Rust (2024)

 

Rust: Pop and I watched this recently and we really enjoyed it.  It follows Alec Baldwin as Rust who gets his grandson, after his grandson is convicted of killing a local rancher.  Plenty of good characters and the story is good as well.  Lots to enjoy here for anyone who likes westerns.  Due to the tragedy that happened during the filming of this movie, I think maybe it's release didn't get much fanfare.

Superman (NO SPOILERS)

Superman was really good.  A friend describes it as a comic book movie, and I think that's a great way to describe it.  So much fun.  I enjoyed all the characters and Lex Luthor was a good villain.  The other DC characters were great including Guy Gardner (Green Lantern) and Mr. Terrific.  The movie didn't bog us down with an origin story though it's touched on throughout the movie.  You jump right into the action, and they do a good job of letting the plot and characters explain where things stand.  Just very few qualms.  It's very enjoyable and it feels like it can setup so much more.

And Krypto is done really well and a fun character.

Gladiator II

 

Gladiator II: I finally got around to watching this one with pop.  We really enjoyed it.  The movie does a good job tying in what came before while allowing us to enjoy the new characters and story.  Gladiator II has the same tone as the original movie which I'm a huge fan of.  This one does a good job keeping the story going.  I'll keep it short and sweet but obviously I recommend this one.

Jurassic World: Rebirth

Jurassic World: Rebirth:  Got to see this one in the theaters this weekend.  My son went with me and we both enjoyed it.  I'd kind of lost interest in the last trilogy.  Probably not the only one.  This one has good characters, action and dinosaurs.  Seeing it on the big screen was a big plus as well.  This is a good first foray back into the franchise.  

 

Thunderbolts* (NO SPOILERS)

 

Thunderbolts*:  I really enjoyed this movie.  So did my son and grandsons.  Lots of action and fun.  The characters are likable.  It felt like a Marvel movie to me.  The characters have ties to past movies and aren't going away.  I liked many of these characters going in and like them even more now.  I definitely think it's worth watching and worth watching in theaters.

A Minecraft Movie

A Minecraft Movie:  The grandsons and I got to see this over spring break and it was fun.  Both of the boys enjoyed and so did I.  I haven't played the game much, but you don't have to to like the movie.  Jack Black and Jason Mamoa make it fun which is the theme for the movie.  It just works and makes for an enjoyable watch.  

Kraven the Hunter

Kraven the Hunter:  Like many, this one didn't excite me when it came out, but I did want to watch it.  I did that and I'm still not excited about it.  It's fine for what it is but it doesn't feel connected to the Marvel Universe nor something we should get excited about as a standalone movie.  The basic plot is fine, but it's drawn out and again, not much to make this something I'm invested in.  If you're not a Kraven fan, why watch it?  It's a shame as I'd like to see more comic movies succeed.  It just didn't work here, and I do question Marvel's choice of character most are not that familiar with.  Maybe we see Kraven somewhere else down the line, so watching this movie may help you in the future.  

Dog Man (2025)

Dog Man:  Me and the grandsons watched this one last month in theaters the same night we watch Captain America: New World Order.  I'm not a Dog Man expert but the ten year-old is a fan of the books and really wanted to see it in the theater so we did.  He said the characters were pretty true to the books.  I thought it was done well and both boys really enjoyed it. 

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

 The 2007 movie The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford follows Jesse James' last days before being killed by Robert Ford.  Jesse James is played by Brad Pitt while Casey Affleck plays Robert Ford.  The movie shows James as moody, unpredictable and very paranoid.  Robert Ford grew up idolizing James.  As the title states, this doesn't end well.  The movie itself is a bit slow but does a good job of developing the characters.  There's definitely a slow build up and uncomfortableness as you know what is coming.  The movie does wrap things up with Robert Ford's life after killing James which is a good way to wrap up the story.  Not a movie I'd watch again but it is fine for what it is.

Lightyear (2022)

 

Lightyear: This one took me a while to watch.  I started it and then went back to it over time.  Lightyear gives us a look at Buzz as a member of the Space Rangers.  The movie isn't bad but it feels slow paced and the story really didn't excite me.  I like Toy Story so I thought it'd be a fun story.  I'm not saying it isn't, but it feels a bit too much adult for it to fit with the Toy Story movies.  Not a bad movie, but it wasn't for me.  It's been out for years now so if you were going to watch it, you probably already have.  I am curious what others thought.

The Dead Don't Hurt (2023)

The Dead Don't Hurt:  Another western me and pop watched lately.  Written, directed and produced by Viggo Mortensen, it's a non-traditional western in how it's presented and told but still very similar to what you'd expect.  I enjoyed the movie.  It's not the typical fighty fighty western movie.  At its core it's more about the couple starting a life in Nevada around the time of the civil war.  There are some familiar faces in the movie in supporting roles but Vicky Krieps and Viggo Mortenson are the main focus of the movie.  Their relationship is done well and they are fun together.  Unfortunately, local bad elements interrupt the peaceful lifestyle they are seeking.  It's definitely worth a watch but probably not one you need to put too high on your watch list.

