The Kid Who Would Be King


Directed By: Joe Cornish
Rating: PG
Grade: B-







Mortal Engines


Directed By: Christian Rivers
Rating: PG-13
Grade: B-






Happy Death Day 2U


Directed By: Christopher Landon
Rating: PG-13
Grade: B+

After surviving the events of a time loop which made her repeat her birthday over and over again until she’s murdered by a mysterious figure in a baby mask, Tree Gelbman is ready to start living her best life with her boyfriend, Carter. However, her happiness is short-lived when Carter’s dorm mate, Ryan, shows up in their shared room freaking out and talking about how he thinks he may have already lived through the day. Intrigued, Tree asks Ryan to walk her and Carter through the events that happened the previous ‘day,’ and discovers not only why Ryan reset, but why she was affected in a similar manner the day before, however, when a school official interrupts a test of the machine responsible for the time loops, Tree is thrown into a parallel universe where most things are the same, but a few, small, important details have changed. Tasked with trying to figure out what went wrong, Tree soon has to decide whether she wants to go back to her own universe, or stay in the one she landed in.

While marketed as a horror movie, this sequel to 2017’s surprisingly enjoyable slasher flick is more science fiction than horror. While there are still people being murdered, it’s no longer Tree’s life that’s in constant danger, though she does go through a sequence of increasingly outlandish ways to commit suicide, and the main plot is trying to fix the device that sent her into a parallel universe. That aside, this movie is also quite enjoyable. The small changes between the two universes Tree experiences helps her gain further closure with plot points from the first movie, and lets her have experiences she wouldn’t have been able to have.

A couple of the effects used are noticeable, but most aren’t, and the background filler isn’t noticeable.

If you enjoyed the first movie, then you’ll probably like this one as well, and with the lack of gore, anyone who’s not a fan of horror movies should also like it. There’s a small recap at the beginning of the movie, which means people new to the franchise don’t necessarily need to watch the first installment. It’s also enjoyable enough that one should be able to rewatch it without getting bored too easily.


Crazy Rich Asians


Directed By: Jon M. Chu
Starring: Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeoh, Gemma Chan, Lisa Lu, Awkwafina, Harry Shum, Jr., Ken Jeong, Sonoya Mizuno, Chris Pang,
Rating: PG-13
Grade: A

When NYU professor Rachel Chu agrees to accompany her boyfriend, Nick Young, to China to attend his best friend’s wedding, and meet Nick’s family in the process, she has no idea what to expect. However, even in her wildest fantasies she couldn’t have imagined that her boyfriend comes from one of the wealthiest and oldest families in China, or that Nick himself is Asia’s most eligible bachelor. Upon arriving, Rachel has to not only contend with Nick’s extremely disapproving mother, but also the scheming socialites who believe that he would be better off with ‘one of his own’. With some help from a friend from college and one of Nick’s outcast cousins, Rachel does her best to outshine the glittering jewels of Singapore high society and show them that wealth doesn’t always equal worth.

I rarely see Romantic Comedies in theaters since they all seem to be better off viewed from the comfort of one’s own couch, but I made an exception for this movie. Crazy Rich Asians is one of the few major movie productions to feature an entirely Chinese cast since 1993’s Joy Luck Club, and its rampant success has since helped make small steps toward more diverse casting choices in Hollywood productions, which is always a good thing. While the storyline itself is rather simple and typical for a RomCom, it really is the cast that makes this movie a standout. From Michelle Yeoh’s understated disapproval, to Awkwafina’s scene-stealing and Gemma Chan’s almost ethereal presence, the actors all work wonderfully together and bring Kevin Kwan’s book to life beautifully.

The few special effects are fairly good, and the background filler isn’t noticeable.

Anyone who can tolerate Romantic Comedies should enjoy this movie, since it doesn’t quite follow the cookie-cutter pattern that plagues most ones made these days. The refreshingly somewhat original story and delightful cast also keep the movie from grating too much on rewatches.

Crazy Rich Asians is currently not available free to stream anywhere at the moment unless you have HBO, but can be rented through Redbox or Netflix home delivery, or purchased at any participating store or on-line retailer.



