Month: December 2019

Future Movie Reviews in 2020 and Beyond

Here is a Short list of Movies I plan to see in 2020 and beyond. This list will be updated periodically during 2020.

Clemency – Alfre Woodard, Aldis Hodge, Wendell Pierce, Richard Schiff

The New Mutants – Anya Taylor-Joy, Maisie Williams, Charlie Heaton, Henry Zaga, Blu Hunt, Alice Braga

The Rhythm Section – Blake Lively, Sterling K. Brown, Jude Law, Max Casella, Richard Brake, Geoff Bell, Daniel Mays

Little Things – Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, Jared Leto, Sofia Vassilieva, Natalie Morales

1917 – Dean-Charles Chapman, George MacKay, Daniel Mays, Colin Firth, Pip Carter, Andy Apollo, Paul Tinto

Just Mercy – Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Foxx, Rob Morgan, Tim Blake Nelson, Rafe Spall, Brie Larson

Bad Boys for Life – Will Smith, Martin Lawrenece, Jacob Scipio, Paola Nunez, Vanessa Hudgens

Dolittle – Robert Downey, Jr, Antonio Banderas, Michael Sheen, Jim Broadbent, Rami Malek, Tom Holland, Selena Gomez, John Cena, Carmen Ejogo, Ralph Fiennes, Octavia Spencer, Emma Thompson, Marion Cotillard

The Gentlemen – Matthew McConaughey, Charlie Hunnam, Henry Golding, Michelle Dockery, Jeremy Strong, Eddie Marsan, Colin Farrell, Hugh Grant

Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn – Margot Robbie, Rosie Perez, Ewan McGregor Chris Messina, Mary Elizabeth Winstead

The Photograph – Issa Rae, Lakeith Lee Stanfield, Chante Adams, Y’Lan Noel

Call of the Wild – Terry Notary, Harrison Ford, Dan Stevens, Karen Gillan, Omar Sy, Colin Woodell, Bradley Whitford

The Way Back – Ben Affleck, Janina Gavankar, Rachael Carpani

I Still Believe – Gary Sinise, K.J. Apa, Britt Robertson, Shania Twain, Melissa Roxburgh, Nathan Parsons

Mulan – Liu Yifei, Gong Li, Donnie Yen, Jet Li, Xana Tang, Chum Ehelepola, Yoson An

No Time To Die – Daniel Craig, Lea Seydoux, Naomie Harris, Ana de Armas, Ben Whishaw, Rami Malek, Ralph Fiennes, JEffrey Wright, Christoph Waltz

Black Widow – Scarlett Johansson, David Harbour, Ray Winstone, Florence Pugh, Rachel Weisz, Robert Downey, Jr.

Fast and Furious 9 – Vin Diesel, John Cena, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges, Tyrese Gibson, Helen Mirren, Charlize Theron, Nathalie Emmanuel

Wonder Woman 1984 – Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Gabriella Wilde, Ravi Patel, Kristen Wiig, Pedro Pascal, Robin Wright, Connie Nielsen

Top Gun: Maverick – Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Miles Teller, Jon Hamm, Ed Harris, Lewis James Pullman, Gen Powell, Jennifer Connelly

Tenet – John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Michael Caine, Kenneth Branagh, Dimple Kapadia, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Clemence Poesy, Elizabeth Debicki, Himesh Patel

The Kings Man – Ralph Fiennes, Gemma Arterton, Rhys Ifans, Matthew Goode, Tom Hollander, Harris Dickinson, Daniel Bruhl, Djimon Hounsou, Charles Dance

Venom 2 – Tom Hardy, Woody Harrleson, Michelle Williams, Naomie Harris

The Eternals – Kumail Nanjiani, Angelina Jolie, Richard Madden, Salma Hayek, Brian Tyree Henry, Lauren Ridloff, Barry Keoghan, Gemma Chan

Godzilla vs Kong – Alexander Skarsgard, Millie Bobby Brown, Kyle Chandler, Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Jessica Henwick, Eiza Gonzalez, Demian Bichir

Coming to America 2 – Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, Kiki Layne, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Wesley Snipes, Jermaine Fowler, James Earl Jones, Leslie Jones, Tracy Morgan

Dune – Timothee Chalamet, Dave Bautista, Rebecca Ferguson, Stellan Skarsgard, Charlotte Rampling, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin

Death on the Nile (2020) – Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer, Kenneth Branagh, Annette Bening, Letitia Wright

Red Notice (2020) – Dwayne Johnson, Gal Gadot, Kazi Maubert

Honest Thief – Liam Neeson, Jai Courtney, Robert Patrick, Kate Walsh, Jeffrey Donovan, Anthony Ramos

Let Them All Talk – Meryl Streep, Gemma Chan, Lucas Hedges, Dianne Wiest, Candice Bergen, Saskia Larsen

Good Morning, Midnight – George Clooney, Felicity Jones, David Oyelowo, Kyle Handler, Demian Bichir, Tiffany Boone

Samaritan – Sylvester Stallone

Uncut Gems

If you go see “Uncut Gems”, you will see actor/comedian Adam Sandler in a new light!

