Category: Uncategorized

Popcorn Perspectives with Danny Minton

Week of September 2, 2019

It Chapter Two
Rated R for disturbing content and bloody images throughout, pervasive language, and some crude sexual material
In Theaters
Based on Stephen King’s iconic novel and following up on 2017’s Chapter One, Chapter Two takes place 27 years later, once again in the town of Derry, Maine, as the evil clown Pennywise returns to once again wreak havoc. The group of friends from Chapter One, who lovingly call themselves the Losers Club, make good on their vow to return to Derry should Pennywise come back. Translating Stephen King stories for the big screen has plagued Hollywood for years, and while it has been done successfully several times, there have been a far greater amount of failures. But after the rousing success of the first part, there seemed to be great promise in this new installment. One of the reasons for the great success in Chapter One was that they made the movie about the friendship of the children, much like we have seen in Stranger Things, or even Stand By Me and Goonies from years ago. This turned out to be a brilliant choice, creating characters we could become deeply invested in. So now, 27 years later, the kids are still very present (this time in important flashback sequences) and the adults manage to bring us that same feeling of camaraderie and nostalgia. Of course it helps here to have some of the biggest actors in Hollywood as the leads, including James McAvoy, Jessica Chastain and Bill Hader, who all bring not only their amazing talent, but also a strong credibility to the project. Of course the film would be nothing without a great scary story, and this one literally kills it. The movie is both thrilling and absolutely horrifying, making you an absolutely nervous wreck as you follow their journey to take down the clown. I’ve had several folks ask me “is it better than the first one?” My answer is that the two chapters need be taken in as a whole. The films need each other in order to succeed, and this is done in beautiful fashion here. A

Ma
Rated R for violent/disturbing material, language throughout, sexual content, and for teen drug and alcohol use
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 54%
Available on Disc and Streaming
Oscar winner Octavia Spencer plays a lonely middle-aged women living in small town America who tries to win over teenage friends by buying them alcohol and allowing them to use her house to “safely” party. But once the kids start to separate from her, she goes a little off the deep end, revealing hidden secrets and a frightening agenda. I really wanted to like this film, but while Spencer is great, the whole thing just doesn’t come together like it should. The overarching plot is a nice touch, but the logistics to get it there could have been delivered so much smoother. By the end, it simply lacks the goods necessary to create the kind of horror/thriller they set out to make. C

Popcorn Perspectives with Danny Minton

Week of August 26, 2019

Rocketman
Rated R for language throughout, some drug use and sexual content
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 89%
Available on Disc and Streaming
Right on the heels of Bohemian Rhapsody which chronicled the life and exploits of Freddie Mercury is this biopic fantasy about the life of the legendary Elton John, one of the most successful rock singers in history. Beginning with his childhood, the movie uses the star’s music in full-out singing-and-dancing-in-the-streets musical format, rather than making it a more organic rock drama. This risk pays off big as John’s life was and is most certainly theatrical, and a Broadway-style display just makes sense. Overall, the film works on so many levels. Foremost is the tremendous talent of the actors, namely Taron Egerton who perfectly personifies the icon. But also Jamie Bell as Bernie Taupin, Richard Madden as the heartless lover and record producer, and Bryce Dallas Howard as John’s insensitive mother all make for an extraordinary ensemble. The production values are also off the charts, providing for a dreamy quality that almost puts you in a trance while absorbing. But the crafty way the songs are placed ultimately brings it all together in an unforgettable form that makes you want to relive it again right after you finish the first viewing. A+

Godzilla: King of Monsters
Rated PG-13 for sequences of monster action violence and destruction, and for some language
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 41%
Available on Disc and Streaming
In the hopes of pulling off what Disney has done with the Avengers, Universal here is attempting to create a huge overarching platform for their giant monsters with this third film in the franchise (I’m including the recent King Kong as it will soon play out in the series). In this newest installment, the world’s biggest monsters are coming out of hiding, and humankind must rely on the powers of Godzilla to save mankind, while Mothra, Rodan, King Ghidorah and many others head to a giant showdown to decide who really will be king. What is impressive is that they could assemble this massive cast including Vera Farming, Ken Watanabe, Sally Hawkins and Kyle Chandler. Unfortunately they each phone in their parts as if they are happy to take the check but would rather not have their name in the credits. And while the special effects are good enough for the film, the story is just a pathetic attempt to build something bigger through a sloppy plot line that the filmmakers hope folks don’t try to overanalyze. Don’t get me wrong – I sometimes like a mindless summer movie, but this one just takes an enormous step too far. D+

