Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker

MY RATING: 9

GENERAL INFORMATION 

Release Info: 20 Dec 2019

Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Director:J.J. Abrams
Writer: J.J. Abrams and Chris Terrio
Running Time: 2 Hours and 21 Minutes

Staring: Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Keri Russell and many many more

Rating? PG-13

SPOILERS? NO and YES (Section clearly marked)

STORYLINE

In the final part of the Star Wars Saga, the surviving resistance faces the First Order once more in the final chapter of Skywalker. 

MY REVIEW

So much to say for this review, so let me just say, YES, I gave this movie a 9 out of 10. I sat there for the whole 2 and a half hours on the edge of tears or full-on wiping my eyes with my sleeve. I was able to remain spoiler-free and I feel good about that. I got to take the ride and feel all of the feels in the moment. The first section is SPOILER FREE and the second is not. Ye have been warned!

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• John Williams once again provided some of the best adapted pieces from the original score in this final piece.
• It was a non-stop slap-you-in-the-face joy ride through the Star Wars Universe. Yes, there were a lot of loose ends to tie up, such as Rey's lineage and the whole ambiguous"Rise of Skywalker" reference. But I think they did a good job of taking the bits from "The Force Awakens" and "The Last Jedi" and wrapping them up for me with a neat little bow.
• There is so much to unpack here as a movie. I wanted to have closure for so many of my favorites but I also didn't want it to be Disney-fied or a love story. There is a fine line that I didn't want to see crossed. It was a delicate line that they tip-toed across, never stepping too far over the edge for me.

What I DIDN'T EXPLICITLY NOT LIKE about this movie: 

• There was definitely a lot of fan-service in this movie. I'm not saying that I didn't like it because I did. I AM THAT FAN who enjoys it, but I can see where it might have been a little much.
• There were some plot holes. I won't go into them, but as a Star Wars fan. You'll know.
• The CGI with Luke and Leia wasn't the worst, but it definitely was not the best.

What ELSE do I need say? (THIS IS THE TIME TO TURN BACK. SPOILERS AHEAD)

• Cameos Galore!! Oh so many awesome people that I saw and SOME that I didn't.. Here's the list so far... John Williams, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Freddie Prinze Jr., Ed Sheeran, Harry Styles and Warwick Davis donned the Wicket costume again.
• The moment that had me in full on tears was seeing the struggle of Kylo Ren wanting to go back to being Ben Solo. Adam Driver did it for me right them. He looked over at Han (as a Force-Ghost) and said nothing. Han said "I know." TEARS!!!!
• In the final scene, we see Rey wandering around the Lars Moisture farm on Tatooine.. She is asked her name by a passer-by. Rey she says. But what's her family name.. She looks over to see Leia and Luke's force-ghosts.. Rey Replies.. Skywalker. My heart.

On a more personal note..... 

We saw this in a IMAX theater with reclining seats. Great choice.

Spiderman: Far From Home

MY RATING: 7

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info:  2 July 2019

Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Director: Jon Watts
Writer: Chris McKenna
Running Time: 2 Hours and 9 Minutes

Staring: Tom Holland, Samuel L. Jackson, Jake Gyllenhaal, Marisa Tomei, Jon Favreau, Zendaya, J.B. Smoove and Cobie Smulders

Rating? PG-13

SPOILERS? NO

STORYLINE

Peter Parkers world has changed a lot since the events of Avengers: Endgame and everyone asking who will be the next Iron Man. Peter is avoiding Nick Fury's calls and heads to Europe with schoolmates with plans to tell MJ he likes her. Hell breaks loose with a new villain in the alternate universe Elementals and the new semi-super hero Mysterio. Peter does not enjoy a peaceful trip as he has planned.

MY REVIEW

After a few bad movies in a row, it was nice to see one that I immediately did not regret paying to see. Was it the best movie of the summer? No. Was it a fun to watch? Yes! As someone who had the fortunate opportunity to live in Europe fro several years it was nice to see some of the places I remember so fondly. (Pics below of me in London and Venice).

I need to admit that I was more excited to see Jake Gyllenhaal. (Man candy if I do say so myself).  So, I'm giving it a solid 7. There were a few things that just lost me, but read my notes below and you'll see why I went with that.

