I was not a fan of the 1995 version of Jumanji starring Robin Williams, so I didn't really have high expectations for 2017's Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it and the film also happened to do really well at the box office. Jumanji: Next Level doesn't quite match Into the Jungle, but the film has more fun with the body-swapping plot device used in the first film. Jumanji has turned into one of the better action franchises around. I wouldn't mind another one, as long as we get Karen Gillan again.

Doctor Sleep is the sequel to The Shining and is easily one of the better recent Stephen King adaptations. Ewan McGregor plays Danny Torrance, son of Jack Torrance who carries many of the same demons that plagued his father. At its core, Doctor Sleep is a story of redemption. It's a shame this one struggled to find an audience. I thought it stuck very closely to the book. Rebecca Ferguson was particularly good as Rose the Hat, she was exactly as she was on the page. That's a credit to director Mike Flanagan, who might just be the best horror director working today. I hope people don't pass this one up when it hits streaming services.

Judy is a biopic about actress and singer Judy Garland. Renée Zellweger, who has kind of been off the radar in recent years, plays Garland and gives one of the best female performances of the year. It's hard not to see Judy as anything but a vehicle for Zellweger. That's not to see the rest of the film isn't good. I learned quite a bit about her. The main theme of Judy is how Hollywood can really take a young star and chew them up and spit them out with little regard for who they are and then just move on to their next victim.

This is one that I think will grow in popularity with time. I could see it becoming a cult classic in no time. Ready or Not should have done well at the box office, but for some reason, it didn't find an audience. Ready or Not features a really intriguing premise. Some families have really different traditions. Unfortunately, Grace, played by rising star Samara Weaving, learns that the hard way. The film reminded me a lot of last year's Revenge, which I thought was one of the more underrated films of the year.

I'm not familiar with the series of books the film is based on, so there was really no kind of connection to the source material going in. What I got was a competent, if scattered horror film. From what I understand, the books are a series of scary stories. The film tried to combine multiple stories and I feel like if they had just stuck with one story, they might have been better off. Either way, it's worth a rental if you are interested in some traditional horror fare.

I saw Ad Astra and while I didn't love it, I enjoyed myself. The film has fantastic visuals as you would expect from a space film. I thought Brad Pitt was fantastic in a role that asked him to be really reserved.

Where some of my issues lie are with a few of the plot devices that get Brad Pitt to where he ends up going. Some of it felt illogical. The ending was somewhat anticlimactic. I told some friends afterward how I would have ended it and they preferred my ending more. I also wasn't a fan of some of the narration.

I had no problem with the daddy issues. It was literally the entire point of the film from the start. I'm still not sure where that knock is coming from. It's not veiled or comes out of nowhere. At the end of the day, James Gray is an exciting young filmmaker.

The Peanut Butter Falcon is one of the more heart-warming films of the year. The film stars Shia LeBeouf as a young man who is on the run. LeBeouf has received a lot of criticism over the years, but he’s a really good actor and he gives the best performance of his career here. While on the run, he meets up with a young man named Zak who has Down Syndrome. Zak dreams of becoming a professional wrestler and is on his way to a wrestling camp. Along the way, they form a close bond. It’s easy to see LeBeouf’s character helping Zak on his journey, but it’s actually Zak who ends up helping Tyler in more ways than one. I haven’t talked to one person that has seen this film and disliked it. Do yourself a favor and rent this won ASAP.

Parasite is directed by one of the greatest directors of his generation, Bong Joon Ho. He’s directed some of my favorite films of the last 20 years including Memories of Murder, Mother and The Host. He also directed 2013’s Snowpiercer, which is one of my top 10 favorite films of the decade. I wasn’t a big fan of his previous film Okja, so I was really looking forward to Parasite and it did not disappoint.

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Even if you hate subtitled films, you should give Parasite a chance. Like Snowpiercer, Parasite deals with class distinction. The film chronicles a poor family that will do anything to scrape by. When the oldest son gets a job working for a rich family, things start to unravel from there. I don’t want to give much more away because I truly urge you to check this one out.

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The major theme of Parasite is highlighting the differences between the haves and the have nots. The rich and affluent literally live high above those who are poor, who essentially live below ground in apartments that are barely ground level. Unlike many films that depict the rich as smart and the poor as dumb, Parasite does a nice job of showing that wealth does not necessarily equate intelligence. In fact, the rich family in the film is blinded by their wealth. Their extravagant lifestyle has opened them up to danger and they have accidentally let the wolves in among the sheep.

There are so many layers to this film that I’m just barely scratching the surface here. Parasite is one of the best films of 2019 and one of the very best films of the decade.

Marriage Story is directed by Noah Baumbach, a filmmaker that has made a few films that I have enjoyed, but none that I’ve ever completely loved, until Marriage Story. While the film didn’t hit in all the ways I had hoped for, it’s clearly a well-made film that features two of the very best performances of the year by Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson. Speaking of Johansson, if you’re keeping score at home, this is her third film to make my list, the other two being Avengers Endgame and Jojo Rabbit. Marriage Story does a great job of showing divorce from both perspectives. The film also succeeds in showing that just because two people are getting a divorce, doesn’t necessarily have to be the result of one of them being a terrible person who has done terrible things. Sometimes two people just end up not being right for each other.

There's a somewhat surreal feeling when you find yourself in the theater on opening night of a film that you have been following for years. I remember when Tarantino first announced his next film and patiently tracked down any news about the cast as it slowly was revealed.

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First I should mention that it's very rare for me to see a film on opening night. I'd much rather wait to see it on a Saturday afternoon, but there I was in my Reservoir Dogs T-shirt at the 8 p.m. showing. The theater was half full, but there was still a buzz in the air as we waited for the film to start.