Geronimo: An American Legend (1993)

Geronimo: An American Legend:  Pop had watched this before and really enjoyed it.  I couldn't remember seeing it, so we watched it this week.  Great movie.  I really liked it as well.  The story centers around the time Geronimo gave himself up to the government.  Like many Indians, being moved to a reservation was not something that sat well with him.  He fought it until he could no longer fight.  The story is good and fairly accurate of how it all went down.  There is plenty of star power ingJason Patric, Gene Hackman, Robert Duvall, a young Matt Damon and Wes Studi as Geronimo.  Patick and Studi were the stars of the movie.  I don't think the movie fared well when it was released in 1993, but I think it is really good and holds up well.  Another movie I highly recommend.

Captain America: Brave New World - NO SPOILERS

Brave New World: Saw this one last night with the son and the grandsons, 10 and 7.  I was pleasantly surprised.  I didn't have low expectations per se, but hero movies have been a lot of hit or miss lately with the emphasis on miss.  Outside of Deadpool-Wolverine this is one of the better Marvel movies in years.  It has plenty of nods to the Edward Norton Hulk movies and some characters that aren't household words.  But the movie and characters work.  It is a good story, and I was entertained.  I am a Falcon fan from when I was a kid, but I try to look at these objectively and I think this one is worth watching.  I will say it could use more fighty fighty and more of the "big red guy" and the grandsons would agree on that point.  I look forward to hearing what others think.

Heart of Stone (2023)

Heart of Stone:  Gal Gadot stars in this film.  The plot is "An intelligence operative for a shadowy global peacekeeping agency races to stop a hacker from stealing its most valuable and dangerous weapon."  Plenty of action in this movie thriller that was exclusive to Netflix.  Heart of Stone is an easy watch.  I'd recommend it to anyone who is a fan of Gal Gadot or of the spy thriller genre.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3

 Sonic 3:  Watched this one in the theaters last month with my grandsons, 9 and 7.  I'm not a Sonic expert nor have I seen the first two movies.  The boys have.  I'll say overall it was good, but the boys wished there was more of the movie's protagonist, Shadow who is played by Keanu Reeves.  Hard for me to break down the movie too much but I thought it was pretty good and the boys, for their reservations, had no issues sitting through the movie.

Prey (2022)

Prey:  Prey came out in 2022, and I thought it looked good.  Just took me forever to watch it and I'm so glad I did.  I thought this was released in theaters, but it was a Hulu movie.  I really like this take on the Predator universe, set in the early 1700s.  I enjoyed the story and the ensuing fighty fighty between the Predator and the local Commanche warriors.  Naru, played by Amber Midthunder, is the Predator's foil in this take.  It's a good movie.  It's entertaining.  I liked the plot and characters.  Very enjoyable.  

Deadpool & Wolverine

Deadpool & Wolverine:  Finally got to see this one and I really enjoyed it.  As did I think everyone.  It did $1.3 billion worldwide, $636 million in the US alone.  You know what you are getting in a Deadpool movie - sarcasm, profanity, LOTS of profanity, the breaking of the third wall and over the top violence.  And somehow it really works.  I've never read his comics, but I've enjoyed these movies.  Add in Wolverine and it feels like these two characters were made to play off each other even though they are opposites.  Lots of timeline stuff, Deadpool variants, heroes from the Marvel universe and a ton of great Marvel and Fox superhero references.  Felt like 90% of the other characters that show up were leaked or shown on social media within two weeks of the movie's release.  I was ready to be "meh" about this movie, but it is funny and it works.  They did a great job of making this new and fun.  There are many breakdowns of films, but I enjoy New Rockstars and you can find their look at all the details you missed in the film here.  And there is so much you'll miss, so it's fun to go back and see the goodies we didn't catch with your first watch.

 

 

Justice League: The New Frontier Commemorative Edition

 Justice League: The New Frontier: This was a Christmas present and a good one.  The New Frontier is set in the 50s. It focuses on the Justice League who have to deal with a threat to the world.  Before that we get some background on the characters and their relationships which isn't the cohesive team it is today.  We also see some origin stories along the way.  I enjoyed the movie.  There were some parts early in the movie I was surprised about but it was all about setting up the dynamic between the heroes.  Good movie.  For a more comprehensive look at what the Commemorative Edition comes as well as additional plot details here. DC does such a good job with their animated movies and I'll definitely pick up more.

Damsel (2024)

Damsel is a fairly lighthearted action-adventure movie starring Millie Bobby Brown.  Damsel is a fantasy movie that sees a princess get married and then things go horribly wrong.  I won't give anything away but I'll say it wasn't as good as it could be.  It wasn't bad, and there was lots of promise but it felt like they didn't pressy any boundaries or give us anything that different with the storytelling.  I like Millie Bobby Brown, but this movie fell short for me.  This can be an easy watch if anyone wants to watch it.  I watched Damsel earlier this year and have no regrets giving it a shot.

 

Red One

Red One:  Watched this one on Friday with the seven-year-old grandson.  He liked it and I think I liked it more than most.  The reviews have been mixed to say the least.  They take a very different take on Santa Claus, The North Pole, and Christmas.  I do think they overthought it a bit too much, it could have kept it a basic action-adventure comedy and played up more of the supporting characters.  The movie is PG-13 but the movie feels like it didn't know what audience it was going for.   Me and the grandson also agreed some of our favorite characters didn't get enough screen time.  I did like the characters, the plot and this different take.  The execution just left a little bit to be desired.  I definitely think it will go into the rotation for the boys.  I look forward to hearing what others thought.