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• DIRECTION- Although this is the typical monster of the movie thing that mot marvel/DC universe movies use as a plot device, the pivots that change the dynamic of the story are pretty well done. I'm not giving it away when I say that this is the kind of story that I get. The monsters are within us all and occasionally the monsters are bigger for some people. I think they successfully told the story while retaining the idea of the teenage Spiderman and his never ending struggle to admit his love for the elusive MJ.
• SET DESIGN/LOCATION- I am ONE OF THOSE people who will tear a movie apart when the set designers and location folks don't get the details right. 
• CINEMATOGRAPHY- Some epic shots here. When you have locations as amazing as Venice and London, you have to let it all sink in without overindulging. I mean, I've stood on the top of the Campidoglio and took some great wide shots of the brick red roofline of the city. I think they did a great job filming in Venice and keeping it from being a vacation video.  Same with London. They stuck with the area near Tower Bridge and it looked and felt right.
• COSTUME DESIGN- I was surprised a little with the suit choices here. The one that he was wearing in the beginning with the meet and greet of the locals in NYC was super over the top. I'm glad they moved back to the typical one for his overseas shenanigans.
• SCORE/SOUNDTRACK-  What a sing-along movie this will be when I am watching this again at home. "I Will Always Love You" to start, a little "Back in Black" and finally a Go Go hit with "Vacation." I wanted to play the air drums a little, who am I kidding, A LOT!

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• I don't even know which category to put this in. Spiderman IS your neighborhood superhero. He's the home grown kid with the silly home made suit shooting webs from his hands. I think it bothered me that by the end of this movie he was on a Stark plane with Happy and unlimited access to Start Tech. THat's detracts from the selling point of Spiderman.
• EFFECTS- It's not that I didn't like it... but it's really effects heavy. I mean, it IS a superhero movie and it's not like you can just film stuff that doesn't exist, SOOO i get that they needed to use a lot of CGI and effects.
• SUB PLOT- Emotional Rollercoaster that derailed a bit for me. Here was a bit too much of the quirky teenage love will he/won't he was a bit much for me. 
• RIP TONY STARK- Okay, Tony Stark is dead. It seems to me that they were having a hard time letting him go. LET HIM GO. I did enjoy some of the little Tony Stark add in's like EDITH, but it was a bit Stark heavy for me.

On a more personal note..... 

This movie brought up a few great memories of when we lived in Europe. We had some great trips to some of the destinations in this movie and I thought I would share a few. Below is me on the London Eye, and on the Rialto Bridge and in Saint Mark's Square in Venice.

Avengers: Endgame

MY RATING: 7 of 10

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 26 April 2019

Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Director:Anthony Russo and Joe Russo
Writer:Christopher Markus
Running Time: 3 hours and 1 minute

Staring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner,  Don Cheadle, Paul Rudd, Benedict Cumberbatch, Chadwick Boseman, Brie Larson, Tom Holland, Karen Gillan, Zoe Saldana, Evangeline Lilly. I can keep going! Who's NOT in this movie!

Rating? PG-13

SPOILERS? NO

STORYLINE

After the devastating events of Avengers: Infinity War (2018), the universe is in ruins due to the efforts of the Mad Titan, Thanos. With the help of remaining allies, the Avengers must assemble once more in order to undo Thanos's actions and undo the chaos to the universe, no matter what consequences may be in store, and no matter who they face...

MY REVIEW

I say this at the beginning of almost all of the Marvel Universe reviews.. Not a big Marvel fan. However, this was a fun movie, be it depressing and nonsensical in spots, but the story was good. I was nervous about the 3 hour timeline and got a seat at the end of a row to make sure I could escape to pee and at times it did feel like the longest movie on the planet.

I left the movie thinking that it was a 9 and by the time I sat down to write this, I got close to giving it a 6 and landed on a 7. Here's why..