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As the lights began to dim, I grabbed my popcorn and realized that I truly had no idea what Once Upon a Time in Hollywood was actually about. I only watched the trailer a handful of times and I managed to stay completely away from plot details and reviews. On this warm Friday night, I was ready for one of the greatest directors that has ever lived to take me on a journey.

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Trust is the most important aspect of any relationship. That holds true for the relationship between director and his audience. I've enjoyed all of Tarantino's films. I'm not sure there's a more confident filmmaker working today. The care in which he approaches his craft is clearly evident.

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As a viewer, I allowed QT to take me by the hand and lead me around the city of stars. We drove in his convertible through the winding streets of the Hollywood hills, we toured the dusty backlots of a movie studio and leisurely made our way down the Sunset Strip with its buzzing neon lights.

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I didn't panic. I didn't start yearning for the shootout scene where the shit hits the fan. I didn't check the clock wondering when the blood-soaked fight scene was coming. That's trust.

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I was more than happy to spend the day with two interesting characters as they went about their normal routine. At the end of the day, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is a day-in-the-life film.

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We're meant to spend a day in their shoes and that's okay. I anticipate many people calling the film boring and condemning it for the lack of plot, but that would be an unfair assessment of the film.

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Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is Tarantino's love letter to Hollywood, moviemaking and actors. No fan of his films should be surprised that he's given us something different here. In fact, we should be welcoming it. His last two films have occupied the same space, I for one was more than happy for a brand new experience.

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As a filmmaker, Tarantino has earned this film. Trust him. He knows what he's doing. Sit back, relax and let him introduce you to Hollywood.

I'm a huge Beatles fan. Both my sister and I grew up listening to the Beatles growing up because my mom is such a huge fan.

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The premise of Yesterday, directed by Danny Boyle, is an interesting one. After some kind of unexplained event, the Beatles and all of their songs are wiped from memory, except for Jack, a struggling musician.

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Once he realizes he's the only person on the planet that remembers these songs, he takes it upon himself to start singing them, of course, he becomes a worldwide sensation. I would have liked to have seen Jack a little more conflicted about making millions of dollars and becoming famous using songs that aren't his own, but what we get is very brief.

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Because I adore her, I have to also mention that Lily James costars and is of course great.

I thought the end of Toy Story 3 was perfect. I couldn't think of a better way to wrap up the journey of these characters. I just didn't see the point of a fourth Toy Story film. I was wrong.

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I'm not sure there's ever been a movie franchise that has four films of such high caliber as the Toy Story franchise.

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It's 2019 and there are still people who look at these films as just something for kids, but there are some seriously adult themes scattered throughout all four films. In Toy Story 4, our beloved characters are dealing with something many of us deal with as we get older and that's the fear that we are no longer needed and useful. Some pretty heavy stuff.

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That doesn't mean there's not tons of fun to be had. Toy Story 4 features a slew of new characters, my favorite being Keanu Reeves as a failed Evel Knievel knockoff named Duke Caboom.

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I can't think of a better way to end the franchise, but I'm not going to lie, if there's a fifth film, I will be there.

The Dead Don't Die is a Jim Jarmusch film, for those familiar with his work, you pretty much know what you're going to get. For those that aren't familiar, be ready for a zombie film that is a little... different.

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Adam Driver and Bill Murray are perfect as two dry, small-town sheriffs that take the zombie apocalypse in stride. It's almost like it's a routine part of their day. Tilda Swinton shows up as a, you might want to sit down for this, a weird character.

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At one point the film kind of becomes super meta, and you just have to roll with it. If you don't, chances are you're not going to enjoy this one too much. Overall, enjoyable, but not something that I will be revisiting anytime soon.

My main issue with 2014's Godzilla is that our titular giant lizard kind of takes a back seat. In Godzilla: King of Monsters, there's certainly more Godzilla and more monster fighting action, but I still can't help but feel those scenes are interrupted by those boring humans.

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In some scenes, the monster fights are literally background for human interactions. I get that we need humans to root for in the film, but I'm having a hard time caring about them in any way.

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I'm interested to see how the inevitable Godzilla Vs. King Kong film will work. Both characters are protagonists, so I'm not sure how that's going to work if they are enemies, then again it's no different than Batman Vs. Superman. Either way, you can't expect much more out of a summer blockbuster.

The studio comedy is not dead yet, but it's on life support. Long Shot is the kind of film people would have gone out to the theater in droves to see a decade ago. Now people would rather wait to stream it at home. Call me crazy, but I love watching comedies in a theater full of people.

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Anyway, their loss because Long Shot is a legitimately good film, not just a good comedy. Seth Rogen and Charlize Theron have great chemistry and the film is also very timely. Long Shot isn't wall-to-wall funny, but it's going to be a real shame when studios stop releasing comedies of this nature in theaters.

Shazam! is one of the more fun films of the year so far. It's not trying to be a Marvel film, but it's also not trying to be a DC film, which is a very good thing.

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Shazam! is similar to Big in the sense that a kid inhabits the body of an adult, with the pretty large twist being that the adult has superpowers. There's a lot of comedy to be found in the adapting to this superhero body.

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Zachary Levi is the highlight of the film. He does a great job of portraying the character with this childlike wonder. Shazam! is more than deserving of a sequel or two.

Captive State is one of those films that comes out and is instantly lost in the shuffle of all the other larger films that followed it in the theater. The film centers around an alien invasion and their occupation of humans. For those people that went to the theater hoping for an alien vs. humans action film, that's not Captive State.

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The film is far more interested in the political fallout from such an occupation. It's easy to make parallels to our own history or, if we aren't careful, our future.

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I found Captive State to be an entertaining film with an ending that paid off in a surprisingly satisfying way.