Directed By: James Wan
Rating: PG-13
Grade: B

Born to a human man and the Queen of Atlantis, Arthur Curry has grown up always knowing he was of two vastly different worlds. In the aftermath of joining the Justice League and assisting them, Arthur has been helping fight crimes in the oceans and seas, earning himself the name of Aquaman. However, after a woman named Mera arrives and tells Arthur that his younger half-brother, Orm, is planning on taking control of the divided factions of Atlanteans and waging a war on the surface world, Arthur begrudgingly accepts that the time has come for him to take his place among the Atlanteans and try to protect the surface world he loves.

One of DC’s attempts to build an integrated world in the same vein as the MCU, Aquaman is surprisingly not terrible. While it’s not perfect, it’s definitely a step in the right direction for the DCEU. The storyline is decent, and makes for a good introduction to the character, which was glossed over in his ‘Justice League’ debut, though there is an unnecessary subplot involving a character some have guessed to be the planned villain for the eventual sequel. While I’m not a huge fan of Amber Heard, she seems to do a decent job here and she has chemistry with Jason Momoa. Nicole Kidman does a good job with her small role as Arthur’s mother, Queen Atlanna, which is her first comic book role.

The special effects aren’t the best I’ve ever seen, but they’re not the worst either, and the background filler is not noticeable.

Despite the somewhat unnecessary subplot, this movie is still enjoyable. The biggest problem is that this movie came after ‘Justice League,’ which was DC’s attempt to catch up with the MCU in terms of a centralized, integrated universe, which, honestly, someone could fill a book about. Still, as more of the individual movies are made, DC gains a bit more traction back. Since it doesn’t rely heavily on previous installments, it can be watched without having seen the other ‘Justice League’-verse movies.


Russian Doll Season 1


Rating: TV-MA
Network: Netflix
Grade: A








Directed By: M. Night Shyamalan
Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, James McAvoy, Bruce Willis, Anya Taylor-Joy, Sarah Paulson, Spencer Treat Clark, Charlayne Woodard, Luke Kirby,
Rating: PG-13
Grade: A

After former security guard David Dunn tracks down and aids in the capture of The Horde, the savage alter ego of Kevin Wendell Crumb, he himself is arrested and placed in a mental institution with not only Crumb, but Elijah Price, the man who attempted to murder him nearly 20 years earlier. As the three are held, they are interviewed by Dr. Ellie Staple, who attempts to convince them that they do not, in fact, have super powers, and that the amazing feats they have accomplished are merely a coincidence.

The final movie in M. Night Shyamalan’s superhero trilogy is an excellent addition to the writer/director’s rocky filmmaking career. While his ending twist isn’t quite as shocking as his Sixth Sense reveal, it’s still enough to make you stop and think for a little while. Jackson and Willis slip easily back into the roles they haven’t played in two decades, and McAvoy again gives a scene-stealing performance as someone with multiple personalities. Sarah Paulson’s performance as the therapist tasked with convincing the others that there is no such thing as superheroes is well done and infused with just enough insistence to make you wonder if there’s something she’s not telling you.

The special effects are well done, and the background filler is not noticeable.

As stated before, this movie is a step towards Shyamalan’s previous status as a masterful storyteller. After years of missteps, he seems to be getting his feet back under him. Anyone who liked the previous two installments of this trilogy, ‘Unbreakable’ and ‘Split’, should like this movie, though it’s not really necessary to watch them to enjoy it as they do a quick review of them in the movie. It should also appeal to anyone who’s a fan of the main actors, as well as anyone looking for slightly different type of action/drama.


Everything, Everything


Directed By: Stella Meghie
Starring: Amandla Stenberg, Nick Robinson, Anika Noni Rose, Ana de la Reguera, Taylor Hickson, Danube Hermosillo, Dan Payne, et. al.
Rating: PG-13
Grade: B

Seventeen year old Maddy has been raised in near-isolation due to having a compromised immune system. With her entire world thus far consisting of her mother, nurse, on-line support group, and the books she reads, she becomes drawn to Olly, the boy who has moved in next door. At first only communicating with him through text messages and e-mail, Maddy quickly finds herself falling in love. After several weeks of messages and short meetings when her mother isn’t around, Maddy decides that she’s tired of only reading about the world, and asks Olly come with her when she runs away to experience life for herself. However, after becoming ill on her trip, Maddy receives news that makes her question everything she thought she knew about her life and her illness.