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• One word. THOR. I don't want to get into the specifics, but the THING that is going on with Thor is quite possibly the mot relatable thing that I have seen in any of the Marvel movies so far. It's humanizing and brings such a realism into the idea of what would happen if the poles shifted for some people. Some people just need to be needed. I love this piece. Well done.
• Ant-Man. Paul Rudd has had my heart since he was Josh in Clueless.
• Set and Costume Design
• CGI- A lot of money went into the CGI and it was a triumphant success. I hate it when the CGI pulls you out of a movie for being so badly done!
• I really enjoyed the way this movie brought all of the other Marvel movies together.  
• Last scene with Captain America made my cold heart pitter patter. Love!!

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• Editing- To be honest, the pacing could have been better. The first act seemed to drag unnecessarily and expended a lot of effort to show our heroes in emotional turmoil. The second and third acts did speed consecutively ending in a 45 minute action frenzy. ( I did like that)  
• Hipster Hulk
• With the epic list of people in this movie, that is indeed an issue. With that many A list actors, it's hard to give them all the screen time that they need or deserve. I think Hawkeye was given too much screen time.
• Brie Larsen was better, but still not great. 

What QUESTIONS do I now have?

• I have a serious issue with the idea of the timeline they try to alter. They say multiple times that changing the timelines is CHANGING another timeline. So, Tony Stark snaps his fingers and ends Thanos in THIS universe but what about the others? Is that really the end? If he sent Thanos et al back, how does he know not to send Gamora back from 2023? Does that mean 2014 Peter Quill never meets Gamora? Does that timeline still exist? How does Captain America know which lake to sit by? I want answers!!
• Thanos is really just a Eco-Warrior. He saw that there are too many people in the world and we could not sustain the numbers with the current levels of food, water and housing so he basically provided a plague to give those who are left a chance. I kind of appreciate that and in some regards, I don't think he's that bad for just trying to give us a hand. 

On a more personal note..... 

Did you guys know that I love my cats!? So much that I wear cat shirts and take selfies on SnapChat with cat ears! :)  

Captain Marvel

RATINGS

IMDB: 7.2 of 10

MY RATING: 6 of 10

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 8 March 2019

Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
(Marvel Comics Universe)
Writers/Director:Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck
Running Time: 2 Hours 3 Minutes

Staring: Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn

Rating? PG-13

SPOILERS? NO 

STORYLINE

After crashing an experimental aircraft, Air Force pilot Carol Danvers is discovered by the Kree and trained as a member of the elite Starforce Military under the command of her mentor Yon-Rogg. Six years later, after escaping to Earth while under attack by the Skulls, Danvers begins to discover there's more to her past. With help from S.H.I.E.L.D agent Nick Fury, they set out to unravel the truth.

MY REVIEW

Marvel handed the help of writer/director to Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, whom I have never heard of before now. I'm always nervous when a franchise passes to an unknown, but this was a solid choice in my opinion. Lots of great things and a few that really just JUMPED out as annoyances. It really just left me with a "Meh, I guess it was entertaining enough."

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• FLERKEN!! Let's be honest, I love cats. Specifically, I have three ginger cats at home and the addition of the little ginger avenger, Goose. Such a sweet little guy and  I won't say much more about what a flerken is, but as a cat-mom. ACCURATE!
• That Soundtrack! What an amazing anthology of songs! Salt-N-Pepa "Whatta Man", TLC "Waterfalls" and a little Nirvana and REM to round it out. Sitting in the theater it was so difficult for me NOT to sing along to each one. Such great pairings with this powerful theme.
• Empowering. I disagree with a lot of the other reviews that I have read that say that this was basically a feminist manifesto. I wholeheartedly disagree. We have been conditioned over the years to see superhero as male and the women in the periphery. Captain Marvel is strong, she is invincible, she is human with some edits. The men in her life, like so many in the world are not all assholes, but it feels like there was a lot of the "I know better than you because I'm a man Man-splaining" but it was done to show just how different she is. 

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• Pacing seemed a bit slow for a Marvel Superhero movie. Not that it was stagnant but it felt like the story took way too long to get to the point. Feels like they could have told this story in less than 2 hours and still had the same effect.
• Brie Larson- Don't take this wrong, but did she really want to be in this movie? Some of her scenes felt entirely forced and stiff. I might be completely off the mark and she was written that way to show her Kree emotionally detached training but it did not really play well for me.
• Script/Direction-  I felt like this story was just jammed into the Marvel Universe and could have enjoyed a bit more fluff. To me it seems that the writing did not really tie Captain Marvel to the Marvel Universe in a way that made sense. I feel like her story was disconnected from the others.