Velvet Buzzsaw is written and directed by Dan Gilroy, who previously teamed with Jake Gyllenhaal for the fantastic Nightcrawler. I was anxiously awaiting their next effort, but was somewhat underwhelmed. I applaud Velvet Buzzsaw for trying something different, but the film is bursting with so many themes, the end result feels muddled.

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Even writing this review of the film seems weird considering a huge aspect of the film was about art criticism and a skewering of critics in general. Velvet Buzzsaw is trying to say a lot of things and among them is how a critic's opinion can impact the success of a particular piece of art.

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Another main theme of the film is how art isn't in the eye of the beholder, but in the eye of the artist creating it. The film also leans into the monetization of art and touches upon the theory that true art doesn't require anyone to see it, nor does it require one to make money off of it. It must satisfy the artist first and foremost.

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So to put it simply, I got what the film was trying to say, but I still didn't think it worked. In fact, it has trouble making up its mind as to what it wants to be. At one point, it's throwing these high-brow themes at the audience and the next moment it feels like a B-Horror film.

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I love Giloy as a filmmaker, but Velvet Buzzsaw just didn't work for me.

Cold Pursuit is directed by Hans Petter Moland, and happens to be a remake of his 2014 film In Order of Disappearance. It would be easy to brush Cold Pursuit off as another one of "those" Liam Neeson films, but it's actually a bit more than that.

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Cold Pursuit features more style than many of the other Neeson films of this nature. The film also has a surprisingly wicked sense of humor. My main issue is that Liam Neeson is doing his normal Liam Neeson thing for the first act of the film, which is awesome, but he disappears for most of the second act and in the third act he's pretty much just a bystander.

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That's not to say the film sags in the middle, it just kind of feels like a different film, shifting focus Yojimbo style to a feud between a local Native American tribe and another group of drug dealing gangsters.

I guess I was expecting him to take things into his own hands a little bit more instead of getting caught in the middle of the two rival gangs. An entertaining film, you can't ask for anything more than that in February.

They Shall Not Grow Old is directed by Peter Jackson and might just be one of the finest technological achievements in film history. The film restored hours of 100-year-old World War I footage. Honestly, the final result is jaw-dropping. There are some scenes that literally look like they were shot yesterday.

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One of the most interesting parts of the film was the almost 30 minutes of extra footage after the credits rolled that showed some of the techniques used to restore the footage.

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I don't know a lot about WWI, WWII gets a lot of attention, so I was really interested in seeing this one. One of the best aspects of the film is how it depicts the everyday, mundane lives of the soldiers.

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The backbone of the film is fully comprised of testimonial interviews from actual World War I veterans that were recorded in the 60s. The choice to use actual soldiers instead of historians might just be what gives the film its unique voice.

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If you like war documentaries, add this to your list.

If Beale Street Could Talk is directed by Barry Jenkins, who directed Moonlight, which won the Oscar for Best Picture.  If Beale Street Could Talk tells the story of an African American woman who is trying to prove her fiancé innocent of a crime.  The story takes place in the 70s and really brings to light the many social injustices African Americans were dealing with at the time and, sadly, are still dealing with today.

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Beale Street also portrays a beautiful, loving relationship between two black people, something we don't often get in mainstream movies.  The film is packed with fantastic performances, including Regina King, who has gotten the most attention.

That being said, both Kiki Lane and Stephen James were both very good and should have very long and productive careers ahead of them.

On the Basis of Sex tells the true story of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and her struggles to become U.S. Supreme Court Justice.  The film chronicles her time as a lawyer trying to fight for equal rights.

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On the Basis of Sex hits all the standard notes for a film such as this.  That's not necessarily a knock, but it also makes the film feel safe and formulaic.

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Felicity Jones is fantastic as Ruth Bader Ginsburg and she really captured her spirit, but I never got a feel for who she was and what gave her this almost superhuman drive to become a U.S. Supreme Court Justice.

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Armie Hammer plays her husband and is somewhat underutilized here.  On the Basis of Sex is a timely film given our current political climate, not to mention the film is being released just months after the Ruth Bader Ginsburg documentary RBG.

2018 featured two high profile films about drug addiction - Beautiful Boy and Ben is Back. Both films focus on family members dealing with a son who is addicted to drugs and how that can truly impact the entire family.

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Where Beautiful Boy tells a disjointed narrative, Ben is Back is more straight-forward in its storytelling. For that reason, I feel like Ben is Back is the superior film.

The film stars Julia Roberts and Lucas Hedge and is directed by Peter Hedges, Lucas's father. Roberts gives one of the more powerful performances of her career as a mother battling with the desire to help her son or move on and worry about the rest of her family. Hedges is strong as usual, he was equally fantastic in 2018 in Boy Erased. He continues to pump out solid work.

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Like Beautiful Boy, Ben is Back is not an easy watch, but both films offer an inside look at an epidemic plaguing our country.

I didn't grow up with Star Wars like many people my age, so I don't have the nostalgic connection that seems to elicit such a negative response to pretty much anything the Star Wars franchise has tried to do since the '80s. I'm not sure what all the fuss is about, The Rise of Skywalker was a fine conclusion to the current saga. I thought they did a nice job of providing a satisfying ending. I'm sure there are tons of little pieces of lore that many people didn't like, but from a casual fan, I didn't have a problem with it. The MVP of the recent trilogy for me is Adam Driver as Kylo Ren, I thought he had the best and most well-fleshed out story arc out of everyone. His performance and character will be the main reason I revisit these films in the future.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is a perfect companion piece to last year's Mr. Rogers documentary Won't You Be My Neighbor?, a film that is sure to tug at your heartstrings. While Won't You Be My Neighbor? really digs into who Fred Rogers was as a person, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is not his film. In fact, the main character is a journalist tasked to write a story about Mr. Rogers. I think it was a unique and wise direction to take the film. Here we are able to see the impact Fred Rogers has on the people around him just by being himself, a genuinely loving person. While it's hard not to see Tom Hanks as Mr. Rogers, I can't think of anyone better who could have played him. After all, he's about as beloved of an actor as anyone living today.

