The Night Comes for Us (2018)

I grew up watching and loving Bruce Lee. In general I am not a big fan of martial arts movies. The Night Comes for Us is one of the best of the genre. Lots of blood and guts and beatings that would kill a small village. I watched this without subtitles but it made no difference, who needs words the fists do the talking.

Iko Uwais of The Raid fame co stars with Joe Taslim another alumni of The Raid.  Its not a great movie and the plot is childlike, but it rocks.

3.5 fists of fury stars

Mission Impossible- Fallout (2018)

After a string of just super versions this one is a little underwhelming. All is forgiven because the last half hour is truly nail biting. The other two hours is formulatic and sometimes cringe worthy. Especially when Tom has romance in eyes instead of a gun.

Henry Cavall was more wooden than emoting. He seemed to be channeling the lesser Baldwin Bros. However he was a good if not great foil for super Tom. Rotten Tomatoes loved it 98% compared to 93% for what I thought was the better Rouge Nation. If this movie had been released as a stand alone it would have fared better in my eyes, thats why I have to give it a little better than average grade. To be fair it is a must see movie.

3.5 strong presentation stars.

Mile 22 (2018)

Mark Wahlberg  fourth straight collaboration with director Peter Berg is more of the same and thats a good thing.  Lone Survivor was a masterpiece and Deepwater Horizon an enjoyable time. I did not watch the Patriots day, I cant take that much rah rah USA in one sitting. (but broken into hourly bits like Last Ship Howrah)

Wahlberg plays a slightly autistic bi polar wet worker of the worst kind. The Walking Dead’s Lauren Cohan, Furious 7’s Ronda Rousey and The Raid’s Iko Uwais as the package have to travel 22 miles from the US embassy to the airstrip in a generic Indonesian city. Of course the Russians are involved.

Rotten Tomatoes gave it a measly 24% and generally critics savaged it. Its the second movie I have seen in a couple of months worth reviewing. If you liked The Raid you will enjoy this. Its really The Raid on the road.

Three Crossover Stars

Beruit (2018)

This is a state of the art geo political thriller. It spans a lifetime of one man played by Jon Hamm playing the middle east when lives are on the line and time is running out. Rosamund Pike is the voice of reason. I like her in everything and she is given some room to run in this picture.

Lots of truths mostly sad spoken in this movie. That gives it an extra half star.

4 paradise changed into wasteland stars

Time Trap (2018)

How I love a well made B movie and this is a true contender for the best
of today. It has the look and feel of a brilliant 21st century high school project. Notable maybe only because it stars the daughter of famous morning person Kathy Lee Gifford, and she makes her mother proud. I liked all the no name characters and the story was told in a way that made me suspend disbelief. The director/writer Mark Dennis should definitely be given some big money to make something more.

Its mostly fantasy but ends with sci fi.

3 very solid non time wasting stars

Tomb Raider (2018)

I liked it a little more than the Angelina Jolie vehicles. It puts a fresh coat of paint on the old Indiana Jones genre. Alicia Vikander continues to pump a very impressive resume, playing the Tomb Raider.  The supporting cast is fantastic. Daniel Wu of Into the Badlands fame plays a sidekick. Walter Groggins of Justified in his stereotypical bad guy role.

Dominic West of Preacher as Laura Crofts father may be a mistake. His character was a weak point of the movie.

The Director is the Norwegian who wiped out the critics with his first movie The Wave. This movie was well put together, some real drama created.

RT was a little harder than me. It was a smash hit at the box office, expect a sequel which I am looking forward to.


three solid lost island stars

still seeking something to talk about

I really have nothing to recommend since the last time I checked in

Annihilation 2018

This is a good movie. Its good sci fi. I did not like the ending because it was like they ran out of money. In a world where 99% of entertainment is crap, repo, reissued dribble, this movie rises above.

3.5 fractal stars