On a more personal note..... 

It was a nice afternoon to see a movie. We went and had brunch at Pops Diner and then headed over to Lynnhaven Mall AMC. I did feel it was important to show my Star Wars allegiance so I wore my 40th Anniversary tee that I got year before last at Star Wars Celebration. Picked up a little Jason to live on my Desk!! And last but not least, my one little flerken got a Star Wars backpack. Transparency, my mom got the little backpack for me as a purse for the upcoming Star Wars Celebration, but it just looked so much more adorable on Rocket.

Aquaman

RATINGS

MY RATING: 6

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 21 Dec 2018

Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Director: James Wan
Writer:David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick and Will Beall
Running Time: 2 Hours and 23 Minutes

Staring: Jason Momoa (Like anyone else matters, but there were some other people in the movie) Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson, Nicole Kidman and Dolph Lundgren

Rating? PG-13

SPOILERS? NO

STORYLINE

Arthur Curry, half human/half Atlantian, goes on a trip of a lifetime. Not only does this adventure compel him to come to terms with his real identity, but it also forces him to discover whether he is entirely worthy of fulfilling his own destiny: becoming a king.

MY REVIEW

I need to say this to set the tone of my review. I'm not a huge DC Comic fan, so I was going into this movie with a mediorce expectations. I'm glad I set that expectation for myself. This was not a HORRIBLE movie and Jason Momoa was wonderful eye candy.

If you're going to watch this movie, and you SHOULD in a theater, you will need to set aside your reality and turn on your suspension of belief meters.

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• Jason Momoa was not TOOO Momoa. He has been a little over the top snarky in the DC movies that he's been a recurring character. At least his snark was kept to a minimum for this one. There were a few moments that made me giggle though. But seriously!? Who would complain.. HE'S JASON MOMOA. I don't think he's NOT anyones type!
• Cinematography undersea was amazing!
• Soundtrack- What  smorgasbord of awesome music! And I will be adding a few of these to my general work out playlist. 1- Pitbull- "Ocean to Ocean" with sampling of Toto's "Africa" 2- Skylar Grey- "Everything I Need" 3- Depeche Mode- "It's No Good" 4- Roy Orbison- "She's a Mystery to Me" 5- Signor Ros- "Saeglopur"

What was JUST EHHH about this movie:

• CGI- Well, I have to say that there was JUST so much CGI that it almost took me out of the movie. I understand why it was necessary, but it was SOOO over the top. Especially in the first 20 minutes where Nicole Kidman basically looked like a Nicole Kidman mask stretched taught over a face form. 
• The mood shifts are a little off. The characters go between dead serious and cracking jokes way too easily.

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• I really had a hard time with the suspension of believe bit. I kept having to remind myself that this was supposed to be this way. I mean, I do love a good fantasy movie but the whole idea of Atlantis and living and breathing people under water. The Aqua-Special Forces with their water breathing suits. The laser cannons. SHARKS with armor and saddles? Seriously! This was a difficult one to get behind.
• Predictable as FUCK!! This was such a linear plot that nothing much was a surprise!

On a more personal note..... 

Just being adorable today. Snapchat took a pretty awesome picture of Dexter Morgan and he basically looked like a hipster cat! AND I'm close to finishing my 3-D printed robot cat.

Predator

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 14 September 2018

Director: Shane Black
Writer: Fred Dekker and Shane Black
Running Time: 1 Hour and 47 Minutes

Staring: Boyd Holbrook, Trevante Rhodes, Jacob Tremblay, Keegan-Michael Key, Olivia Munn, Sterling K. Brown, Thomas Jane and Alfie Allen

Rating? R

SPOILERS? Not Really, hints, not Spoilers

REVIEWS

IMDB: 6 of 10

MY RATING: 5

STORYLINE

From the outer reaches of space to the small-town streets of suburbia, the hunt comes home. Now, the universe's most lethal hunters are stronger, smarter and deadlier than ever before, having genetically upgraded themselves with DNA from other species. When a young boy accidentally triggers their return to Earth, only a ragtag crew of ex-soldiers and a disgruntled science teacher can prevent the end of the human race.

