Category: Adventure

Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw in AMC Dolby

Finally an entertaining movie!! I will admit I was a bit concerned when I first learned that the “Fast & Furious” Franchise was continuing. I tried to image what was coming next…
It’s great that they went back to the drawing board and figured out how to put out a new fresh installment/spin-off. I am a big fan of the “Fast & Furious” Franchise. I am glad they are back!!

This installment brings sworn enemies lawman Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) and lawless outcast Shaw (Jason Statham) together when cyber-genetically enhanced anarchist Brixton (Idris Elba) gains control of an insidious bio-threat that could alter humanity forever. The usual bickering ensues between Hobbs & Shaw, but at the end of the day it’s all about saving the world and humanity. The story unfolds from there…

The movie has non-stop action, is extremely entertaining, funny at times and has some stupidly wild stunts. The kind of stunts that are “Don’t Try This at Home” type of stunts. The cinematography is fantastic!! Great camera angles put you right in the mix of the action. There is even some cool computer hacks. This is a good start to a “Fast & Furious” spin-off. I am sure we have not seen the last of Hobbs & Shaw.

This is a 4 Star Movie!!

Spider-Man: Far from Home in AMC Dolby

“Spider-Man” is back!! He misses the guidance of “Iron Man”, but gets on with his life. Far from Home is the next installment of the Spider-Man Homecoming series.

Peter Parker and his high school pals, Ned, MJ and the rest of the gang go on a European vacation. Unfortunately peril is not far behind. Nick Fury shows up asking for Spider-Man’s help. Begrudgingly Spider-Man is forced to make an appearance several times during the vacation.
The story unfolds from there…

The action, entertainment and intrigue are non-stop. The cinematography and special effects are on point! All I can say about the camera angles are wow!!

The story is a bit long and at times drags a bit, but the movie is still very good. There is a bit of a surprise with the plot line. If you are a Spider-Man fan, this installment should not be missed.

This is a 5 Star Movie!!

Anna

Anna (Sasha Luss) is a beautiful woman who has many talents. She works as a model and receives assignments from the KGB and eventually from the CIA in the US. When Anna needs to be, she becomes a deadly government assassin and possesses deadly skills that any ordinary person coming in contact with her would not believe she possesses.

“Anna” was not on my original “Watch List” I found out about the movie a couple of weeks ago. There was very limited advertisements/trailers.

The movie is a wild ride!! You have to paid close attention because the back story is played out in different sections of the movie. You are shown something in the present and then taken back to how it came to be. Often, movie goers don’t like their movies to be shown this way. Once I saw what was happening, the back and forth did not bother me. There is a ton of action and suspense. It’s very bloody at times.

The Paid Critics did not like “Anna” at all. I personally do not think the movie was that bad, in fact I thought it was pretty good. It’s definitely NOT a 4 or 5 Star movie, but it’s passable.

This is a 2 1/2 Star Movie!!

Toy Story 4 in AMC Dolby

Woody and the gang are back!! Nine years ago Bo Peep was separated from Woody, Buzz Lightyear and the gang. As time moves along Woody, Buzz Lightyear and the rest of the gang are now the favorite toys of a little girl named Bonnie. Bonnie plays with them all every day. Soon it’s time for Bonnie to go to Kindergarten. She doesn’t want to go, but after some prodding from her parents off she goes. Bonnie doesn’t realize that Woody is in her back pack to help make sure her first day is a success.

During Arts and Crafts Bonnie makes a new friend. She actually builds a friend using a plastic fork, some felt tubing, glue, clay and some toy eyes. Bonnie calls her new friend “Forky”. Bonnie absolutely loves “Forky” and refuses to be separated from him.
“Forky” meets Woody, Buzz Lightyear and the rest of the gang, but “Forky” soon decides he is better off if he’s in the trash, so he constantly puts himself in the trash while Woody gets him out. The story and adventure starts from there…

“Toy Story 4” is fun, cute, lighthearted and very entertaining. The cinematography is great. I honestly did not think this franchise would go on this long, but the story continues to have meat. There is a life lesson in “Toy Story 4”.
Pixar has managed to keep us adults all engaged in this franchise. There was definitely more adults in the theater than children. I am not sure if there will be a “Toy Story 5”, but if there is I will go.

If you like the “Toy Story” franchise than “Toy Story 4” is a must see.

This is a 5 Star Movie!!

Shaft

This next installment of Shaft find John Shaft Sr. (Samuel L. Jackson) with a son “JJ” (Jessie T. Usher) who is an MIT Graduate and works in Cyber Security with the FBI. When JJ’s best friend is found dead of an accidental drug overdose, JJ starts an investigation of his own, but soon finds he needs the help of his Dad who he has not seen in 25 years. The story unfolds from there…

The paid critics did not like this installment, but I found it to be pretty good. The movie has a time capsule backstory which helps to set the stage. There are some holes in the plot and the overall story is a bit disjointed, but it does all come together toward the end. There is some comic relief, but you have to pay close attention to get it.

There is some NOT SO great acting, but not from the headliners. Samuel L. Jackson plays a good Shaft.

This is a 3 Star Movie!!