While the basic storyline is typical of most YA novels and the movies made from them, this movie does a good job of showing just how far some parents will go to keep their child safe, and gives an eerie portrayal of Munchausen-by-proxy. Beyond that, the story is a typical boy-meets-girl trope that one finds in nearly every teen book/movie. Stenberg and Robinson, both rising stars in their own right, do a good job with the material they’re given to work with, and manage to make you care about their characters. The reveal toward the end of the movie is somewhat surprising, though you can sort of see it coming if you look for the signs.

What few special effects are used are pretty good, and the background filler goes unnoticed.

Like most adaptations of YA novels, this movie is more likely to appeal to teenage girls than anyone else. While the story is interesting and well the movie is well-made, it’s still something that won’t appeal to most people. Those who do enjoy it will likely be able to watch is more than once without tiring of it.

Everything, Everything is currently not available free to stream, but it can be rented through Redbox or Netflix home delivery, or purchased at any participating store or on-line retailer.

Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase


Directed By: Katt Shea
Starring: Sophia Lillis, Zoe Renee, Mackenzie Graham, Andrea Anders, Laura Wiggins, Sam Trammell, Linda Lavin, Andrew Matthew Welch, et. al.
Rating: PG
Grade: A-

After moving to River Heights from Chicago following her mother’s death, Nancy Drew struggles to fit in. After one of her friends is bullied on-line, her plan to humiliate the culprit goes awry when she’s caught and forced into community service for the rest of the summer. However, she soon meets Flora, an eccentric older woman who claims that her house is haunted. Not one to ignore a mystery, Nancy agrees to look into the haunting for Flora, despite learning that her granddaughter is the girlfriend of the boy who humiliated Nancy’s friend. After experiencing the haunting for herself and finding evidence that a person is behind it, Nancy becomes determined to find out who is harassing Flora and what they want from her.

This version of Nancy Drew is far better than the previous attempt to translate the classic tween novels into a movie. It portrays Nancy as fallible and more human, instead of slightly obnoxious, overachieving perfectionist who’s always right. While it does make some significant changes from the novel (in the books Bess and George are cousins and Hannah is an elderly housekeeper instead of Carson’s sister) the movie is based on, they don’t detract from the story as a whole and shouldn’t bother anyone unless they’re a die-hard fan of the books.

The special effects are decent, and the background filler goes unnoticed.

Just about everyone should enjoy this movie. The story is interesting, and while it certainly won’t win any awards, it’s definitely better than it might seem on first glance. They manage to balance out modernizing the classic series and maintaining the mystery of the original source material. It’s also interesting enough that it shouldn’t grate on repeat viewings.

Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase is currently not available free to stream, but it can be rented through Redbox or Netflix home delivery, or purchased at any participating store or on-line retailer.

The Umbrella Academy


Starring: Ellen Page, Tom Hopper, David Castañeda, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Robert Sheehan, Aidan Gallagher, Mary J. Blige, Cameron Britton, Adam Godly, Sheila McCarthy, Justin H. Min, Colm Feore,
Rating: TV-14
Network: Netflix
Grade: A

On one day in October 1989, 43 women across the world all gave birth at precisely the same time, despite the fact that none of them were pregnant when they woke up that morning. Eccentric scientist Sir Reginald Hargreeves adopted seven of these children and trained them to be superheroes at what he called The Umbrella Academy. Years later, when the five remaining Hargreeves children reunite after their father suddenly dies, their ‘missing’ brother returns stating he is actually a 58 year old man trapped in his teenage body, and tells them they only have a week to prevent the apocalypse from happening. As they attempt to figure out what triggered the apocalypse, secrets are revealed and their bond as siblings is tested.

This is a somewhat refreshing take on the superhero genre, showing the consequences of raising superpowered children in relative isolation from the world, particularly when one of those children is raised to believe that they are the only ‘ordinary’ child amongst extraordinary siblings, as well as showing how growing up with powers affects them into adulthood. The acting is well done, and the actors playing the Hargreeves children all have decent chemistry. Aidan Gallagher does a good job playing someone older than they appear to be, and Ellen Page shows the thinly-veiled bitterness of being the only ‘ordinary’ sibling and the desperation to be thought of as an equal by her siblings.

The special effects are all well done, as is the background filler.

While this show won’t appeal to everyone, anyone who enjoys comic adaptations and superhero stories should enjoy it. The storyline is solid and there’s not much in the way of filler. It should hold up to repeat viewings without getting too old too quick.

The Umbrella Academy is currently only available to stream through Netflix, with no word as to whether or not they plan to make it available on video.