Venom

Actors: Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed, Scott Haze, Reid Scott

Rating: 9 out of 10, I’m blissfully unaware of the Spiderman mythology surrounding this character which may or may not have helped. It started fairly slowly and initially the Eddie Brock character is really hard to root for. It’s a tribute to Tom Hardy that he eventually wins you over despite no discernible reason for doing so. For me the movie takes off once Brock is infected with the alien parasite that transforms him into Venom. The internal monologue between Brock and Venom is at times hilarious. This wasn’t up to Marvel’s usual standard but it was a lot of fun as Venom careens around San Francisco battling the inevitable evil corporation. Michelle Williams is a little underutilized but this movie belongs to Hardy and he redeems the focus. A very fun ride that never takes itself too seriously.

MVP: Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock / Venom

Peppermint

Actors: Jennifer Garner, John Ortiz, John Gallagher Jr., Juan Pablo Raba, Tyson Ritter

Rating: 8 out of 10, I know this is getting excoriated by critics but that seems almost sexist. This is John Wick with a female in the trigger pulling role. Most of the criticism of the movie is that Jennifer Garner shouldn’t be wasting her talent in such a genre. There have been numerous academy award level male actors who’ve indulged in a well-paid action genre, make that escapist, fare but you seldom see the same level of criticism leveled at them that Garner is enduring. This movie was fun, well as much as it could be with the tragic events that cause Garner’s character to go on her well executed rampage. Garner is superb embodying the sense of loss driving her motivation to end the people involved in that loss. She hasn’t lost anything off her fastball from Alias days and handles the action scenes flawlessly. So don’t listen to the critics. If you liked John Wick (guilty) you’ll like this.

MVP: Garner as the Wicklike Riley North

Equalizer 2

Actors: Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Ashton Sanders, Melissa Leo, and Bill Pullman

Rating: 8 out of 10, Denzel is back in John Creasy mode as the semi-silent predator inflicting justice where needed. This sequel didn’t play as well as the original because it tried to jump into international espionage instead of keeping the equalizing local, which was the strength of the story. The action sequences were everything that could be hoped for although there was too much thoughtful consideration liberally spiced between them. I get it, watching Denzel operate can be mesmerizing, but the director seemed to forget all about pacing as he almost lovingly lingers on Denzel in pensive mode. This is a perfect role for Denzel because he brings the gravitas needed for vigilante justice to be acceptable. Despite all this it’s well worth the watch if only to see the pre-eminent actor of this generation in peak form.

MVP: Washington in his first ever sequel as the inevitable Robert McCall

Mission Impossible: Fallout

Actors: Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Sean Harris, Michelle Monaghan, Alec Baldwin, Henry Cavill, Vanessa Kirby, Angela Bassett

Rating: 10 out of 10, Tom Cruise’s latest IMF mission actually does accomplish the impossible. It injects new life into a sixth sequel and I rarely use the word epic for this type genre but it certainly fits. The story is completely implausible but that is, of course, why the IMF team is needed. This time they’re chasing plutonium around the world and causing no end of traffic mishaps in Paris which must have sent insurance rates skyrocketing. Superman is along in a rare villainous turn which he handles adroitly. The movie also brings back some of the most beloved characters from earlier movies to either complete, or continue, their arcs. This was most notable in Rebecca Ferguson the only woman capable of keeping up with Ethan Hunt. I loved the movie with relentless action, characters you can invest in, and climatic scenes that will cause acrophobic fainting spells.

MVP: Cruise continues to own Ethan Hunt, surprisingly effective despite his diminutive size

Mile 22

Actors: Mark Wahlberg, John Malkovich, Lauren Cohan, Iko Uwais, Ronda Rousey.

Rating: 7 out of 10, Mark Wahlberg is back in the manic mode last seen in The Departed. He plays a hyperactive leader of a clandestine CIA team tracking down some dirty bomb ingredients in a mythical Asian country also trying to stay a few steps ahead (and failing) of some pissed off Russians. They are charged with transporting a key witness to the airport while seemingly the entire country tries to kill them. Iko Uwais, the luminescent star of the Raid movies, is the best thing about the movie especially when he gets around to administer the obligatory beatings. Lauren Cohan, from the Walking Dead, is also very good as a tough member of Wahlberg’s team. The action is almost non-stop but I had a real problem with the editing which was so jumpy and flashing between cameras that it was impossible to keep track of who was fighting who. The director, Peter Berg, got a little too impressed with his artistic side because this would have been a much better picture, even with the Raid homages, if he hadn’t gotten carried away in the editing room.

MVP: Iko Uwais as the hyper- fighter triple agent