Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo

Screenplay written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely

Based on the Marvel Comics by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby 

Starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo and Scarlett Johansson

Caution for potential spoilers ahead!

11 years ago, Marvel released the first Iron Man movie, and nothing has been the same since. Every year since then, Marvel has released movie after movie introducing us to more and more amazing superheroes to fall in love with, and more villains to root against. Every year I kept thinking how could they top themselves, then they released last years Avengers: Infinity War which merged many Marvel superheroes including The Avengers, Black Panther, Doctor Strange and more. After that movie ended with such a cliffhanger, myself and every other Marvel fan have been eagerly awaiting Endgame-- dare I say, the glorious, bittersweet end to the past 11 years. 

The movie begins just a short amount of time after the tragic events at the end of Infinity War. The remaining Avengers; Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), James Rhodes (Don Cheadle) and Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper) are joined by Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), Nebula (Karen Gillan) and Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) and together they plan to track down Thanos (Josh Brolin) and steal the infinity stones to reverse the actions they caused. After Thanos reveals that he already destroyed the stones, Thor kills him. The movie then picks up 5 years later, with Scott Lang aka Ant-Man (Paul Rudd), returning from the Quantum Realm and proposing that they travel back in time through the Quantum Realm to stop Thanos from ever getting the 6 infinity stones. 

This movie is an amazing way to reward all the loyal Marvel fans who have been following these heroes for more than a decade on screen. Everything that happens in this movie is so incredibly satisfying for someone who has seen all the movies. The time traveling aspect may seem a little corny at first, but it is actually the perfect way to bring in some characters from all the other movies one last time, and to give some characters the happy ending they deserve. The merging between the different movies in Endgame is even better than in Infinity War-- as this time we get to see some characters from Thor, Doctor Strange, Captain America and even the latest lady hero, Captain Marvel. 

For those who maybe haven't seen every Marvel movie from the past 11 years, you will still thoroughly enjoy this movie you may just miss some references, or you may not cry so hard with nostalgia like the rest of us!  

The Marvel movies have always had a lot of comic relief thrown in with the action, but this one seemed to hit harder with the comedy. It seemed to hit harder with all the emotions actually. Thor brings a lot of comedy, since he is now an alcoholic with a beer gut and no more chizzled abs. His character has gone through tremendous loss and is experiencing a lot of guilt from not killing Thanos, so he is in rough shape in the beginning of the movie. But, his condition does give for some big laughs. Even though this film has less of the characters we know and love, it adds a few of the older ones we didn't get to see in Infinity War like Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and Ant-Man. 

As fas as acting performances go, Chris Hemsworth wins the gold with his new version of chubby and sad Thor. Robert Downey Jr. brings some real change to Tony this time around, while he's no longer the arrogant and selfish man he has been in the past. Paul Rudd is fantastically hilarious again as Ant-Man, Mark Ruffalo brings a new level of acceptance for being The Hulk, Scarlett Johansson brings a lot of emotion this time around to Black Widow, Brie Larson is a bad-ass as Carol Danvers, saving the day more than once.  The whole cast does an amazing job. I was so happy with the smaller cameos from people like; Tessa Thompson (Valkyrie), Rene Russo (Frigga), Evangeline Lilly (The Wasp), Hayley Atwell (Peggy Carter), John Slattery (Howard Stark) and Tilda Swinton (The Ancient One). 

The 3 hour run time may seem a little daunting at first, but it flies by with all the non-stop excitement. It pays homage to not only the Avengers but the Marvel Cinematic Universe, so brilliantly it will give you goosebumps, make you laugh and undoubtedly cry. There is a scene of the Marvel women all together that did all three for me actually, I thought I would combust. 

10/10

Widows (2018)

Directed by Steve McQueen

Screenplay written by Steve McQueen and Gillian Flynn

Based on "Widows" by Lynda La Plante

Starring Viola Davis, Liam Neeson, Michelle Rodriguez and Elizabeth Debicki 

Normally, a crime drama movie like this isn't really up my alley. Not to say there are not plenty of crime based drama movies that are very good and suspenseful, it's just not a genre of movies I enjoy that much. I gave Widows a chance because 1. It was free to watch on a flight I was on, and 2. It is starring Viola Davis. Any movie that features Viola Davis yelling and slapping people, and is readily available for my free entertainment, is a movie for me.

Set in modern day Chicago, the film follows three women; Veronica (Viola Davis), Alice (Elizabeth Debicki) and Amanda (Michelle Rodriguez)-- whose lives are connected by the sudden deaths of their husbands, whom were all working together on a heist. When Veronica learns that her husband Harry (Liam Neeson) owed 2 million dollars to a malicious crime boss and politician, she enlists the help of the other widows whose husbands were involved with this shady activity. The women must attempt to pull off a 5 million dollar heist to pay off the dangerous politician and keep their own lives afloat.

Widows has a few sub-plots that were kind of confusing. Colin Farrell has a role in the movie as another politician who is running against Jamal Manning (Brian Tyree Henry), Carrie Coon plays another widow who never really becomes involved in the heist but still makes a few cameos in the movie. There was just too many stories all trying to connect and it got a bit confusing and cluttered at times. However, McQueen sets out to make an entertaining, crime thriller and that is what he does successfully. With previous titles like the Indie drama, Shame and the Oscar winner 12 Years a Slave, McQueen brings us something very different from his past work with Widows. 

The cast is what ultimately brings life to this movie. While Davis brings so much strength to anything she even makes a small cameo in, its the supporting cast that really impressed me. Elizabeth Debicki's character goes through some real development while she starts out as a damaged, vulnerable widow and turns into this bad-ass independent women. Michelle Rodriguez brings her normal level of feistiness. Daniel Kaluuya plays the henchmen for the crime boss, and his character is devilishly psychotic.

Overall this movie was satisfying, with the tension building up the whole movie to a very suspenseful ending. Sure there are a few plot holes, but in the end who does't love the idea of a group of bad-ass widows taking on one of the scariest crime lords of Chicago. Definitely a better female driven heist movie than Ocean's Eight. 

6/10

Someone Great (2019)

Directed by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson

Written by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson 

Starring Gina Rodriguez, LaKeith Stanfield, Brittany Snow and DeWanda Wise

Netflix's newest original movie, Someone Great unfortunately is not something great. Gina Rodriguez was the only factor drawing me to watch the movie, given the trailer doesn't really scream "I'm the next greatest romantic comedy."

The movie, set in New York City, follows Jenny (Gina Rodriguez), a music journalist who is fresh out of a 9 year relationship after her boyfriend Nate (LaKeith Stanfield) would not agree to move to San Francisco for her new job, let alone even try long distance. Heartbroken but trying to make the most of her final days in the city, Jenny and her two best friends, Blair (Brittany Snow) and Erin (DeWanda Wise) partake in one last wild night together in NYC. 

Someone Great's plot is rather thin and not very interesting. It's essentially the three girls trying to score concert tickets while getting high a lot, drinking a lot and occasional flashbacks to Jenny and Nate's relationship. I understand that it's a "moving on" story, but I'm just a little tired of movies where the main plot line is, having a wild night. Aside from that, the montages of Jenny and Nate saved the movie a little bit. The chemistry between them is believable, and they're scenes together were always very adorable, so that did make me feel something. 

I wasn't that connected to any of the characters either. While I was attached to the idea of Jenny and Nate's love, Gina Rodriguez's character was kind of annoying outside of the relationship. Jenny is supposed to be this music journalist who is going to work for Rolling Stones but thats the first and last you ever hear of her passion for music. Blair was the uptight friend with a bit of a wild side and Erin was the "go-with-the-flow" friend who did have some commitment issues. That's really all the information about the girls we get though. We also get some random cameos from Rosario Dawson and RuPaul? 

Also, does Robinson not know how female friends act with each other? It seemed like she was constantly trying to remind us how close their friendship was because they were constantly exchanging "I love you's." Nobody is saying I love you to their friends that often. 

While this movie made me chuckle a couple times, the comedy was usually a little cringeworthy. This film's biggest selling point is the love story between Nate and Jenny. Even though it begins with their break-up, the flashbacks to their story is actually very endearing to watch. The soundtrack is also really great. Sadly, this movie just adds to the semi disappointing recent track-record of Netflix original movies. 

5/10

A Quiet Place (2018)

Directed by John Krasinski

Written by Bryan Woods, Scott Beck and John Krasinski 

Starring John Krasinski and Emily Blunt

The plot of this film drew me in so immediately I was practically running to the theaters to see it when it first premiered. Silence is literally survival in this post-apocalyptic world now ruled by creatures that hunt by sound. Throw in that John Krasinski's name is attached to this film everywhere, including a starring role alongside his fantastic wife, Emily Blunt-- and you've got a great movie. 