MY REVIEW

You know what? This was a fun movie. When you take out the things that were not realistic and JUST look at the movie for what it is.. a Predator movie, it's okay. There were definitely some things that I just sat there and shook my head through and a few bits that as a prior military member, I absolutely could not get past. All in all, it was good.

Would I pay to see it in the theaters? Not really. Wait until it comes out on Netflix or HBO and watch there.

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• GET TO THE CHOPPER! Oh my goodness, when you hear and see this in the movie, you will laugh at the homage to the original. It was pretty dumb, but it was awesome!
• LARGER PREDATOR- Yes please. I did quite enjoy the idea of a predator hierarchy in the world where they live. It was an interesting plot device. Quite possibly the only one that made sense.
• HUMAN DNA? It was pretty obvious in the story so it's not much of a spoiler. It makes sense since they are supposedly hunting here on earth for the last 30+ years. It's a good idea for a future story. I'd watch that movie.

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• HUMOR- I get it, the writer/director Shane Black was best known for Lethal Weapon, the Nice Guys, Iron Man 3 and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. It's Predator. It's not supposed to be that humorous.
• MILITARY CONSULTANT? Seriously, as a prior service member, I just lost it a few times with some of the ridiculous things. Please PLEASE hire a military specialist next time you want  to make a movie Mr. Black? The basics- (1) No hats inside buildings. (2) Military guys cannot have shaggy hair. (3) If a bunch of military guys are murdered by a supposed crazy person, there WILL be an investigation. (4) Who the hell was firing at the good guys? Storm Troopers? They missed every shot!
• THE BASICS- You could have spent the money you saved on a military consultant to hire an acting coach.
• STORY- The story was unrealistic and the plot seemed to be lacking any consistent thematic decision making. I think I've seen this movie before, but it was called RoboCop 3.
• THE PREDATOR- When did it become so easy to defeat a predator? I remember it took Arnie and like 8 others to beat one back in the day. Now he can be defeated in 2 hours by a mental patient and a few of his buddies?
• PREDATOR DOGS? Okay, please tell me that I am not the only one who thought this was going to be freaking awesome? I had good feels when I saw the  trailer. But what I ended up with was a really bad CGI morphed dog that was intensely overdone. All II could see while they were on screen were the stupid demon dogs from Ghostbusters, you know.. Zuul the Gatekeeper and Vinz Clortho the Keymaster, loyal minions of Gozer the Gozerian.  

What QUESTIONS do I now have?

• Why was the kid working for the Client/Space Force/Military? Isn't he like 10? Shouldn't he be in school instead of working?
• I don't understand Olivia Munn's character? So, she wrote a letter about aliens and now she's a biologist that they picked to help understand alien tech?  
• Why was the interior light on in the military bus while they were driving?
• Why were the crazies in the bus in civvies and not in uniform? I've got some inside information that YOU STILL HAVE TO WEAR a uniform while you are in psych hold.

On a more personal note..... 

Worked on a new piece of art, Finished Friday night after the movie. Rocket and Isabella were absolutely adorable!

Avengers: Infinity War

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 27 April 2018
    12 August 2018

Director:Anthony Russo and Joe Russo
Writer:Christopher Markus
Running Time:  2 Hours and 29 Min

Staring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Don Cheadle, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Holland and like 42K other people.

Rating? PG-13

SPOILERS? NO

REVIEWS

IMDB: 8.6 of 10

MY RATING: 6

STORYLINE

The Avengers and their allies must be willing to sacrifice all in an attempt to defeat the powerful Thanos before his blitz of devastation and ruin puts an end to the universe.

MY REVIEW

I didn't hate it. I also didn't love it. I am not a big Marvel fan, except for IronMan and Captain America. The best way that I can describe this movie is chaotic. Its an overwhelming blend of many plots and stories that are all jammed up into one. It has elements that bind, but it's just soooo much to take in. I had a hard time with the plot the most.

