Ant-Man And The Wasp (2018)

Much of the originality and fun from the first film got lost on the road to this sequel. My question about what a person eats to stay alive for decades in the quantum realm was never answered. Most of the “science” in this movie is highly suspect. I can tolerate an average amount of preposterousness that comes with superhero movies, but it seems like they’ve gone to extreme levels lately. The second half of the film was pure lunacy. 

Rating: D+

Ant-Man (2015)

A rare superhero movie that works on all levels. Great story development. Funny script. Action that expertly straddles the line between cool and ridiculous. Throwback effects from Honey I Shrunk The Kids. (When is that remake coming out?) It was all there. Wish they hadn’t made this a part of the Avenger’s universe, but oh well.

Rating: B-

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)

All the sci-fi wizardry and CGI fantasy you could hope for; times two. Maybe I’ve come down with Orc Fatigue or Hobbit Hangover, but having seen all this before in previous films, I wasn't especially bowled over by this latest installment.

Cartoony creatures fight by the thousands while the camera zooms in on random characters we are supposed to care deeply about. The thing is, I don’t really care. Not especially. It’s all over-the-top fluff that doesn’t succeed in triggering a real emotional response.

Rating: C-

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)

More action packed and entertaining than the trudging first. Some incredible fight sequences, like the one on the raging river. Visually and audibly engaging.

Rating: C+

Real Steel (2011)

A lot of fun for the first 2 acts, then things got predictable in the third. It’s a formula movie with some really cool robot fighting. Unlike the Transformer movies, it doesn’t simply rely on robotic action to entertain. The machines take a back seat to the human acting. Extra points for Evangeline Lilly, one of the most beautiful women in the world.

Rating: C

The Hurt Locker (2008)

Fast paced and well made, but I would have liked more of a story arc. The movie is a string of events that take place in the lives of a bomb engineering crew. Movies like this are more suspenseful when you identify with the characters. It took most of the film before I had a reasonable idea who anybody was. It didn't help that I expected much more from a Best Picture nominee. But then again, The Blindside and Avatar were nominated, so there you go.

Rating: C+