Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu Movie (No Spoilers)

The Mandalorian and Grogu movie is good and I enjoyed it more than I expected.  I thought they did well adapting it to the big screen and it felt like a Star Wars movie while keeping the feel of the series.  A ton of action in the movie too.  As a Star Wars fan, I'm guarded going into movies now and this one coming from the television series gave me more pause.  But it was just fun.  The grandsons really enjoyed it and they are the toughest critics.  

Nuremberg

Nuremberg:  Really enjoyed Nuremberg which centers around the Germans on trial after World War II.  Specifically Hermann Göring who is played very well by Russell Crowe.  Also really good is Rami Malek who plays the psychiatrist (Douglass Kelley) who looks over the prisoner's well-being.  Michael Shannon also plays the lead US prosecutor and Lee Woodall plays Sergeant Howie Triest, an American soldier who is also German and the interpreter.  I point them all out as they are the focus of the film and all make it as good as it is.  There's a ton of information on the Nuremberg trials but this movie concentrates on a specific piece of the trials highlighted by the interactions of Göring and Kelley.  The movie is 2 1/2 hours long but both pop and I were very surprised at that as you never notice the length.  It jumps right into the story and even with the tough topics brought up it is as easy watch.  We are military history fans so it might be easier for us than others, but again this really is a good movie.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie

 Super Mario Galaxy:  I took the grandsons to this one last night and we enjoyed.  Plenty of action, fun and a good story.  I think this is better than the original that came out in 2023.  We also enjoyed that one.  This one did almost $60M over the first two days so it seems like this will be another big movie.  Again, it's fun and that's all we could ask for.

GOAT

GOAT:   Me and the grandsons watched this one this week in the theater.  We really enjoyed it.  The movies centers around a goat named Will.  He gets a chance to play roarball which is their version of basketball in this world filled with animals.  Since he's a "small" it's a very big deal as he joins the local professional team (Thorns).  It was just fun.  I liked the characters and it was paced well.  The movie has done over $140M worldwide so it must be doing something right.  Steph Curry was part of the movie development, is a producer, and also voices Lenny the Giraffe.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024)

 

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice came out last year and I finally got around to watching it.  I liked it.  As much as the orginal?  No.  But this one was entertaining.  It did a good job bringing back original characters while adding new ones including Astrid, Lydia's daughter, played by Jenna Ortega.  I won't over analyze this one.  I'll just say I liked it.  Happy Halloween!

Butterfly Kisses (2018)

Butterfly Kisses:  Butterfly Kisses falls into the found footage horror genre.  In this one, two college students invoke a local legend and document it on film.  Where it is different, is that a filmmaker finds the footage and tries to prove they it is real.  People don't believe him which spirals him into a bad place.  Add on top of that, the filmmaker is unlikable throwing in more questions about the footage.  The questions about the authenticity is where this sets it apart from other found footage movies.  I liked it.  It's not great but the subtle difference makes it a good watch.  The ending was not as fulfilling as I would want but it doesn't mean you shouldn't watch the movie.  Its newish take on the genre is good. 

The Black Phone (2021)

The Black Phone sequel is in theaters now, so I decided to give the original a watch and I'm glad I did.  The plot and acting are good.  I won't give too much away but it's set in the 70s amidst children being abducted and has the suspense you're looking for in this type of film.  I recommend this one.  

Jeepers Creepers: Reborn (2022)

Jeepers Creepers: Reborn isn't a movie I was aware of.  I watched this one based on my like of the first two in the series.  That was a mistake.  I should have looked up ratings.  It's a low budget movie sucking in folks like me who liked the others.  I've seen worse and I liked the premise when I read it.  It was just the plot, acting and how the movie is done that turned me off.

I enjoy the original Jeepers Creepers and Jeepers Creepers 2.  They are both flawed but I do like them.  Jeepers Creepers 3 was bad.  I guess there is a Jeepers Creepers Returns.  Better ratings than this one but after watching the trailer I'm out on it.  

Slender Man (2018)

Slender Man came out in 2018. When I saw it pop up on my horror search, I wanted to give it a try.  It is alright.  Not great. Fairly easy watch but for some reason I thought it had done better in the theater and in reviews.  Typical teens make a poor decision and bad things involving a supernatural entity ensue.  I don't see myself rewatching it.  I wasn't invested in the main characters as much I would have liked, and the plot wasn't engaging.

There is some controversy around this mythical figure as there were real life events involving Slender Man that almost cost a youth their life.  There was another movie, Mercy Black, released based on the character as well.  

Fear Street: Prom Queen (2025)

FSPQ:  I definitely wanted to do two separate posts in regard to the Fear Street movies.  This one isn't the same as those three movies and has a different tone.  It takes on the horror trope of prom gone wrong.  I liked many things about the movie while there were a few disjointed parts and pieces.  It's an easy watch and it has a classic horror vibe.  The connections to the original trilogy are subtle and they could be missed.  Watch the post credit scenes.  If you watch the trilogy then there's no reason not to watch this one but don't surprised with a bit different take here.

Fear Street Anthology: 1994, 1978, 1666

I'm not sure why I never posted something about the Fear Street anthology but it's worth the note.  This one came out on Netflix in 2021 and iss one I really enjoyed.  There were three movies:  Fear Street: Part One - 1994, Fear Street: Part Two - 1978, Fear Street: Part Three - 1666.  Residents on Fear Street are terrorized by a satanic entity.  The source of this evil goes back 300 years and is interconnected by the cities of Sunnydale and Shadyside. These movies do a good job going back through time to see how we got to where we are in 1994.  They weave this throughout the three timelines while not making it too complicated.  It's a fairly straightforward watch and enjoyable.  I thought Netflix did a good job on this one.

The Jester (2023)

The Jester:  I didn't want to scroll forever looking for a horror movie to watch and found The Jester on Roku.  It was the look of the bad guy who pulled me.  I'll say it was watchable but really wasn't that good.  Again, I like the look of the Jester himself.  The plot itself just didn't suck me nor did the characters.  The basic plot is the Jester torments two sisters after their father dies.  I just couldn't get invested.  I don't mind taking chances on horror movies.  Nothing lost here.

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.