Mr. Peabody and Sherman

 

I'm surprised I liked this as much as I did, considering  it's Dreamworks. While Mr Peabody's puns get old after a while, there's other non-pun jokes and visual gags to make up for it. It's also surprisingly educational for the most part.   It's like an animated "Doctor Who." Or rather "Dog"tor Who. Mr. Peabody even has a bowtie. They had an opportunity to make some Doctor Who joes and missed it. The animation is fluid, and impressive. This is probably  the best Dreamworks movie I've seen since "Turbo." 

Grade: A  9/10 4.5/5 stars

Rio 2

I'm just going to cut to the chase: It's "Lorax" with birds. The pro-environmentalist, liberal message isn't even subtle. However, the film does have its redeeming qualities. The songs are fun, unlike "Frozen" where the songs were too Broadway. Although the plot is "been there, seen that," it picks up by about the 3rd act. The original was, well, original, but this is "Shrek 2" mixed with "Madagascar 2." Why does Hollywood think that humans are evil? News flash guys, not all humans are greedy, power hungry, animal haters. Stop depicting us that way. Also, there were way too many pop culture references. Please stop trying to be "trendy." It's just cringe-worthy for us to watch. The jokes are predictable and don't work. However, the film as a whole is fun. 

Grade: B+ 8/10 3/5 stars

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

This is the best of the Phase 2 Marvel movies. It's what "G.I. Joe: Retaliation" should have been. While its definitely the most serious of the movies, it still manages to have little moments of subtle humor that we've all loved since "Iron Man." There's a slight cliffhanger that may or may not lead into "Avengers 2."  Nick Fury plays his biggest part yet in this movie, and Black Widow is an important factor in the plot as well. Even though this is a superhero movie, it's not just turn off your brain and enjoy. It has a complex plot that you have to pay attention to. As always stay halfway through the credits, and until the end. Both scenes are extremely important to the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 

Grade: A-  9/10 4.5/5 stars

Gravity

Whoever made this movie obviously did not do their research. Right after the main character Ryan says "There's no oxygen in the ship." what do they show? Fire in the ship. What do you need for fire? Oxygen. There's also a pen randomly floating around, completely intact. Based on the pressure in the space shuttle there should be ink everywhere. This movie is just painful to watch. How this got nominated for any Academy Awards is beyond me. I know it's a movie, but if you're going to make a sci-fi movie, at least have some realism. Even Star Trek has realism for crying out loud. While it's not as bad as After Earth, it's just incredibly cheesy and 90% of it should have ended up on the cutting room floor. 

Grade: D+   4/10  2/5 stars

Muppets Most Wanted

In 2011 I left the movie "The Muppets" thinking "Wow! I hope they make a sequel!" 3 years later I get my wish. The jokes are perfectly delivered and the breaking of the 4th wall is hilarious. I normally don't tolerate musicals, but the songs in this film don't take themselves seriously and are more satirical then dramatic, and even when the songs are slow there are plenty of visual gags to keep your attention. I had the soundtrack to the original on ad nauseam and I will be playing the soundtrack to this twice as much. There's a joke in the opening song that the "sequel's never quite as good." They're right. It's not as good. It's better.

Grade: A+ 10/10 5/5 stars

Non-Stop

When it comes to action, this film really lives up to its title. The action is indeed non-stop. While the film is not without flaws and plotholes, it's got enough spirit and thrill to make up for it. (However, there is one genuinely sweet moment that was unnecessarily turned into a comic relief moment) I came in with my expectations high and left thinking the film was better than I thought it would be. Just imagine how much better this would have been if I had come in with my expectations low. There's twists and turns at every moment, some details that you have to really have to pay attention to the film to notice, (and you will be rewarded for doing so) and some bait-and-switch moments that will surprise you. The whole film feels like a game of mafia set on an airplane. A game in which the audience is constantly fooled. You will not be dissapointed if you see this film.

Grade: A-  9/10 4.5/5 stars

Wrath of the Titans

My reaction at the end: What did I just watch? This is one of the few times I actually agree with Rotten Tomatoes. 25% fresh. No kidding. It's long, dull, boring, and the final battle feels ripped off from Fellowship of the Ring. Do not waste your time with this movie. If CinemaSins from YouTube is reading this please do an Everything Wrong With video. This movie is perfect for you guys. Yeah, it's that bad. 

Grade: F  0/10 0/5 stars.