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Fair Play banks on its compelling setup to entertain viewers and while it does for most of its runtime, I cannot help but feel there was another gear this film could have gone into in order to really make a lasting impact. I loved the interplay between sex, power, and competition, I just wish their was a little more of each of those. This was a nice reprieve from most of the typical Netflix schlock and is still a fairly high quality film. The acting is strong and carries the middle chunk of the film where not as much happens.

It does become a bit farfetched in regards to what some of the characters do near the end, but it doesn't go off the deep end. Fair Play is a fun, albeit light, thriller that mostly succeeds in its goals.

While this ain't the most acclaimed series in the history of cinema, The Expendables movies have a nice niche in the action genre. There's a certain level of quality the first 3 films have maintained. Even the worst film 3, is at worst mediocre. This new film on the other hand, is far below mediocre. Between the cheesy lines, rough even for these films, and the unbelievably bad CGI, this movie really sets a new low for the franchise.

It just really feels like they're going through the motions here. The action is lackluster other than a few Staham fight scenes and the plot is as generic as it gets. When you're resorting to 50 Cent to bring some new life to your franchise, you know you're in trouble...

The amount of reviews saying "I jUsT dOn'T gEt ThE jOkEs" is laughable. All 60 year old men who have no semblance of modern humor in the world. This is a legitimately funny movie with tons of clever jokes and innuendo. Don't watch this and don't review bomb it if you have idea what constitutes humor these days, which spoiler; is the same of essence of what was funny in 1980. Small world views get in the way of understanding that though.

The film is a fun satire of the typical teen comedy. While that works for it and against it at times in regards to plot beats, it mostly does an excellent job of justifying its existence. The leads are perfectly cast in their roles and remain amusing throughout. Though it does get a bit too over-the-top at the end, Bottoms is a sharp, much needed jolt into the world of Hollywood comedies.

Given Blumhouse's success with M3GAN earlier this year, I assumed they would strike a similar tone with this animatronic horror film. It's kind of crazy how rapidly this film will shift from depressing child murder drama to a happy-go-lucky fever dream. It doesn't strike that in-on-the-joke tone that M3GAN excelled at. While I think there should be some darker horror elements, far too infrequently does the film revel in the goofy camp of its premise. The dead kid stuff is just not very original and not very well executed. Add in being incredibly predictable with paper thin characters too.

This film also drags on far too long. You could easily cut 25 minutes and nothing would change. The story beats get hammered over and over with some honestly poor resolution. Five Nights at Freddy's is a big miss from a reasonably reliable studio.

Talk to Me is a refreshing entry in the world of horror. A24 is consistently producing high quality original horror films that manage to find new niches to fill, while still maintaining the core aspects of movies in this genre.

With shocking scenes of violence and scares, Talk to Me keeps you on edge with no idea of what might unfold next. From the opening scene to the final frame, I remained invested and surprised at what I was witnessing. I can see the hand becoming a classic object in the genre. Hopefully this film finds an audience, as its smart thrills manage to unnerve even the most veteran of horror watchers.

I really didn't enjoy the first Nun film very much. It wasn't terribly scary, well-written, or necessary. Of course WB, attempting to milk the Conjuring franchise for every last drop, commissioned a sequel. While I did find this film to have a little sturdier foundation, it still doesn't amount to much by the end. It all feels quite meaningless, especially when the scares don't exactly skyrocket one's heart rate. The horror aspect is slightly better, though I still wouldn't call it exemplary.

I'm sure there will be another sequel given the ominous ending, but maybe it's time to stop making spin-off films solely off of one note villains and objects.

As a huge TMNT fan since childhood, I can safely say this is exactly what I want from modern TMNT. It's the perfect mix of staying true to the essence of the series while also finding fun ways to adapt the series to today's world. There are obvious comparisons to Spider-Verse, as both feature gorgeous comic-inspired visuals, hip new adaptations of classic characters, a big focus of humor, and an atmospheric, potent score.

Reznor and Ross are perfect matches for this grimy, heroic world. Their score is fabulous. Coupled with the East Coast hip-hop that so perfectly fits the turtles, this film is a joy to listen to. The voice cast is excellent and the story has some real emotional heft. It doesn't blow you away with originality, but you overlook this due its earnestness and heartfelt touch.

Mutant Mayhem is a wonderful reinvention of one of our enduring properties of the past 40 years. I'm excited to see where this creative team can take the franchise going forward.

It's almost like DreamWorks threw Turning Red and Luca into a blender and out popped this film. Not saying that's a bad thing, as those are both enjoyable films, but Ruby Gilman is left lacking originality with a pretty generic story and lessons. It's mostly harmless entertainment designed for young girls, which is nice since there aren't a whole lot of movies for that age group specifically focused on their experiences.

