Dune (2021)

 

I thought they did a pretty good job developing the story without confusing the audience. The desert planet was full of creative surprises. Love those dragonfly ships. At two and a half hours, I felt some editing was in order. Plenty of extended shots with dramatic music playing that could have been whittled down. But I’m definitely in for the next installment. 

Rating: C+

The French Dispatch (2021)

 

Likely my least favorite of Wes Anderson’s films. The cinematography, sets, and editing were wonderful, but the story was a convoluted disaster. It felt like a computer program was fed all of Wes’ previous work and vomited out a script. Interesting to watch, but not up to par. 

Rating: C-

The Harder They Fall (2021)

 

A bloody black western with a modern soundtrack. 

Rating: C+

Finch (2021)

 

In this sequel to Castaway, Tom Hanks replaces Wilson with a robot to watch his dog after he dies of radiation in a post-apocalyptic hellscape. 

Rating: C

Army Of Thieves (2021)

 

I didn’t realize Army Of Thieves was a prequel to Army Of The Dead until the end of the film. The idea of uncrackable safes was quickly undone by how easily they were cracked. All filled with money, yet there didn’t seem to be a plan to take more than a small fraction of it. A lot of plot points didn’t make any sense. The heists weren’t all that interesting. A misfire. 

Rating: C-

Copshop (2021)

 

There was some promising buildup, despite a whopping dollop of foreshadowing shots and stories. Ultimately the air squeaked out of this shoot-em up with very little intrigue or fun. 

Rating: C-

Old Henry (2021)

 

It’s the Old West. You’ve stumbled across a wounded man, his gun, and a bag of money. What do you do? This is a pretty good Western about one man’s choice. 

Rating: C+

Skater Girl (2021)

 

Mixed emotions. It’s hard watching the extreme poverty and harmful traditions that exist in India knowing that real life rarely has the happy ending seen in movies. But the story is a good reminder that all of us have the potential to make the world a little better around us if we merely try. 

Rating: C+

Nightshooters (2018)

 

I got tricked into watching this movie from glowing reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. I forget that if a movie is small enough, and nobody sees it, the cast and crew can drive up their ranking with positive reviews. 

It’s typical B-movie fare. Poor acting, script, production, etc. Avoid. 

Rating: F