“Uncut Gems” is about a New York City Jeweler, Howard (Sandler) who is always looking for the next big thing. He hustles from his place of business to various other jewelers around the city. His clientele varies from the NBA Super Star Kevin Garnett (He does make an appearance) to other NYC business owners to Bookies and people on the wrong side of the law.

Howard performs what appears to be a “High-Wire” Act balancing business, family, and encroaching adversaries all around him while making a variety of high-stake bets that could land him that big windfall for life.

The movie is in your face. The execution of the movie is on point, but the subject matters that are illustrated are not fun or entertaining. This movie contains “Strong Violence, Nudity, Sexual Material/Situations, Drug Use and Strong Language”.

I personally did not like the movie, not because of what the movie contained, but because of the illustrations of some of the scenes and the boldness of it all.

Several theater patrons left before the movie was over. With a 2 hour 15 minute running time it seemed like the movie would never end.

The paid critics found “Uncut Gems” to be “Fresh”. It received a 93% Score on Rotten Tomatoes. I disagree…I would have to give “Uncut Gems” a 60% Score.

See “Uncut Gems” for yourself, if you dare.

This is a 2 ½ Star Movie!!

Little Women

“Little Women” draws from the classic novel and also the writings of Louisa May Alcott. The movie unfolds as Louisa’s alter ego Jo March and goes back and forth on her fictional life.

The Timeless story of the four March Sisters takes center stage showing how each one is determined to live her life on her terms. Love, Loss, Tragedy, Death and Triumph each play a role in this movie.

“Little Women” is very entertaining, heart-warming, comical and a bit sad. This is definitely a great movie to see during this Holiday time. The cast is great. The cinematography and costumes are awesome!!

I highly recommend “Little Women” as a Holiday Treat.

This is a 5 Star Movie!!

CATS

The Broadway Musical Hit “Cats” comes to the big screen. If you ignore the fact that there was no story, no plot and no suspense, you could say that the big screen version of “Cats” is just OK.

I expected there to be something, but was highly disappointed that there was nothing. Don’t get me wrong, the costumes, makeup, singing and dancing is fantastic. That is the entertainment factor of the movie. Unfortunately the dialog was difficult to decipher. You do figure out that there is a villain of sorts, but it’s not clear what he’s after or why he does what he does. If that is not enough the movie ends with a question mark. I hate when that happens.

There is a strong cast and that is probably the only element that is saving “Cats”. The cast is the reason I wanted to see the movie. I did see the Broadway Musical many years ago and it was fantastic.

“Cats” should stay on Broadway and that is where you should see it.

This is a 2 Star Movie!!

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker in Dolby 3D

“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” sans the slow start and the dead spots is an entertaining extravaganza with tons of special effects, great cinematography and plenty of outer space action. I found this installment to be much better than the previous a couple of years ago.
The plot is a bit confusing, but that does not stop the entertainment factor of the movie.
This installment is a nice conclusion to the Star Wars Series. Many old familiar faces reappear.

If you are a fan of the Star Wars Series, you will not want to miss “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker”

This is a 3 ½ Star Movie!!

Bombshell

“BOMBSHELL” provides a very revealing look into the real-life scandal surrounding the media powerhouse Fox News. The Megan Kelly/Roger Ailes story unfolds before your eyes.

Surprisingly, “Bombshell” is entertaining. The story unfolds calmly and keeps things moving so you are not bored. There is a lot of Star power in this movie and the cast does an excellent job. There is even a tiny bit of comic relief.

There are quite a few movies opening during the Christmas Holiday. Check out “Bombshell”.

This is a 3 ½ Star Movie!!

Richard Jewell

The 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta will always be fore-shadowed by the Olympic Park Bombing. A call made to the authorities stating “There is a Bomb in Centennial Park, You have 30 Minutes” thrust Security Guard Richard Jewell into the lime light. He was first pegged as a hero as his actions saved thousands of lives, but within a few days the information that was gathered by law enforcement and rumors soon made Richard Jewell look like a prime suspect. This movie is about the story that unfolds leading up to and after the bombing takes place.

“Richard Jewell” is a Clint Eastwood production and is based on true events so you know it was executed very well. The story is compelling. The visuals are very good and the cast is excellent.

“Richard Jewell” is definitely worth a look.

This is a 4 Star Movie!!