A Who Dunnit For the Ages... "Knives Out"

Knives Out (2019)

Rated PG-13

Starring Daniel Craig, Ana de Armas, Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis, Don Johnson, Michael Shannon, Toni Collette, Christopher Plummer

Written and Directed by Rian Johnson

On the night of his 85th birthday, Harley Thrombey (Plummer) gathers his family at his home to celebrate. However before the night is over, Harley is dead and everyone in his family is a suspect!


You can start with the old standbys when discussing Hollywood:

They're out of new ideas.
They don't make them like they used to.

Then Rian Johnson effectively says, "hold my beer" and dusts off the all-star murder mystery of days gone by and sends you on a twisty turvy ride that grabs your attention and doesn't let go.

Will you solve the whodunnit before the reveal?

Quite likely.

Will you still remain engaged throughout?

Absolutely.

I would almost dare to defy a movie lover to not enjoy this film.

I've bemoaned bloated running times and how many movies could/would have been much better if they had left 30 minutes (or more!) on the cutting room floor.

This film is precisely the opposite.

So well paced, it never feels like it stretches over the 2 hour mark, and I don't think I would have been bothered if there had been more scenes left in or extended.

It's a testament to Johnson's script and the assembled cast that they flesh out every character from the leads to the bit players and give everyone on a screen a fully realized three dimensional person.

The movie never cheats the audience or itself in the slow reveal of the entire story, and that in itself is worthy of praise.

A sequel is reportedly in the works, most likely centering on Benoit Blanc (Craig). If it's half as good as this first adventure, it will be a rollicking good time.

How Many Secret Government Agencies Do We Have? "Mile 22"

Mile 22 (2018)

Rated R

Starring Mark Wahlberg, Lauren Cohan, Iko Uwais, John Malkovich, Ronda Rousey,

Directed by Peter Berg

The Story:

James (Wahlberg) leads his covert team to retrieve a potential asset (Uwais) who may have some damaging intelligence at his disposal while seemingly the entire foreign intelligence world converges to kill them all.

You'll rarely get bored when Peter Berg is helming an action flick.

They tend to play quickly, with lots of action and lots of dialogue.

While this helps to hide any plot holes you might otherwise find, it always makes for a fine time at the movies.

The movie starts off with a lively action scene and unfurls quickly after that point.

You can probably surmise how it's going to end long before the credits roll, but it's still a trip worth taking.

Most of the cast is given very little in the way of character development, but the movie also doesn't bother with much downtime to allow for it, so it's unlikely you'll get too connected with the cast as they meet their cinematic fates as the mission unfolds.

:)

Berg and Wahlberg are becoming quite the Director/Actor tandem with enjoyable action flicks that deliver a good viewing and a great box office. I'd be surprised if we don't see them teaming up again in the very near future.

He's No Ant-Man! "Downsizing"

Downsizing (2017)

Rated R

Starring Matt Damon, Christoph Waltz, Hong Chau, Kristen Wiig, Jason Sudeikis,

Directed by Alexander Payne

The Story:

Paul (Damon) is an occupational therapist who decides that they could have a better life if he and his wife (Wiig) were to undergo the new shrinking process that makes them roughly 5 inches tall so that humanity can lessen their detrimental impact on the earth. However, once you undergo the process, there is no going back...

Speaking of going back, if I could, I would go back and skip watching this.

Overlong... overly tedious... it was an interesting concept for a trailer, but loses its way in a long rambling 2+ hour narrative that literally does a whole lot of nothing.

A horribly wasted in casting Jason Sudeikis is in the movie for about 3 minutes and offers nothing more than a familiar face onscreen. Wiig as well is barely in the film, so any thoughts you had about this being an amusing dramedy, those dreams are shattered and gone early in the film.

Hong Chau is the feisty fireball that gives Paul a new purpose in his life to help the poor and sick with what medical training he has.

Waltz thankfully injects some much needed energy in the proceedings when he is around, but it's often a case of too little, too late.

