Goodbye for 2 years!

Hey, everyone. As you may or may not recall, back in 2016/2017 I was anticipating my mission call for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, but due to pre-existing, and developing medical conditions, my call was dealyed while we got everything sorted out. The call officially arrived about 2 weeks ago, and I'm most likely getting set apart on Sunday. What that means is that for 2 years, my mind needs to be focused solely on the Lord and the mission, which means I will not be allowed to participate in any form of worldly entertainment, which means no movies, or movie reviews.  II'm worried about hearing big spoilers for the big releases so when I finish my mission, I'm going to do reviews a bit out of order. My first movie will most likely Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, and then I will watch any Marvel, DC, or any other "big, tentpole" releases after that. So, movies I don't care so much about, (such as "The Lion King" remake), I'll watch later. See you all in 2 years!

Spider-Man: Far From Home

Marvel has done it again! This is perhaps the greatest live-action "Spider-Man" film ever! The fallout of "Avengers: Endgame" is set up right from the beginning, and the feels don't stop until the end credits! The stakes are higher, the story is better, and Peter gets a chance to mature as a superhero. Once again, like "Endgame", do not spoil this movie for yourself. Just when we thought "Endgame" had provided enough twists, this movie proved us wrong!  Jake Gyllenhall is absolutely entertaining as Mysterio. I still say Zendaya (uggh) is a bad choice for "MJ" (oh, I'm sorry, Michelle Jones. Again, ugh.) She is the Kristen Stewart of the MCU. Her performance has no emotion, and while one could argue that's part of the character, it's annoying, and unfunny, and wears thin very quickly. This still keeps the tone of "Spider-Man: Homecoming" but adds something a little more serious to the plot, so this time it's not all fun-and-fancy-free. There's actually some serious gravitas throughout, but especially after the second act twist! I really wish I could say specifically what some of the problems with the writing in some parts were, but that would be a major spoiler. The post credits scenes, which I won't spoil, are the hardest I've fanboyed at a Spider-Man movie since "Into the Spider-Verse",  and I love its implications for the future of the MCU. 

Grade: A-    9/10     4/5 stars

Toy Story 4

I was as skeptical as anyone when this movie was announced. "Really? A 4th one? After the 3rd one ended so perfectly? What a cashgrab! Why is Disney forcing them to make this?"   But this movie actually had a lot of heart and effort into this. If "Toy Story 3" made you cry, oh boy. This will make you cry maybe even harder. They didn't need to put as much effort into this movie as this movie as they did, but they did. They did that for us. This is one of the great Pixar movies! I noticed that the Pixar movies hardly anybody remembers such as "Brave", "The Good Dinosaur", "Monsters University" and "Finding Dory" (just to name a few) are the ones that have little to no emotion put into them, but the great ones such as "Inside Out", "Coco", and others are the ones that make you feel something. They raise hard questions, they make you evaluate your life. They can be kid-friendly, but also mature. And this is one of those. As soon as the opening credits started, I started tearing up, and the film just didn't let up from there. This has themes of letting go, accepting you can't have what you want in life, finding your life's purpose. It's some pretty mature stuff for the audience of 5 year olds. But there is so much heart and effort put into this movie. Pixar has done it again. If they put even half the effort into "Incredibles 2" as they put into this, that could have been one of the great Pixar films. Despite my skepticism, this was a thoroughly emotional film, with lots of heart, and lots of laughs.
Grade: A-    9/10    4/5 stars

Men in Black: International

I said in my "Ghostbusters" (2016) review that Chris Hemsworth was the best part of the film because of his hamminess. The same is true of his performance in this film. He's not as ditsy in this as he was in that, but more from the comedic side. He's like a fusion of his character from "Ghostbusters" and Thor in "Thor: Ragnarok." He is so fun in this movie! Liam Neeson's performance is also standout, but I won't dare tell you who he is, because it's a huge spoiler. This plot was the most engaging of all the "Men in Black" films. As classic as the 1997 movie is, it's very dated. This had a fresher plot, and it managed to still mix some familiarity of the old ones into this one, though for the first 3rd, it's a little too familiar, and feels like a retread of the first one. The character of Pawny is one of the funniest characters in this film. He plays the role that the pug Frank did in the other films, but unlike Frank, he's actually funny. This is the most entertaining film in the franchise. The action is better, the plot is the best of all of them, and the performances are standout.