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• It was a fun movie. I liked the fight scenes.
• IronMan and Cap. :) Big hearts there!

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• Plot- Seriously? What the literal hell? This was the most strung out plot that was paper thin to relate the unhinged stories together.. Should really have been more than one movie.
• Thanos- Yes, he's a pretty bad dude, but his backstory and plan almost make him relatable for me. I mean, I kind of identify with him the most in the movie. Maybe I am a bad guy. I can get with that! The writers failed to consistently take the plot that was provided and extend to the movie. I mean at one point in Guardians of the Galaxy, they defined the strength of the Infinity Stones and in this one  when Thanos has 4 of the 5 he can be held down by IronMan and a few others? Seems unlikely.
• More Bad Guys- So there are like a lot of new bad guys that are on screen (Black Order, random boneless guy, Blue chick with horns, Rock dude with a goatee and a pointy-axe wielding guy who we are never really appropriately introduced to.  Like I said, I am not a huge Marvel fan so as a non comic reader, i have no idea who these people are!~

On a more personal note..... 

I added a new piece to the collection. I did a piece in chalk pastels and I have to say, I think it turned out pretty stellar! I just might hang this one up in the house! Took a selfie with curly hair! Rocket really wanted to try a banana.

Ant-Man and the Wasp

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 6 July 2018

Director: Peyton Reed
Writer:Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers
Running Time: 1 Hour and 58 Minutes

Staring: Paul Rudd,  Evangeline Lilly, Michael Peña, Walton Goggins, Bobby Cannavale, Judy Greer, Hannah John-Kamen, Michelle Pfeiffer, Laurence Fishburne and Michael Douglas

Rating? PG-13

SPOILERS? NO 

REVIEWS

IMDB: 7.7 of 10

MY RATING: 5

STORYLINE

As Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) balances being both a Super Hero and a father, Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly)  and Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) present an urgent new mission that finds Ant-Man fighting alongside the Wasp to uncover secrets from their past.

MY REVIEW

So, in all honesty, I was prepared for this to be a "sequel." you know, where the first one was decent and the second is passable...(Ant-Man, my review from July 2015). It wasn't bad. It was actually pretty funny in some spots. It just wan't THAT great. I never found myself rooting for the hero/heores. Ant-Man is a very typical anti-hero with him being an ex-con and just kind of passable in most areas.

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• It was fun. Plenty of one-liners and moments that are pretty amusing, not enough to make me laugh out loud though.
• 
  

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• Could the writers have added a few more words? It's like they just re-used the word QUANTUM to further the plot. I mean it was like 46 times!
• Pacing could have been smoother.
• Maybe one too many jokes. It felt a little overwhelming with stuff that you were supposed to find funny.

On a more personal note..... 

Had a great time this week with my friend Missy and her little mini person, Ava. That kid is growing on he, but I would not trade my cats for anything. Also, F&%k Pollen!

Solo: A Star Wars Story

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 25 May 2018

Director: Ron Howard
Writer:Jonathan Kasdan and Lawrence Kasdan
Running Time: 2 Hours and 15 Minutes

Staring: Alden Ehrenreich, Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke, Joonas Suotamo, Donald Glover, Thandie Newton, Paul Bettany and Jon Favreau

Rating? PG-13

SPOILERS? NO

REVIEWS

IMDB: 7.2 of 10

MY RATING: 7

STORYLINE

During an adventure into the criminal underworld, Han Solo meets his future co-pilot Chewbacca and encounters Lando Calrissian years before joining the Rebellion.

MY REVIEW

I don't know if you guys know this, but I am a huge Star Wars nerd! Crazy right?!?! Well, This movie was much anticipated and the lingering questions for me were: 1) was Alden Ehrenreich going to be acting like Harrison Ford acting like Han Solo or was he going to place his own stamp on the role. Answer Below. 2) What foolishness was Disney going to do to my Han? Again, answers below.

For me, this was a fun ride. Yes, I did find some of it a little over the top and it could have been a little better, hence the 7 and NOT a 10!!