There are bright colors and visuals galore, accompanied by some decent laughs. I enjoyed the dad character the most. Plenty of fun pop bops are scattered throughout which add to the enjoyment as well. This won't compete for best animated film of the year, but it's far from the worst either.

I just cannot buy her as a convincing actress, yet alone as the lead spy and action star of this film. It sounds like she's being forced to read her lines at gunpoint. She just does not have the range to carry out roles like this, which is a real shame because there are some elements here that could work.

Yes, it's terribly unoriginal and feels like some amalgamation of Mission: Impossible, James Bond, and Citadel. However, there are some solid set pieces and Jamie Dornan is perfectly cast in his spy role. It is quite reminiscent of 006 in GoldenEye, but Dornan remains compelling nonetheless. Heart of Stone ends up being a pretty middling spy adventure, but with a better lead and some more creativity, it could have been a standout Netflix original.

The first Vacation Friends was a pretty mediocre comedy, but there were a few decent laughs. This sequel really doesn't bring much new to the table and the cast, sans Cena, is just not very funny. Cena is by far the highlight as he is the only one who really displays any real charisma, but he cannot do much to offset this predictable, boring story.

It's standard father-in-law and "win over the tough exec" fare. Everything is quite lazy with a lack of really any creative spark to speak for. Hulu's original movies from 20th Century films are hit or miss to say the least, and this is without a doubt a miss.

While credulity gets strained a bit with the whole "screens capturing everything" gimmick, Missing is a pretty engaging disappearance film. I think its predecessor Searching better executed its ideas and was a bit less outlandish; however, Missing has a strong lead performance and some amusing daily life quirks that make for an enjoyable viewing.

There are some good twists and turns that populate the slightly too long runtime. I did find the ending and "villain" to be a little eyeroll-inducing, but the rest of the film is mostly well-orchestrated with some clever uses of technology and devices.

I'm a Nolan fanboy, but I'll be honest, I was not terribly excited for this film. An extremely long, talky drama about a historical event didn't seem up my alley, but man was I glued to the screen for the entire 3 hour experience. Nolan has mastered the skill of heavy dialogue with quick cuts to keep things moving and engaging. He lets the little moments breathe too, it's not all breakneck speed. This balance makes for a highly enjoyable viewing experience.

Murphy is outstanding and may be the favorite for Best Actor as it stands. Speaking of that award, there are Oscar winners littering the screen here all delivering fine performances. The production design is top notch and the Trinity test is one of the coolest things put to film.

I know there is a lot of divisiveness about the final third of the film, but I'm shocked by this. I found it to be the real meat of the story. Digging deeper into the implications of the bomb on Oppenheimer's life and the world as a whole is more interesting than just seeing a recreation of what happened. I was utterly captivated for the entirety of the incredible film. Mr. Nolan has done it yet again.

You can see the hints of an incredible character-driven film centered on Barry Allen underneath all of the fluff and cameos. Not to say I didn't like some of them, Keaton for one is excellent, but it feels like this was a corporately-designed film to maximize nostalgia and callbacks. There's certainly enough to enjoy here, but I'm left feeling like this could've been a classic.

At the heart of this film is a moving, even profound character arc that Ezra Miller does a great job showcasing. The moments of the movie focusing on this are by far the best. The Batman '89 nostalgia is great (that Elfman score really does something to me), however it's mostly window dressing. The same goes for Zod's return and Supergirl's debut. They don't add much to the film and aren't really even given much focus.

The humor really does land for the most part, though there are some tonal inconsistencies. Some bizarre editing also adds to a disjointed, chopped up feel at times. Affleck is terrific in his brief role and makes me even sadder we never got a solo Batfleck film. The action scenes are shot with a unique perspective and I enjoyed essentially all of them. Keaton's fight scenes in particular are awesome to watch.

Onto the CGI and the cameos.... I really don't think we needed any of this and especially not in the visual effects state we received it. The CGI as a whole is often pretty horrid with the baby scene an odd standout.

The Flash isn't the absolute disaster it could have been given all the behind the scenes drama this film endured, but it doesn't quite live up to its brilliant Flashpoint inspiration.

I will say that this is about as good as an Indiana Jones film starring an 80 year old Harrison Ford could be. It was a bit tough to see our once great hero struggle to get around. I never really needed to see an old, bitter Indy saddle up for one last adventure, but Dial of Destiny does a decent job of making a compelling film out of that premise.

There are some surprisingly emotional beats and some rousing action to balance out the "but why" nature of the film. PWB is a nice addition and brings some spunk and charm that Crystal Skull was missing. There's not peak Spielberg inventive action and humor here, but it's not a shell of itself either. Mangold is a very capable filmmaker and I feel like did the best he could with what he was given. The story goes in a wild direction in the last act, and while I didn't completely balk at it, I'm not sure I loved it. Mads is a solid villain and the Nazi element didn't feel too forced. Overall, the globetrotting fun is hard to deny.