I can't believe it's been 10 years since the first Zombieland. I still remember having so much fun in the movie theater that day. I'm shocked it took this long to make a sequel, especially after the success of The Walking Dead, I figured they would have jumped all over it. Anyway, despite the decade absence, we jump right back in with Tallahassee and his crew. There's nothing new or inventive here, but if you're a fan of the original, then there's no reason you won't like Double Tap.

It's easy to compare Rocketman to last year's Bohemian Rhapsody, but both films are actually very different. Although Rhapsody was the clear winner at the box office, I actually prefer Rocketman. As great as Rami Malek was as Freddie Mercury, he didn't sing the songs himself. In Rocketman, not only did Taron Egerton do a fantastic job of Bringing Elton John to life, but he actually sang the songs himself. What sets Rocketman apart from many other musical biopics is the whimsical element. Often times the film feels like you are watching a play as the film untethers itself from reality. For some, that will be the point they are turned off, but with a larger than life figure like Elton John, it worked perfectly.

Joker, or as I like to call it, Much Ado About Nothing. I’m convinced that all the hysteria about the violence in Joker was a PR stunt by the studio. It’s the only thing that makes sense. I’ve seen more violence on an episode of NCIS than what was depicted in Joker. Anyway, Joker is a fantastic character study piece. It’s an arthouse film wrapped up in a comic book movie. Joker does a great job of portraying mental illness and the methodical manner in which it can eat away at who a person is. As usual, Joaquin Phoenix gives a performance that’s on another level.

Brittany Runs a Marathon is one of the funnier, uplifting films of the year. I’m sure it’s going to be an inspiration to a lot of people to watch a character dedicate herself to becoming more physically healthy. However, the interesting part about the film is the fact that Brittany thought that once she improved her physical appearance, the rest of her life would be better. What she didn’t realize is that not until she fixed some of the other parts of her personality could she truly be happy. It’s a really powerful take on how the person that people often see often times has nothing to do with our outward appearance.

A film produced by the WWE? No thanks, I’ll pass. Until I’m stuck on a two hour flight to Florida. I was enjoying this film so much that the entire flight seemed to go by in a blink of an eye. Fighting with My Family really has a lot going for it. It’s a rags to riches story, it’s David vs. Goliath story and most of all, it’s a film about family. If you read My Favorite Films of 2019 list, then you will know that I’m a huge fan of Florence Pugh. She’s almost unrecognizable as real-life wrestler Paige. Don’t make the same mistake I did and dismiss this film as a silly wrestling movie. Did I mention it has The Rock in it? Who doesn’t like him?

Uncut Gems is directed by the Safdie Brothers, who burst on the scene with last year’s Good Time. Their films have a unique feel and look to them, something very rare to find with directors. Uncut Gems is different than any film Adam Sandler has ever made. It’s also probably the best performance of his career and easily deserving of at least an Oscar nomination. Uncut Gems isn’t for everyone though. The film is exhaustingly exhilarating to watch. Many scenes feature overlapping dialogue and just pure chaos in general. The film has a raw, realistic feel to it. I guess you could say it feels uncut. I’m not sure there are any directors working right now that have a better feel for urban grime than the Safdie Brothers. I’m interested to see what the future holds for them.

Jojo Rabbit is an absolutely delightful film. Taika Waititi is one of the more unique filmmakers working today. What We Do in the Shadows and Hunt for the Wilderpeople are two of my favorite films of the decade. We can also thank Waititi for making Thor interesting in the recent Avengers films because before Waititi directed Thor: Ragnarok, Thor was a complete bore.

In Jojo Rabbit, Taika Waititi manages to balance satirical humor with powerful dramatic moments to perfection. The film is a mix between Tarantino, the Coen Brothers and a healthy dose of Wes Anderson. In short, Jojo Rabbit is about a young boy in Hitler’s army who discovers his mother is hiding a Jewish girl. Did I mention that Hitler is his imaginary friend? Waititi also plays Hitler and his performance is wonderful. Despite the heavy subject matter, the film is light and fun, until about halfway through where we are hit with one of the most brutal gut-punches I've seen in a film in years. With Jojo Rabbit, Waititi has solidified himself as an elite director with a unique voice.

Let's just get something straight right now. Lion King is not a live-action version of the 1994 classic. The entire film is composed of CGI.

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If you weren't sure whether or not we have reached the pinnacle of computer generated technology, then I present you with The Lion King. The film is a technological marvel. Each frame is photorealistic. I challenge anyone to tell the difference between a shot from the film and footage of an actual animal.

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My main issue with The Lion King is that by making such realistic animals, we lose some of the expression in the faces of the characters. The original animated film was able to have the characters emote way more. For me, that's a pretty important thing.

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Other than that, the film is pretty much a paint by numbers copy of the original. That might be a negative for some, but I enjoyed seeing the characters I love come to life.

You have to love it when a studio has no idea what they have on their hands. The studio decided not to screen Crawl for critics, which might have backfired because the film seemed to really be a hit with them.

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Either way, the lack of buzz really hurt it at the box office and it's too bad because Crawl is one of the better films of the summer.

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The premise is simple, but it's pulled off to perfection. The film is pretty much wall-to-wall edge of your seat nailbiting. My hope is people find this one on VOD.

I'm a sucker for thought-provoking Sci-fi and I Am Mother is a nice little hidden gem. A lot of the original Netflix films are pretty so-so, but I Am Mother is the exception.

