know enough and I've seen enough Marvel films to follow the story line. I know we've seen Thanos in Guardians of the Galaxy previously and that he collected his first stone from Zandar right before we see the Guardians for the first time. Ever since then we have been waiting for him to continue on his mission, and we were not let down by his path to destruction.

Now, I do not want to give too much away in case there are readers who have not yet seen the movie, but I will say that there will be a sequel to Infinity Wars. The sequel is set to be released next year. The reason for this is quite clear if you've seen the film. Basically, Thanos is not dead, some Avengers are, and the remaining Avengers need to stop him. There are some clues as to how he will be stopped, but if this film has shown us anything it's that Marvel has a few tricks up their sleeves.

This movie is big on battles, and small on plot construction, but this didn't bother me. All previous Marvel films have given us the plot we needed, and now it came down to stopping the threat. We jump around from group to group a few times: Iron Man is with Dr. Strange and Spidey, Thor is with Rocket and Groot,  Captain America is with Black Panther and Vision, etc. There's a lot of super heroes in this and I won't name them all. Each group faces their own challenges here and I felt like Marvel did a great job of jumping from one to another. In this 2 hour and 40 minute movie, I never once felt like it was boring or dragging. I was entranced with the battles and hoping against all hope that the Avengers would come out on top, as all super hero movies normally do. Marvel took me on a thrill ride, and left me in stunned amazement.

Avengers: Infinity Wars has an 8.9/10 on iMDB and a 92% on Rotten Tomatoes for an audience score, and I have to agree with those ratings. I would see this movie again and again even though I was slightly heartbroken in the end. I know that Marvel will make it up to me though...or they'll get a nasty email about how they've ruined my young life!

There is a cut scene at the very end of the credits and I had to have a friend explain it to me (thank you kind soul, you know who you are). We see Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), who is the person responsible for creating the Avengers in the beginning, and he sends out an SOS to someone we have never met before. To me, the SOS to this shape below, wasn't helpful:

Apparently, this is the symbol for Captain Marvel. I kid you not...Marvel studios has a Captain Marvel...and it's a woman. So let's just say a woman will save the day...as we always do...muah. You're welcome.