Love Actually (2003)

Intertwining love stories, some of which were much more entertaining than others. Really enjoyed Hugh Grant as the Prime Minister. I liked the Portuguese story too. 

Rating: C+

Cargo (2017)

An Australian zombie movie with an epidemic source. More about the remaining survivors than the actual infected. A little depressing, but with a hopeful ending.

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-

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+

The World’s End (2013)

I honestly thought this was a drinking buddy dramedy right up until the point it went off the rails bonkers. That’s the beauty of seeing films without watching or reading previews. I enjoy being surprised by a movie, even if it’s a weird humanoid surprise with blue blood squirting out of it. Dumb ending.

Rating: C-

Shaun of the Dead (2004)

This is both fun and extremely gory. It's a romantic comedy set against the backdrop of a zombie invasion--British style.

Rating: B

Wild Target (2010)

This falls into the quirky hit man genre. Plot-wise, it’s nothing to write home about, but the characters make it a fun ride.

Rating: C+

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005)

I saw this for free at a work movie day, and I still felt ripped off. Terrible terrible terrible. That's right. Three terribles. I'm one of those people who didn't read the books, see the TV series, or hear anything else about the story. I went in as a blank page, and came out as a crumpled-up blank page.

There are story points and characters strewn all over the place. Hardly anything was explained, nor was there any meaningful interaction between anybody. A complete waste of time.

Rating: F

The Hobbit (2012)

Really pretty to look at and full of incredible special effects, but light on story development and suspense. Doesn’t measure up to the very high bar the three other LOTR movies set.

Rating: C

The Pirates!: Band of Misfits (2012)

Fun stop-motion animation can’t make up for a script devoid of humor and a banal plot that had me reaching for the FF button. It’s sad that the Academy has to scrape the bottom of the barrel for an animation nominee when there are plenty of other movies far more entertaining than this bland mess.

Rating: D-