So far for 2019, it looks like Damon is going to pull off a rare double-entry onto the Worst Films of the Year listing on Thanksgiving.

I'm sure he's too busy swimming in his mountains of cash to care.

:)

Real Monsters Exist... "Gosnell: The Trial of America's Biggest Serial Killer"

Gosnell: The Trial of America's Biggest Serial Killer (2018)

PG-13

Starring Sarah Jane Morris, Dean Cain, Nick Searcy, Michael Beach, Cyrina Fiallo, Earl Billings,

Directed by Nick Searcy

The Story:

While running a narcotics investigation, Philadelphia police discover horrific, unsanitary conditions in a local women's clinic. As the investigation continues, they learn that at least one woman died from using the clinic and that the doctor may have been terminating pregnancies of infants well past the 24 week statute imposed by the State of Pennsylvania.

The production is well done for a film that was funded by people who wanted this story told. It's not a Hollywood blockbuster, but looks and feels like a well done made for cable film, complete with perfect fade-outs for commercials to be inserted. Nick Searcy does a fine job behind the camera as director, and is great in front of the camera as the Defense Attorney who has to attempt to refute all of the allegations against his client.

Something important to remember that the movie emphasizes as Gosnell (Billings) goes to trial:

This isn't about abortion.

This was about the murder of a female patient, and the murders of multiple babies that were likely delivered alive, then murdered by the doctor.

After all, abortion is legal in the country, and having a woman's right to choose is a hot-button issue, so it was a tough sell to take this case to trial...

Or to have a movie made about the trial.

Through crowdsourcing though, it was made and what is delivered is pretty much a note for note replay of the trial of Kermit Gosnell, a doctor who never felt he did anything wrong.

Will people change their mind on the issue of abortion if they watch this film?

Unlikely.

Pro-life advocates will point to this film and say, "this is why I am against abortion."

Pro-choice people won't see this film, period.  Why would they? 

They really should though.

If not to possibly change their stance (the prosecuting attorney was pro-choice as well, but still took the case...) then at least to demand that their state and local health departments never allow clinics like this one to exist.

When violations and concerns were voiced to the State... they turned a blind eye and never investigated one claim against Gosnell or ever even inspected his clinic.

As they point out in the trial, even nail salons receive a mandatory once a year inspection!

You would think pro-choice advocates would at least want the clinics that they are sending sisters, mothers, and daughters to, to at least adhere to some sanitary conditions and not be crawling with cats and have bags of medical waste literally scattered into every nook and cranny of the building.

However, when New York passes a law that says you can terminate a pregnancy at any time, who knows? Maybe Gosnell was simply ahead of his time.

:(

Road Trippin' ... "The Last Laugh"

The Last Laugh (2019) 

TV-MA

Starring Chevy Chase, Richard Dreyfuss, Andie MacDowell

Written and Directed by Greg Pritikin

The Story:

Moving to a retirement community, talent manager Al Hart (Chase) laments having to give up his career. As fate would have it, his very first client, comedian Buddy Green (Dreyfuss) is at the community, and the two rekindle their friendship. 50 years earlier, Buddy turned down his shot on the Ed Sullivan Show. Al's got a great idea: put Buddy back in the game as they take a road trip across America to get on The Tonight Show!

It's a buddy comedy/road trip for the geriatric set!

Dreyfuss and Chase are both in fine form in the film.

Chevy, in particular, looks to be in the best shape he's been in recent years. He actually gets to play the straight man, as such, in the duo. So much of the mugging for the camera he's been asked to do over his career is not there in this film.

Dreyfuss instead gets to play the funny man, but as his comic notes, he doesn't have an act so much as he has a lifetime of jokes.

With Netflix releasing movies seemingly every day, there's going to be a lot that slip under the radar as they can only promote so many films on their home page when you log on.

This is a good thing.

Direct competition to the networks, broadcast and cable, and to Hollywood with their big budget attempts, it's going to make everyone up their game.

That makes the audience the true winners here.