Set in what we are to believe is the near future, the film follows the story of a family who is doing everything they can to survive in this dystopian world with creatures lurking in every shadow. These creatures are cold-blooded killers who hunt by sound, so this family must keep completely silent at all times if they want to survive. 

First off, huge props to Krasinski for bringing us this mega suspenseful horror film, when his previous big credits include playing Jim on The Office. Not to say I had no faith in his directing and writing abilities, but going from the goofiness of that show to this, is a huge leap. Krasisnki does a fantastic job at conveying how important utter silence is. He even goes to extreme lengths as to have the family walking around barefoot the whole movie, because even the crunch of a leaf under a shoe would draw those creatures in. The family spends most of the movie speaking in sign language, so most of the actual sound is background noises, the monsters, or the occasional whispers of the humans. Even with that though, this film is so suspenseful and keeps you on the edge of your seat grabbing the friend next to you at every big scare. 

Another great aspect of this movie, is its focus on the family and not the monsters. A Quiet Place begins in the aftermath of whatever apocalyptic hell brought on these monsters, so we never really learn there origin, but I like it that way. It's not about the monsters, it's about the family who is defying the odds and adapting to survive in spite of the new inhabitants of the world they once knew. It's about the parents raising their young children in silence. This movie is not only scary, but it has a great storyline and the way things pan out isn't overly corny like some monster movies tend to be. 

John Krasinski does a great job in this movie, but Emily Blunt-- his wife in the film and in the real world-- is the shining star. Her characters displays such a wide array of emotions. The scene where she has to deliver her baby in silence in a bath tub, was enough to grant her an Oscar nomination, I think she may have been snubbed with that one. Her and John Krasinski obviously have great chemistry in the movie too, which is a benefit of casting yout actual wife to play your wife in your movie. Good thinking Halpert. 

A Quiet Place is a masterpiece horror flick. It even has some raw emotion, I couldn't believe I found myself tearing up at the end. 

9/10

Us (2019)

Directed by Jordan Peele

Written by Jordan Peele

Starring Lupita Nyong'o, Winston Duke, Elisabeth Moss and Tim Heidecker

This new psychological thriller is the newest creation from the great mind of Jordan Peele, who brought us Get Out. Us works on so many levels, and will keep you speculating on the meaning behind everything. Peele gives a nod in many scenes to films that have inspired him, like The Shining-- and like The Shining this film will keep you guessing on the edge of your seat. 

The story follows Adelaide Wilson (Lupita Nyong'o), her husband Gabe (Winston Duke) and their two kids Zora (Shahadi Wright Joseph) and Jason (Evan Alex). The family returns to the beachfront home in Santa Cruz where Adelaide grew up. Being back to her childhood home isn't all great memories for Adelaide, as she went missing when she was a little girl after wandering away from her parents on the boardwalk into a fun house. While trying to relax with her family and their friends the Tyler's (Tim Heidecker and Elisabeth Moss), Adelaide can't help but shake the feeling that something is going to happen. Her worries become a reality when four doppelgängers break into their house in the middle of the night, ready to wreak havoc on the family. 

Wether it was paying homage to movies from the past with a reference from Home Alone or with a brief scene of the family's car driving through the hilly forest to their vacation home, much like the Torrance family in The Shining driving to the hotel-- Peele left us with lots of fun easter eggs to unveil. There is so much speculation to be pondered with the meaning behind this sinister group of doppelgängers harassing this seemingly nice, middle-class family of four. A movie that from the trailer looks like a simple home invasion thriller like The Strangers, is really much more. Maybe Peele is trying to show us how we as a society view foreigners in our own country like invaders in our own home, when they're really no different than us. 

This film left the actors a fantastic opportunity to shine, while playing two versions of themselves. Duke as Gabe is a goofy dad who shows off some mighty comedic chops, unlike his first big role in Black Panther, but as his evil counterpart we see a big, silent monster who stops at nothing to try and harm his adversary. Both the children in this movie do such a good job playing the two roles. Evan Alex's doppelgänger, Pluto, is an animalistic demon who likes to play with fire and Joseph's Umbrae is a creepy version of her own self who can run laps around Usain Bolt. Perhaps the best performance from the movie though is Lupita Nyong'o. As Adelaide she is a worried mother who is suppressing some serious childhood trauma, but as Red she is terrifying. She wields a pair of sharp scissors and wide curious eyes, assisted with a raspy breathy voice that will make your skin crawl. I would be shocked if there wasn't already Oscar gossip for her performance. 