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The film feels a lot like Moon. There are very few characters and the film is really carried by impressive relative newcomer Clara Rugaard.

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I don't want to give too much away, because this one really deserves to be tracked down on Netflix, but the film has heavy themes of motherhood.

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The other impressive fact about I Am Mother is the use of practical effects. The robot in the film is not CGI, it's actually a person in a suit. In a world full of CGI, I thought that was pretty great.

There's nothing particularly great about Ma, but there's nothing particularly bad about it either. Octavia Spencer is an amazing actress and she seems to be having a blast playing this evil character, but the rest of the cast is fairly forgettable.

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Not to spoil anything, but there's a plot device that is telegraphed from a mile away. If you've seen Hulu's The Act, you probably will see it coming as well. Overall, a fairly forgettable film.

I said it after the first film. I said it after the second film. I will say it after the third. Give me 3 more John Wick films all day.

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I'm sure people will say the action is repetitive. I say BS. Each fight scene and shootout feels different. They are incredibly unique and original. I didn't think a franchise could top The Raid so soon when it comes to action, but John Wick has done that. The knife scene alone is worth the price of admission.

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The films are simple, but the action is allowed to breathe. They aren't cut to death and the camera isn't too tight. Then you have the lore. It's just weird enough to be interesting, but at the same time still plausible.

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As for Reeves, the man is an action god. He literally has a handful of lines in each film, but you can't take your eyes off of him.

I'm not sure if there's anything else to be said about Avengers: Endgame at this point. The film might just be the biggest film ever released.

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There's an impossible amount of characters and plots, but the film balances them to perfection. It's never easy to end a story arch that was literally started in 2008 and spans dozens of films, but Endgame accomplished it in spades. It hits all the right notes and leaves you excited and wondering where the characters can go from here.

After Get Out, I couldn't wait to hear what Jordan Peele had in store for an encore. While Us isn't quite as good as his debut effort, it's pretty darn good! Where Get Out is more of a thriller that deals with issues of race, Us is much more of a straight-up horror film.

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That's not to say Us isn't overflowing with themes. They just aren't as obvious. Us is the kind of film where the less you know going in the better. It's also the kind of film that will keep you thinking long after you leave the theater.

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The real highlight of the film for me is the performance by Lupita Nyong'o. I'm not sure how many actresses could pull off that degree of difficulty, but she really nailed it. I hope the Academy remembers her come Oscar season unlike they did with Toni Collette for Hereditary.

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You also won't be able to ever listen to Good Vibrations by the Beach Boys the same way ever again after watching Us.

"I have nothing to prove to you."

This line is spoken by Brie Larson as Carol Danvers in Captain Marvel, the latest superhero extravaganza. I know this line is meant to be a rallying cry for women and young girls everywhere who have lived in the shadows of their male counterparts. However, I'm not really interested in the social and societal impact of a quote like that.

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I love movies and my only objective is to be entertained. For that reason alone, I'm going to use this quote and relate it to Marvel and fans of their films. For over a decade now, Marvel has been pumping out these superhero films like Ford did with the Model-T. Love 'em or hate 'em, they've had an amazingly detailed plan for the future and have done a great job of sticking to the proven formula for success. It works. Kudos.

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Have all of the Marvel films been great? No, not even close. I'm looking at you, Ironman 3. Some of them have been just plain boring. Hello, Thor 1 & 2. A few of them have even been fun and fluffy and then completely evaporate from your memory the second you exit the theater. Sorry, both Ant-Man films. That being said, at the end of the day, if you're a fan of Marvel and their films, there's literally no reason in the world that you shouldn't enjoy Captain Marvel.

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Marvel has done nothing but provide their fans with countless hours of entertainment in exchange for their hard earned cash. What am I trying to say with all this? Marvel, like our newest badass superhero, has nothing to prove to us.

I had no interest in Happy Death Day when it was released a few years back, but people kept telling me it was fun and enjoyable in the same sense as the Final Destination series, which has always been a guilty pleasure of mine. I caught the original film On Demand recently and I agree, it's a very fun film.

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I think the Groundhog Day-like plot mechanic works perfectly for a horror film and the film is carried by Blake Lively clone Jessica Rothe. Since I enjoyed the first film so much, I thought I'd give the second film a shot in theaters and I'm glad I did. It's not as good as the first film and becomes somewhat convoluted, but it also has a lot more heart than the first film, which caught me off guard. I honestly would love to see a few more of these, but I'm not sure if I would be quite as interested if Jessica Rothe isn't the lead character.

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I know both films have been marketed as horror films, but I would argue there is just as much comedy as horror in both films. Some of the funniest moments are all the unique ways Rothe's character finds to kill herself. I'd sign up for one or two more of these, but only if Rothe is on board.

I'm not sure there's another film genre that has more cliches and tropes associated with it than romantic comedies. They literally all share the same template.

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Well, Isn't It Romantic takes all those well-known tropes and just runs with it. It's easily one of the more unique premises for a film and I thought they nailed it.

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Rebel Wilson is fantastic as a woman that doesn't believe in love. She's great in the Pitch Perfect films and I'd really love to see her get some more starring roles, so hopefully this film will lead to that.

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Isn't It Romantic is the rare film that will appeal to both sides. If you hate romantic comedies, like our cynical heroine, then you will find more than enough to laugh at here. If you love romantic comedies, then there's more than enough for you to swoon over. It's a win-win.

I'm not really sure where all the critical hate is coming from on this one. If you enjoyed Unbreakable and Split, then there's no reason why you shouldn't have enjoyed Glass.

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2017's Split was one of the better films of the year, topped off by a fantastic twist ending (that somehow wasn't spoiled by the internet) that tied Split to its predecessor Unbreakable 17 years later.

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Glass maintains the atmosphere of both films and M. Night succeeds in expanding the mythology of their world.  One of my main issues is that David Dunn, played by Bruce Willis, doesn't have a whole lot to do during the middle of the film.  I would have liked an extra scene or two.  

Many people dislike the ending, but I don't have a problem with it.  If you're on board with what M. Night was trying to do, then there's no reason that the ending shouldn't work for you.  For me, this was a solid end to a surprise trilogy.

Many people might be quick to dismiss Searching as a film that only exists because of its gimmick, but that would be a huge mistake. Searching tells the story of a father, John Cho, desperately trying to find his daughter who has disappeared. The entire story is told through screens, whether it's an iPhone, tablet or laptop.

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Director Aneesh Chaganty has crafted an engaging mystery and uses the "gimmick" to perfection, weaving together a story that not only works but is elevated by the unique storytelling technique. It really shouldn't have worked, but it does.

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John Cho, who has been turning in solid work for what seems like decades, really stands out here. He's essentially a one-man show, often times acting by himself to a screen. Not an easy task. If you're looking for a twisty whodunit, don't disregard this one.

Vice is directed by Adam McKay, who directed 2015's The Big Short.  It looks like McKay might have found a unique niche here because both Vice and The Big Short share similar formats.  Both films take a satirical look at current events and often times feel almost like you're watching a documentary.

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With Vice, Christian Bale transforms himself into the enigmatic Vice President Dick Cheney.  Like The Big Short, Vice is terrifying in the ways it brings truths to the screen.  That said, it is a film and the main objective is to entertain.

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For me, Vice succeeds there as well.  The film features two laugh-out-loud moments for me.  Both scenes were things I had never experienced in a film before.  I can see why mainstream audiences would be put off by Vice.  The film doesn't have a standard narrative and the narration and the breaking the fourth wall could be off-putting for some.  For me, I can't wait to see what real life event McKay skewers next.

Richard Jewell is the latest film directed by Clint Eastwood, who continues to pump out films at a ridiculous pace even at his age. In recent years, Eastwood has really leaned towards real-life stories. American Sniper and Sully were huge hits for him, Invictus, J. Edgar, and Jersey Boys were both met with moderate praise, but last year's The 15:17 to Paris was a misstep for him. Richard Jewell has gotten him back on track and tells the story of the 1996 bombing at the Olympics in Atlanta. Richard Jewell is played by Paul Walter Hauser, who stole every scene in I, Tonya. He does a fine job here as well and really plays Jewell as a regular guy who was just trying to do his job and ends up getting caught up in a media firestorm. The film shines a light on how the media can light a spark and ruin a person's life without the facts. They don't take into consideration that the person in question is an actual person. The rest of the cast does a great job as well. Sam Rockwell is his normal amazing self as Jewell's lawyer and Kathy Bates is strong as Jewell's mother.

Ford v Ferrari is directed by James Mangold, who has really become one of the more dependable directors working today. It's the kind of film Hollywood used to pump out like crazy in the '80s and 90s. A mainstream film with big stars that can appeal to a wide audience that doesn't have superheroes in it. They've kind of fallen off in recent years, but with the success of Ford V Ferrari, Hollywood might get the message that there is still an audience for these kinds of films. Christian Bale and Matt Damon are as good as we have all come to expect. Ford v Ferrari is a story about the will to succeed and the American spirit.

I really enjoyed the first IT film. I thought the film really captured the book very well. All the kids did a great job with their characters. Unfortunately, IT Chapter Two didn't really do it for me. The film should have really just focused on the kids as adults all those years later. Instead, we are constantly flashing back to the past and seeing them as children once again. I felt that it took away from the film and really felt out of place. I understand what they were going for, but it just didn't work for me. The rest of the film just seemed like a series of tasks to get our heroes to the final faceoff. Not a terrible film by any means, but one that didn't live up to expectations.

It's not a bad film, it's just so generic. The most annoying part of the film, outside of the fact that Tiffany Haddish is a thing, was how the girl power is virtually slathered on in heaps. I have no problem with female-empowering films, but it was really ham-fisted here.

Melissa McCarthy proved last year that she can act in a drama with her fine performance in Can You Ever Forgive Me?, but here she's playing it so straight that her character just comes off as boring. Elizabeth Moss is a great actress as evidenced by her performance on The Handmaid's Tale, but I feel like she really mailed this one in.

Widows did it way better and nobody watched it, so go watch that one instead.

Good Boys is easily the most fun I had at the movies this year. I can’t remember another R rated film that features children, so it was quite a unique experience. The three leads, lead by the always great Jacob Tremblay, did a fine job and had really great chemistry. Good Boys did a great job of showing that no matter how adult children try to be, they are still just kids and don’t know or understand half as much stuff as they think they know. Comedies of this nature are really becoming fewer and farther apart, so it’s encouraging that Good Boys performed well at the box office.

I had the absolute privilege of seeing The Irishman in the theater on Sunday. The film is a masterpiece. From the fade up from black, you know it's a Scorcese film. It never felt long to me either. The most striking aspect of the film for me was that, unlike Goodfellas and some of Scorsese's other gangster epics, The Irishman doesn't glamorize the life of a mobster. In fact, it goes out of its way to tell us the many gruesome ways many of the gangsters met their end. A very effective technique. Many will criticize The Irishman for lacking focus and say that it meanders at times, but like Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, I loved being along for the ride with these characters.