Do Not RSVP... "Destination Wedding"

Destination Wedding (2018)

Rated R

Starring Keanu Reeves, Winona Ryder

Written and Directed by Victor Levin

The Story:

Frank (Reeves) and Lindsay (Ryder) are two bitter, cynical people. They pretty much instantly dislike one another, and they are forced to endure a weekend together as guests at a wedding that neither wants to be at.

If you can endure the full 90 minutes of it, then you are a better person than I am.

Or you like your Romantic Comedies to be neither romantic nor comedic.

Okay, I take a little bit of that back.  Some of the lines are indeed funny, in the most biting, cynical way possible.

The problem (hard to choose just one) that I had with this movie, is that Reeves and Ryder made their characters so unlikable, I didn't want to stay with them through the entire weekend to see if they fall in love or just have anger sex midway through the film.

I can't even tell if I made it past the 20 minute mark, it felt like 2 hours of hearing these two whine, bitch, moan and complain about each other and every little thing.

The running time is only 90 minutes!

I ejected it sometime between 20 minutes and 50 minutes, I just couldn't take anymore of them.

Perhaps if there had been any redeeming qualities to either lead character?

Instead, there was... dialogue...

And not just any dialogue.

These were conversations between two characters that sounded nothing like real people talking.

Instead, it sounded like two people reading rehearsed pretentious lines and working them into a conversation that no two people would ever actually have in real life.

Too bad, but I'll place the blame for that solely at the feet of writer/diretor Levin.

I'd give it 0 stars, but I'm afraid someone might mistake this critique as a 5 star effort, and I don't want that mix-up! :)

Time To Get Schooled... "Night School"

Night School (2018)

Rated PG-13

Starring Kevin Hart, Tiffany Haddish, Rob Riggle, Romany Malco, Taran Killam

Directed by Malcom D. Lee

The Story:

High school dropout Teddy (Hart) has a job, a girlfriend and a bright future, until it all goes up in flames one night. In order to secure a brighter future, he's got to go back to school to receive his GED. But with a no-nonsense teacher like Ms. Carrie (Haddish) he may be in way over his head.

Malcolm D. Lee's greatest film, hands down, remains Undercover Brother.

In 2017, he helmed Girls Trip, which unleashed Tiffany Haddish on unsuspecting viewers and made her an instant star.

With a more family friendly tone in Night School, the director and stars are able to cobble together a very fun story that allows Hart and Haddish to bounce off one another, plus they are given an outstanding ensemble of comedic supporting cast mates to help flesh out the story.

Case in point: Add a mid-term exam heist by all of the students to stretch the film, further establish the supporting cast and add to the charm of the overall film.

They also avoid the overused teacher/student love interest in a big, foot-stomping kind of way.

We'll see if/how they try and turn this into a franchise down the road, but for now, the initial foray into Night School was well worth the trip.

You'll Want To Lose This "Holiday Baggage"

Holiday Baggage (2008)

Rated PG

Starring Barry Bostwick, Cheryl Ladd, Julia Sobaski, Leah Wagner

Directed by Stephen Polk

The Story:

Pete (Bostwick) is ready to retire, settle down, and get married to the girl (literally, half his age at least...) of his dreams. Only problem, he's still married to Sarah (Ladd). When he presents the divorce papers to her, he has a stress related panic attack and ends up needing to spend the holidays with his estranged wife and daughters, none of whom want him there. Will he get what he's hoping for, or will he find that he's had what he really needed all along?

Who cares?

This movie sucked.

Now streaming on Netflix, I made it exactly 20 minutes in before I couldn't take it any longer.

Not funny enough for a comedy, not dramatic enough for a drama... terrible acting from the daughters...

I didn't care if they reconciled or not, I simply wanted them out of my life this holiday season.

