Justice League Review

Directed by: Zack Snyder (300, Man of Steel, Watchmen)

Starring: Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa, Ezra Miller, Ray Fisher, Henry Cavil

Written by: Chris Terrio, Joss Whedon, Zack Snyder. Based on the characters by Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster, Gardner Fox, Bob Kane, Bill Finger, William Moulton Marston, and Jack Kirby

Released: In theaters

Plot: Batman (Affleck), Wonder Woman (Gadot), The Flash (Miller), Aquaman (Momoa), and Cyborg (Fisher) team up to stop an enemy that threatens the entire world.

Review: Justice League should not be able to work as well as it does. It has gone through many re-shoots, and has dealt with the director leaving during post-production for personal reasons, and being replaced by Joss Whedon. While this movie is not perfect, it is much better than it could have been.
It gets by on the chemistry and dialogue of the main characters. There is a lot more humor than in previous DC universe movies, mostly in the form of the banter between the heroes. The movie strikes the right tone between humor and seriousness.
Superman is also played with less gloominess, which is a major improvement for the series. The Flash is a very fun character who feels a little like Tom Holland's Spider-man. And they finally managed to make Aquaman cool.
However, the plot is pretty generic and the villain is very forgettable. There are very few surprises, and it felt like I'd seen the story before. The villain is not menacing nor does he have any qualities that would make him memorable.
But it is still worth the trip to the theater to see the heroes. The movie is very well-shot, and Joss Whedon's writing gives it life.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Mudbound Review

Directed by: Dee Rees (Bessie, Pariah)

Starring: Carey Mulligan, Jason Clarke, Jason Mitchel, Mary J Blige, Rob Morgan, Jonathan Banks, Garret Hedlund,

Written by: Virgil Williams and Dee Rees. Based on the novel by Hillary Jordan

Released: On Netflix

Plot: Two families, one black and one white, face problems in the rural American south after a member comes back from World War II.

Review: Mudbound is a powerful drama that deals with racism and PTSD. Even though parts of it are not as interesting as others, it is a very emotionally involving movie. It is bleak and sometimes hard to watch, but it might be an Oscar contender.
Everybody gives a great performance, and it is very well-shot. There are many scenes that show the characters' struggles amazingly. A great example of this is when a black veteran (Jason Mitchel) talks about how he misses the war because he wasn't a second class citizen there. Another is the last act which shows racism in all its horror.
However, there are moments that are not as interesting. Most of the plotlines that do not involve the veterans move kind of slowly, and a lot of people will be bored by it.
But I think the powerful moments and performances make it a worthwhile watch. It is a moving film, that will stick with you.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

The Babysitter Review

Directed by: McG (Charlie's Angels, Terminator: Salvation, We Are Marshall)

Starring: Judah Lewis, Samara Weaving, Robbie Amell

Written by: Brian Duffield (Insurgent, Jane Got a Gun)

Plot: Released on Netflix. A kid (Lewis) sees his babysitter (Weaving) and her friends in a Satanic ritual. They are now pursuing him for what he witnessed.

Review: The Babysitter is a very flawed horror-comedy, but it is also a very fun one.
It is directed in a very stylized way. This is the kind of movie where, after the main character witnesses his first murder, the words "What the fuck?" appear on the screen in big bold letters. As you can see this style can be over-the-top at times, but then again, so is most of the movie.
Throughout the movie, there are a few instances of characters doing dumb things (it is a horror movie after all), and being saved by pure coincidence. There were also a couple times when I thought to myself "That should have probably killed the main character." But after watching it, I realized that this movie was not meant to be taken seriously. That does not excuse these things entirely, but it does make them a little more forgivable. All this movie really wants to be is a fun ride, and it succeeds in that regard.
Underneath all this, there is also a good coming of age story. The child has a very clear character arc, where he overcomes his fears, and "grows up" over the course of the night.
All in all, this is nowhere near a perfect movie, but it is a very fun and funny one. It is rarely scary, but there is a lot of blood. It is ridiculous and maybe a little over-stylized, but if you want to see a fun horror movie, this should satisfy you.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Thor: Ragnarok Review

Directed by: Taika Waititi (What We Do In the Shadows, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Boy)

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Jeff Goldblum, Mark Ruffalo

Written by: Eric Pearson, Craig Kyle, Christopher L. Yost, Based on the comics by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, and Jack Kirby

Plot: The goddess of death (Blanchett) is wreaking havoc in Asgard. Thor (Hemsworth) must stop her, but he is held captive on another planet by the Grandmaster (Goldblum) along with the Hulk (Ruffalo).

Review: Much like the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, Thor Ragnarok takes place mostly in world's other than Earth. Coincidentally, it is also as fun as those movies.
It is full of action, vivid special effects, and great comedic moments. Director Taika Waititi, who also made the underrated comedy, What We Do in the Shadows, makes sure this movie has perfect comic timing.
The worlds this movie creates are fully realized. All of the characters are well written and acted. The movie is very funny, and has plenty of great action scenes. You have to give credit to a movie that has no less than two action pieces that are perfectly set to Led Zeppelin's Immigrant Song.
This is the best Thor movie yet. It is also the best Hulk movie we have gotten so far. It could probably rank among the freshest, funniest, and most entertaining Marvel Cinematic Universe movies yet.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars