Glass - 6.5/10
I don't know what it was. It felt like it was missing something. Or maybe I expected a movie with all three supernatural beings to be more exciting. It kept me entertained, but that's about all I can say. It was well acted by the big 3 of Jackson, Willis, and McAvoy, but that’s one of the few good things about it.
The Upside - 7.5/10
I definitely enjoyed this flick, but I wasn't really ever wowed by it. Everything was pretty much expected from what I saw in the trailer. Bryan Cranston was perfect as billionaire Phillip DeCasse. Kevin Hart was believable as the ex-con father. Kind of hard to believe Phillip would hire an ex-con to take care of him. But Kevin and Bryan had great on-screen chemistry.
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World - 6.0/10
I can't explain it, but I just lost interest in this series as it went along. The first one I really enjoyed, and the second one was okay, but I didn't enjoy quite as much. This one was very meh. The villain was so stereotypical and predictable. I just lost interest at times.
The Lego Movie 2 - 5.5/10
I honestly didn't care for this one. I think the magic of the first one didn't pass on to this one. Also, I got spoiled a bit that Rex was Emmet because I saw Chris Pratt voiced both characters. Oops. Anyway, I didn't really see this film as necessary, although it did have some nice moments and I loved some of the voice casting. Also they kind of copied Toy Story with the LEGO characters acting like sentient beings that could move.
Fighting with My Family - 7/10
It was fun and enjoyable, although a tad predictable. I wish the brother had been able to advance as a wrestler, but seeing as this is based on a true story, they couldn’t make stuff up. I fell in love with Florence Pugh’s portrayal of Saraya. She did an amazing job and looked good while doing it. Lena Headey and Nick Frost weren’t really believable as a married couple, but they somehow sort of made it work.
Dumbo - 7/10
Very cute and heartwarming. Believable? No. But neither is a flying elephant. The part that made me cringe was Michael Keaton's character basically destroying his own park's operations to try to get things under control. It just made no sense. The kid actors did a really good job. Not my favorite Disney live action adaptation, but it certainly could've been worse.
Captain Marvel - 8/10
I'm torn with this one. On one hand, Brie Larson killed at as Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel. On the other hand, I didn't really understand the mythos behind where she came from and how she lost her memories. There were some parts that were too out there for me. But I still enjoyed it as a whole. And having Nick Fury lose his eye the way he did… too funny.
Us - 8.5/10
What Get Out lacked in violence this makes up for it in. However, that doesn't mean it was better than Get Out. The family we follow predictably makes some questionable choices. And the twist was pretty obvious. If Get Out had never happened, I think this would be a bit better received because people wouldn't have Get Out to compare it to. But still it was thrilling, suspenseful, and captivating.
Avengers: Endgame - 10/10
This (slowly) became the biggest box office hit of all time, so I had to rate it high. It was everything I hoped for. The only thing I wished for was that Spider-Man, Star Lord, and all the snapped Avengers appeared sooner. But I totally understand why they didn't. The Avengers saga was finished by all of the original Avengers. My favorite moment by far was after all the Avengers appeared, Steve got Thor's Mjolnir, and he said his famous line: "Avengers... Assemble." That gave me some of the biggest chills I have EVER experienced watching a movie. And Captain Marvel's re-entrance was a close second.
Shazam! - 7.5/10
D.C. finally puts out a light-hearted and funny superhero film. It didn't make me laugh as much I was hoping, probably because most of the funny moments were in the trailers. Zachary Levi was an absolute perfect casting choice for Shazam. There hasn't been a sequel announced yet, but they sure set up for one with the post-credits scene. I hope they have a sequel and include an actual D.C. superhero to join Shazam.
Pet Sematary - 6.5/10
First off I wasn't a huge fan of the changes they made from the book: Most notably being Gage surviving and Ellie dying. I wasn't a huge fan of Jason Clarke as Louis Creed, either. He's not a bad actor, just not someone who I think fits the role. And Lithgow, while a good actor himself, isn't 80+ years old like the book describes Jud Crandall as. Despite all that, the movie was still enjoyable and thrilling. It captured a lot of the same elements and feelings the book had. However, I think the original film adaptation was a bit better at staying true to the book.
Aladdin - 8/10
One of the more enjoyable Disney live action adaptations. Will Smith was surprisingly good and put his own take on the Genie. Mena Massoud was very believable as Aladdin and did his singing parts well. My biggest gripe with Aladdin was Jafar. He sounded and looked almost nothing like the original. He did, however, capture the evilness of Jafar, I'll give him that. Also the climax/ending seemed a bit rushed. It was definitely more suspenseful in the original animated version. I did love how Genie introduced the story and then we find out he had kids with Jasmine's handmaiden. Very cool addition.