Grade: F

The Wedding Bells Ring..."A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding"

A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding (2018)

TV-PG

Starring Rose McIver, Ben Lamb, Alice Krige, Honor Kneafsey, Sarah Douglas, Theo Devaney, John Guerrasio,

Directed by John Schultz

The Story:

It's been a year since the events of A Christmas Prince. Amber (McIver) has been blogging away but now it's time to jet back to Aldovia for her Christmas Day wedding to King Richard (Lamb). However, the protocol of the proceedings and the palace's insistence on how the wedding, and Queen-to-be-Amber's life are to be run may end up killing the marriage long before the big day. However if that doesn't sound dramatic enough, there is also a financial crisis plaguing the kingdom and casting doubt on the King's effectiveness already!

I was pleasantly surprised to see a sequel to last year's Christmas hit, but apparently enough Netflix viewers watched to warrant a sequel.

Like most sequels, they don't quite live up to the bar established by the predecessor, and that too is the case here.

The falling in love angle is already done, the charming cast established, so now what?

Putting Amber's lifestyle in direct conflict with her expected behavior as a royal works, and then they give the financial crisis to affect the King and distract him from his bride to be and also provide an always timely look at the struggles of the people in the labor force.

The entire cast comes back except for Amber's dad (Guerrasio) who was recast and has a much larger role this time around. Even the treacherous Simon (Devaney) returns, but is it to be redeemed or to scheme while Aldovia is in turmoil?

All these questions and more will be answered, and now I sit back and wonder if A Christmas Prince: The Royal Baby will be next year's sequel?


Final Grade: B-

Someday "A Christmas Prince" Will Come

A Christmas Prince (2017)

TV-PG

Starring Rose McIver, Ben Lamb, Alice Krige, Honor Kneafsey, Sarah Douglas, Theo Devaney, Daniel Fathers

Directed by Alex Zamm

The Story:

Amber (McIver) is a reporter that is stuck basically reworking every other reporter's stories so they work better. She lands the assignment to go to Aldovia to cover Crown Prince Richard's (Lamb) coronation or abdication of the throne. Using a case of mistaken identity, Amber infiltrates the castle staff to try and uncover the real story and get to the truth. However, her work may just undo everything in the process!

I'm not sure if this was Netflix's first original Christmas movie or not, but it was probably their most buzz-worthy title of last year.

I partially watched it last year, but was tapping around on my computer and not paying attention.

So this year, I did my due diligence and watched it from start to finish, no electronic devices anywhere around to distract me.

The results?

As I've said on other reviews this year and in reviews of Christmas Past, there is a very specific formula for these Hallmark/Lifetime/FreeForm Christmas movies. You get the right cast, a decent script and you'll nail it and create an instantly rewatchable comfort film that earns a replay every December going forward.

Netflix pretty much nailed it.

I didn't find it the "so bad it's good" category that earned a lot of the buzz last year. I enjoyed it for not taking itself too seriously and giving us the obvious checklist of what to expect.

A good cast, carried mostly by McIver (I almost didn't recognize her at first due to actually having color on her skin instead of her usual iZombie pale look!) that connects and shares a nice chemistry throughout.

All of the characters have a personality instead of just a cookie cutter background extra, and that is always appreciated.

You'll know how the movie ends long before it ever gets there, but again, that's comforting and enjoyable, especially this time of year.

I'm happy, and I'll be back to visit Aldovia again next holiday season.


Final Grade: B

Countdown to Christmas 2018: The Princess Switch

The Princess Switch (2018)

TV-PG

Starring Vanessa Hudgens, Sam Palladio, Nick Sagar, Alexa Adeosun

Directed by Mike Rohl

The Story:

Stacy (Hudgens) is entered and accepted into an annual Christmas baking competition in the European country of Belgravia. When she arrives, she bumps into Lady Margaret (Hudgens) and the two realize they must be related because the resemblance is striking. Lady Margaret so wants to live just a normal life so she concocts a scheme to swap places with Stacy for just 2 days, after all, what could possibly go wrong?

Netflix offered up their next holiday original the week before Thanksgiving.

Taking the successful Lifetime/Hallmark/Freeform/Disney formula and basically Parent Trapping Christmas, Hudgens steps into this Princess and the Pauper update and gets to play the spunky baker who years for something more and the shy princess who simply wants all the attention to go away.