Grade: B    8/10    4/5 stars

Dark Phoenix

This movie was delayed at least twice, due to script issues and needed reshoots, and it really shows. It's not "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" bad, but the script definitely needed more re-writes. I think after Disney bought Fox and announced this as the last X-Men movie, Fox just gave up and decided to put the bare minimum of effort into this movie. I'm glad I went on $5 Tuesday, because if I had paid full price, I would have been furious! The film's issues are mainly due to the writing. Charles Xavier goes from being the kindly mentor that he was in the other films, to a pompous jerk who can't admit his mistakes, and they make him extremely unlikable. There are also a ton of continuity errors in the grand scheme of things, and some really bad dialogue. It's a watchable movie, but I feel like they could have done more with this. The action scenes are pretty good, the Dark Phoenix storyline is at least handled with slightly more respect and dignity this time around, but given that this is the last X-Men movie for the Fox/non-MCU universe, it didn't go as far as it could with the level of intensity. It's just kind of "meh." Rent this one. 

Grade: C    7/10    3.5/5 stars

Secret Life of Pets 2

This is one of the rare times a sequel to an animated film is better than the original. This is what I was thinking the first movie was going to be. It's not really a plot driven movie, it's more like 3 different, separate storylines that feel like a TV show pilot, but that's not a bad thing, because in this movie it works. Kevin Hart is still one of the best parts of this movie, and the addition of Harrison Ford adds a bit of dry humor, and I wish they had used him more. At its core, this is a very sweet movie about pets and their humans, and it has a lot of heart put into it. The plot does have some issues towards the end with just how off-the-wall unbelievable it gets, and it didn't really need to go the direction it did, because at that point it was hard to suspend my disbelief, even for a movie like this. The story for the first 2 acts is fairly straightforward and simple, but then the 3rd act feels like a completely different movie. I laughed a couple of times, but this movie is definitely more for kids. Adults may enjoy some of it, but really, this is made just to shut your kids up for 90 minutes. It's enjoyable, and I recommend it, but don't expect much story. 

Grade: B    8/10    4/5 stars

Godzilla: King of the Monsters

I am still picking my jaw up off the floor! This movie was awesome!  It makes up for Godzilla (2014), I movie I gave high marks to at the time (It was released when I was 16), but upon re-watch before this one, I felt was kind of lackluster, and I finally understand the complaints. This made up for it tenfold! If you're going in looking for plot, you won't find it, but if you're going in just to turn off your brain for a couple hours and watch monsters duke it out for superiority, this is the film for you! It's like a robotless "Pacific Rim." Other critics complained about this one having too much action, (which is weird, since they complained about the 2014 one not having enough action), but I didn't think so. For me, monster movies can never have too much action. I was smiling and internally cheering practically the whole time. This is what movies were made for! Fun escapism. (For the most part, anyway. There was some of that seemingly mandatory "Mankind is bad and screws everything up" garbage that seems to be in most films like this nowadays. I rolled my eyes and could have done without that, because it took me out of the movie, but other than that, it was fantastic!)

Grade: A-    9/10    4/5 stars

Aladdin (2019)

If "Dumbo" earlier this year was an example for Disney of how not to do a remake, this is a great example of exactly how to do one. This far exceeded my expectations. I love Guy Ritchie's other films ("Sherlock Holmes", "Man From UNCLE", "Stardust", among others), and so I expected this film to pretty good, but this just wowed me! The film is different enough that it's not just watching the animated one again, but familiar enough to stay true to the story. I see this film as a fairy tale that has been passed down and changed slightly over time (as actual fairy tales are.) Believe it or not, there are spoilers for this movie (not this review, though). I know the biggest question is "How is Will Smith as the Genie?" I'm not going to compare him to Robin Williams, because that's not fair, but I will say that he is the best part of the film. He does exactly what the character of the Genie is supposed to do: Be the comic relief who occasionally gives helpful, friendly advice.  It's a throwback to his "Fresh Prince" days.  The plot does move a bit quickly in the beginning and some scenes from the original are switched around or changed slightly (Even the songs have some new lyrics!), but I felt that made the film fresher. There are some amazing dance sequences in this film that reminded me of a Bollywood flick. Also, side-note, my screening was in 3D, but it added nothing, so don't pay the extra $5 for the 3D. This is probably the most visually impressive, best directed film this year so far. I had a smile on my face the whole time and was totally enthralled. 

