John Wick 3: Parabellum

Actors: Keanu Reeves, Halle Berry, Laurence Fishburne, Mark Dacascos, Asia Kate Dillon, Lance Reddick, Anjelica Huston, Ian McShane.

Rating: 10 out of 10, You really have to credit how much mileage the filmmakers have gotten out of the melancholy hit man prone to cartoon level violence. I should have bought an interest in whatever company makes the blood squibs for the movie industry. That mileage has been attained by keeping the story fresh and achieving significant forward momentum. A large dose of the credit should also be given to Mr. Reeves who draws you into his world and makes you share every punch he takes despite his seeming indestructability. This movie picks up where the last one left off with John running to meet his fate at the hands of a virtual army of assassins. The body count meet the usual “Wickian” standard but, once again, doesn’t feel stale, although I could have done without the close-up of the knife puncturing the eyeball (yep – John Friggin Wick). Wick starts out the movie by proving the power of the written word against a massive opponent. The dogs also finally get a piece of the action which, along with Halle Berry, makes for one of the most entertaining action sequences ever. New York City should get billing as a supporting actor as most of the killing is done there and at the mythical hotel for criminals where the climatic scenes take place. We are also brought further into the murky world of the higher power that’s after Wick because his sins of the second movie. Keeping things interesting, the androgynous actor/ress from Billions appears as adjudicator and did everything in his/her power to set her/himself up as target #1 (probably more 1A) in John Wick 4, because that’s going to happen. This has been way too much fun to stop now. Reeves may look a little weary but he’s found the role that will define him and he’s awesome.

MVP: There can be only one John Wick – Keanu, of course

Black Hole

Actors: Maximilian Schell, Robert Forster, Joseph Bottoms, Yvette Mimieux, Anthony Perkins, Ernest Borgnine, Roddy McDowall, Slim Pickens

Rating: 6 out of 10, This has not aged well, a victim of the advance of special effects in the years since it appeared. I get the impression this was done at Disney to capture some of the audience following the initial Star Wars craze, but it missed the boat, or starship I guess. A small spaceship discovers a massive black hole in space haunted by an equally massive spaceship crewed by the typical mad scientist bent on discovering the secrets of the universe, no matter what the cost. One of my childhood crushes, Yvette Mimieux, plays an ESP capable scientist who can commune with a Roddy McDowall voiced floating robot, so there is that. This is one of the movies that is so impressed with its own special effects that it forgets to have characters the audience can invest in. Note to Tony Perkins, when a robot slowly approaches you with a wickedly sharp spinning knife, duck. I loved this movie when it first came out, call it the Mimieux effect, but it now seems more than a little silly.

MVP: Yvette Mimieux, who else, as Dr. Kate McCrae 

MIB: International

Actors: Chris Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson, Kumail Nanjiani, Rebecca Ferguson, Rafe Spall, Laurent & Larry Bourgeois, Liam Neeson, Emma Thompson

Rating: 7 out of 10, This was every bit as silly as it was fun. Thor was back with his Avengers Valkyrie buddy and they still have chemistry. This was a coming out party for Tessa Thompson and she passes with flying colors in a lead role. She plays a hyper-smart gal who worms her way into the black suit after a lifelong pursuit. She’s teamed up with Thor who’s seen better days as an English agent. This was everything I hoped it would be and as long as you don’t take it seriously, c’mon it’s a MIB movie, truly enjoyable. The plot was a little predictable but provided a great ride around the globe as the agents tracked down in inter-dimensional mole in the agency. I did say it shouldn’t be taken seriously, right.

MVP: Thompson as agent M, sprightly, yet deadly

Godzilla: King of the Monsters

Actors: Kyle Chandler, Vera Farmiga, Millie Bobby Brown, Bradley Whitford, Sally Hawkins, Charles Dance, Thomas Middleditch, Aisha Hinds, O'Shea Jackson Jr., David Strathairn, Ken Watanabe, Zhang Ziyi

Rating: 7 out of 10, This was a very fun ride on the absurdity scale which is what makes these movies so entertaining. It could have been better if the humans could have stayed out of the way a little more. Coach Taylor seemed in a perpetual frenzied state whilst 11 from Stranger Things, as his on screen daughter, proved she is ready for bigger things. I guess the frenzy is understandable as the world reels from an onslaught of immense monsters started by his estranged wife but he could have toned it down. Godzilla is the hero here fighting against a three headed space dragon (yep!). The script must have been penned by a frustrated Yankee fan because poor Fenway Park takes a savage beating in the climactic battle. The advance of CGI technology means the monsters are more “realistic” than the iconic 1960’s versions but this is still a lot of harmless fun (except if you were standing near the real Green Monster).

MVP: Watanabe who gets to utter several trademark “godzillas” which should only be uttered with a Japanese accent

Long Shot

Actors: Seth Rogen, Charlize Theron, O'Shea Jackson Jr., Andy Serkis, June Diane Raphael, Bob Odenkirk, Alexander Skarsgård

Rating: 9 out of 10, After seeing this movie I am more convinced than ever that Charlize Theron can do anything. She is so good as a high powered secretary of state working for an extremely low power president. This movie could be classified as extremely high fantasy to believe that Seth Rogen would stand a smidgen of a chance as a romantic interest for Theron. However it works and that’s a tribute to both actors although most of the heavy lifting is done by Theron. Theron’s character was Rogen’s babysitter back in the day and hadn’t seen him before he literally stumbles into her life as a speech writer. Rogen, to his credit, holds his own and somehow, against considerable odds, their relationship works. There are some really funny moments laced throughout as well as a lot of heart. I really enjoyed this.

MVP: Theron as the Sec State from heaven