Naturally with the 2 obvious love interests, a prince (Palladio) and a best friend zoner (Sagar) you can see exactly how the movie ends roughly 5 minutes after it starts.

But they wouldn't call these formula movies if the formula didn't work, right?

This one hits all the right notes and should be one that winds up in your annual Christmas movie viewings for years to come.

So far Netflix has been 2 for 2 this year, but their most ambitious Christmas offering is still to come!


Final Grade: 
B

Countdown To Christmas 2018: The Holiday Calendar

The Holiday Calendar (2018)

TV-PG

Starring Kat Graham, Quincy Brown, Ethan Peck, Ron Cephas Jones

Directed by Bradley Walsh

The Story:

Abby (Graham) is a struggling photographer who wants nothing more than to open her own studio. With the holidays fast approaching and her life in a bit of a spiral, Gramps (Jones) gives her Grandma's antique advent calendar. However, as each day reveals a new gift, that gift seems to come true in real life and it sends Abby down a path that could forever alter her future.

As someone who no longer has cable, I don't get the joy of watching FreeForm (Formerly ABC Family's 25 Days of Christmas) where they saturated their airwaves with original and classic Christmas movies.

Nor do I have the luxury of Lifetime or Hallmark for a Christmas movie fix.

When I wrote up a list of Christmas movies that I do have access to, including what I own and what streaming services I have (Netflix & Amazon) I have over 130 choices...

So 25 Days of Christmas doesn't cut it at our house, and we start November 1st!!!

But as I said, I do have Netflix, and they carry a few of these offerings from Christmases past, they have started creating their own Christmas movies as well.

This year, they've introduced 3 (so far...) that I'm aware of, and The Holiday Calendar was the first of those 3.

Now the thing with Christmas movies you have to remember, is they often follow a very obvious pattern, but those of us that like Christmas movies usually don't care about that, it's a warm and comfortable feeling that makes you feel cozy while you watch it.

Or it's dreadful. :)

Thankfully, this wasn't dreadful. It was a lot of fun, and while you know how the film is going to end, you enjoy the trip that you're taking to get there.

So far so good, and this one will enter the ranks of the movies we will watch again each Christmas time.

Hoping Netflix continues this trend of yuletide offerings each year!

Final Grade: B

It's All About Family... "Coco"

Coco (2017)

Rated PG

Starring Anthony Gonzalez, Gael Garcia Bernal, Benjamin Bratt, Alanna Ubach

Directed by Lee Unkrich & Adrian Molina

The Story:

Miguel (Gonzalez) was born with music in his heart, but unfortunately it is a passion not shared, in fact it's forbidden, by his family, and has been for generations. When he finds himself spirited away to the Land of the Dead during the Day of the Dead festival. Hoping to meet his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz (Bratt). If he can return to the land of the living with an ancestral blessing, perhaps he can finally play his music?

Okay, before we get to yet another gushing of adulation for this film, let's all pause for a moment and reflect on 20th Century Fox's The Book of Life which hit theaters in 2014 and took us to the Land of the Dead already.

It's a great, visually stunning movie that was overlooked, likely because it doesn't have the same Disney/Pixar connection with audiences.

It had a great voice cast, gorgeous animation and a love story at the heart of their adventure.

You can argue which of these is better, and you're not wrong. Same yet different, both worthy of your time and attention.

Coco offers much the same, but their story goes down the family avenue instead.

The secondary, and perhaps more important story in the film is that of Hector (Bernal) who is trying desperately to cross back over one more time so that he will not be forgotten. He's hoping to use Miguel to get back and ensure his picture could be placed on the family mantle so that he will be remembered by future generations.

In other words:

bring tissues

This is Pixar firing on all cylinders again, and it's good to have them back at their A-game.

And for that, I reward them.

Final Grade:  A

May The Fourth Be With You..."Star Wars: The Last Jedi"

Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)

Rated PG-13

Starring Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill,

Directed by Rian Johnson

The Story:

The one in which we continue to kill off characters to drive the story forward with a new generation of the cast.

