War of the Worlds certainly is not top shelf Steven Spielberg and generally I didn’t like it quite as much as I did 15 years ago, however I will say the visual effects mostly held up and I can’t say I was ever bored.
Spies in Disguise is a pleasant animated feature for the entire family, with humor suitable for both kids and adults alike, and really excels with not only some great animation, but the voice talents of Smith and Holland were ideal for their roles.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker isn’t a terrible movie as there are a few entertaining moment and the performance from Adam Driver, the only consistent of the cast throughout this new trilogy.
Knives Out isn’t quite a masterpiece but certainly has roots in a classical Agatha Christie mystery with some modern, topical twists which at times come across as preachy. Other than that, however, this is a wonderful mystery-comedy with a fantastic ensemble.
1917 is a rare movie in these times and even rarer ones taking place during World War I. The performance from George MacKay is great but the biggest takeaway is the one-shot concept from director Sam Mendes which was pretty impressive.
Frozen II is a slight step up from the first film, though notable that I am in the minority as I wasn’t a big fan of that movie, and with this film at least the music was better.
Midway was a nice surprise as going in didn’t have much of any expectations, but found the action to be well done and features a fine ensemble cast, no one really standing out, and instead the air battles take center stage.
A Quiet Place isn’t a standout movie on its own, but does have a few standout moments and a few good performances including John Krasinski really coming into his own, leaving behind his character from The Office behind.
Doctor Sleep wasn’t the most enthralling film, but I did enjoy some of the performances, mostly Ewan McGregor and Rebecca Ferguson with a nod to young Kyliegh Curran, and the special attention writer-director Mike Flanagan paid to the material.
Color Out of Space might not have been completely my cup of tea as I prefer a more traditional horror, but I can acknowledge some of the creativity and there were a few great moments that presumably Lovecraft fans will appreciate.
The Hunt for Red October isn’t a favorite of mine within the film franchise but is still a well done, submarine-based thriller and Alec Baldwin made for a fine Jack Ryan, just a shame he couldn’t continue beyond this film.
Shutter Island is an effective psychological-thriller featuring some good performances from an impressive cast, but what stood out to me was Scorsese’s precision direction.
Terminator: Dark Fate is probably the movie that should have been made 10+ years ago as on the whole, the story was adequate, if not fully fleshed out, and I did like this cast, and newcomer Natalia Reyes was pretty impressive.
Game of Thrones: The Complete Eighth Season is probably the lesser of the series and the storylines didn’t quite gel and did feel rushed at times, though still left satisfied for the most part.
Gemini Mann is an expensive gimmick movie and once you strip away the technological element, and try to ignore the distraction of the frame rate, the plot is something that could be straight out of an episode of Jack Ryan.