The Wild Robot (2024)

 

Creative and funny enough for adults to enjoy. They worked in some good messages for the kids. 

Rating: C+

A Quiet Place: Day One (2024)

 

The previous films did a much better job of telling a story that made you connect with the characters. In this prequel, the main character is dying anyway, so it’s hard to care about her welfare. It’s telling that most of the theater had more concern for her cat’s well being. 

Not much story either. They are risking life and limb to grab a slice at an obviously bombed out pizza place? How is the viewer supposed to get pumped about that? Outside of a few jump cuts and creature scares, not much happened. 

Rating: C-

Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019)

Only rabid fanboys can keep these myriad stories and timelines straight. As a casual fan of Star Wars, I couldn’t help wondering about characters’s motives and decision-making. The actions of everyone on screen either didn’t add up or walked a very clichéd line. Any single episode of The Mandalorian is more entertaining than this film.

Rating: C-

Little Monsters (2019)

A dark, funny, twisted New Zealand zombie flick with a heart. Sweet, yet with a ton of language, violence, and sexual themes. So not for the kiddos. This adult enjoyed it a lot though. Great ending that even made me tear up.

Rating: B

Us (2019)

A lot of hype going into this one after Peele’s great Get Out. Us definitely had a creepy vibe with an unusual premise, but ultimately it unraveled after a series of disappointing reveals.

Rating: D+

Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)

A really long space chase filled with lasers and droids. I appreciated the few bits of humor they sprinkled in to give me a reprieve from all the “Who’s that again?”, “How do they know each other?”, and “How come Leia didn’t freeze in space and explode into a bazillion pieces?” It was a typical Star Wars flick, and at 2 ½ hours long, it was challenging to get through.

Rating: C-

Black Panther (2018)

Over-hyped. Not the usual origin story, but it seems all superhero movies end up in the same place, with the hero fighting an evil version of himself. Everything is CGI heavy without much depth. The plot was implausible--more so than most from the genre. Mildly entertained.

Rating: C-

Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)

Like all the other Star Wars films, it was packed with coincidence, improbability, and lasers. Cheap thrills over content. The new droid was cute. The girl-power box was checked. Light speed was attained. One Storm Trooper was redeemed. The rest got massacred. Sabers were crossed. Not exactly sure why everybody’s having a wet dream over this.

Rating: C

The Jungle Book (2016)

Pretty cool animation combined with a real boy. I enjoyed this retelling of the classic jungle story.

Rating: C+

12 Years A Slave (2013)

No surprise this was difficult to watch. Very well acted and directed. Not something I could view more than once, but definitely to be seen once.

Rating: B

Non-Stop (2014)

Despite being riddled with plot holes, it was somewhat suspenseful and entertaining. Outside of United 93, I can’t think of an action movie that takes place on a plane that is remotely plausible. Non-Stop could only be more silly if they added snakes and Samuel L. Jackson.

Rating: C