Top Gun: Maverick in AMC Dolby

It’s been 36 years since the 1986 “Top Gun” movie came to the big screen.

In this new installment Top Aviator “Pete” Maverick Mitchell (Tom Cruise) pushes the Aviation envelope and lands a promotion that would ground him. In order to dodge being grounded Maverick has been summoned back to the Top Gun Aviator School from which he graduated to train the new recruits for a specialized mission that is dangerous, but also necessary. While there, Maverick encounters Lt. Bradley Bradshaw (Miles Teller) call sign: “Rooster” who is the son of his late friend and Radar Intercept Officer Lt. Nick Bradshaw aka. “Goose”. These encounters bring back memories, some of which Maverick would like to forget. All Maverick can do at this point is forge ahead. The story unfolds from there…

“Top Gun: Maverick” is a sequel that satisfies. 36 Years later Tom Cruise still looks to be having the time of his life. The movie is full of excitement and the story is compelling. There is definitely intrigue, suspense, a ton of aviation type action and great cinematography.

If you enjoyed “Top Gun” you will surely enjoy this new installment.

“Top Gun: Maverick” is definitely worth a look.

This is a 5 Star Movie!!

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 2^nd 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!!

The Batman in AMC Dolby

Did we need another Batman movie? I don’t know about you, but I thought that after the awesome Dark Knight Trilogy with Christian Bale and Director Christopher Nolan that there would not be any more “Cape Crusader” stories, but boy was I wrong…

So here we are in 2022 embarking on another round of potential installments of Batman tales.

Batman finds himself dealing with the dark underworld of Gotham City. There is a sadistic killer running free and he has been able to stay two or more steps in front of Batman and the Gotham City police. The evidence starts to mount and points closer to home. As the killer’s ultimate plot comes to light, Batman must forge new relationships and work frantically to unmask the evil killer before Gotham City is totally destroyed. The story unfolds from there…

The story is dark, gritty and gripping. I went into seeing “The Batman” planning to compare it to The Dark Knight Trilogy. While there are some parts of the movie that does not cover new ground, there are some parts that do. There is some really cool action and a super nasty car chase that reminds me of the one in “The Bourne Supremacy”. I will say that I did not find the “Riddler” as entertaining as the “Joker”. The Cat Woman helps make things interesting. The running time is 2 hours and 56 minutes. That is 24 minutes longer than “The Dark Knight”. A new story is told and the door is open from another.

If you are a DC Comic fan, “The Batman” should not be missed.

This is a 4 Star Movie!!

Death on the Nile

Set in the 19^th Century…Image you and the love of your life are on your idyllic honeymoon. You are on a glamorous steamer floating on the Nile River. The scenic views and epic landscape are breath-taking but then tragedy strikes and suddenly your wonderful honeymoon is cut short…

This is the premise of “Death on the Nile”.

The movie is well acted. There are tons of suspense and intrigue. There are a lot of impeccably dressed travelers. The usual jealousy and envy take center stage. The Cinematography is on point.

“Death on the Nile” is a complex “Who done it”. It’s definitely worth a look.

This is a 3 Star Movie!!

Being the Ricardos

I am a HUGE Lucille Ball fan, so when I learned that there was a movie coming out about her and Desi Arnaz’s professional and personal life, I had to see it.

To me this adaptation is a bit boring and confusing. Lucille Ball was larger than Life! She was so funny and light-hearted. None of that really came through in the scenes of this movie.

A lot of what was shown was about the struggles that occurred behind the scenes of producing the “I Love Lucy” show. The squabbles over the script and even some political drama.

The movie takes you into the writer’s room and the sound stage where you get a glimpse of how a TV show was made back in the 50’s and 60’s and also what happens during a critical production week.

Nichole Kidman’s star shines brightly, as she does an excellent job of being Lucille Ball.