Grade: A-    9/10     4/5 stars 

Pokemon: Detective Pikachu

Keep in mind, I am not a Pokemon fan at all. The only reason I was interested in this movie is because it has Ryan Reynolds and the trailers looked funny. And that's pretty much what I got with this film: A fun Ryan Reynolds movie to laugh at for 2 hours. Even as a non-fan, I was able to follow the plot very well. The movie explains the various Pokemon, their powers, and what they evolve into, and that was very helpful, because otherwise I would have been lost during certain scenes and would not have enjoyed this movie as much. The movie reminded me of "Roger Rabbit" but set in a futuristic society. I laughed pretty hard at this film and had a fun time with it. This is the most I've laughed at a movie this year since "Shazam!" The action scenes were also very fun. I enjoyed seeing the Pokemon battles. I've complained in the past about Warner Bros. productions having bad CGI when it's in a live action movie, but for the most part the CGI was actually very good. You can see each individual fur on Pikachu (and his eyes are very well animated and so cute). You can see the scales on the dragon Pokemon, and the smooth skin of the turtle dinosaur Pokemon with a flower on its back. (Sorry. The only Pokemon name I know is Pikachu.) The only time the CGI didn't look quite right is when a shot lingered too long on a scene with Pokemon and humans, but when there were a lot of back and forth cuts, or when they were moving as opposed to sitting and talking, the CGI was flawless.  I called what the ending was going to be when the very first trailer came out, but there were still some twists and surprises. This is a fun film for all ages, Pokemon fans or not. It's just a fun comedy/mystery.

Grade: B      8/10       3.5/5 stars

Avengers: Endgame

This is going to be a very vague and short review, because I want to keep this spoiler-free, and that's hard to do, because there are so many amazing scenes in this movie.

This is everything I wanted in a finale and more. Every character gets their perfect ending. The 3 hour runtime is not an issue, because it flies by like that. If you thought "Infinity War" was epic, you haven't seen anything yet. That film pales in comparison to this one. It's a shame this film is so epic, because it's the first movie of the summer 2019 season, and I don't think any film coming out this summer can match this. I cried so many tears of joy, because I was so overwhelmed by the epicness that is this movie! It's fanservice galore! My throat still hurts from how much cheering I did. This has the most epic final battle of any Marvel movie. It's the perfect way to put a lid on 11 years and more than 20 movies. This film is a nerd's dream come true! This movie redefines the word "epic"!
Grade: A+     10/10       5/5 stars

Shazam

DC has finally figured out that superhero movies are supposed to be fun escapism. This movie was delightful. For the most part, it didn't take itself too seriously (except for when it needed to), and was almost parody, but not quite. Zachary Levi hams it up in every scene, and is by far the highlight of the movie. The color scheme is also bright (which has been lacking from the latest DC movies). The villains' motivation could have been better (He feels like Syndrome from "The Incredibles"), and the stakes could have been a bit higher, but overall, it's an enjoyable film. The film does suffer from some tone issues, however. One minute it's trying to be a kids' movie, but then will have some kind of inappropriate jokes, and some kind of dark moments. It wasn't really clear what this film was trying to be. The film does have a lot of heart, and is very sweet. I'm hoping DC learns, and cracks the formula for making great (not just "good") superhero movies.

Grade: A-    9/10    4/5 stars

Dumbo (2019)

So far, with the exception of Pete's Dragon, I have liked every Disney live-action remake, and in most cases thought they actually improved on the original. This is not the case here. This movie is very inconsistent.  It tries to bring a new narrative, while at the same time, trying to be the original. I know the original is only an hour long, so they needed a new story, but that story is a mess. One minute it's saying "Hey, remember that scene you liked in the original? Here it is again in live-action." and then goes off the rails to become a completely different film. I wouldn't be surprised if they just greenlit the first draft of the script and called it a day. I was expecting more from Tim Burton. Burton has a certain style, and that style, is sadly not recognized here. If I was channel surfing and saw "Beetlejuice" or "1989 Batman" I would recognize it as a Tim Burton film. With this...anyone could have made it. In addition to plot and tone inconsistencies, the dialogue is also very clunky and stilted. Both the writing, and the delivery could have been drastically improved. It is a visual spectacular, the CGI is pretty impressive, but other than the visuals and Danny Elfman's score, there isn't much to appreciate here. "Dumbo" gets ready for liftoff, but never quite makes it all the way off the ground.