Lighthouse director Robert Eggers certainly took his sweet time to direct his follow-up to 2015’s The Witch. Well, it was more than worth the wait. The Lighthouse is a slow burn arthouse film, just in case you couldn’t tell by the black and white and the 1.19 : 1 (square) aspect ratio. Both of those choices aren’t just the result of a director trying to be cute. The aspect ratio add a claustrophobic feel to the already tight quarters of the lighthouse and the black and white really enhances the dreariness. I’m a sucker for films that take place in one place, so The Lighthouse is right up my alley. The highlight of the film is clearly the outstanding performances by Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson. With The Witch and The Lighthouse, Eggers has proven to be one of the more exciting young filmmakers working today.

Rian Johnson directed the much-maligned Star Wars: The Last Jedi. I get it, when Disney dollars start calling, it’s kind of hard to say no. Johnson has made some fantastic films like Looper, Brick and now Knives Out. Although I had no problem with his take on the Star Wars universe, there’s no pleasing Star Wars Fanboys and I’d much rather he stick to making films like Knives Out, which is easily one of the more refreshing films of the year. We just don’t get many whodunit films and the fact that Knives Out is an original property not based on a book really enhances the film for me. The film features an all-star ensemble cast highlighted by a really fun performance from Daniel Craig. Knives Out is one of the more crowd-pleasing films of the year and needs to be seen.

If you've ever read anything I've written, then you know I love blockbuster films. I love comic book movies. Endgame was amazing, as was the newest Spider-Man film. I also love sequels. John Wick 3 was such a fun movie-going experience and Toy Story 4 was a beautiful nostalgic trip down memory lane.

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That being said, while most people were flocking to see Spidey swing into theaters, I went to a 9:40 showing of Midsommar. Although I'm still a sucker for many sequels, prequels, reboots and adaptations, it's films like Midsommar that remind me why I love film. There's something so great about getting something new and fresh.

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That's not to say Midsommar is entirely original. There are many films that are similar, from the original Wicker Man to the more recent Netflix original film Apostle, directed by Gareth Evans. What I'm talking about is the excitement of new characters and a new setting. It's a breath of fresh air.

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The best way to watch Midsommar is to go in knowing as little as possible. I was able to successfully not watch a trailer for the film and I only knew a brief synopsis. All I knew was that it was Ari Aster's follow-up to Hereditary and that it starred Florence Pugh. That's all I needed.

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I won't go into any more detail here, but Midsommar is not a mainstream horror film, which shouldn't come as a surprise to most people. The film takes its time to build the atmosphere of this community to perfection. It's also a visually stunning film with a vibrant color palette that seemed to illuminate from the screen. Some scenes were so bright they lite up the entire theater.

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Midsommar has a few major themes, the most apparent being dealing with tragedy, as well as the up and downs of a relationship. At its core, Midsommar is a break-up film.

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It's imperative that we support films of this nature when they get wide releases. They are fewer and farther between nowadays. It's an easy choice for me, but Midsommar is my favorite film of the year so far.

Aladdin is one of my favorite animated films of all time. I also loved playing the Sega Genesis game it was based on. Simply put, Aladdin has a special place in my heart, so when I heard that they were making the inevitable live-action version, I thought it was unnecessary.

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After watching Aladdin, I have to say that I'm still not sure it was entirely necessary, but the film is very enjoyable. The visuals are breathtaking to look at as you would expect.

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The male and female leads were both fantastic, especially Naomi Scott as Jasmine, who is the next big up and coming actress.

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The most controversial part of the film leading up to its release was the casting of Will Smith. I thought he did a great job. He didn't try to imitate Robin Williams. He made the role his own, which is the only thing he could have done.

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The film is updated just enough so that it doesn't feel like a carbon copy of the 1992 version, this is most apparent in the more female-empowering turn for Jasmine.

Spidey has had a busy couple of years. He was blinked out of existence (what, you didn't see Infinity War?) then brought back just in time to save the universe (what, you didn't see Endgame?) then he helped The Salvation Army out with a fundraiser (shameless plug).

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The guy deserves a vacation and that's exactly what he gets in Far From Home... kind of. Peter Parker barely has time to get to his hotel room and make fists with his toes (Die Hard reference) before Venice is invaded by some kind of demon monster. Thankfully, a mysterious superhero played by Jake Gyllenhaal arrives to save the day.

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As you would expect, the film features some great action scenes and Tom Holland is really the perfect Spider-Man, now conflicted with the prospect of a larger role of a Superhero the world needs more than ever now.

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As I write this, Sony and Disney are at odds with the Spider-Man franchise. No matter what happens, the fans lose if a deal can't be worked out.

I usually only write reviews for films released in the current year. For some films, I have to make an exception. Burning was nominated for Best Foreign film at last year's Academy Awards. If it wasn't for Roma, it probably would have won.

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It's kind of hard to explain Burning, but it's a beautiful film about love, loneliness, and loss.

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The 2 hours and 30-minute runtime, plus the fact that it's a foreign film is a tough sell for some, but it's really worth it. There's so much going on in the film that days after I watched it I'm still not sure what to think. I keep coming up with different versions of what I think was going on.

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If you're into Asian cinema, Burning is a must-see.

In a summer ruled by superheroes, I was somewhat surprised that Brigthburn went under the radar. Maybe it's the fact that the film doesn't chronicle a known comic book character, or maybe it's the fact people don't want a film about a villain.

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Either way, Brightburn is one of the more surprisingly well-made films of the year. It does a great job of showing the origin story of how a supervillain could be born.

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Brightburn also has heavy themes of parenthood. In many ways, the film kind of felt like We Need to Talk about Kevin.

Booksmart kind of got stuck with the label of being a female Superbad. It's easy to see the similarities, especially since one of the main characters is played by Jonah Hill's sister (Beanie Feldstein). Being compared to Superbad isn't a bad thing. It's one of the best comedies of the last 20 years, but Booksmart is much more than that.