The Secret Life of Pets 2
Rated PG for some action and rude humor
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 60%
Available on Disc and Streaming
Furthering the adventures of the dogs, cats and rabbit from the first Secret
Life, this new journey finds Max (now voiced by Patton Oswald after the fall of Louis CK) and Duke (Eric Stonestreet) as their family has added a human child followed by a trip to the countryside, giving them a new dose of anxiety. Meanwhile, Snowball the bunny (Kevin Hart) attempts to free a white tiger from a circus. Honestly, the plot is so thin that the whole project appears to be nothing more than a cash grab, hoping that kids remember enough about the characters to care about what kind of messes they might get in again. While the first film came out only a short time ago, I remembered next to nothing and I’m going to assume this new one will be as forgettable as the first. C-

Popcorn Perspectives with Danny Minton

Week of August 19, 2019

Brightburn
Rated R for horror violence/bloody images, and language
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 57%
Available on Disc and Streaming
This take on the super hero genre essentially asks the question: what if Superman were a monster? The story is set on a rural farm where a farmer and his wife (David Denman and Elizabeth Banks) long for a child and their wish is granted when a spacecraft carrying a baby crashes on their property. But as a pre-teen, the child starts to show evil tendencies and when he becomes aware of his powers, he uses them for horrible acts of violence and revenge against people he perceives have wronged or bullied him. Honestly, the premise itself is very interesting and there could have been a potential hit here, and possibly a franchise. But rather than steer the story in a serviceable direction, they formed here more of a B-movie horror flick, relying on violence and senseless gore rather than tension and suspense. I got bored with it very quickly and couldn’t wait for the 90 minute timer to run out. C-

A Dog’s Journey
Rated PG for thematic content, some peril and rude humor
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 49%
Available on Disc and Streaming
This sequel to the successful-enough “A Dog’s Purpose” finds an older version of Dennis Quaid who tasks his dog to protect his toddler granddaughter when the dog is on his deathbed. So the dog, voiced by Josh Gad each time, through various lives and breeds, follows the young girl around, giving her comfort and providing safety throughout her life. As a film critic, I found the movie to be over-the-top and an extreme mixture of cheese and manipulation. As a dog-lover, I found the film to be a well-made fantasy of what we would all love our dogs to really be like. It truly represents what makes our canine friends so special. And this time around, due to a much stronger narrative and better use of its reincarnation vehicle, the film at least feels fresher and more interesting than the first movie. B-

Popcorn Perspectives with Danny Minton
Week of August 13, 2019

Avengers: Endgame
Rated PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and some language
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%
Available on Disc and Streaming
Picking up where Avengers: Infinity War left off, a few years have passed since half of the world’s population disappeared and now the remaining Avengers, led by Tony Stark, use stupid science to work out the time travel necessary to make things like they once were and find a redo for their battle to save their friends, and the rest of mankind. Endgame turned into quite the juggernaut at the box office, raking in $857 million in the US (now number 2 of all time domestically), and $2.7 billion world-wide, making it the top grossing film of all time. What impresses me most about this franchise is Disney’s commitment to a huge storyline and all kinds of new heroes and interrelated tales. It was an ambitious plan that paid off more than anyone could have dreamed. And while I liked this last chapter of this major storyline, I didn’t love it as much as some of the previous parts. My biggest difficulty with it was how flimsy the plot devices were and how indulgent the battle sequence was at the end, giving each hero their money shot, not thinking if any of it made sense. Ultimately, this made the movie way longer than it should have been, rolling in at just over 3 hours. That being said, the film was surprisingly entertaining, giving us such pleasures as fat Thor and smart Hulk. I found myself laughing way more than I thought I could given the severity of the state of their world. If the box office is any indication, this release will build even further on Disney’s riches, but at least fans get their money’s worth in the process. B+