Grade: C      7/10     2.5/5 stars

Captive State

The first disappointing movie of 2019.  It's not horrible, and there is some effort put into it, but it's a narrative mess of a film. As soon as I got home I had to Google what this movie was actually about, because I was lost about 20 minutes in. John Goodman is good in this movie, and there are some exciting moments, but most of the time I was just confused as to what the story actually was. Bottom line: It's about aliens invading and taking over....and that's really all I'd be able to tell you. Obviously the goal of the film is to take back the planet from the aliens, but this goal is never really met, and the film spent too much time attempting to be a "clever" commentary on politics (?...) There is potential for a great movie in this story, but it's poorly executed here. It's disappointing, since the director's previous film "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" was fantastic. This would have been better as a short film, and it also needed more thrills. It was just...bland.

Grade: C     6.5/10   2.5/5 stars

Mortal Engines

This is a mess of a film. The story is generic, the two leads have no chemistry, and the narrative jumps too quickly from one thing to the next. The only good things about this movie are Hugo Weaving, and the visual effects. The trailers made it seem like this was going to be similar to "Mad Max" with  technology/vehicle battle sequences. It was like that for the first 20 minutes, and then it goes in a whole other direction, and from that point loses steam. This seems like it was a case of poor editing, since the story jumps from plotline to plotline, while at the same time not being clear enough. 30 minutes in, I was still not sure who the main protagonist was, what the goal in the story was, or what the stakes were. That all becomes clear towards almost the end of the 2nd act. It was a case of "too little, too late." The visual effects are impressive, though. The machines are creative, and the robot villain was terrifying and had such realistic motion capture. But impressive visual effects alone, do not a good movie make. I did not feel any sort of connection with any of the main characters, and I was confused about the goals and stakes for 85% of the movie.  Now I know why this went to my local discount theater after only 2 weeks, and didn't even survive there, since it was gone from even there 1 week later.
Grade: D       4/10      1/5 stars

Captain Marvel

This is a perfect example of horrible marketing for a good movie. I wasn't too impressed with the trailers. They were kind of bland. I went into this with my expectations checked at the door, and this movie was above average. It wasn't as boring and uninteresting as the trailers led me to believe, but it still has faults. For an MCU movie, it's average, and for a movie it's above average. The main problem was it tried to hard to be another 'Guardians of the Galaxy' movie, but without the risks. "Guardians" was a gamble. (A movie about a talking raccoon and a tree?! Marvel has lost their minds!). It tries to capture the wonder of a sci-fi movie, but plays it too safe. There were many factors that I felt didn't go as far as they could have. The plot is pretty paint-by-numbers as well. This movie 'borrows' too much from other films. It didn't feel enough like it's own thing.  There were some amusing moments, and one in particular that got a huge laugh out of me, but the film played it too safe. The CGI is pretty impressive. I couldn't tell that the aliens in the movie were CGI. However, when there are scenes of characters flying, it definitely looks CGI, and cheap CGI at that. (Think "video game trailer.") Larson's acting is not as wooden as the trailers would lead you to believe (most of the time anyway), nor is the character of Captain Marvel as narcissistic and rude as the trailers made her seem. She's nowhere close to my favorite MCU character, but I wouldn't mind seeing her return. I don't know what most of Hollywood has against Ben Mendelssohn's natural accent. Mendelssohn is a terrific actor, but in movies like "Ready Player One" and this one where they make him do an American accent, it sounds fake, and is distracting. And no, this movie is not a 2 hour lecture on feminism. Contrary to the marketing, Captain Marvel doesn't put down the male characters (at least not unprovoked.) This movie actually can be enjoyed by anyone. Marvel needs to re-evaluate their marketing team. 

Grade: B      8/10       3.5/5 stars

Robin Hood (2018)

I thought this was a fun movie! I don't understand why the critics and general audiences didn't like it. The main complaint with everyone seems to be the "historical inaccuracy", but yet these are the same people that are fine with the Disney cartoon where he's a fox. Go figure. Everyone in this movie did a great job. Ben Mendhelson as the villain is always fun. This does have the lately overused trope of ''This isn't the story of (legend/fairy tale/etc.) you think you know. No. This is the real story", which is getting tired and old. This feels so much like the first season of "Arrow" that this is probably the closest thing to a Green Arrow movie we're going to get for a while. I don't mind that, though. It had fun action scenes, some witty dialogue, and a stand-out cast. (Though Jamie Foxx's inconsistency with his 3 different accents was distracting). I was thoroughly entertained. I just wish it had ended where it ended. Because after it fades to black there's the "This isn't the end, here's our set up for a sequel!" which I'm tired of, because 90% of the time that happens there isn't a sequel, and considering this movie bombed with both critics and audiences, I'll be very surprised if it gets one. I'm glad I saw this movie. It was massively entertaining.
Grade: B      8/10      3.5/5 stars

