Black Adam in AMC Dolby

Black Adam in AMC Dolby

Another installment from DC Comics…5,000 years ago Black Adam was entombed after magical powers were bestowed upon him. Now in modern times Black Adam is freed from his earthly tomb ready to unleash his unique form of justice upon the modern world. The story unfolds from there…

No real plot or story… The movie will overwhelm you with a ton of action and special effects that mean absolutely NOTHING… This is not one of Dwayne Johnson’s best movies.  Lots of characters and not sure who the foes were. The dialog was also lacking. This was a highly anticipated movie that left me extremely disappointed. Lots of potential that did not payoff.

In fact, I saw “Black Adam” Friday afternoon, but was so disappointed I needed to really think about what I wanted to say before posting a review.

“Black Adam” is not worth the price of admission. See it on Cable or a Streaming Service.

This is a 2 Star Movie!!

Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness in AMC Dolby

Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness in AMC Dolby

Finally, Dr. Strange is back!! I really enjoyed the first installment and was glad to see that a 2nd installment has arrived.

This installment really pushes the boundaries of Dr. Strange’s abilities. The Multiverse is unlocked and the journey with Dr. Strange is long and intense. This journey is mind bending, dangerous and forces Dr. Strange to confront a new adversary. 

Dr. Strange even gets the help of mystical allies old and new from far and wide. Is it enough? You will have to see the movie to find out. 

The movie is intense, crazy, mad, at times scary and a bit insane, but… also, fantastic to look at. The Visuals are on point. The story its self has holes, but with the great acting, special effects and fantastic cinematography, I can forgive the lack luster story and plot.

If you are a fan of Marvel Universe and Dr. Strange, this installment should not be missed.

This is a 4 Star Movie!!

Spider-Man: No Way Home in AMC Dolby

Spider-Man: No Way Home in AMC Dolby

Finally!!! I was able to see “Spider-Man: No Way Home” I was originally supposed to see this installment Sunday Dec 19th, but had to move my tickets to after Christmas due to some scheduling challenges. That will never happen again… 

So here we are… A bigger bolder more in your face installment with more going on than ever before. People know who Spider-Man is, this causes a clash between Super-Hero duties and his normal Peter Parker life. So, Spider-Man enlists the help of one of my favorite Super Heroes Dr. Strange to restore his secret identity to where no one knows that Peter Parker is Spider-Man. There are consequences from this that not only tears the world apart, but brings back the really bad villains that Spider-Man previously destroyed. The story unfolds from there…

This movie has breath-taking action and is a non-stop visual feast. You won’t be bored. The cinematography is outstanding especially when Dr. Strange is at the helm. Cracking open the multi-verse was a great idea.

Alas there is some sorrow, but with all that was going on in the movie some sorrow was bound to happen.

Don’t miss “Spider-Man: No Way Home” only in Theaters

This is a 4 ½ Star Movie!!

Eternals in IMAX

Eternals in IMAX

Finally, “Eternals” from the Marvel Universe hits the big screen. 

In this installment the backstory plays a large part in setting the stage for how the “Eternals” came to be. A group of Ancient Aliens who came to Earth and had been living in secret for thousands of years makes their presence known following the events of the “Avengers: Endgame” an unexpected tragedy forces the “Eternals” out of the shadows to reunite together against mankind’s most dangerous enemy, the Deviants. The story unfolds from there…

 I had high expectations for “Eternals” since it is part of the Marvel Universe, but alas “Eternals” does not live up to the high stands of past Marvel Universe productions. The first 45 minutes was very entertaining and I thought I was in for a great ride. Along the way the movie sags under so many different small plots and different stories that are hinted upon that you will find yourself conflicted and maybe a bit confused.

The cinematography is on point. There are some really great special effects, a lot of action and combat. The door was left open for another installment. Maybe a 2nd installment will come together better.

“Eternals” is only playing in theaters and not on a streaming service. 

If you are a Marvel fan, you will want to see “Eternals” and judge for yourself.

This is a 3 Star Movie!!

Cinderella 2021 on Amazon Prime

Cinderella 2021 on Amazon Prime

How many times and how many ways can Cinderella be made? Well, another installment is upon us. This one is an Amazon Prime Exclusive. It’s chocked full of famous and well-known actors and actresses and I am sure this was a fun vehicle for them to make. 

Unfortunately, it’s not as good as it should be… Don’t get me wrong, they did change it up a bit in several areas. Also, this is primarily a Musical, so most of the dialog is in song.  I am just no sure that this version needed to be told. Cinderella is a Classic!! This version tries to bring it into the 21st Century. I don’t feel that is needed. It could have been redone, just keep the Classic style in place.

I did find parts of the movie amusing. I also found parts of the movie boring.

Alas…There was some comic relief. I think children will find this version entertaining. From an Adult’s perspective the screenplay is disjointed.