Shadow
Unrated – but equivalent to an R for violence
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%
Available on Disc and Streaming
In Mandarin with English Subtitles
From legendary Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou comes this martial arts epic about ancient kingdoms at war and the price that must be paid to recapture what is thought to be theirs. Quite honestly – there is a long and convoluted plot, and my synopsis is completely inadequate here, but since I got lost and still enjoyed it, I figured I’d leave it at that. You won’t really be watching this movie for its story, but rather its remarkable vision and spectacular battle sequences, which is what Zhang Yimou is best known for anyway. Once you get through the soap opera-like drama and into the meat of the story, the action will have you on the edge of your seat, waiting to see what crazy stuff will happen next. While Yimou’s films usually include a rich and beautiful score (it doesn’t get much better than the score for Hero by Tan Dun), the lackluster score here is sadly composed by Asian composer Loudboy, which does not do anything to enhance the tapestry of the project. B

Popcorn Perspectives with Danny Minton

Week of August 5, 2019

Pokemon: Detective Pikachu
Rated PG for action/peril, some rude and suggestive humor, and thematic elements
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 68%
Available on Disc and Streaming
We’ve seen a lot Pokemon in television and movies, but until now, quality was never seemed to be even a slight concern and the majority of the audience didn’t care. But this time out Warner Brothers turned to Goosebumps director Rob Letterman and superstar Ryan Reynolds, along with an accomplished production team, to bring a live-action Pokemon that would please the kids and hopefully not annoy the adults too much. The story follows a young kid who wants to investigate his father’s disappearance and fortunately gets help from his father’s Pokemon, Pikachu. There’s a lot that more than likely won’t make a lick of sense to most, included me, but they try to keep the plot to a minimum and honestly, it does’t really matter if you understand it by the end, because you can still manage to squeak out an entertaining experience. I was hoping for a bit more than I got, and I still have no plans of watching the original television shows, but I walked away with a smile and better appreciation of the weird world of Pokemon. B-

Long Shot
Rated R for strong sexual content, language throughout and some drug use
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 81%
Available on DVD and Streaming
From 50/50 director Jonathan Levine comes this hilarious comedy about a passionate journalist who refuses to back down to injustice (Seth Rogan) who somehow finds himself in a relationship with a potential presidential candidate (Charlize Theron) after she hires him as a speech writer. It’s a movie that understands full well that the scenario is highly unlikely, if not impossible, but goes with the narrative anyway, down a sometimes raunchy yet always creative rabbit hole. And while it is very much a political comedy also, it allows for exploration of multiple points of view due to some very smart character writing. Overall, this is a wildly successful comedy that should leave your gut exhausted from laughter by the end. A

Popcorn Perspectives with Danny Minton

Week of July 22, 2019

Alita: Battle Angel
Rated PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and for some language
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 61%
Available on Disc and Streaming
Originally, this sci-fi action pic, based on the graphic novel, was to be directed by James Cameron as his follow-up to Avatar. But as the comic Avatar franchise became more important to him, the reigns were given to Robert Rodriguez, with much of the original production team still on board. The story follows a young robotic girl with innate fighting ability yet no memory of her past, who is rescued by a doctor who tries to keep her away from her potentially dangerous history. I can see why this was a tempting story for James Cameron, especially from a special effects point of view. The visuals here are eye-popping and the world created offers up a chance for a big franchise. There is much to like about the story and the use of some of Hollywood’s best, including Christoph Waltz, Jennifer Connelly and Mahershala Ali, give the film both credibility and a richer palette. The only thing that I could have done without is the use of basically roller derby to drive the story along. To me it adds an element of weirdness that takes the film down a notch. Still, I’m excited to see where the story goes as I’m sure we are going to see more of Alita, and hopefully when we do, the roller derby will have just been merely a short-lived vehicle to get us to the larger narrative. B

Breakthrough
Rated PG for thematic content including peril
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 59%
Available on Disc and Streaming
This faith-based film tells the true story of a teenager who submerged into an icy pond for 15 minutes and due to what can only be seen as a miracle, was able to walk out of the hospital in a relatively short period of time. Lionsgate pulled out the big guns with this one by assembling a great cast, way bigger than what is normally seen for this genre. Chrissy Metz (This is Us), Josh Lucas (Sweet Home Alabama), Topher Grace (BlacKkKlansman), Mike Colter (Luke Cage), and Sam Trammell (True Blood) gather here not to pander to the material, but rather to elevate it. But while the film comes off with just about the right amount of preachiness, it still has an expected cheese factor. There is one unfortunate scene in particular involving an out of place candlelight vigil which almost manages to take the film down, but if you are able to easily forgive a little excess of indulgent filmmaking, then you should be able to find yourself happy and inspired by the end. B-