The cinematography and score really add to the element of horror in this film as well. You can tell that Jordan Peele is really flexing his horror movie biceps with Us. Seeing what he will come up with next after his first two big hits, now that will be interesting. 

8/10

The Silence (2019)

Directed by John R. Leonetti

Screenplay written by Carey Van Dyke and Shane Van Dyke

Based on the novel by Tim Lebbon

Starring Kiernan Shipka, Stanley Tucci, Miranda Otto and Kate Trotter 

After reading the book by Tim Lebbon,  I was really excited to learn that it was being adapted into a movie made for Netflix. While Netflix's track record for horror movies has not been too great after the failure of Bird Box being adapted from its novel, I still decided I had to give this movie a chance. Especially since it stars Stanley Tucci. 

The story follows 16 year old Ally (Kiernan Shipka) who lost her hearing in a car accident at the age of 13, and is now deaf. The world suddenly becomes under attack by creatures called "vesps" that were released from caves, and hunt only by sound. Their only solace in this new world of destruction is silence. 

If this plot sounds oddly familiar to you, thats because it is basically the same as John Krasinski's A Quiet Place. While you can't call The Silence a total rip-off because it was adapted from a novel that was written before the release of A Quiet Place, it is really bad timing and a horrible coincidence for this new movie. The only real difference between the two movies is this one is set while the apocalypse happens rather than in the aftermath. The whole movie seems to be racing to the finish line, with a short 90 minute length, it seems like it could've been an episode of a TV show. There was a random sub-plot about an antagonist religious cult of some sort, that was trying to kidnap Ally? That seemed a little rushed and too random.

I try not to be too critical upon movies based on books leaving out things from the book because let's face it, you can't include every little detail. There's gotta be some differentiating between the novel and movie adaptation. However, this movie had some drastic differences like being set in an entirely different country for one.

This movie wasn't all bad though, regardless of the lack of horror and suspense-- I am still a sucker for a post-apocalyptic movie, so I enjoyed that aspect of it. Stanley Tucci and Miranda Otto did a good job as the parents of Ally.

5/10

Legally Blonde (2001)

Directed by Robert Luketic 

Screenplay written by Karen McCullah and Kristen Smith

Based on the novel by Amanda Brown 

Starring Reese Witherspoon, Luke Perry, Selma Blair and Matthew Davis

What do you do when your Harvard Law bound boyfriend dumps you because you are essentially too much of a shallow blonde? You apply to Harvard Law yourself and get accepted to show him up like Elle Woods does! Yes I know, this story is a little corny and cliche, but its just such a fluffy feel good movie, you can't help but love it. 

As I said before, Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) is your typical blonde sorority queen, who is dating the perfect guy, Wes Warner (Matthew Davis). When Elle is expecting a proposal, she gets dumped because she doesn't fit his blue blood family of lawyers. So Elle does what any girl would do to show her ex-boyfriend she is more than just a Gucci handbag, she applies to Harvard Law herself and gets accepted only to find out Wes has a new fiance, Vivian (Selma Blair). But Elle learns much more about herself while at Law school, than she anticipated. 

Okay, so this movie isn't the most complex. It does not work on many levels, it doesn't have amazing Oscar winning performances (although Witherspoon did snag a Golden Globe nomination). The storyline is very predictable, but it's just so innocent and cute, it's impossible to hate. Reese Witherspoon makes Elle very charming and likable, and you find yourself rooting for her the entire movie. You want her to get the guy and stick it to the old professor and win the jury over for her client.

 Reese's acting performance is really the only one worth mentioning. There is a slew of other big names thrown into the mix like Holland Taylor, Victor Garber, Luke Perry and Ali Larter-- but they're all just supporting characters who add to the fluff of the movie. 

If you want a goofy comedy that's riddled with stereotyped characters and incredibly easy to follow-- this is the flick for you. It definitely leaves you satisfied, but in a way a peanut butter and jelly sandwich would, not a steamed lobster dinner. 

6/10