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• It told a story. I will give it that. It was not overly complicated. It was not overly dramatic. It was a story. This is why I give it a 7. Could have been better. I know this was a point of contention and the re-writes were plentiful, even causing almost a year of additional filming. Good job, but you did not wow me Ron Howard.
• Personal Letter to Alden Ehrenreich. You did a good job with Han. I was truly afraid that you were going to be acting like Harrison Ford playing Han Solo. You did not. You brought yourself to the role and I personally enjoyed your spin. It was subtle, but it was Han.  
• Personal Letter to Disney. Okay, you did just about right with this one. Please keep the the middle of the road and DON'T fuck up the rest. 
• Solo/Chewy chemistry.

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• As a Star Wars fan, I did find the fact that they overplayed the moment when Han gets his gun. I mean, seriously, I get it. His gun, I seeee it!! 
• A bit on the predictable side. The story is a bit less dramatic than I would have liked. I understand they are pandering to a  whole new generation of Jedis who don't have the years and YEARS of watching Episodes 4, 5 and 6 a billion times.
• Khaleesi needs to go back to Game of Thrones. Yeah, not a huge fan of her portrayal of Qi'ra.

On a more personal note..... 

So, good for me that I had a special tee shirt to wear to the opening of Solo. It's my swag from Star Wars Celebration last year in Orlando. Star Wars 40th Anniversary. Needless to say... you can see from the pics that I was adorably cute to see Solo!! Perfect timing to get the Perfect middle seat that I love and get my obligatory "shoes on the seat" photo before the movie started.

Ready Player One

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 29 March 2018
     Watched 7 April 2018

Director:  Steven Spielberg
Writer: Zak Penn and Ernest Cline
Running Time: 2 Hours and 20 Minutes

Staring: Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, T.J. Miller and a few more

Rating PG-13

SPOILERS? NO 

REVIEWS

IMDB: 7.9 of 10

MY RATING: 8

STORYLINE

When the creator of a virtual reality world called the OASIS dies, he releases a video in which he challenges all OASIS users to find his Easter Egg, which will give the finder his fortune.

MY REVIEW

This movie is a near-genius love letter to pop culture penned with a pink feather quill signed with a sparkly heart over the i.  I loved every minute of the 2+ hours of this movie. Yes, there were some spots that I found derivative and even silly, however, the nerd in me was in heaven.
*Please note that I have not read the book!

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• Love, love love the use of pop culture icons all over the place. Prince, Michael Jackson, Star Wars characters and many, many more. This was nostalgia from my childhood on steroids. 
• I saw the 3-D version of this movie and it was almost so subtle that at times I forgot that I was even wearing the silly glasses.
• I CAN'T EVEN! This soundtrack was awesome. I quite nearly sang along, mostly internally, to every song. 
• Steven Spielberg as a director was perfection. He did an amazing job combining the dual settings of a futuristic overly-crowded city to the OASIS where people's every fantasy can be reality.
• THE SHINING!! That is all I am going to say. If you are a horror fan, you will find a smile in a few spots in this movie. I think there was an actual tear!! :)

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• Not overly cheesy, a little cheese but super light.
• Would have loved to see the R-Rated version of this. PG-13 is not something that I typically go for, but the idea of this movie was intriguing.

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Annihilation

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 23 Feb 2018

Director: Alex Garland
Writer:Alex Garland and Jeff VanderMeer
Running Time: 1 Hour and 55 Minutes

Staring: Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tessa Thompson and Oscar Isaac

Rating? R

SPOILERS? NO 

REVIEWS

IMDB: 7.1 of 10

MY RATING: 4

STORYLINE

A biologist signs up for a dangerous, secret expedition into a mysterious zone where the laws of nature do not apply.

MY REVIEW

My first thought was that I needed to watch this movie again but I really just don't want to.  I just don't know what this movie thought that it was. It wasn't suspense, horror, sci-fi, action.. It didn't fit into any bucket of common connectivity to a specific genre.  Realistically, at the end I just didn't care.

I understand that they might have been going for artistic license, but this was a tad bit shy of the line, It missed the bar.

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• The CGI was pretty good. It's standard at best, but it was a good part of the movie. 
• Production quality. Its sad that the pieces of this movie that I liked the most are the background pieces.