Picking up shortly after the The Force Awakens, Rey (Ridley) tries to learn from Master Luke (Hamill) while the rest of the rebellion is trying to survive and outrun the Empire.

It seems like this one took a lot of flack from the fans compared to the previous installment.

I'm not really sure what the beef was.

While not as good as the last one, this one advanced the storylines, although it may have done so in rather expedient fashion.

It seems like a franchise that wants to hurry up and jettison the baggage of the old cast and move on to the new stories, and that's completely fine.

But it's an awful lot like treading water in some ways while also marathon sprinting in the others.

Some storylines that seem mysterious are quickly dissolved with some dialogue or a quick scene.

Others stretch over the entire movie before there is any sort of conclusion.

But everyone will be back in a year or so to see what happens next.

That's Star Wars for you.

Final Grade:  B-

The Weather Outside Is Frightful..."Geostorm"

Geostorm (2017)

Rated PG-13

Starring Gerard Butler, Max Sturgess, Eugenio Derbez, Andy Garcia, Ed Harris, Abbie Cornish,

Directed by Dean Devlin

The Story:

To battle climate change, the governments of the world create the Dutch Boy program. This series of satellites counteracts severe weather and keeps the Earth peaceful and stable. Until now. Suddenly the satellites are apparently causing severe weather and attacking major cities across the globe. It's up to the original project manager, Jake Lawson (Butler) to head into space and find out what's going wrong.

Oh Dean Devlin, how we've missed you!

These epic disaster movies with just enough tongue in cheek are always a blast to check your brain at the door, grab the popcorn and have a rollicking good time.

Here, Butler takes center stage and battles to find out if his programming has gone haywire or if there is a traitor in space trying to sabotage his best work.

There is political intrigue and corruption.

There is space sabotage and a series of red herrings to throw you off of who is behind the madness.

But at the end of the day, this movie isn't nearly as bad as it was made out to be.

It was fun, completely watchable, and yes, I'd even watch it again or heaven forbid even buy it if the price was right.

:)

Your mileage may vary.

Final Grade:  C+

Country Bumpkins..."Logan Lucky"

Logan Lucky (2017)

Rated PG-13

Starring Channing Tatum, Adam Driver, Daniel Craig,

Directed by Steven Soderbergh

The Story:

Jimmy and Clyde Logan (Tatum & Driver) have decided that if they want to succeed in life, they have to stop getting walked on. So they set out to rob Charlotte Motor Speedway, but they need the help of safecracker Joe Bang (Craig). The only catch? He's currently behind bards...

And there you have the setup for an elaborate heist film that is filled with ups and downs, which actually seems to be the curse of the Logan family.

The heist itself is improbable and yet elaborately simple and complex, both at the same time.

The movie ends on a puzzling note, but for this film, that seems spot on.

Daniel Craig seems to be having the most fun of the cast, playing completely against type in this one. Of course when your type seems to be James Bond, it's fairly easy to play anything other than that.

But the role is very comedic in nature, and he seems to be relishing the whole non-leading man part and having a lot of fun while doing it.

If you've got Amazon Prime, this movie is currently available to stream.

Final Grade: C+/B- range

Strange But True..."American Made"

American Made (2017)

Rated R

Starring Tom Cruise, Domhnall Gleeson, Sarah Wright,

Directed by Doug Liman

The Story:

In 1978, Barry Seal (Cruise) was a burned out TWA pilot who was recruited by the CIA to fly reconnaissance missions for them. In the years that follow that would turn to drug and arms smuggling for both sides. However when you work for the cartels and they suspect you're double-crossing them, your story will not have a happy ending.

Naturally, based on a true story goes without saying here.

Liman and Cruise are together again in the exploits of Barry Seal.

The story jumps around with what happens next, inter-spliced with video narratives by Seal taping confessionals of his unbelievable story to a camcorder.

And it was a wild ride that Barry lived.

Dramatic license or not with the actual events, this is a guy who flew spy missions for the CIA and smuggled drugs for Pablo Escobar.

