Transformers: The Last Knight: The IMAX 3D Experience

I haven’t decided whether I like “Transformers: The Last Knight” or despise it. I’m concerned that I can’t summon any feelings toward the movie. It’s one of those movies where you leave the theater and you wonder…what just happened during the last 2 1/2 hours?

This is the fifth installment of a franchise that should have stopped at installment number two. The first “Transformers” was great, but each new installment got progressively worse. The two main characters from the first two installments left the franchise, one after the second installment, the other after the third.

There was no cohesiveness from the third installment to the fourth. This is where Shia LaBeouf exits and Mark Wahlberg enters. But alas this is Hollywood and these movies do make money!

This fifth installment starts off giving a history lesson and ends up with earth fighting to survive being destroyed.

There is mayhem and chaos from start to finish. Non-stop action and great cinematography. The Transformers are always the coolest element of these movies. Anthony Hopkins lends his acting abilities to this installment. He is the brightest spot in the movie.

But alas…the plot is tissue paper thin!! No explanation or reason for the events that occur is given. Two hours and twenty nine minutes is way longer than this movie should have been.

Just think there are two more installments coming your way…They won’t be directed by Michael Bay.

This is a 1 1/2 Star Movie!

47 Meters Down

There is one word for “47 Meters Down”. The word is “Don’t”.

It’s summer time and with it comes the obvious need for a shark movie. “Jaws” set the bar for shark movies and every one that has come after it has been trying to catch up.

Two sisters on vacation in Mexico are offered a chance to see ocean life up close in a shark cage that is lowered into the ocean from what looks like a tug boat. It’s only supposed to be for 10 minutes, but the gear holding the cable malfunctions and the cage falls to the ocean floor 47 meters down. There is constant communication from the boat to the girls. They are told to stay in the cage until help arrives, but their oxygen soon runs low. The story unfolds from there…

The movie is tightly suspenseful and at times nerve-racking. “47 Meters Down” is truly a “B” grade movie with a few “biting” thrills. If you can stand the tense by all means enjoy yourself, otherwise “Don’t waste your money” and “Don’t waste your time”.

This is a 2 Star Movie!

Cars 3

Lightning McQueen and the gang are back!!

This installment finds Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) struggling to win a race. There is a new generation of super-fast cars on the race circuit and suddenly Lightning McQueen can’t keep up. He turns to a young race technician, Cruz Ramirez (Cristela Alonzo) who has her own unorthodox way to train and her own plan to win a race. Lightning also gets some help and inspiration from the late Fabulous Hudson Hornet. The story unfolds from there…

“Cars 3” is “Cute, Cute, Cute!!” “Cars 3” goes back to its roots from the first installment. The story is relatable. There isn’t quite as much humor as I would have expected. “Mater” the Tow Truck is a bit quiet in this installment. He is one of the funnier characters. None the less, the movie is entertaining and heart-warming. The cinematography, action and animation are excellent. Children of all ages will enjoy it.

This is a 3 ½ Star Movie!

Megan Leavey

“Megan Leavey” is based on a true story about a Marine who after boot camp is assigned to the Canine Unit where Bomb Sniffing dogs are trained and then sent with their soldier into combat.

Megan Leavey (Kate Mara) gets assigned to “Rex” a German Shepherd. “Rex” didn’t like his previous soldier and actually bit him. Megan however is determined to change “Rex’s” behavior and make him the very best Bomb sniffing dog in the unit. Soon after training Megan’s unit deploys to Iraq. The story unfolds from there…

The story is heart-warming and at times sad. The movie has the ability to bring tears to your eyes. With that being said though, the movie is executed very well and is very entertaining and intriguing.

“Megan Leavey” is not billed as a big box office hit, but it’s definitely better than any other movies of its type that opened this weekend.

“Megan Leavey” is definitely worth a look.

This is a 4 Star Movie!

The Mummy – The 3D IMAX Experience

“The Mummy” is an utter waste of time…

Oh my gosh…What was I thinking…”The Mummy” is one of those movies where you are asking yourself, “Is it over yet I’m ready to leave”.

An Ancient Egyptian Princess, Ahmanet (Sofia Boutella) whose destiny was unjustly taken from her long ago and was believed to be buried deep enough in the unforgiving desert awakens after her tomb has been removed from underground. In order to revive herself Ahmanet needs to feed on humans mainly men. She uses her evil powers to control unsuspecting men by getting inside their heads and getting them to do her bidding.
Ahmanet believes that the man, Nick Morton (Tom Cruise) who freed her is destined to be with her forever. Ahmanet won’t rest until she is able to control Nick and get him to be her “forever prince”. The story unfolds from there…

The remake of a remake, “The Mummy” is boring…There was nothing exciting about it. It’s spends a lot of time appearing dark and dank. The bright spot is the cinematography. This is the start of a new franchise that Universal is calling “The Dark Universe”. This is definitely not one of Tom Cruise’s better movies. It’s not his fault. He tries to make something happen, but it never really materializes.