Shazam!
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action, language, and suggestive material
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%
Available on Disc and Streaming
This unexpected but very welcome hit tells the story of a young orphan who finds himself on the receiving end of a gift of super powers and an adult ripped body which he is to use to save the universe from a maniacal super villain. Even though Shazam will eventually be part of the larger DC universe, this origin story is far more comical than you would expect, while also tugging on the heart strings due to the back ground of the hero. But even with its tongue-in-cheek levity, it is also much darker than most superhero films, with some pretty scary moments that might be a little too much for some of the younger viewers out there. But overall, it turns out to be just a big ball of fun that will have you laughing, crying and cheering for two hours. A-

Dogman
Not Rated, but equivalent to an R
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 82%
Available on Disc and Streaming
Italian with English Subtitles
This highly-praised Italian film from Matteo Garrone (Gomorrah) tells the story of a simple dog groomer who must deal with the day to day ordeal of being bullied by a local mobster who is constantly abusing their “friendship.” Just like the main character, you feel like you are getting a beat down over and over again, praying that justice will somehow prevail by the end. It’s a simple and fantastic little tale which draws empathy and fear, both in an equally heavy way. And while it is at times a disturbing film to watch, it is also quite rewarding and thought provoking. A-

Popcorn Perspectives with Danny Minton

Week of July 8, 2019

Pet Sematary
Rated R for horror violence, bloody images, and some language
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 57%
Available on Disc and Streaming
Based on Stephen King’s frightening 1983 novel, this updated retelling follows a family who moves into a small New England town only to find out that there is a pet cemetery on their property which has the ability to raise animals from the dead. After a horrible tragedy in the family, the cemetery’s powers are put to the test on a young child. While the basic elements of the book are here, this new imagining has the same issues as the 1989 version. The book might just be too complex to be represented in a feature length film. Or maybe the words on the page just don’t work theatrically. Either way, while the book was and is still amazing, the movies based on the book have both been mediocre. Bringing in Jason Clarke as the father and John Lithgow as Jud give the movie strong acting credibility, but the script and direction just can’t deliver the goods here. The basic terrifying moments are captured, but the rich storytelling just doesn’t stand up. C

High Life
Rated R for disturbing sexual and violent content including sexual assault, graphic nudity, and for language
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 83%
Available on Disc and Streaming
Robert Pattinson and Juliette Binoche star in this crazy weird sci-fi drama about a man who finds himself stranded and alone at the edge of the universe with his young daughter after a series of events has killed everyone else on their ship. While the film takes place in deep space, don’t expect eye-popping special effects or extreme action here. This is a slow burner that comes off as more of a psychological drama than the genre advertised. But that’s okay. This unique and creative story comes from a warped perspective, but it keeps you on your toes, especially if you have a love for twisted narratives from odd filmmakers. This certainly falls into the category of “not for everyone” but for the right audience, it is a bizarre adventure worth checking out. B-

The Professor
Rated R for language, sexual content and some drug use
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 10%
Available on Disc and Streaming
This straight to video release stars former superstar Johnny Depp as an Ivy League professor who discovers he has six months to live and decides to take a new direction in his life. Honestly, Depp puts on a good performance here and there are some interesting and funny moments throughout. These kinds of films are excellent at drawing empathy as many people can put themselves into a “what would I do if I knew I was going to die” mode pretty easily. While some of the film is not exactly pleasant, I’m not sure the movie is deserving of its super-low Rotten Tomatoes score. It’s not great but it’s not horrible and I’m not upset that I spent time on it. This certainly does put Depp’s career into a challenging space as the film’s lack of a theatrical run is more likely due to his waning popularity from backlash on his personal life, but I would bet he’ll figure out how to revive himself soon enough. C+