Throw in arms dealing in a little thing called the Iran Contra Affair and the story is just over the top crazy.

But it's true.

It's also a pretty good film.

And that's never a bad thing.

Final Grade:  B-

A Tale Of "Wonder"

Wonder (2017)

Rated PG

Starring Jacob Tremblay, Izabela Vidovic, Owen Wilson, Julia Roberts, Mandy Patinkin

Directed by Stephen Chbosky

The Story:

Auggie (Tremblay) is a little kid who is about to embark upon his greatest adventure: he's going to public school for the first time in his life. The facial deformities that he was born with have been fairly well fixed and hidden over the first part of his life thanks to his parents who were there for him and homeschooled him. But now it's time for Auggie to branch out and see if the real world will accept him or reject him.

So if you saw the trailers, you hopefully got the misty eye or the lump in your throat as it hit all the cliche notes that a movie like this is going for.

The movie will not disappoint you.

Cliche after cliche, note after note, this film ticks off every block that you're expecting to see in a coming of age dramedy about a little boy who fits in nowhere but at home, and yet has a profound impact on everyone around him.

The greatest strength of this movie is they realized that telling Auggie's story might get a bit redundant after 90 minutes of over and over, cliche after cliche of what Auggie is dealing with.

So in the wisest move ever, the movie shifts off of Auggie and instead tells side stories that run parallel (and have flashbacks) to life with Auggie in in. Friends. Family. Those that have known him forever and those that are just getting to know him.

Again, you know the road they are going down from the moment the movie starts, but it's still an enjoyable road nonetheless.

Final Grade:  B+

It's A Rough Job..."The Hitman's Bodyguard"

The Hitman's Bodyguard (2017)

Rated R

Starring Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson, Salma Hayek, Elodie Yung, Gary Oldman,

Directed by Patrick Hughes

The Story:

Michael Bryce (Reynolds) used to be the best Triple A rated bodyguard in the business. After a disaster he couldn't have seen coming, he's now striving to keep himself employed and working to get back to the top. Hired to escort international assassin Darius Kincaid (Jackson) to testify in court to put a war criminal (Oldman) behind bars, the two have to survive countless assassination attempts and each other if they hope to make it out of the situation alive.

If you saw the trailer and thought it looked like a silly, fun action flick, well you were right.

Ryan Reynolds is back to doing his usual routine of playing himself/Van Wilder/Wade Wilson.

It's worked for his entire career in most movies, so why stop now?

Paired with Samuel L. Jackson, the two get to enjoy the camaraderie that comes in the usual buddy comedy/mismatched dynamic duo genre and all the trappings and cliches that entails.

I happen to looooove that genre, so I'm a fan.

Fun film that with a few tweaks along the way could have been even better than it was.

Your mileage of course can vary.

Final Grade: B-

The Right Man For The Job..."Darkest Hour"

Darkest Hour (2017)

Rated PG-13

Starring Gary Oldman, Kristin Scott Thomas, Ben Mendelsohn, Lily James, Ronald Pickup, Stephen Dillane,

Directed by Joe Wright

The Story:

As the Nazis roll through Europe, Great Britain is facing an internal crisis of their own as Chamberlain (Pickup) resigns as Prime Minister and recommends Winston Churchill (Oldman) instead. However while the majority seem to want to forge a peace with Germany, Churchill seems determined that England draw a line in the sand, and fight!

It's rare to have the 2 hour biographical drama that you wish would have kept going, or might get a sequel, but then, Winston Churchill is the rare subject that likely deserves it.

Oldman disappears into the role and carries the picture that pretty much is a short snapshot of him getting selected as Prime Minister and the first weeks in office.

But that's because quite a bit of events kept churning up in that window of opportunity.

The movie blazes through this time period, while also giving a brief look at his life at home with his wife (Thomas) as well as Churchill breaking in a new secretary (James).

Having read and watched other Churchill biographies, this one hits most of the high points of that crucial time period and thanks to the spectacular work of Oldman, leaves you wanting more.

Definitely worth a look.

Final Grade: B+