The remake of the remake of “The Mummy” is best viewed on cable.

This is a 2 Star Movie!

Wonder Woman in 3D

Wow!! What a fresh first installment! “Wonder Woman” was awesome!

The story starts off perfectly, an Amazon Princess, Diana (Gal Gadot) is living an idyllic life. As a young girl she observes her Mother and other Woman Warriors as they train constantly to be prepared for war. Diana wants to be just like them, so she too is allowed to train. The everyday peacefulness they enjoy on their isolated island is interrupted when a pilot (Chris Pine) crash lands in the surrounding sea. By this time Diana is a trained warrior so she dives into the sea to save the pilot.
There is an army chasing the pilot. They make their way to the island and a small war breaks out. The story unfolds from there…

Great special effects, awesome cinematography, lots of action and a great story to start this franchise. Gal Gadot is perfect as “Wonder Woman”. The actors all give strong performances. The story has heart, humor and intrigue.

“Wonder Woman” will be another box office hit for DC. I am excited to see what the next installment will bring.

This is a 4 ½ Star Movie!

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

At Last…This is supposed to be the final installment in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. To be perfectly honest I believe the franchise died after “Dead Man’s Chest”.

In this installment the legendary Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) is down on his luck. Things get really dark when a band of deadly ghost sailors lead by the notorious Captain Salazar (Javier Bardem) escapes from the Devil’s Triangle. The ghostly band of sailors are out to kill every Pirate they can find especially Jack Sparrow.
Captain Jack however continues to get himself in predicaments. His only hope of survival is to locate the “Trident of Poseidon”. Jack will have to team up with an Astronomer known as Carina Smyth (Kaya Scodelario). On the other front though Captain Salazar gets a line on where Captain Jack is located. The story unfolds from there…

Javier Bardem as Captain Salazar breathes life into this installment. He is a breath of fresh air. Aside from the special effects, costumes and cinematography Captain Salazar is by far the best element in the movie.

The movie is entertaining, but the problem is that it drags at times and it’s way too long at 2 hours 15 minutes. The story just seems to drone on and on…

This franchise is old and tired and should sail off into the sunset.

This is a 2 ½ Star Movie!

Alien: Covenant

Ok, Ok, Ok…I had not planned to see “Alien: Covenant”, especially after seeing “Life” back in March and having nightmares to boot! But my curiosity got the best of me plus, I have seen the other three “Alien” installments. So here goes…

“Alien: Covenant” is an epic Sci-Fi/Action/Adventure that has parts of “Prometheus”, but also gets back to its original roots of “In-gestation” and “Incubation”.
Believe it or not this 4th installment is fresh! It does pick up some parts of “Prometheus” to remind you of what transpired there over the past few years.

What really makes “Alien: Covenant” work is the cast. This cast is way better than the “Life” cast and is on par with the 1979 hit “Alien” which starred Sigourney Weaver. Michael Fassbender reprises his role from “Prometheus”.

“Bloody, Edge-of-Your Seat Suspenseful and Intriguing” are how to best describe “Alien: Covenant”.
Michael Fassbender is such a “Butt”, but I mean that in a nice way. There always has to be an “Antagonist” in these types of movies and he is it!!

The door has been left open again! so I suspect we will see a 5th installment in a couple of years.

This is a 3 ½ Star Movie!!

Everything, Everything

“Everything, Everything” is adapted from the Young Adult Novel by Nicola Yoon. The story centers around a teenage girl named Maddie (Amandla Stenberg) who is house-bound due to an immunodeficiency that makes her allergic to almost everything.
Maddie’s life changes after a new family moves next door. There is a young man in that family and he catches Maddie’s eye and visa- versa. They start to communicate via phone and computer, but that’s not enough. Soon Maddie decides she wants to go outside. The story unfolds from there…

“Everything, Everything” is a romantic story with an interesting twist. The movie is best suited for the 15 to 30 age group, but I did find it enjoyable. The movie centers on relationships, not just romantic relationships, but relationships in general.

This is a 3 Star Movie!

The Wall

“The Wall” was not on my original “Watch List”, but I decided that it was a better choice this weekend than “Snatched”.

It’s 2007 and the end of the Iraq War. President Bush has declared victory and the rebuilding has started. “The Wall” is a suspenseful psychological thriller that follows two US soldiers who are pinned down by an Iraqi sniper. There is nothing between them but a crumbling wall. The fight becomes as much a game of wills and wits as it is about accuracy. The story unfolds from there…

“The Wall” is intense, nerve-racking and at times hard to look at right up to the end. There is so much dirt flying that you will feel like you are eating dirt right along with them. You are given a very realistic view of what the soldiers who protect us have to deal with. If you like military-themed movies, check out “The Wall”.

“The Wall” was directed by Doug Linman who also directed one of my favorite movies “The Bourne Ultimatum”. Other Doug Linman directorial credits include “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” and “Edge of Tomorrow”.