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• I was expecting a mid-bending romp through an alternate reality in the "shimmer" from the trailers. What I for was a hoping for was an existential plot that would make me question my own reality. I mean, Jeff Garland was responsible for Ex Machina {Link to my review}that I found to be absolute perfection. What I got was a slow burn that never quite ignited. 
• Mentioned this already, tonally, this was a hot mess. This movie just didn't know what it wanted to be. The story and delivery were muddy at best. It was as if the writers took a smoke break and let someone else finish.
• This was an R RATED movie. Why the hell did all the flashback sex scenes have little nudity or sex for that matter? 

What QUESTIONS do I now have?

• So a bunch of TRAINED MARINES went in and all dies, so let's send in the lady scientists? Yeah, that made sense.

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Star Wars: The Last Jedi

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 15 December 2017

Director: Rian Johnson
Writer: Rian Johnson based on characters by George Lucas
Running Time: 2 Hours and 32 Minutes

Staring:  Mark Hamill,  Carrie Fisher ,  Adam Driver,  Daisy Ridley,  John Boyega,  Oscar Isaac,  Andy Serkis,  Lupita Nyong'o,   Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels,   Gwendoline Christie, Kelly Marie Tran, Laura Dern and Benicio Del Toro

Rating? PG-13

SPOILERS? NO

REVIEWS

IMDB: 7.8 of 10

MY RATING: 8

STORYLINE

Rey develops her newly discovered abilities with the guidance of Luke Skywalker, who is unsettled by the strength of her powers. Meanwhile, the Resistance prepares to do battle with the First Order.

MY REVIEW

OMG! OMG! OMG! I was waiting for this one to come out for such a long time! I tried to remain spoiler free fro the most part but there were a handful of things that slipped past. Luckily for me, they did not ruin the movie. Since the news that Disney was taking over the Star Wars franchise I had mixed emotions. On one hand, I didn't want them to ruin the legacy that George Lucas created and on the other, I knew that Disney would revive the series and put out a lot more for me to watch. I am still torn.

I wanted to love this movie. I really did. I had the highest of hopes and was ready to write a review and call this movie a 10! I will not be doing so. I left the movie on Friday night with a kind of lack of enthusiasm that I do not expect from a Star Wars movie. It took a day or so and a few more viewings to really let the story sink in and I think that made it go from a strong 6 to a full on 8.

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• The Last Jedi proposes a new idea that I absolutely love. YES, the Jedi Order CAN end. The Force does not need to live within a Jedi, but can live independently within us all. This was the strongest of the themes that stuck with me after the movie. I love the idea that each one of us caries some piece that can be awakened into magic!
• JOHN WILLIAMS- THIS IS STAR WARS. The Music off John Williams will always be the glue that hold all of the Star Wars universe together for me. It's classic. Its fun to listen to and it's forever.
• New worlds. New people. New circumstances.
• STAR WARS!!!!

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• I will not say too much as this is a spoiler-- Princess Leia. Seriously. Did that really happen? Couldn't they just let that one go and let us move on? No, so, no what? How are you going to deal with that in the next movie Rian Johnson!?
• Holdo? Hold on! I think the addition of new characters into the SW family is awesome. I love seeing new folks get a chance to love out their dreams in this universe! I think the story arch that she was in would have been more poignant if they had let Admiral Akbar or Leia take on that task. It would have left us with a more meaningful idea.
• There was a bit tooo much humor. I did enjoy some of the laughs as it did bring back some of the fun aspects of Episode 4. But it was a bit over the top.
• Kylo Ren's flip flopping. Just be bad or be good. Pick one and move the hell on!
• Benicio del Toro plays himself. Enough said.

What QUESTIONS do I now have?

• Snoke? I get it, he's just Snoke. He's not a different character reborn as Snoke. I know after the Empire fell the First Order took over with the Knights of Ren but they seems to have their shit together a little more than the Empire. I just need to understand Snoke's origin.
• Rey's Parents? Did Kylo Ten lie to her or are her parents "nobody" just like the young Anakin?

On a more personal note..... 

WE WERE ON THE NEWS! Terry and I were interviewed about our love of Star Wars! 

LINK HERE.

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