Popcorn Perspectives with Danny Minton

Week of June 24, 2019

Yesterday
Rated PG-13 for suggestive content and language
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 64% at the time of writing
In Theaters
When I found out that one of my favorite directors, Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, Millions, Slumdog Millionaire) and one of my favorite screenwriters, Richard Curtis (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, Love Actually) were making a film about my favorite band, The Beatles, I was more excited than you can imagine. The story follows a young failing singer/songwriter in England (the immensely talented newcomer Himesh Patel) who wakes up from after being hit by a bus to discover that The Beatles never existed. With dozens of the best songs ever written floating around his head, he chooses to introduce the world to the tunes, forced to claim that he wrote them. But when fame and fortune come knocking, he must decide what is most important in life. So did the movie live up to my very high expectation? Absolutely. I was able to very easily look past a bit of cheese, especially at the ending Ed Sheeran concert, to see the beautiful tribute to the music and musicians that have inspired millions of people worldwide, and in the most imaginative way to boot. It’s a lovely film where you will want to have a hand to hold while taking it in. While the film is not perfect, it is a true joy to watch and sure to be a huge crowd-pleaser once audiences start falling in love with it. A-

Dumbo
Rated PG for peril/action, some thematic elements, and brief mild language
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 47%
Available on Disc and Streaming
Disney hasn’t been missing often lately, but one of its biggest losers this year was this live-action version of the 1941 classic, Dumbo, about a baby circus elephant with gigantic ears who is ridiculed until folks learn that he can fly. But rather than the expected visionary reimagining that everyone expected from the legendary director Tim Burton, we instead got a mediocre film with the basic elements of the first, but none of the magic. Part of the problem is the story went from one about an elephant, with talking and singing animals, to one about humans working with an elephant and other animals, none of who can talk or sing. Which brings me to the music – all of the great songs are basically gone. The soundtrack from Danny Elfman has some of the basic elements of those great tunes we all know, but why Burton chose to do it this way eludes me. The final nail in the coffin is the writing and acting. The characters were weak and the actors who are typically great (Danny DeVito, Colin Farrell, Eva Green and Michael Keaton) phoned in their roles while the children, who should have held things together, had zero charisma and seemed very miscast, like they were maybe children of the producers and not future movie stars. Overall, the movie was a huge disappointment that didn’t have to be. C-

Popcorn Perspectives with Danny Minton

Week of June 17, 2019

Toy Story 4
Rated G
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 98% at time of writing
In Theaters
Many have thought of Toy Story as an unforgettable trilogy with the third one serving as its crowning achievement, leaving zero need for any more films. But Pixar saw a fourth adventure for Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz (Tim Allen) and their new human Bonnie, and now a new group of friends. As little Bonnie goes off to her first year in kindergarten, Woody plays protector-in-chief and helps her “make a friend” when she has trouble making friends. Her creation, using trash found in her class bin, is a spork named “Forky,” and seeing her love for her new toy, Woody makes it his mission to keep Forky safe from harm and by Bonnie’s side, even if by force. But the journey is ultimately Woody’s as he must make decisions and sacrifices he has never considered before. While Buzz is definitely left to be a supporting character, and the rest of the gang is only there for a few bits, the new characters Forky (Tony Hale), Duke Kaboom (Keanu Reeves), and Ducky and Bunny (played hysterically by Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele), all prove to be great additions to the Toy Story universe. And then there’s a wonderful turn for Bo Peep (Annie Potts) who takes on a much larger part in this new adventure. The story is every bit as good as you’d expect from the brilliant story artists at Pixar and while I didn’t see anything extraordinarily new from the animation, the attention to detail in the world they created is staggering. So while I’m sure people will be overall pleased, they will also want to see this door finally closed. But I say if they can keep giving us heartwarming adventures that are this well-told, I’ll keep giving them a chance to impress me like they did here. A

US
Rated R for violence/terror, and language
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%
Available on Disc and Streaming
Writer/director Jordan Peele (Get Out) is back with another Hitchcockesque pic that from the outside looks like a straight out horror movie, but in reality is an arthouse intellectual thriller. The story follows Lupita Nyong’o and her family as they visit her childhood home, and namely a place of severe historical trauma for her. Once there, a family that looks exactly like them, begins to torment them. I was actually a little frightened going into this one, as the trailers are simply terrifying. But once I discovered that this was a social and political commentary, my brain quickly energized and I started to have a great time trying to figure out the deeper meaning behind each beat. If you can disengage your brain, you might find this to be just a weird scary movie, but I would highly advise taking the other path. Peele is proving himself to be a brilliant filmmaker with a much deeper thought process and vision than we could have possibly given him credit for from his comedic work. A-

