Angel Has Fallen is pretty much in-line with the first two movies, meaning they’re fine time-wasters but not top-of-the-line action-thrillers and it is on the predictable side. Still, thanks to Gerard Butler and the indispensible Morgan Freeman, it still was an entertaining thriller.
Wonder Woman: Bloodlines unfortunately is not only one of the lesser within the DC Animated Universe but arguably the worst and continues a bit of a slide following the disappointing Reign of the Supermen, and the poorly scripted Batman: Hush.
Hobbs & Shaw is a weak entry within the franchise for sure and although I do like both Johnson and Statham and their respective characters, but having them bickering at one another reminded me that perhaps less is more.
Universal Soldier is a flawed film, even a little amateurish in some respects especially with the direction by Emmerich, but still a fun enough flick pairing up Van Damme and Lundgren.
Scarface might not rank up there with other classics in the crime-drama genre, but it’s a great film combining the talents of Oliver Stone’s scriptwriting and Brian De Palma’s direction, alongside the performances by Pacino, Pfeiffer and Mastrantonio.
Red Heat is a sometimes engaging and entertaining 1980s-era actioner but the pairing of Arnold Schwarzenegger and John Belushi never had much of on-screen chemistry, though if you’re a fan of action schlock, probably worth checking out.
The Shining is a great and eerie atmospheric horror-thriller that might feature Jack Nicholson’s best performance, at least early on, only later when going full-on psycho, but still an entertaining flick from Stanley Kubrick.
Gremlins is a very good mid-80s film that I might not have loved but still an enjoyable viewing experience every time I’ve seen it over the years, and has excellent special effects with the Mogwais.
Pan’s Labyrinth is an amazingly creative movie from filmmaker Guillermo del Toro and while I’m not totally in love with it, the visuals combined with a deeply tragic setting, the film does resonate.
Anna might not break new ground and could be considered a second-rate La Femme Nikita or, more recently, Atomic Blonde, but it still was rather entertaining and Sasha Luss in her first major role actually was pretty decent.
X-Men: Dark Phoenix is by no means terrible but it certainly is a weak ending to a franchise and the main issue with this movie is lacked any real emotion, even though the technical aspects weren’t bad.
John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum isn’t a great entry into the franchise due to a weak storyline and character decision-making not making much sense; the action itself still was highly entertaining and even exhilarating; however I do hope the filmmakers find a better balance with story and action in the next film.
Daybreakers is actually a pretty innovative vampire horror film giving viewers an interesting world run by vampires, running short on human blood to survive. The highlight, as he is in most films good and bad, is Willem Dafoe.
Rambo is an excellent entry into the vaunted franchise and a much needed boost after the disappointing third film. Stallone was in top form and still was believable that he could still kick ass.
Godzilla: King of the Monsters is a movie I had little expectations for considering, at least from memory, not caring a whole lot for the previous entry, but even then, the film feels every bit of its 2+ hour running time and features paper-thin characters.