Aside from Nichole Kidman’s performance, the movie lacked the magic I was expecting. I fully expected to laugh out loud at some of Lucille Ball’s crazy antics, but I never laughed once… and a lot of her funniness was not displayed.

With all of that being said, “Being the Ricardos” is worth a look especially if you are a fan of Lucille Ball.

“Being the Ricardos” is in the theater and streaming on Amazon Prime.

This is a 3 Star Movie!!

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!!

A Journal for Jordan

“A Journal for Jordan” is based on a true story about First Sargent Charles Monroe King. Charles is one of many soldiers who deployed to Iraq after 911. After his son, Jordan was born Charles kept a Journal of his life, love and advise for Jordan to one day read. The movie revisits the relationship, love and devotion that Charles had for New York Times Editor Dana Canedy (Chante Adams), the mother of his child.

This is a moving and emotional story, but of course it would be considering the subject matter. These types of stories are never easy to tell, but Denzel Washington directs this adaptation of the screenplay with kindness, care and respect.

This is the type of movie that goes back and forth over the course of about 18 years.

A number of paid critics were a bit harsh on their rating, but I disagree with them.

“A Journal for Jordan” is worth seeing and is only available in the Theaters.

This is a 3 ½ Star Movie!!!

The Matrix Resurrections in AMC Dolby

It’s been 18 years since the Matrix Franchise graced us with an installment. I thought they were gone for good since everyone is aging, but alas the franchise has pushed out a new installment.

This Matrix installment is nothing like the installments that came before it. It lacks the fluidness and style of the Matrix Trilogy. Although it does revisit the Franchise with zeal.

In this installment we find Neo aka Mr. Anderson trying to determine if his reality is a physical or mental construction. To determine this Neo will have to follow the white rabbit once again. Once again, choice is an illusion and is still the only way out of or into the Matrix. This time though, The Matrix is stronger, more secure and more dangerous than ever before. The saga unfolds from there…

This reboot is a good one, although there are a few lulls in the story. The special effects at times are breathtakingly cool and at other times scary. There is tons of non-stop action, intrigue and suspense. Just what you expect from Sci-Fi. I was also impressed by the cinematography and camera angles.

If you are a fan of the Matrix Franchise, “The Matrix Resurrections” should not be missed.

“The Matrix Resurrections” is in Theaters and streaming on HBO MAX.

This is a 3 ½ Star Movie!!

The Kings Man

This installment of “The Kings Man” franchise is basically a prequel.

The movie illustrates the events that lead to the formation of “The Kings Man” organization. This should have been the very first installment of the franchise instead of the third.

While there are a couple of interesting twists and some crazy stunts, this installment was a waste of time. The execution was sloppy and dare I say a waste of Actor Ralph Fiennes acting abilities. The end is great and everything comes together, but by then it’s a little too late. I feel like this installment sort of destroys the excitement that came from the other previous installments. I am not sure if I will see another installment if another one is made.

Personally, I should have known something was amiss when I stopped seeing any trailers or clips for “the Kings Man”.

This installment should have been on one of the Streaming Services so you could basically see it for free, but “The Kings Man” is only available on the big screen.

Wait for it to come out on Cable.

This is a 2 Star Movie!!

King Richard

In “King Richard” we get a view into the humble start of Venus and Serena Williams tennis careers. Richard Williams had a plan, a 78-page plan that he executed on and was determined to get his daughters, Venus and Serena into the Tennis Record Books. This movie is about that journey.

The story starts off with the Williams family’s early life in Compton, CA. The Williams sisters trained on the neglected tennis courts in Compton, often times late into the evenings. Their Mother, Oracene provided the balanced perspective and great intuition to help keep the girl’s lives as normal as possible. The story continues to the family’s move to Florida and Venus’s signing with Reebok.

The movie is very moving! The execution is good. Will Smith is very impressive as Richard Williams.

If you are a fan of Venus and Serena Williams, this movie is definitely worth a look.

“King Richard” is in Theaters and Streaming on HBO MAX