Rocketman - 8.5/10
If Taron Egerton doesn't win awards for his portrayal of Sir Elton John, I'll be shocked and flabbergasted (He won a Golden Globe, at least). Aside from Egerton, I still really enjoyed the film. I learned a lot about "Reginald's" upbringing. Richard Madden did a fantastic job. And I like how they had Taron do his own versions of Elton's songs. They were still very catchy and enjoyable. My favorite would probably be "I'm Still Standing", the song done at the end.
John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum - 8/10
I'll start out by saying John kicked ass with Halle Berry's character Sofia. That scene with the two of them and her dogs was easily the highlight. It's unfortunate she wasn't in the film at the end. Of course the scene that was hard to watch was John having to cut off his own finger... ouch. He is one tough motherf***er. My favorite kill of John's would have to be the giant guy towards the beginning who he killed with just a book. Either that or the horse kicking the one guy. What'll he kill someone with next? And then the ending... how the hell did John survive being shot and falling that far? But it makes me excited for Chapter 4 for sure.
Godzilla: King of the Monsters - 6/10
These Godzilla films just aren't doing it for me. I found my believability in the film waning a lot. I was entertained for most of the film, but I was never really wowed. Millie Bobby Brown was great, but her character wasn't that well written. I also didn't like how her dad played by Kyle Chandler basically become the decision maker when it came to Godzilla, yet he had no official rank or position.
Detective Pikachu - 7.5/10
Never did I think we'd ever see a live action Pokemon movie. First off I thought Justice Smith did a great job in the lead role. But my favorite was of course Ryan Reynolds as Pikachu. He was hilarious as usual. And I saw him being Tim's (Justice Smith) father from a mile away. Bill Nighy was predictably cast as the villain. I would definitely watch this again on a rainy day.
Toy Story 4 - 8.5/10
The toys get separated and have to work and scheme to make their way back to each other. Sound familiar? This time it's Woody going after Bonnie's new favorite toy "Forky". I mean you could make a hundred Toy Story films with the same general plot. But I liked the additions of the new toys. And they did such a great job of turning Gabby Gabby from a villain to a toy to root for. I actually got tears in my eyes when she was accepted by that little girl and her family. The main gripe I have is that Woody was separated from all the other toys. Maybe they're setting up for Toy Story 5. We'll see.
Yesterday - 7.5/10
So Earth experiences a worldwide flash/loss of power and a British-born Indian fellow named Jack Malik is one of a few people who remembers the Beatles. It's an interesting premise, but never really explained. I did really like Himesh Patel's performance; both his singing and acting were great. It was also funnier than I thought it would be with Joel Fry's character of Rocky providing most of the comic relief. Lily James was as lovely as ever. When Jack went to visit one of the Beatles, I so wish Paul McCartney was going to make a cameo appearance. Instead, they cast an actor to play John Lennon. Oh well. Still a very enjoyable film, despite its lack of believability.
The Lion King - 8.5/10
Say what you want, I loved it. It was well cast, my favorite being Billy Eichner as Timon. I just didn't really like Chiwetel Ejiofor as Scar. Apparently Jeremy Irons was willing to reprise his role of Scar (just like James Earl Jones reprised his role as Mufasa), so why not let him? Anyway, the film didn't deviate too much from the animated original which I liked. I liked the new hyenas, and they stayed true to actual hyenas by having female be the leader and the biggest which is true in real life. The thing that made this film was the chemistry between Eichner, Seth Rogen, and Donald Glover. They really did seem like old friends.
Spider-Man: Far From Home - 9/10
Best standalone superhero movie I've seen in years. Jake Gyllenhaal's character being the bad guy was pretty obvious, but the film was entertaining from start to finish. Tom Holland again absolutely KILLED it as Peter Parker/Spider-Man and even Zendaya did a great job as MJ. I loved the illusions Mysterio made Spider-Man see and how Spider-Man had to fight against it to finally beat him. And then the post-credits scene... biggest jaw dropper of a post credits scene I’ve ever scene.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood - 8.5/10
Boy I sure could tell this was a Tarantino flick. DiCaprio was awesome, but Brad Pitt may have been even better. Could Pitt get a supporting actor nomination? I could definitely see it (He did). This film was quite drawn out and long, as are many Tarantino films, but sometimes I wondered why certain scenes and dialogue was in there. But at the end it sure had a great climax and surprisingly for a Tarantino film, had a happy ending. At first I didn’t like how he basically “rewrote history”, but after contemplating on it for a bit, I’m glad he did.
Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw - 8/10
I can see why they made this F&F spinoff film. Johnson and Statham have great chemistry. Throw in Kirby and that threesome really gelled well together. Idris Elba was awesome as the villain and seemed unbeatable. It was also surprisingly funny. I didn't like how they had to force the romance between Hobbs and Hattie (Kirby). Didn't seem natural. Another thing that bugged me was how it was portrayed Deckard Shaw was only a few years older than his sister Hattie, when in reality Statham is over TWENTY years older than Vanessa Kirby. I guess Statham just ages really well, but I wish they had been portrayed as further apart in age. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed this film and I loved how they showed Hobbs' Samoan roots.
Angel Has Fallen - 7/10
Hard to say which film in the "Has Fallen" series is best, but Angel Has Fallen may be it. It was enjoyable throughout, and Nick Nolte as Mike's father was a nice addition. I didn't like how they recast Mike's wife, Leah. Also this marks the second straight in the series a black female authority figure dies. I liked Morgan Freeman as the president, and Tim Blake Nelson as the deceitful and villainous VP. Lastly, the premise of this movie is timid at best. Why wouldn't the FBI at least give Mike a chance that he was set up? Hasn't he proven his integrity and worth time and time again? Other than that, solid film.
It : Chapter Two - 7.5/10
This film was a mixed bag. There were parts I liked and parts I didn't. I don't think it was as good as its predecessor. I really liked the scene at the Chinese restaurant and how they imagined everything transforming and trying to hurt them. I didn't like the end and how they tried to get back to Pennywise. I lost interest. The ending in how they defeated Pennywise was a bit underwhelming. I will say they cast very well for the most part, and the actors did a pretty decent job.
Joker - 9.5/10
Holy shit. Excuse my language, but this movie stunned me. I should've seen some things coming, but I didn't. I tried not to predict what would happen or think too much during the film, and I'm glad I did. If there ever were a film based on a comic book that showed how some fairly normal person can turn into a murdering lunatic, this is it. Joaquin Phoenix was absolutely tremendous, and it certainly was the best acting I've ever seen from him. He should at least be nominated for an Oscar. Will they make a sequel? They might just have to.
The Addams Family - 6.5/10
Honestly, it wasn't bad. But there were too many moments that were eye roll-inducing. The pink house being the worst. I don't know why this had to be made, and I don't know how they already have a sequel in the works. I liked the voice casting choices and they all did a great job. Writing? Meh at best.
Doctor Sleep - 7.5/10
This film was so close to being a lot better. Ewan McGregor was a decent choice for Danny, but the original Danny had brown eyes and they had to change that... Anyway, the villains weren't too compelling and Rebecca Ferguson's "Rosie" character--what was her power again? But it kept me entertained which isn't easy to do for a 2 and a half hour movie.
Knives Out - 9/10
A great murder mystery film. The set-up was great, and I was able to keep track of (most of) the characters and their ties to the family. I thought Ana De Armas was perfect as the caretaker that we could root for. Chris Evans proved he can go from a hero to basically being the villain. I think this is a film that requires a rewatch just so you can see everyone’s motives again and better understand the choices they make. Daniel Craig’s southern accent wasn’t bad, but I’m so used to hearing his British one that it was a bit of a distraction.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker - 7.0/10
I hate rating a Star Wars movie less than 8/10, but “The Rise of Skywalker” doesn’t deserve it. There are too many things that, upon reflection, bother me about the film and the way the “Skywalker Saga” concluded. Rey being Palpatine’s granddaughter is probably worse than being a nobody. I liked the idea that a girl (or anyone) doesn’t have to have special parents (or ancestors) to be a special person themselves. The Chewbacca red herring was unnecessary. What did BB-8 do, again? Oh yeah, he helped with Rey’s training… at the beginning. And I do not like how you can now transport matter using the Force, although that was technically introduced in The Last Jedi. And I don’t like how you can Force heal anyone. Makes me wonder why it wasn’t a necessary part of Jedi training and why Obi-Wan didn’t use it to save Qui-Gon, or why Anakin didn’t use it to save his mother. Sometimes introducing plot devices in a series creates plot holes for the other films. JJ started out the sequel trilogy pretty great with The Force Awakens, but he finished it rather lamely with this one.
Well, that was all the films I saw in 2019! I don’t think I’ll see quite as many in 2020. One, because I don’t think there’s as many films coming out that I want to see, and two, because I’m going to try to save a bit more money, and constantly going to the theaters to see films adds up. But if it’s a special film that I will enjoy, then it’s worth it. But I will definitely be more selective here in 2020. Check my other post here to see what films I’m looking forward to in 2020.
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