The Power Of The Dog (2021)

A heavy mood hangs over the entirety of the film. Tension. The soundtrack makes you feel uncomfortable, but the acting pulls you in. 

Rating: C+

Alpha (2018)

A boy and wolf survival movie set way way back. Very pretty to look at. Suspenseful enough to hold your attention.

Rating: C+

X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)

It’s almost as if they built that pyramid specifically to be destroyed quite easily. Obviously, this latest installment starts out quite ridiculous and never comes back to Earth.

The special effects are quite amazing though. The Flash sequence was pretty cool. For me, I need a more grounded story-line based somewhat in reality. When every law of nature is thrown out the window and the screen is a blender of superpowers swirled together, I lose interest. It’s a shame everything went off the deep end after the first two X-Men.

Rating: C-

Slow West (2015)

A picturesque New Zealand takes the place of America in this throwback western. Gorgeous cinematography throughout. Lovely counter play between character development and action sequences. The pacing was just right. Simple story; well told.

Rating: B

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)

This ape reboot continues to entertain and dazzle with high end CGI effects. The plot wasn’t all that dynamic, but execution was pretty solid.

Rating: C+

ParaNorman (2012)

A pretty cool animated film about zombies, witches, and ghosts. In the style of A Nightmare Before Christmas. Plenty of adult humor that kids will miss, assuming kids were into this movie. It’s probably a bit scary for them.

Rating: C+

The Road (2009)

I love love love post apocalyptic films. Unfortunately, most of them are crap. This one is good, but quite dreary. I think I'd rather have the earth covered by zombies than the gray world depicted here. It held my attention, but at a price.

Rating: C

Let Me In (2010)

Similar, and yet different from the Swedish original. Casting was spot on. Chloe Moretz is a superstar in the making. The moment I saw Kick Ass, I knew she was the next Natalie Portman. She's brilliant here as well. Enjoyed this version—hard to say if one is better than the other.

I tend to like movies the first viewing, so remakes have a hard time measuring up. With the American retelling, more layers are revealed. The audience isn't left to guess as much. Ours is more graphic, yet the Swedish has a much darker tone. I’m glad I saw them both. 

Rating: B