Wonder Park
Rated PG for some mild thematic elements and action
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 34%
On Disc and Streaming
This animated box office flop follows a young girl who, along with her mother, dream up a magnificent amusement park, which her friends and her try to recreate in real life. But when her mom gets sick and goes to the hospital, she lets their creation die until one day she accidentally wanders into the park and must face the degradation the park has been through with her absence. Using her creativity she must try to bring the park back to vibrant life. Now don’t get me wrong – I love creativity. But there’s a point when things just get stupid and this film crossed that line. The characters aren’t well-thought out and the plot is moronic. And then there’s the whole mom dying thing, which could have gone in the direction of Guardians of the Galaxy or A Monster Calls, and instead forgets about the very premise of the mom being sick in the first place, leaving us a giggly girl who never really shows any emotion aside from excitement and so-called creativity. The whole thing turns out to be a lousy kids film hoping to fill a gap left by a vacancy of family films in theaters. D

Hotel Mumbai
Rated R for disturbing violence throughout, bloody images, and language
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 76%
Available on Disc and Streaming
Based on a horrific true story, Hotel Mumbai recounts the 2008 siege of the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai, India, where a group of Pakistani terrorists killed dozens of innocent people while holding the hotel in lock down for several days with little support from the Indian government. The movie looks at the sacrifices made by the hotel personnel and the guests in order to save as many lives as possible. While I had seen a blurb or two about this, I had no idea how horrible the event was, to the point that I spent a large chunk of time after going online just to find out how much really was true. It shocked me how relatively little information about it aired stateside. I was truly terrified watching the events unfold on screen and sickened by the senseless loss. While the characters were largely fictionalized, much of the drama was based on real stories and real people. My main problem was that while I’m sure this was a fairly faithful recreation, there was so much bloody violence that it almost seemed like a snuff film rather than a social and historical thriller. That being said, it’s a powerful piece of filmmaking that will bring you through a range of emotions including a great deal of empathy for the victims and a much larger amount of anger towards the terrorists. B+

Popcorn Perspectives with Danny Minton

Week of June 10, 2019

Men In Black International
Rated PG-13 for sci-fi action, some language and suggestive material
In Theaters
Gone are the days of Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones as the men wearing black suits, putting themselves in harm’s way to save the universe from deadly aliens. This time out respected MIB hero Chris Hemsworth takes on new recruit Tessa Thompson in order to thwart a deadly team of baddies from finding a hidden weapon that could deal devastation to Earth, or any planet it comes in contact with. Hemsworth, channeling his comedic side we saw in 2016’s Ghostbusters, isn’t quite as charismatic as Will Smith, but still manages to charm his way through the clunky action, making us smile along the journey. And while not a superstar, Thompson turns in yet another good performance as she continues to earn her Hollywood stripes by succeeding in bigger and bigger roles. This team certainly ultimately proves that there are multiple stories in the franchise worth telling and only the box office will reveal to us if a fifth one is to happen. The good news is that while I had very little hope of pulling out any enjoyment from this pic going in, I found myself mildly entertained by the end. B-

Captain Marvel
Rated PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and for brief suggestive language
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 78%
Available on Disc and Streaming
Marvel decided to throw in a last minute but pivotal piece to the Avengers saga this year by adding a new super hero to the End Game equation with mere weeks before the final chapter. To set up that piece though, Marvel needed an origin story for the most powerful superhero in their universe, and thus we get Captain Marvel. With a clever retro 80s spin, we find out where Captain Marvel came from and what her place is in the greater universe. Playing the part is Oscar-winner Brie Larson, along with supporting cast mates Samuel L Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn and Jude Law. There’s no doubt that the action and special effects are top notch, all of which steal the show at various times. While Larson is typically amazing, I can’t help but think they she overplays her confidence with a cockiness that does not become her. I also think that she has been made a bit too powerful. Still, I like what they did with the story and the setup for the big dance in End Game and I can’t wait to see what comes next for her. B

Captive State
Rated PG-13 for sci-fi violence and action, some sexual content, brief language and drug material
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 45%
Available on Disc and Streaming
Captive State takes place in a future world where hostile Alien forces have taken over the planet, using the government to control its citizens into submission. But when a small band of rebels attempts to fight back, their strategies are met with violent resolve. I have mixed feelings on this one. While I loved the horrifying world they created, I was completely confused by their character choices. They try to tie it all together in a neat little package at the end, but for the majority of the movie I couldn’t even tell who the main protagonist was or what the overall goal could be. And to make matters worse – I didn’t really care. My wish is that they could have provided a much stronger narrative in the exact same setting. C