This film was really not necessary, however it isn't anywhere near as bas as it could have been, so that's a win I guess? Now please, I'm begging you, let Indy rest.

If I fall asleep during your climax, that doesn't bode well for your film. Admittedly, this is the first Insidious movie I have seen. However, there are enough context clues to pick up the story and figure out what's generally going on.

My big issue with the film is it's just a bit boring. I felt like it took an hour into the film for anything remotely interesting to happen and even that was not too bone rattling. The scares are pretty lackluster and the family drama, while not worthless, is not exactly new ground being covered. It's all just fine, with no real statement justifying its existence.

There are some genuine stars involved here, but The Red Door is rather uninspired and underwhelming.

This franchise just keeps chugging along producing banger after banger. It's crazy how they keep managing to top themselves as far as impressive stunts in each successive film. While Dead Reckoning Part One is maybe a miniscule step down from the franchise high Fallout, it is still the undisputed action event of the summer.

Cruise and Co. Do a wonderful job of making this film and story feel like a big deal. It really feels like this is "the big one" for Hunt. Characters from the past are back along with some fun new faces. Atwell shines in her role, along with a returning Henry Czerny and newcomer Cary Elwes in another excellent use of his skills as a spy agency head this year. I also loved the callbacks to the first MI with the low angle dialogue shots and train set piece. The story feels quite relevant these days as well.

While this is a part one, I felt like the story had a nice conclusion, unlike some other unnamed summer film set in Rome intended to be part one of a bigger finale... but I digress.

Dead Reckoning is a thrill ride from start to finish with some of the most awe-inducing action scenes ever put to film. Bravo, Mr. Cruise for continuing to be crazy enough to do all of this for our enjoyment. I cannot wait for Part Two.

I can't say I expected this from a Puss in Boots sequel 12 years later. The Last Wish is a true standout feature of 2022 and one of the best animated films in some time.

The new art style, clearly inspired by Spider-Verse, feels right at home in this world. I love how it blended the typical CGI look with the new, more hand-drawn style. That combined with some top notch humor and an incredibly emotional story makes this a terrific watch. The film is very singularly focused on Puss's arc, leading to some very satisfying story beats. I had a wonderful time watching this movie and I can't recommend it enough.

You're not gonna see anything too groundbreaking here, but Sharper can provide some higher class thrills and intelligence. I found this film to be pretty intriguing. There's a suave style to the film that makes some of the expected story beats a little more fun. The cast is pretty noteworthy, with Sebastian Stan the standout in my opinion. He plays these mysterious characters well and is always a pleasure to watch.

This is a bit of a surprising film for A24 given it isn't quite as highbrow or bizarre as most of their stuff, but they do manage to class up a straightforward story a bit. Sharper won't blow you away with stunning plot twists, but it's a solid hit for Apple TV+.

Given the talent involved in front of and behind the camera, it's pretty disturbing how bad this film is. There is very little to recommend here, other than maybe seeing Chris Evans do his best Ryan Reynolds impression opposite Ana de Armas attempting to convincingly deliver dramatic dialogue. The action is uninspired and the chemistry between the two leads is nearly nonexistent. Throw in the so on-the-nose cameos they're practically in the sinuses, and you have utterly ridiculous choice after ridiculous choice.

Ghosted is unoriginal, unfunny, and unrecognizable as a good film.

Oh, and the music supervisor for this film should be tarred and feathered for some of the most deranged song choices I've ever seen in a film.

I'm honestly pretty baffled how this is getting worse reviews than Fast X. It's easy to compare the two films given their release dates and long-running franchise status. After seeing these films back-to-back, I found Rise of the Beasts to be significantly more enjoyable. The first half alone is better than anything in Fast X.

Paramount seems to be course-correcting pretty well after all of the damage Michael Bay did to the brand. This and Bumblebee were both pretty enjoyable films. Yes, there's still the 3rd act bombast and spectacle, but it's a lot easier to tell what's going on in this film. The jungle setting is also quite refreshing from the endless skyscrapers in the other movies. I still don't think we need so much emphasis on humans, but it is handled much better here. The soundtrack is also lots of fun and I loved the overall 90s hip hop vibe. It's definitely a bit cheesy, but there are some fun moments in the climax that made me crack a smile.

Rise of the Beasts won't blow you away, but it's a nice, enjoyable step forward for a franchise that needed some new life.

I will say that the post credits stinger is kinda nuts, but on-brand for the cinematic world we live in now lol.