X-Men: Dark Phoenix in AMC Dolby

The X-Men have been enjoying “Hero” status among normal humans when they are called out to use their powers to save and protect. But the X-Men soon find out that they will end up facing their worst foe, one of their own when after a journey into space to save one of NASA’s Space Shuttle crew Phoenix consumes the unknown fire source in space in order to save her team and the shuttle crew. The X-Men are unaware of the danger humanity could end up being in. The story unfolds from there…

First for the good…The cinematography is fantastic, the special effects and action are on point.

The bad… The story lacks emotion and depth and is not very entertaining. The acting seemed a bit dry also. This is supposed to be a “Finale” of sorts. I would have expected much better. I am highly disappointment. The story ends on a whisper. You are left more questions than answers.

“Dark Phoenix” is supposed to be the last installment in the X-Men franchise. It comes in with a whimper and goes out with a Whimper… The movie is not very memorable and does not do the comic book justice.

I think the 2017 “Logan” installment was much better and more entertaining.

This is a 1 Star Movie!!

Godzilla: King of the Monsters in AMC Dolby

It wouldn’t be summer without a Blockbuster Monster Movie to open the season. It looks like “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” is wearing those shoes…

New story centered around the efforts of the crypto-zoological agency Monarch as its members come in contact with and have to battle a wide range of god-sized monsters, including Godzilla.

Godzilla collides with Mothra, Rodan and his ultimate nemesis, the three-headed King Ghidorah. When these ancient super-species whom were thought to be mere myths actually rise again, they all vie for supremacy, leaving humanity’s very existence hanging in the balance. The story unfolds from there…

New Story, same outcome. It just took a bit longer to get there… This story involved Scientists actually harvesting the monsters in specific locations around the world and trying to control them via sound waves and other scientific technology.

The monsters that Godzilla fought were a lot more menacing than Godzilla himself. The movie was slow and dragged painfully to the ultimate fight. I found myself a bit bored and ready to leave before the movie was over. At the end, I left disappointed. There are other Godzilla installments that are way better than this one. I even saw this in AMC Dolby which means you feel everything in your seat.

“Godzilla: King of the Monsters” is not the movie to start your summer movie going experience with.

This is a 2 Star Movie!!

Aladdin (2019) in AMC Dolby

“Aladdin (2019)” is a modern day remake of the 1992 Aladdin that starred Robin Williams.

The story itself is unchanged, this version of the movie is not animated, but “Live Action”.

A street rat named Aladdin (Mena Marwan) frees a Genie (Will Smith) from a lamp. The Genie offers to fulfill 3 wishes, but when the lamp falls into the hands of evil, Princess Jasmine (Naomi Scott), her father and the entire kingdom are in peril. The story unfolds from there…

The movie is very entertaining. The cinematography is brilliant. The story does drags a bit, but the cast makes up for it. If you want to see a non-animated (Live Action) version of Aladdin by all means check this one out.

This is a 3 Star Movie!!

John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum in AMC Dolby

In this third installment, the super-assassin John Wick (Keanu Reeves) finds himself with a $14 million dollar price on his head. There is no limit to the number of bounty-hunters on his trail who are trying to take John out so they can claim the prize. After a member of the shadowy international assassin’s guild, the High Table is killed, John Wick is then excommunicado, but the world’s most ruthless hit men and women await his every move. The story unfolds from there…

If you haven’t seen the first two installments you are doing yourself a disservice. This is an action packed non-stop entertaining adrenaline-fueled franchise. Seeing the first two installments will help put everything in context. I love the continuation and references back to the first installment.
Halle Berry makes an appearance in this installment and it’s obvious she trained for this movie. There is tons of action, suspense and edge of your seat entertainment. It’s bloody, but remember this is John Wick.

“John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum” is a must see for all Action Movie Lovers.

This is a 4 ½ Star Movie!!

Avengers: ENDGAME in 3D

I am not as happy with “Avengers: Endgame” as I have been with the other installments. This is not to say the movie isn’t good because it is. It was executed brilliantly! I am just not totally thrilled with the ending. Additionally there are a couple of events that occur in the movie that are very unsettling to me. It leaves me with questions as to what’s next. Where is the Marvel Universe going in the future? You will have to see the movie and make your own assessment.

In the previous Avenger’s installment Thanos rose up and ruled. Much of the universe was wiped out and the Marvel Universe was severely fractured. Time passes and the few Marvel Heroes that are left decide to make one final run at taking Thanos and his army out. The story unfolds from there…

As I previously stated “Avengers: Endgame” is executed brilliantly!! The action is non-stop. There is suspense and intrigue. It’s definitely “Edge of Your Seat” entertainment. The cinematography and special effects are fantastic. The 3-D aspects are very good. There are a few dead spots in the movie where you are not sure what’s coming next, but that does not take away from the over-all execution of the movie.

I am just not happy with the way the movie ended. I found myself a bit confused and deep in thought when I left the theater because I knew I needed to get my thoughts together to write this review. It was very quiet when everyone was leaving the cinema. Usually there is loud chatter, laughter, clapping etc…But not today!

The movie is 3 hours and 2 minutes long. This does not include previews!! I now can understand that the long running time was really necessary. This is the longest movie in this genre that I have ever seen. Previously the longest running movie in this genre was “The Dark Knight” at 2 hours, 42 minutes.

If you are a Marvel Universe fan, you must see “Avengers: Endgame”.

This is a 5 Star Movie!!