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The film is Olivia Wilde's directorial debut and tells the story of two female high school students that realize they spent their 4 years of high school studying and not having any fun. What makes things worse is the fact that all the kids who screwed off got into the same schools.

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Booksmart is the rare film that deals with the relationship between two female friends. It's also interesting to note that one of the characters is gay, but she's more than her sexual preference and the film doesn't focus on it. Along with Long Shot, Booksmart is another comedy that failed at the box office this year and that's a real shame.

Somewhere along the line the original Pet Sematary became revered for this fantastic achievement in filmmaking. I'm not really sure why because the film is pretty average. The acting is terrible and the film is fairly predictable. I haven't read the book yet, so I can't say whether or not it's faithful to the source material.

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Anyway, here's the unnecessary, yet inevitable sequel. The filmmaking is better, but there's really nothing new here. The main difference in the film is spoiled in the trailer, which kind of took the impact away from a potential twist.

Gloria Bell is the kind of film Julianne Moore would have been nominated for an Oscar for about a dozen years ago. Unfortunately for her, there have been a ton of mid-life crisis films in recent years, so Gloria Bell gets a March release with little to no fanfare.

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The film is enjoyable enough and Moore and John Turturro give fine performances. They also have surprisingly good chemistry. That being said, there's really nothing new or innovative here.

Shoplifters is easily one of the best films of 2018 and was nominated for Best Foreign film at this year's Oscars. It's easy to see why. Shoplifters tells such a unique story and I can honestly say that I've never seen a story about a family like this told before.

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The best part of Shoplifters is how it unfolds layer by layer like an onion. As each layer is pulled back, we learn something new about this very unique family unit.

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Without giving too much away, Shoplifters tells the story of a family of thieves that take in a child they find outside in the rain.

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The film really asks the question of what it truly means to be a family, but at the same time asking some truly difficult moral questions. A beautiful film.

The Kid Who Would Be King is directed by Joe Cornish, who directed one of the best films of the decade in Attack the Block. King is a young adult retelling of the King Arthur story, told from the perspective of Alex, played by Louis Ashbourne Serkis, son of Andy Serkis.

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One of the best aspects of 80s and 90s films was how many films revolved around kids or teens. Somewhere along the line, Hollywood stopped making films of that nature. Most films that are for kids are animated films or superhero films, but they very rarely actually feature kids.

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For that reason alone, I felt compelled to support The Kid Who Would Be King and I'm glad I did. It's a fun little adventure film and all the children did a fine job. There's nothing new or ground-breaking here and it's a story we have seen a million times, but if you're a kid, this might be one of those movies that really resonates with you.

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I'd really like to see Hollywood make more films of this nature.

The original Lego Movie was one of my favorite films of 2014. The Second Part doesn't quite match the original, but I had a lot of fun with this one as well.

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I will stand by my statement that the Lego Movie franchise, more than any other animated film, is not meant for kids. The second film is especially packed with tons of movie and comic book references that it was almost impossible to keep up. I have to see the film again because I know there was stuff I was missing.

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Like the first film that dealt with the bond between a father and son, the second film deals with the bond between a brother and sister.

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It would be easy for a film like the Lego Movie to just throw up a bunch of colorful images and call it a day, but both films have done a fantastic job of actually meaning something. For that fact alone, people should give both films a shot.

First Reformed is one of the more under the radar films of 2018, but it also happens to be one of the best films of the year and features one of the best male performances of the year from Ethan Hawke. Hawke plays Reverend Toller, a solitary man who is the pastor at a failing, historic church. His living quarters are empty except for a table and chair that Toller uses to write in his journal while indulging in a heavy dose of alcohol.

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Clearly, Reverend Toller is trying to make some of the pain go away. The pain from the loss of his son and the literal pain from the cancer growing in his body. When Toller offers council to a young couple, his life begins to spiral out of control. Or does it? Some would argue that he gains clarity and purpose. 

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First Reformed is the kind of film that is not for everyone. The film asks a lot of questions, the biggest is in regards to humans and our impact on the environment. How manmade climate change relates to religion is the crux of the film. First Reformed features one of the crazier final 20 minutes of a film I've seen in a long time. If you're looking for a film that will get you thinking and reflecting, then give First Reformed a shot.

Like many people, when I heard they were releasing another Spider-Man film, I said to myself that we need another Spider-Man film like we need another hole in the head.  Animated or not, it just seemed unnecessary.  I was wrong.  Very, very wrong.

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Into the Spider-Verse is the best Spider-Man film to date, it might just be the best superhero film to date, it's easily one of the best films of 2018 and unquestionably the best animated film of the year. 

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The film features one of the more unique visual styles I've seen in an animated film.  It actually felt like you were reading a comic book.  At other times, it felt like you were in a video game.  Into the Spider-Verse collects different versions of Spider-Man from over the decades.  Through these interactions is where the film finds most of its laughs, but there's also a lot of heart there and the theme that anyone can be a superhero really hits home.

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Even if you have just a passing interest in Spider-Man, Into the Spider-Verse is a must watch.

Wildlife is a quiet little film that really went under the radar in 2018. The film stars Carey Mulligan and Jake Gyllenhaal as a married couple in the 1960s whose marriage begins to spiral out of control after Gyllenhaal's character starts a new job fighting a wildfire. The film is told from the perspective of their 14-year-old son Joe, played by Ed Oxenbould. Joe is an innocent bystander in the trainwreck that is the marriage of his parents.

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Carey Mulligan gives maybe the best performance of her career and the film really nails the time period, especially the now antiquated family norms. I'm a huge Gyllenhaal fan, so I would have loved to have seen him a little more. The film also abandons a side story with Joe and a girl at school whom he seemed to like.

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Overall, a very strong first effort from actor Paul Dano in his directorial debut.