If you have Amazon Prime, viewing this installment of Cinderella will not cost you a dime. Otherwise, it’s not worth the cost of a regular movie ticket.

This is a 2 Star Movie!!

Shang-Chi and The Legend of the 10 Rings in AMC Dolby

Shang-Chi and The Legend of the 10 Rings in AMC Dolby

What a nice surprise!! Marvel has expanded its Universe and it could not happen at a better time.


The back story for “Shang-Chi and The Legend of the 10 Rings” is on point! The story makes sense and everything ties together nicely. 

Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) must confront his past, a past he thought he had left behind, but it comes and finds him in San Francisco. He is drawn into a web of mystery by an organization known as the Ten Rings. Shang-Chi soon finds out that his Father is behind the mystery and they must confront each other to move forward. The story unfolds from there…

The usual Marvel Universe effects are in play. The movie is chalked full of action, special effects, intrigue and great cinematography.

This is an excellent first installment of Shang-Chi. I can’t wait to see what comes next.

If you are a Marvel Universe fan “Shang-Chi and The Legend of the 10 Rings should not be missed. It’s only in theaters.

This is a 5 Star Movie!!

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil in Real 3D

She’s Back!! “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” is a visual feast!!

After Maleficent’s goddaughter Aurora gets engaged to Prince Phillip, they each start questioning the complex matters of family. Aurora wants Maleficent to meet the King and Queen and do all of the things that a mother would do when her daughter gets engaged. Little does Aurora know her godmother already knows the King and Queen all to-well. Additionally the hatred between man and the fairies still continues. The story unfolds from there…

As I stated in my opening “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” is a visual feast. The cinematography, action and special effects are on point. There is a lot of new ground to cover in this second installment. There are many new cast members and you get a peek at what may be Maleficent’s back story.

The movie is quite enjoyable. It’s sad that it took so long for this sequel. It’s been 5 years since the 2014 Global Box Office hit “Maleficent” hit theaters.
The paid critics didn’t seem to like this installment, but I think it’s worth a look.

This is a 3 ½ Star Movie!!

Mortal Engines in Real 3D

If you just sit back and relax you will enjoy “Mortal Engines”. If you start to wonder, ask questions or think too hard, you won’t enjoy “Mortal Engines” because it doesn’t quite make any sense and the back story is very piece mill at best.

The story is set hundreds of years after civilization was destroyed by a cataclysmic event, a young woman Hester Shaw (Hera Hilmar) holds the key to stopping London who has grown into a giant predator city on wheels. London devours other towns on wheels that come into its path. Hester soon teams up with Tom Nathsworthy (Robert Sheehan) who is an outcast from London and Anna Fang (Jihae) who is a dangerous outlaw. Together they try to stop London from destroying everything in its path. The story unfolds from there…

“Mortal Engines” is very entertaining if you don’t think too hard. There is lots of action, special effects and interesting cinematography. The problem is the back story is weak, some events don’t make sense and there is too much CGI.

“Mortal Engines” will be great on DVD or Cable.

This is a 2 Star Movie!!

The Dark Tower

“The Dark Tower” is one of Stephen King’s best-selling novels about the last Gunslinger, Roland Deschain (Idris Elba) who continues to battle the “Man in Black” (Matthew McConaughey) to prevent him from destroying the Dark Tower, which holds the Universe together.

A young boy, Jake Chambers (Tom Taylor) has continued nightmares, visions and dreams about a “Dark Tower”, a “Gunslinger” and a “Man in Black”. He draws what he dreams. Jake’s dreams, visions and nightmares lead his parents to thinking that he needs to be placed in an institution. When the representatives from the institution arrive at Jake’s home, he recognizes them from one of his nightmares. Jake finds a way to escape his home and is able to evade them.

Jake on the run makes his way to an abandoned mansion he saw in one of his visions not realizing that inside this mansion is the gateway to where the “Gunslinger” and the “Man in Black” are located. Jake enters the gateway. The “Man in Black” realizes that Jake is the boy who holds the powers that he needs to use to topple “The Dark Tower”. The story unfolds from there…

Unfortunately the movie does not do the book justice. Although watching Idris Elba as a “Gunslinger” is a wonderful thing… He and his five o’clock shadow look good doing just about anything and Idris Elba is the bright spot in the movie.

“The Dark Tower” spends too much time at the beginning not giving you what you need to put everything in perspective. There is plenty of action and special effects. The movie spends most of its time being dark and mysterious.

I grew up a Stephen King fan and read almost all of his books. I did read “The Dark Tower” and I am disappointed that the movie does not represent the book better.

If you are a Stephen King fan, you may find “The Dark Tower” worth your time, but I suggest waiting for it to come out on DVD, Blu-Ray or Cable.

This is a 2 Star Movie!