Book Club: The Next Chapter may be cheesy, but this type of cast can bring out some great moments!!!

Real Rating: 3 Gondolas

What I Like:

-The chemistry between the main cast is pleasant, and it is why it makes this film very watchable
-The cinematography of the country of Italy is stupendous

The So So:

-There was a lot of good moments, even some with an emotional punch, but there were times where it was way to corny with their comedy and what not, but some of the comedy did make me chuckle

What I Didn’t Like:

-It is way too predictable with these ladies trip to Italy, it was almost like clockwork with the way the story went down

Overall:

It is a nice and charming film. The cast showed great chemistry. The story was predictable, but the charm with their humor and emotional impact makes it a nice movie. Can it be cheesy at times, yes it can, but you can look over that and enjoy it for what it is. Italy fans will have a ball with this one!!!

Real Rating:

3 Gondolas

The Mother has cool action scenes with Jennifer Lopez, but it is a cliched action movie!!!

Real Rating:

3 Wolves

What I Like:

-Just seeing the cool action and fight scenes makes it worthwhile to watch, Jennifer Lopez proves once again that she can be an action star, and it was fun seeing her kick butt

The So So:

-It did feel like two or three movies in one which changes the flow dramatically, but for me, it is not too distracting

What I Didn’t Like:

-If you see one action movie, you practically seen them all, it had all the cliches on an action movie check list which makes it that much predictable
-The emotional moments in this film did not feel genuine

Overall:

For a movie on Netflix starring Jennifer Lopez as an action star, it is not bad. I believe Netflix was the appropriate destination for this film. You can enjoy seeing JLo kicking some butt. Yes it can be cliched for an action movie, but you can’t complain too much since it is on Netflix. So you can sit back, relax, and enjoy JLo in a action movie!!!

Real Rating:

3 Wolves

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 may be the weakest of the trilogy, but it still has some great and fun moments for us to enjoy!!!

Real Rating:

4 Face Offs

What I Like:

-This movie had a lot of fun moments, like the action scene with the Beastie Boys song “No Sleep Till Brooklyn,” was awesome, and it also pack some emotional punches like the character development of Rocket Racoon, it won’t disappoint in that standard
-The special effects is what you expected, great
-Also, as usual, the soundtrack didn’t disappoint

The So So:

-The one part that was hit or miss for me was the comedy, I thought their schtick got old real quickly, and not as funny as the first two films, it still has moments where I laughed, but not as much as I wanted to laugh

What I Didn’t Like:

-I didn’t really care for the character of Adam Warlock, I felt his appearance was unnecessary, and I’m willing to bet that the comic book snobs will hate it for sure

Overall:

As I said before, I thought this was the weakest of the trilogy. However, it is like the nastiest chocolate in the chocolate box, but it is still chocolate. The action and emotional moments were great, but the comedy was subpar and wearing out its welcome. Regardless, it was still a great installment in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, and for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. You will still have fun watching it, especially with that soundtrack!!!

(Sidenote: Marlowe – This is neo-noir mystery film starring Liam Neeson as famed detective Phillip Marlowe. It is sort of a remake of the famous character, and though I enjoyed the acting, costume, and production design, the mystery story was sort of boring. It was hard for me to be attentive of what is going on, and the payoff was whatever for me. At least I enjoyed the way they made the film, but not the execution!!!
Real Rating: 3 Studios)

Big George Foreman can by a by the numbers biopic, but I still find George Foreman’s life interesting to watch!!!

Real Rating:

3.5 Knockouts

What I Like:

-I always known of the boxer George Foreman, but I never knew how his life went, I found it all interesting of all the things he endured which can be inspiring
-I thought Khris Davis playing George Foreman was fine, but who I really enjoyed was Sullivan Jones playing Muhammed Ali, he really took that role and played that great boxer well

The So So:

-The film didn’t lag at all which is a good thing for me, but it did seem to shift around very quickly instead of giving us a chance to marinate on what just happened

What I Didn’t Like:

-It is a formulaic biopic, it almost seems like his life was one big cliche

Overall:

Despite all the run by the numbers biopic formula, I still found the story of George Foreman fascinating. It can be inspirational, and it really portrays how much of a good man he really is, and how much he has grown. I always respected him, and after this film I respect him even more!!!

