Star Trek Beyond

I could definetly tell that JJ Abrams did not direct this one. The style and tone are different than the previous 2, and that wasn't a bad thing, just different than what I was used to. I feel this would have worked better as a TV special instead of a full movie, because the plot doesn't really have much to offer. It's easily the weakest in the trilogy. I still liked it, but there was far too much untapped potential, and I think part of that came from the director choice. Some parts didn't really feel like Star Trek, they felt like a run-of-the-mill action flick, and I think that's because Justin Lin had been making the same type of movie for so long he's gotten himself into a rut. There were some great moments of humor throughout the film, particularly between Spock and Bones (of course), and there was some well-placed fanservice/tributes that made me almost tear up. Sometimes the action scenes dragged on for a bit too long but they were still fun. Idris Elba is great as the villian. Not as good as Benedict Cumberbatch in "Into Darkness", though. I still say the first one from 2009 is the best. I feel if maybe they had tweaked the script a bit, or waited for JJ Abrams to become available to direct, instead of merely producing, this could have been better. 

Grade: B.  8/10.  3.5/5 stars

Lights Out

This movie is crazy! From the first minute there are scares and action that doesn't slow down until the end credits roll. The great thing about this movie is everyone can relate to it. We've all had (or still have) a fear of the dark. It takes the psychological element of that and plays with it terrifically. Not only are the characters toyed with but so are we. You can tell the director had tons of fun with this. Being a "Doctor Who" fan, the ghost in the movie to me felt like a combination of Weeping Angels, Vashta Nerada, and the Silence. The movie is more psychological horror than just straight horror. I could never tell what was coming next. And there isn't a single character in the movie I hated. I cared what happened to every character and wasn't rooting for specific ones to be picked off. This movie is an intense thrill ride from beginning to end, and I highly recommend it. I'm definitely watching it again on Bluray this Halloween season. 

Grade: A+  10/10   5/5 stars 

Happy 3-year Anniversary

Happy 3-year anniversary to this blog!!! In 3 years I've had over 5,000 views!!! Wow!!!! Thank you to everyone that continues to visit this blog, even if I sometimes go weeks without posting. Thank you to everyone who continues to interact on the Movie Madness Facebook page. This means a lot to me. I didn't think I'd get this far. Honestly, I starte this as just sort of a thing for me and if it got big, that's cool, but I didn't expect it to. You all proved me wrong. I never expected over 5,000 hits. Nowhere close. I thought by this point it would be 600 at most. Crazy! Thank you all for your support!

Finding Dory

My expectations for this were it would be ok at best. From the trailers it looked like a straight rehash of the first movie. Main character gets kidnapped and put in aquarium and other main character(s) go to look for them. It's not like that at all. It's actually pretty original. Baby Dory is a-Dory-ble. The cutest Pixar baby since Baby Mike Wazowski in "Monsters University." The way they showed Dory's backstory leading up to "Finding Nemo" was done very well. Sometimes too many  flashbacks can kill a movie, but these didn't feel forced or excessive. One problem I do have is the writers/director seemed to have forgotten that Marlin learned not to be overprotective at the end of "Nemo." He still has some overprotective tendencies. I still say the original is better, but Pixar has made worse. "Good Dinosaur" wasn't near the big spectacle it promised to be. "Dory" however, has enough familiarity for those of us who grew up with the original while at the same time bringing something new to the table. The film is also preceded by a short about a sandpiper that is absolutely charming and adorable. 

Grade: B.  8/10. 3.5/5 stars