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

Black Panther (2018)

Directed by Ryan Coogler 

Written by Ryan Coogler and Joe Robert Cole

Based on the Marvel Comics by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby 

Starring Chadwick Boseman, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira and Michael B. Jordan

"Wakanda Forever"

The tag line of the movie, the fictional African nation, and 2018? This movie was easily one of the best films of 2018 and of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Fans of Marvel movies and movies alike can all join hands in praise for this wonderful adaptation by Ryan Coogler and Joe Robert Cole. 

After the events following the tragic death of his father King T'Chaka, T'Challa (Michael B. Jordan) returns home to the isolated but highly technologically advanced country of Wakanda, where he is to be crowned King. Taking throne may not be as simple of a task as anticipated, with factions within Wakanda threatening to fight the King for his spot. Black Panther must team up with members of the Wakandan special force called the Dora Milaje and C.I.A. agent Everett K. Ross (Martin Freeman) to prevent disastrous annihilation to Wakanda. 

The fictional African metropolis of Wakanda may be one of the most fascinating aspects of this movie, being disguised as a deprived third-world country that does not accept any sort of aid-- once you fly past a hidden barrier made of vibranium (the country's gold mine) you discover it is far more advanced than any other country in the world. While the plot of this movie is very interesting to follow, and the set design of the fictional country is amazing, the characters are by far the best part of the whole cinematic experience. Chadwick Boseman as King T'Challa/Black Panther is a very likable lead character. He has such conviction and pride for his country and will stop at nothing to protect it. Behind every successful man however is a team of badass women. T'Challa's younger sister, Shuri is played by a new-comer Letitia Wright and she plays the gadget girl, who is also this witty super genius. Okoye (Danai Gurira) is one of the members of the Dora Milaje, and has a blind devotion to the King and Wakanda that is admirable. I've barely scratched the surface with these character, as there is a slew of other a-listers and new-comers that make this movie what it is. We have Angela Bassett as the Queen of Wakanda, Lupita Nyong'o as Nakia-- T'Challa's love interest, Forest Whitaker as a village elder of sorts, Daniel Kaluuya from Get Out finds his way in there too. 

When talking about the cast though, we cannot leave out the fantastic Michael B. Jordan, who plays one of our villains, Killmonger. They really dive into the origins of Killmonger which actually makes you feel some remorse for him as the villain trying to take over Wakanda. Jordan gives us a really strong performance in this role, and makes for one of Marvel's best bad guys. 

Black Panther received a very deserving 7 Oscar nominations and 3 wins including a nomination for Best Picture-- making it the first super-hero movie to be nominated for Best Picture. Two of the wins at the ceremony came for its production design and costume design, in which the women who who 

won made history for being the first winners of color for these categories. This factoid just adds to the pile of what makes this movie so great. The amazing characters, the action, the music and the diversity. 

8/10