Real Rating:

3.5 Knockouts

Peter Pan and Wendy has its moments, but once again with these remakes, it is the same old story with better graphics!!!

Real Rating:

3.5 Pirate Swords

What I Like:

-The acting was fine in this film, I thought Jude Law playing Captain Hook was good and a well grounded character which made him intriguing, and Jim Gaffigan playing Mr. Smee didn’t have an ounce of Jim Gaffigan we know, it was a smarter Mr. Smee
-The graphics for this film is definitely top notch for the most part

The So So:

-I really do give credit for this movie in avoiding the overt racism and actually add more diversity with their characters, like making Tinkerbell black, but with The Lost Boys adding ladies to it is a good thing, but why are they still called The Lost Boys, kind of defeat the purpose of what they are trying to do

What I Didn’t Like:

-Even though the graphics, acting, and diversity are major pluses, but in the end it is practically the same old story which is the major problem for these live action remakes, it really does make it unoriginal

Overall:

We can appreciate everything they were trying to do for this film. It is not one of my favorite Disney classic films, but I can appreciate how they try to make it better. Emphasis on try. However, as usual with these live action remakes, it is still the same old story. It just look a lot better graphically. In the end, it is on Disney+, and it really isn’t a waste of time to watch. It is one of the better ones since Hook!!!

Real Rating:

3.5 Pirate Swords

The Covenant is a Guy Ritchie movie that had good action, but also some heart!!!

Real Rating:

4 Visas

What I Like:

-You get what you get in regards to action in a Guy Ritchie movie, in this case, some good war action, that was expected
-What wasn’t expected was the amount of heart this story was about honor, the leads Jake Gyllenhaal and Dar Salim showed some great chemistry among themselves that showed some true professional emotion

The So So:

-Is it like any other war movie, yes it can be, is it heavy handed about how bad the military system is, yes it can be, but did it entertain, that is a yes as well

What I Didn’t Like:

-It is three things in one like a tv series where the themes are completely different, and it does seem disjointed at times

Overall:

With all the tropes of a Guy Ritchie and a war film, this was entertaining to watch. It kept you engaged with the war action and thrills, and it gave heart with the main theme of the film which keeps you satisfied. I like films like this, because in the end, you feel motivated to do what is right. It does it’s job just right!!!

Real Rating:

4 Visas

Renfield may be predictable, but it still has a comedic charm and bloodtastic action!!!

Real Rating:

3.5 Bugs

What I Like:

-It was funny, I was laughing at many things with their dialogue, and that was one of the main reasons it kept me engaged
-The action was fun, I did expect some over the top stuff, and the bloodtastic action definitely did it for me, it became what I expected
-What made it work is the acting, Nicolas Cage as Count Dracula is what you expected, but I did like seeing Nicholas Hoult playing Renfield, he has a certain charm to his character for everyone to like

The So So:

-It was very, very predictable, but for a story like this, it worked, you have to make things so over the top, that you forget about the predictability, and that’s what happened

What I Didn’t Like:

-Awkafina’s voice as usual

Overall:

You get what you expect with a Nic Cage movie nowadays, but add a charming Nicholas Hoult to this action/horror/comedy, you get something different and worthwhile of your watching. The bloody over the top action will keep you engaged, the comedic dialogue will make you laugh, and the rest of the acting will keep you entertained enough to forget how a predictable monster film it really is. There is rumors this might be part of the MonsterVerse which I don’t know how that works. At least it will make us forget that dreadful The Mummy movie, and have a bloody good time with Nic Cage as Count Dracula!!!

Real Rating:

3.5 Bugs

Mafia Mamma was just a badly written Breaking Bad type of story that may seem interesting, but horribly executed!!!

