Spider-Man: Far From Home

After the latest dust-up with The Avengers, Peter Parker tries to go on a school trip to Europe like a "regular kid". Trouble follows and adventure ensues. In Spider-Man: Far from Home he still has to use his spidey powers to battle evil, but keeping the secret becomes more difficult. I liked the story, there were some funny moments and the cast is great. This is a solid Spider-Man adventure.

Incredibles 2

In Incredibles 2 we are back with the Parrs. Elastigirl is in the position of saving the world and she does it with panache. The action is good. The story is good, though a few of the story-lines could have been fleshed out more. The dialogue is often funny. The animation is outstanding. I liked this continuing story of my favorite family of super heroes. I enjoyed this more than I expected to.

Hereditary

What appears to be the difficulties of an extended family becomes so much more in the film Hereditary. The less you know going into this film, the better. Just know that it is a horror film and there is plenty of darkness and jump scares. This is one of the best films of the year for me.

Paddington 2

I enjoyed the first film about Paddington bear, so when Paddington 2 came out to great reviews, I was in. The story is sweet and concise. There is a bit of adventure, a bit of peril and a lot of love and laughs. This story has a lot of heart and has a great visual aesthetic. Fun film.

mother!

In the thriller mother! we experience the allegory of the conflicts in the world in the story of a couple at a difficult time in their lives. The film is being interpreted in many ways. Some people love it, some hate it. I loved it. See it and decide for yourself.

Get Out

Classic Horror tropes are the foundation for the creative film Get Out. When a woman brings her boyfriend to meet her parents, strange things begin to happen and we take a ride down a crazy rabbit-hole. The less you know going ito this one, the better. I'll just say see it and enjoy! I did.

A Monster Calls

The book A Monster Calls is interpreted in the film of the same name. This film deals with a boy's coping with grief in his dreams and waking life. He is visited by a monster who tells him three stories, and the fourth must be his. The monster's stories force him to face his feelings and grief as his Mother is dying of cancer. The story deals with many emotions in an honest way, using fantasy as a vehicle. I loved this film, Well done.

Rogue One

Air battles with X wings are thrilling in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story . In the air and on the ground, the death toll is a bit devastating. Prequels give us a base and motivations for events and beloved characters. This film gives us these and then takes them away...understandably. I loved the action and the cameos of familiar characters. As others have said, this is a good stand-alone Star Wars film. Lots of action and I learn about U wing fighters. Aside from the high body count, I really enjoyed this chapter in the Star Wars universe.

Arrival

The first part of Arrival seemed slow to me. I was expecting more slam-bang from a movie about an alien encounter. Once I realized that there was more heart and smarts to this film I could go along. The exploration of language and communication is a quiet adventure I enjoyed. Good film.

Bleed for This

When a local story finds its way to the big screen it's usually a lot of fun. The story of RI boxing legend Vinny Paz is told so well in the film Bleed for This. I feel I am biased because I have local knowledge, but I got a kick out of the portrayal of this colorful character. He was a cocky guy who shook it in everyone's face. When Paz was in a car accident, his condition was in the news every day. As time has gone by, it is with nostalgia that I look back at his story. Seeing him do press tours today, it's nice to see him happy, and still a character. A helluva sports comeback and a helluva guy. Fun film.

Doctor Strange

The new Marvel film Doctor Strange was a breath of fresh air to me. I thought I was on super-hero overload, but his film explained all situations well and had enough humor to make it entertaining. It reminded me of the first Iron Man movie. A clever script and solid performances helped too. The visuals make this a must-see-in-the-theater movie. I liked this movie a lot.

Sully

Not only is the Miracle on the Hudson portrayed several times, in several ways, but the film Sully presents depth and closure to an amazing event. The editing and performances pleased me. As in many films based on true stories, photos and clips of the actual people and event are nice. Well done.

The Nice Guys

A good script, great chemistry and loads of action makes The Nice Guys a great ride. Two men are thrown together as they are looking for the same person. Their investigations bring them to dangerous, volatile people. Both have their strengths and flaws. They misstep many times before they get it together. These situations are fuel for comedy. The crime action thriller formula is enhanced by excellent writing and performances. Fun and funny.

Green Room

A simple punk rock gig goes south quickly in Green Room There are quick-thinking musicians and ruthless Nazis. They did not spare the blood, this is a good cat-and-mouse thriller. Well done.

The Big Short

Understanding nothing about finance I was a little lost watching The Big Short. This is the story of the housing bubble that collapsed in 2008. There was a small number of men who saw what was going on and took advantage of the situation to the tune of millions of dollars. The performances in this film are outstanding and make another disturbing story more easy to take. Good film, tough subject.

Krampus

I am a huge fan of the Halloween film Trick 'r Treat. Now the creator takes a shot at Christmas with Krampus. Taken from Norwegian folk lore, Krampus brings his wrath on a town after a boy writes a letter to Santa asking him to change the people in his family. The beginning of the film as a lot of darkly funny moments. Dave Koechner is especially funny as the redneck brother-in-law. When the Krampus appears things get dark, cold and creepy. People start to disappear, and they don't spare the gore. Another film with a good ending. I was surprised that this film put me in the holiday spirit. 

Steve Jobs

I've never been that interested in Steve Jobs. I have enjoyed my fair amount of Apple products, but the man never held a lot if intrigue for me. I always thought his product launch extravaganzas were pretentious and unnecessary. The film Steve Jobs takes an interesting angle on the man's life and rise. This is not a biopic. It portrays specific aspects of Jobs' personal and professional life in the settings of three product launches. The performances are outstanding. This is an interesting film.

The Martian

I have always loved the idea of space travel. The romantic thought of adventure in the galaxy is appealing to me. But when you think of how hostile the environment of space is, the bloom is off the rose. I have never understood why anyone wants to go to the moon or other planets when it is cold, no gravity, no food, no air, in short, you can die there. I have especially thought this of Mars because it takes so long to get there, and for what? While watching The Martian all I could think is, this is why humans should not go there. The story of an astronaut accidentally abandoned on Mars has thrills, science and humor. Well written and well acted with a harrowing ending. Cool film.

The Intern

In the continuing theme of older characters in film I saw The Intern. Nancy Meyers applies her light touch to the interesting prospect of a Senior Intern program at a booming company. Anyone over 50 today has experienced an mazing amount of technical change in our lifetime. Some find it overwhelming, some embrace it. In the end people are still people and all the technology in the world won't change that. Good performances and a satisfying ending made this a good film for me.

Dope

Smart, urban high school kid gets tangled up in a world he does not belong in.  Dope is not the formula film I expected. The fish-out-of-water scenario plays out in unusual ways. The performances are great, the writing is clever and I liked the music too. Solid film. I'd watch this one again.