The Marine 5: Battleground

The Miz is back again as Jake Carter, the poor beleaguered ex-Marine who can't seem to find a job where people aren't shooting at him, and I'm happy to say this is a much better installment in the franchise than the last film was. The script is simple, but was everything it needed to be for a popcorn action flick. This fifth "Marine" film was packed to the gills with WWE stars, with solid and believable performances by Heath Slater, Maryse, Naomi, and Curtis Axel. The Miz ia awesome as always, and I like how he's allowing the cumulative emotional toll from the previous two films to build up and show through his performance in subtle ways. He is a profession and very proficient actor, and I'm glad he now owns this role. However, I have to say the true star of this film is Bo Dallas. His turn as the big bad boss in this was just tremendous. His range of emotion and commitment to the character was great. I predict he could have a long career in film, if only he can get that first push (a push, I might add, that he has been long deserving of and not getting in the WWE). This was a solid installment in the "Marine" franchise and a big improvement from the last film, and I hope The Miz gets a whole slew of new sequels to come. 3.5/5

The Marine 5: Battleground on Netflix

Armed Response

I've been waiting to see this movie for a long time as one of my favorite wrestlers, Seth Rollins, made his acting debut in this Wesley Snipes action thriller. I'll be honest, I didn't have high hopes, as most WWE stars have a rocky first film. Honwever, I have to give it up to the Architect, as he delivered a solid and believable performance in this. I enjoyed his work and I truly believe he will have a long and ripe acting career. So now that I've given praise where it was due, I have to talk about what didn't work... which was literally everything else in the film. Oh my gods.... this script was just atrocious. As in horridly bad across the board. The direction was just okay, and honestly the only actor besides Rollins to show up for work was Heche, who was the one other bright spot in this disaster of a film. Pretty much only watch this if you want to see Seth Rollins act, and you can believe that. /obshieldreference  2/5

Armed Response on Netflix

Colossal

Sorry for the long absence, I have been dealing with some bad health issues. But let's get to this film, because I have some things to say. This is not a comedic film, which was what I was expecting. The trailers would have you believe it is, but it is in actuality very, very dark. It starts somewhat dark, gets darker, has a few witty moments, and then dives full-on into some pretty serious stuff. I feel like writer/director Nacho Vigalondo wanted to make something funny with a bit of darkness, which is a combination that works well. But, instead, he made a very dark and disturbing film with some bizarre moments of levity that were definitely out of place, and I found the occasional humor a bit unsettling. Having said all that, the actual meat of the story is quite good. It's daring, interesting, and it's brought to life with knock-out performances from Hathaway and Sudeikis. As the film barrels towards what becomes an inevitable and tragic end, I found myself wishing Vigalondo had just dived in and really dedicated himself to the darkness of this story, because it would have been amazing. Instead, I found myself both wowed and confused, so a mixed bag here for me. 3/5

Colossal on Netflix

Free Fire

Frankly, I'm not sure what to make of this film. There really is no plot. There are barely characters, and certainly no real character development. I actually don't think there's a single likeable character in this. On the other hand, it's directed really well and I had a lot of fun watching it. It's witty action comedy, but little else. If you'd like a bit of fun, this might be for you, but if you're looking for any real depth, look elsewhere. 3/5

Free Fire on Netflix

Ironclad

Oh wow, this was truly excellent. I always seem to forget how awesome Paul Giamatti is, and then I see him slaying in a film like this and I remember why I love him. Everything in this film is on point. The script is tight, the direction really compelling, and all the acting is excellent. It's also really violent, so be warned. An excellent film. 4.5/5

Ironclad on Netflix

Life

Okay, I'm just going to address the very mixed reviews for this right away. I see both sides of the issue. Yes, the acting is very strong. The direction was engaging and excting, and I was incredibly intrigued by the life form. I was completely into the film from minute one. However, I see the point of the naysayers. This movie really was cliche after cliche after cliche. And, ultimately, given the parameters of the film, most of the choices made were idiotic and contradicted by the way the film draws to a close. Yes, I'm being really vague here to avoid spoilers, but I think readers will get my meaning regardless. I did have to give it an extra half star for the last two minutes of the film though, because WOW. That alone was worth the price of admission. I did like this. It was enjoyable and fun in every way it needed to be, but "Alien" it was not. 3.5/5

Life on Netflix

Train to Busan

HOLY SNOT THIS IS THE BEST ZOMBIE FILM I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE. Hell, it's the best action film I've ever seen, let alone the best zombie film. And how many zombie films have you seen that will make you cry from sheer tragic gutwreching emotion on multiple occasions? I swear, a film like this could only be made in Korea. Korean directors have a unique visual and visceral style that lent itself perfectly to this film. The direction was outstanding, and the script fleshed out and perfectly told. The acting was incredible, and so was the music. I can't say a single bad thing about this film. It's just amazing. OMG, rent this. 5/5

Train to Busan on Netflix

John Wick: Chapter 2

I loved the first John Wick film, and I loved this one even more. I haven't been a Keanu fan in some time, but his gun-handling in these films is a large part of why they work so well. He's so damn good at three-gun it's ridiculous. Now, granted, his acting is as sub-par as ever, but that hardly matters here. The action is fantastic, the direction is gorgeous, the music is great, and so are most of the performances. I can't wait for the third one now! 4/5

John Wick: Chapter 2 on Netflix

Officer Downe

Honestly, I don't mind campy cult films, but this was so out-of-this-world bad I only made it about thirty minutes in before I has to just turn it off. WAAAAAY too over the top for me. Just.... no. 1/5

Officer Downe on Netflix

Jack Reacher: Never Go Back

I didn't mind the first Jack Reacher film because I have never read the books. However, I understood enough about the Reacher character to know that, while Cruise looks nothing like the part, he acted the part quite well. I cannot say the same for this film. This isn't Reacher as I understand him, nor did it resemble the Reacher from the first film. Added to that, the writing was sloppy and pedantic, the acting mostly trite, and the direction predictable. Whether or not you agree with the casting of Cruise in the role, one must admit that the first film was at least a decent action thriller at heart. This, sadly, was not. 2/5

Jack Reacher: Never Go Back on Netflix

Assassin's Creed

First off, sorry for the long absence, I've had a slew of life problems happening. I will try to return to my regular reviews.