Real Rating:

2.5 Spits

What I Like:

-Toni Collette works well with what she got, and does look like she is having fun in her role, I can say the same for Monica Belluci

The So So:

-The premise of this story is intriguing, but it does sound like a badly written Breaking Bad comedy that didn’t quite work

What I Didn’t Like:

-The execution of this film is pretty bad, some of the fight and shooting choreography looked horrific, the make up looked like an amateaur had did it, and the comedy just felt way too forced for my liking
-The male toxilinity theme was way to heavy handed for this

Overall:

I like a good mob movie. Even if it is a comedy as long as it is intriguing enough. For this one, it was intriguing, but in the end the execution of everything was just straight up bad. The jokes didn’t seem to work, and all the action looked like it was made from an amateaur filmmaker. At least it wasn’t boring to watch, but in the end nothing made sense. It is like they want to do a comedy of Breaking Bad/The Sopranos type of ordeal, but failed horrifically!!!

Real Rating:

2.5 Spits

The Super Mario Bros. Movie is fun for the family, but I felt it was too much fan service that makes the story thin!!!

Real Rating:

3.5 Toads

What I Like:

-The animation was awesome, all the different worlds you see was designed beautifully, and all the action was straight up eye candy
-It is fun enough for the whole family to enjoy
-The voice cast was fine, all that hate on Chris Pratt as Mario was just dumb, but I also enjoyed Charlie Day as Luigi, Jack Black as Bowser, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad, Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong and Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, plus there were some surprises here and there to enjoy

The So So:

-There was a lot of fan service, and to me I believe it is too much, like it had to pick and choose doing the Donkey Kong game (and possibly Super Smash Brothers), and Mario Karts which both were fun in their own way, but it just felt a little overwhelming

What I Didn’t Like:

-With all the fan service, I felt that it affected the storyline, it felt rushed and tried to put way too much stuff in a hour and a half movie, let alone there are some plot holes in it as well

Overall:

It was a decent film. It is fun with its animation and action. The parts I didn’t really like is not what you all think. It was the oversaturated fan service that kind of affected it for me. It is not for the voice cast which seem to get all the flack, and unmerited flack. The voice cast is what made it fun as well. Only wish the story was a lot better, but it is enough to get by for a sequel. Hopefully they will improve the story then, and focus on one thing. Regardless, I still hope for a Super Smash Brothers collaborative film. Fingers crossed!!!

Real Rating:

3.5 Toads

Air is a great dramatization where the acting sells you on everything!!!

Real Rating:

4 Jordan 1’s

What I Like:

-It is a great drama about the rise of Nike, and the process of getting Michael Jordan to be the face of the franchise, and what made it work was the acting especially by Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Jason Bateman, and Viola Davis, all of them combined really made this drama about a shoe company work

The So So:

-There is a lot business talk and jargon, but for this film to work it needed to develop where the business was, and show how it became to be, and they did a good job of not making it boring, instead, it was entertaining, especially when some of the characters go at it with each other, it was comedic gold, I give credit to Ben Affleck’s direction for that regard

What I Didn’t Like:

-Minor SPOILER – The fact that they didn’t show Jordan’s face really didn’t do it for me, I’m sure they have their reasons, but I’m willing to bet is because Jordan didn’t want it to happen, I can’t prove it, but I’m 95% sure that was the reason, because Jordan is like that, especially if he is not getting any money for it, which he didn’t

Overall:

This is a drama film about Nike that really worked well. The acting, the dialogue, and the direction made this film interesting enough, and even entertaining. It was almost like this film is trying to sell me their Jordan 1, and I’m in. It is my favorite Jordan shoe, and still looking for the green ones. Anyways, it is a good film for people who like drama, and even for people who like sports. You get the best of both worlds!!!

Real Rating:

4 Jordan 1’s

(Sidenote: House Party – I am a fan of the original two House Party movies, and was sort of looking forward to this one. With that said, it may have some laughs and fun cameos, but there was a lot of misses with their jokes. The story was also very thin, predictable, and even at times dumb. With that said, watch it at your risks!!!
Real Rating: 2.5 Koalas)