Happy Death Day 2U

I'll admit, I was skeptical and slightly pessimistic about this film going in. The first one wasn't really anything special (Sure, the premise was creative, but it was still kind of generic at the end of the day), and the trailers made this look like it was the same as the first one, but making a very minor character the focus. "How dumb and lazy", I thought to myself. Even after everyone said this film was better than the first one, I still thought "Nonsense". But since I had a free pass, I decided to give it a shot. If I didn't like it, hey, it was free. I'm glad I did. This is even better than the first one. Better plot, higher stakes, more humor. It's not really accurate to call this a "horror" film, even though it does have some horror elements to it. It's more of a sci-fi film. If the first one was "Groundhog Day", this one is an episode of "The Flash" or "Black Mirror." The writing was more compelling this time around, and the "Who is the killer this time?" wasn't really the focus. That plot element is maybe 10% of the actual film. The main focus was "If an alternate timeline is better than my own, but in order to stay there, someone needs to be sacrificed, would I be willing to do that?" The stakes are higher, not just for Tree, but for her friends as well. They all have something to gain and lose in this one, and all have difficult choices to make. There were also a lot of unexpectedly funny moments. They were intentionally funny, not "It's funny because it's bad". The film doesn't take itself too seriously for the most part, and is a fun thrill ride.
Grade: A-    9/10    4/5 stars

How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

Usually Dreamworks has bad track records when it comes to sequels, and an even worse one when it comes to trilogies. The 2nd one is usually ok, with the occasion of it being better, but then somehow, the 3rd one has to ruin it. This is happily, not the case here. The "Dragons" franchise seems to be the magic one for Dreamworks, with all of them being just as good or better than the first one. This has just as much heart and drama as the first 2, and was surprisingly mature. (I don't mean "inappropriate", it's still a kids' film, but there are themes of letting things go, and growing up, about the same level as "Toy Story 3".) The film's target audience is definitely those of us who were kids when the first one came out, and are now adults. (It's hard to believe that it's been almost 10 years since the first movie!) This film speaks to the ones who are entering adulthood (somewhere in their early to mid 20s). Like I said, kids can still see it, but the ones who will get the most emotional punch from it are the 20s crowd. (Much like Toy Story 3. I'm seeing a pattern here). Don't go in expecting too many funny moments like the typical Dreamworks fare. It still has some, but they are few and far between. This film's main goal is to make you cry bittersweet tears of both happiness and sadness at the same time, and it succeeds tremendously. This is one of the most heartfelt movies Dreamworks has ever done. If this isn't nominated for "Best Animated Film" at the 2020 Oscars, I will be very disappointed. 
Grade: A+    10/10    5/5 stars

Alita: Battle Angel

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This movie is proof that Rotten Tomatoes is full of baloney. Don't listen to the critics! This movie is fantastic! I've heard other people say the film's main fault is there is too much story, and it moves kind of fast, but I didn't think that. I thought the story flowed pretty well, and was easy to follow. The character designs for the cyborgs are super creative. There are no bad actors in this film. Mahershala Ali as the villain is a particularly stand out performance. He gives such a subtle performance, to the point where you know he's lying and has bad intentions, but you don't blame characters for believing him and joining him. He's just the right amount of manipulative. He reminded me of an evil version of Morpheus from "The Matrix."  The action sequences alone are worth the price of admission (go see it in 3D).  There was one sequence involving a futuristic gladiator match, and not only are the action and visuals  impressive, the background commentary is hilarious! There is definitely a lot of heart put into this movie.  A lot of people, when the trailer came out, were complaining about the main character's "big anime eyes'' and how distracting they were, but I only noticed it in a couple of scenes, and I blame that on the camera angle. Most of the time, I didn't notice or care. The MPAA is a strange thing with how they rate movies. The film is PG-13, but there is so much hacking off of limbs (to the point where even "Star Wars" would call it excessive) and so many other moments of graphic violence that made my jaw drop that they got away with it in a PG-13 movie. It's because most of the violence involves cyborgs, so I guess that because they're not completely human, it's ok? But if it were the same exact movie, but everyone was human, this would definitely be R. The movie also does not feel complete, because it isn't. They were so sure this would get a sequel that they didn't focus on wrapping up the story, and instead have a "to be continued". I'm so sick of that, because if this movie doesn't get a sequel, it was kind of a waste.
Grade: A-    9/10   4/5