My husband is an avid gamer, and I have watched him play the Assassin's Creed games many times over. The game is so stylized in its look and action that I thought no movie could ever capture that. I was wrong. This movie lives so well in the Assassin's Creed world it could be a game itself. The direction, sets, and motion of everything was so spot on it was eerie. The acting was far better than what you normally see in video game films, especially Fassbender, who is quite good. The ending was a bit too open and got a little off track, but I know they did that to leave place for a sequel. I was surprised at how good this was. If you know the game, it's worth a watch. 4/5

Assassin's Creed on Netflix

Rampage

I never thought I would write these words in a review, but this is a Uwe Boll film that is actually really good. I've never been a Boll fan, but he really surprised me with this action thriller, which is so markedly different from the rest of his past catalog that it's unrecognizable as his work. I'm also stunned because he wrote this as well, and the plot is actually good, engaging, and interesting. The acting was solid, and I loved the ending. I'm stunned, but I highly recommend this for action fans who don't mind a bit of the ultra-violence. 4/5

Rampage on Netflix

Doctor Strange

While I have always been a Marvel girl, I was mostly an X-Man fan and never knew anything at all about Doctor Strange. Because of this, I have to say right at the start that I have no idea whatsoever if this film is true to the books, so I can't base any part of my review on that. What I can say is that this is a spectacular film with some of the best effects I've maybe ever seen. It's like an incredible update to things I remember from "Inception", only far better with the advances technology has made. The acting was mostly strong, and I was happy to see a superhero film coming in at only an hour and forty-five minutes. I really enjoyed this and am curious to see how this film and its characters will integrate with the rest of the Marvel Universe. 4/5

Doctor Strange on Netflix

88

Oh my gods, this was so awesome. This is possibly the first film I've seen that gets the concept of a fugue state reasonably right, so it gets points for just that. The writing is so deft and so complex that I found myself completely enthralled from the first minute to the last. The direction is outstanding and very moody. But the reason this film succeeds so much is the talent of the lead, Katharine Isabelle. She had the task of playing multiple characters through multiple timelines, and she was so good at differentiating them that I could tell in an instant, from the way she stood or cocked her head or walked, who she was and when. It was a truly outstanding performance, and I'm definitely going to seek out more of her work. An excellent film, highly recommended. 4.5/5

88 on Netflix

Suicide Squad (The Extended Cut)

Wow, where to start. I held out on seeing this until I could see this extended cut that restored several minutes of the cut Joker footage. However, I was still massively disappointed. I don't think there ever was a good movie here. I say that because the very words that came out of everyone's mouths were trite. The plot was barely existent, and the over stylization did nothing to serve the story. Most of the acting was average at best. I got really annoyed at Margot Robbie pretty quickly for her in-and-out bad Snooki impression of a Jersey accent. The only thing I found interesting was Leto's Joker, and even that was a mixed blessing. I've never seen the Joker done quite like this. It's far more faithful to what I just saw in the animated "Killing Joke" than anything I've seen in live action yet. There was no trace of Leto on screen - he wholly became the role, and it was thrilling. That is, when you could tell he was improving and not being forced to deliver banal lines that didn't make sense with the character. Add in that many of the restored scenes show his utter brutality and contradicted the added "love story" with Harley, and it became a mess. I long to see what Leto will do when given a meaty script - I think that will be something amazing to see. As is, this movie is sad to me. It could have been so much more. 2.5/5

Suicide Squad on Netflix

The Brothers Grimsby

Oh dear gods I hated this so much. It is honestly one of the stupidest and most unfunny comedies I've ever seen in my life. Just vulgarity for no real point and utterly absurd. I realize this might be right up some people's alley, but it definitely wasn't up mine. I can't believe I finished it honestly. Awful. 1/5

The Brothers Grimsby on Netflix

Hell or High Water

This is one of the most solid and well-executed films I've seen this year. The acting is exceptional. Foster is a neon light of talent, and I'm glad the world is paying more attention to him these days. Bridges was also exceptional and held a level of gravitas that was a joy to watch. The score was perfectly done, and the direction quite good. I hope this little film gets a lot of attention this awards season. 4.5/5

Hell or High Water on Netflix

The Lovers

I wasn't really sure about the gimmick of this adventure flick but I ended up liking it in thew end. Pretty decent acting, good flow to the script, and stunning scenery made this an enjoyable watch, if a little hokey. 3/5

The Lovers on Netflix

Independence Day: Resurgence

I don't know about the rest of the world, but I liked this. It had a more cohesive plot than the original (not hard to do) and the acting was very solid. The effects were really outstanding, and the flow of the film was solid and strong. It's a better film than the first one, and it had enough nostalgia factors that I really liked it. A strong showing, and it certainly opened the way for a third film in the future. 4/5

Independence Day: Resurgence on Netflix

Blood Father

The plot of this wasn't bad, but the acting sure was. Gibson had two notes - monotone and furiously angry, and we didn't see him angry nearly enough. If the script had been more fleshed out and had more room for the characters to breathe I think it could have been special. As is, it was just okay for me. 3/5

Blood Father on Netflix