Black Mass was a decent movie however with this cast lineup and an interesting figure in the history of mobsters, I didn’t find it terribly compelling and as good of a performance Depp gives, his look was distracting.
Spider-Man: No Way Home was probably my favorite of the “trilogy” with an okay story, albeit thin and on the contrived side, but the character and their developments were pretty entertaining.
The Middle-Earth: Ultimate Collector’s Edition set is a nice looking collection and a unique packaging that looks good on a bookshelf. The new features are fine and all and glad all of the commentaries are there, but disappointing that none of the extensive supplements were ported over.
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has announced the date and released artwork for the Middle Earth: Ultimate Collector’s Edition on 4K Ultra HD which includes both the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit Trilogies.
The Courier tells the incredible and mostly unknown story behind the Cuban Missile Crisis and features a great and transformative performance from the delightful Benedict Cumberbatch and is well worth a rental at the very least.
I wasn’t totally enamored with The Hobbit Trilogy in my initial viewings and the extended versions didn’t really change my mind, so the same issues remain although I can still appreciate some of the technical aspects at least.
The Focus Features: 10-Movie Spotlight Collection is a good selection of dramas, some better than others and one that is a personal favorite of mine (Lost in Translation). That being said, this is only worth picking up if you don’t own any of the 10 films, though the cost per movie is reasonable.
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.
Although at its core I don’t think Avengers Endgame was as strong compared to Infinity War, the emotional aspects however more than made up for it, and the biggest impact was Robert Downey Jr.’s fantastic performance.
Avengers: Infinity War was an amazing feat for comic book movies and although I don’t believe it’s the greatest one, it’s still a great accomplishment from all involved.
Thor: Ragnarok was a refreshingly great, even semi-retooling, of the franchise with more aims at comedy than the outlandish plot which bogged down the previous entries, the second especially. I thoroughly enjoyed the film and would gladly re-watch in the future.
While not the strongest of the numerous MCU films so far, Doctor Strange at least is still a fun flick helped more by the charisma of both Benedict Cumberbatch and Tilda Swinton more than a routine, thin plot and another forgettable villain.
Star Trek Into Darkness is a sometimes fun summer blockbuster featuring a great cast, decent story (even with some of the lazier plot points) and amazing visual effects. It’s a nice addition to the Star Trek franchise though my hopes any problems with the plot, or lack of originality, is corrected with the upcoming Star Trek Beyond.
Zoolander No. 2 might’ve had good intentions behind the camera for Ben Stiller and its cast, but the jokes rarely landed leaving us with the stupidity of the original without any of comedy. I can’t say I had a displeasured experience while watching, merely indifference and counting down the time until it would finally end.
Black Mass, although decent enough, is a disappointment considering the subject and a well rounded and respected cast headlined by the versatile Johnny Depp. However, in the end it felt underwhelming and pedestrian which is a shame as filmmaker Scott Cooper could be a respectable director.