I just feel depressed after seeing this film. Gone is any excitement I had for a franchise I used to sheepishly enjoy. Replaced is a never-ending cascade of recycled stunts, resurrected characters, and unbelievably lazy cliffhangers. They really should have stopped at 7 because they truly have nothing left to say. It's just the Vin Diesel show now in which he gets to hog half the screen time attempting to "dramatically act." He finally got his wish and wrestled away full control of this series from Lin and Morgan, AKA the brains behind the series' best entries.

I just felt almost nothing during any of the "tension-filled" sequences. There are no stakes anymore and nothing matters. The cliffhanger certainly doesn't matter because you know it will get resolved in the first 5 minutes.

There are a few bright spots. Jason Momoa does his best to breathe some Joker-like life into this lumbering franchise, but even his boisterous performance can't save this film. Cena teaming up with a youngster was fun to see, even though his character has basically an entirely different personality from his villain-turn in F9. Alan Ritchson is also a nice addition as he has some actual screen presence and charisma.

You'll notice all my highlights are new additions to the franchise. That's part of my point. The original characters have nothing left to say or do. Roman and Tej's banter is just exhausting and cringey at this point. Same with Dom's speeches about family and his macho posturing. And while new typically equals better, Brie Larson's presence in this film is baffling and bizarre. She just shows up in some ridiculous outfits and jumps on cars for no apparent reason.

I know these are meant to be brainless entertainment spectacles, but they used to at least have some semblance of plot and quality. The filmmakers act like they're in on the joke, but I can tell you Vin Diesel certainly isn't. He still thinks he's pumping out high quality billion dollar grossers, and that is just simply not true. I can't believe we have two more films in this now THREE PART finale.

Book Club was one the surprise hits of the summer of 2018 and was a film I enjoyed a lot more than I expected. It was no classic, but it was a breezy way to spend a few summer hours. Surprisingly, or unsurprisingly if you know Hollywood, a sequel was commissioned. The Next Chapter really doesn't have much of the charm of the original and doesn't make a compelling case for existing.

There are a few laughs here and there, but not enough to overcome the mountains of painful double entendres and speeches about friendship. Everyone seems to just be going through the motions and ready to collect their paychecks. But hey, at least there is some stunning Italian scenery to enjoy.

Nicolas Cage as Dracula is some truly inspired casting. This is the perfect role for his brand of manic, campy energy. Combined with Nicholas Hoult channeling his inner Peter from The Great and these two brilliant lead performances are enough to carry Renfield into pretty enjoyable territory. The rest of the film lets them down a bit, but Cage and Hoult are fabulous in the scenes they are allotted.

That transitions to my biggest issue with the film, the focus on Awkwafina and her cliché cop story. Hollywood seems hellbent on casting Awkwafina as a sidekick in nearly every film where she plays exactly the same character and so often teeters on the edge of funny and annoying. Sadly, she veers more towards annoying here. The CGI blood also looks pretty ridiculous at times.

It's truly incredible how good of a follow-up this is to one of the best comic book films ever. The fact they managed to craft this compelling of a story without it feeling forced is amazing. I was full invested in everything happening and couldn't believe the end of the film came so soon. That; however, would be the one aspect holding me back from a perfect score, as this almost feels like an incomplete film given the lack of resolution with Miles' story. However, Gwen is arguably the co-lead of the film and she gets some nice resolution with her arc.

Speaking of Gwen, the visuals utilized for her world were truly out of this world. Having the colors of the world sync with her emotions really gave this a unique feel. The rest of the visuals in the film were of course exquisite as well.

There are SO many nods and references to Spider-Man across media and I loved every second of it. Lord and Miller continue their impeccable track record of clever writing with genuinely funny dialogue. I hope we see more of Miguel O'Hara in the sequel, as he is a fascinating character superbly voiced by Oscar Isaac. I must also make note of the incredible score. It might be even better than the first film with its whirlwind of electric sounds and vibes.

Across the Spider-Verse stands as one of the best sequels ever and one of the best comic book films of all time. I really cannot recommend this film enough if you're interested in going on an incredible multi-versal journey full of heart and soul.

Based off of the trailers and general announcement of this film, I didn't have a ton of hope for a solid adaptation; however, I was pleasantly surprised with how much fun this film was. I think some nice casting and overall clever writing really elevates this above most of its peers. Having a seasoned comedy duo handle the writing and directing was a good choice by Paramount.

Chris Pine is the shining star here, obvious given he is the best Hollywood Chris, but Hugh Grant also seems to be having a blast in his role as he chews up the scenery. I love Grant in his recent over-the-top comedic roles he's been transitioning to. I really found this film to be a fun time and it utilizes its fantasy elements quite well and in a way that anyone can enjoy this adventure movie.