Annihilation is one of the better surprises of 2018 as going in my interest levels were mild at best after seeing the lackluster trailers. But afterwards, it is a movie that has been on my mind for all the good reasons and is a highlight performance from Natalie Portman.
Gringo isn’t exactly a memorable film, but as dark comedies go, a subgenre I generally don’t enjoy, did have its funny moments excelling with its darkly charismatic cast led by David Oyelowo and even a deliciously terrifying, but funny, performance by Charlize Theron.
The Strangers: Prey at Night is an uneven horror-thriller with certainly some positive things that worked, counteracted by neither a plot that really wasn’t all that interesting nor anything that was nearly that terrifying.
Red Sparrow is a mixed bag of a movie that excels on Jennifer Lawrence’s brave performance and some beautiful photography from both director Francis Lawrence and the cinematographer, but the film is bogged down by thinly written characters and a sometimes half-baked story and script.
I’m not giving the poor rating to the movie as it is a wonderful Eddie Murphy comedy vehicle, but instead it’s due to a lazy re-release.
I really like Trading Places and probably have seen it several times over the years, both in disc form and whenever it aired on TV. So, the rating isn’t about the movie but about this latest release which is only worthwhile for those who did not already own it.
Daphne & Velma was an unexpected treat even if it’s not exactly a necessity to really exist but I did have a fun time watching and at least actresses Jeffery and Gilman encompassed the characters nicely and it did feel like a Scooby-Doo film.
The House That Dripped Blood is a fun enough anthology movie that is mostly entertaining seeing this cast which includes Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Denholm Elliott and Jon Pertwee, even if they’re not all in the same scenes together.
The 15:17 to Paris is easily one of the worst movies of not only this year, but the past few years, and just a complete misfire for the usually great Clint Eastwood. While casting the real life heroes as themselves was a mistake, there were numerous other issues at play.
I’m not a big fan of the It’s Alive Trilogy or anything but understand its appeal amongst the horror crowd, especially in its simplicity given, at least in the first movie, you really don’t see the monster baby very much.
Game Night might not be one day some comedy classic but it is an awfully fun movie that features plenty of laughs and a entertaining ensemble cast led way by Jason Bateman, Rachel McAdams and, albeit a small part, Michael C. Hall.
Desolation isn’t a great indie thriller but has a few moments of actual suspense and I did mostly like the cast, otherwise it’s a forgettable film destined to be deeply discounted at some point.
Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure is a fun sci-fi/comedy/fantasy excelling with the chemistry between Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter as well as a great performance from George Carlin in a supporting role.
Black Panther isn’t a great comic book but a culturally significant one and does at least hold some entertainment value with a so-so plot though the villain portrayed by Michael B. Jordan was certainly the highlight.
12 Strong is a well done action-war-drama that tells an unknown story since the mission was previously classified. The performances from the core cast is well done with Chris Hemsworth showing off the grit and charm for the role and Michael Shannon always does.