The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part

Almost everything is awesome about this sequel. Whether you will like this film or not, depends on what kind of movie you are looking for. If you are expecting this one to be just as story driven as the first one, you will be disappointed. But if you're looking for a movie to laugh at, and have meta-references (both at the expense of the movie and the actors in the movie, like in "Teen Titans Go" last year) than you will thoroughly enjoy this film. Not all of the jokes worked, but the ones that did, really landed. The film also had some catchy musical numbers that I was humming the rest of the day. One problem with the film was the inconsistency of the world's rules. It's established early on that this is all happening in the minds of two children, but later in the film, the Lego figures are shown to be sentient. I haven't seen a movie so inconsistent with its rules since 2017's "Boss Baby." I was worried from the trailer that this was going to be SJW male shaming ("So you fought and did all the cool stuff, but the hapless male was still the leader?"), but except for that one line (which I rolled my eyes way back into my head at) it wasn't. If anything, it's calling out Hollywood on the unrealistic body portrayals of action stars in films (i.e. Chris Pratt's other roles, but it's all in good fun), which is somewhat ironic since all Legos have the same body type. But the film did say how movies telling young males the "ideal, cool" way to be is just as harmful as when it happens to young females. Even though the story isn't as strong this time around, it's still hilarious and is definitely worth seeing, if only for the jokes and meta-references. 

Grade: B.    8/10     4/5 stars

Glass

A January movie that's actually good?! What a rare treat! This was fantastic! This feels like M. Night at his best again! So far his last 3 movies ("The Visit", 'Split" and now "Glass") have been really, really good. These 3 films, I've discovered all have one other person in common: Jason Blum as producer. I don't know how much influence or control Blum has over Shamalan's projects, but whatever he's doing, he needs to keep at it. M. Night and Blum work really well together, as evidenced by those three films. Everyone in this movie does a great job! This is one of those rare films where there is not a single bad actor, not even in the minor characters. As great as everyone in this film is though, it is James McAvoy's performance that stands out the most. How has this man not been nominated for an Oscar yet? I'd say Kevin Wendell Crumb is his best role. Even the usually loud Samuel L. Jackson pulls back and finally gives a subtle performance again. (In fact, Jackson has no lines until the last 45 min. of the film). Bruce Willis has still got it, even at 63 years old. Apart from some grey hair between "Unbreakable" and now, he hasn't changed. It feels like picking up right where we left off. This is a more subtle, quieter approach to the comic book movie genre. As opposed to big battles with explosions, 90% of this movie is spent in one location and is a bit slower and quieter. There are moments of great suspense that had me wide-eyed and my jaw dropping. This is a fantastic conclusion to the trilogy, and I'm hoping the pattern of M. Night making great movies again continues. 

Grade: A+   10/10   5/5 stars

Max Payne (2008)

Here we go. My first "throwback" review of the year. For those of you who are new, or don't remember from last year when I started doing this, I decided that to keep this blog running in between new releases, I would also review movies that Doug Walker, aka the Nostalgia Critic, on Youtube reviews. (Exceptions being films I've already seen prior, films not released theatrically, and any R rated films.)
Before I started watching this, I was silently cursing Doug under my breath for making me review this. I have had bad experiences with video game movies. (Like last year with "Tomb Raider".) But it has Mark Wahlberg in it, so I was expecting it to be at least fun. And it was. The plot is kind of generic, and sometimes the story feels all over the place, but as far as the action sequences go, it was fun. Wahlberg actually put more effort than was needed in a film like this. It feels like he's actually trying, and is enjoying the role despite the mediocre script. The way the film is shot reminded me of movies like "The Matrix" or Robert Rodriguez movies.  Mila Kunis' character actually reminded me quite a bit of Trinity from "The Matrix." One of my issues with the film, is it does end very abruptly. If you don't stay through the credits to see that last scene at the end, it won't make sense, and since this isn't a Marvel movie, most people would just turn it off at the credits and be confused. It should have been put before the credits, or after the first half before the credits start scrolling up.  Is the film awful? No. Is it great? No. It's just a good ''turn off your brain'' action movie. There's not a whole lot of thinking required. It's just to be entertained by shootouts and explosions.

Grade: B     8/10     3.5/5 stars