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I really loved this movie growing up and equally loved the tie-in game. I felt the story was kind of lacking but this movie is a really fun time. Nick Cage doing his thing is pure gold. The villains felt flat and in the case of Legion, he was over the top. Overall, it was a mindless fun watch. There is plenty of cool-looking visuals and action to keep you hooked. Story - 10% Characters - 13% Pacing - 15% Spectacle - 16% Entertainment - 15% Total score: 69% Grade scale: 90%-100% = must watch 80%-89% = solid, but could be better 70%-79% = Not terrible, watch if the characters or story interests you 60%-69% = only watch for completionist reasons 0%-59% = just skip it, I find the positives and they don't exist here

How did I give this movie the same exact score as the original? I Have a several-month divide between scoring this and the original. This movie is a solid entry. I felt the story itself could have been a bit better but the dynamic and various vibes of the family were beautiful. There was a strong emphasis on family and being you even if you feel like it isn’t enough. The main main villain is a bit too twirly mustache evil for my liking. I get being resentful but being mad at humans for something a handful did centuries ago is a bit much. The weird thing with my pacing is at first I was going to give it a lower score because we were just over an hour in when I assumed we were going into the final act. But the second half did fly by and was an amazing spectacle. I even cried a little, not gonna lie. Bring the tissues! Darn family moments. It really is a spectacle to watch and a great superhero flick. I definitely recommend watching it. Shazam! Is consistently a fun series with those epic stakes. Story - 16% Characters - 19% Pacing - 17% Spectacle - 20% Entertainment - 19% Total score: 91% Grade scale: 90%-100% = must watch 80%-89% = solid, but could be better 70%-79% = Not terrible, watch if the characters or story interests you 60%-69% = only watch for completionist reasons 0%-59% = just skip it, I find the positives and they don't exist here

What happens when you have a successful horror movie? You make sequels, obviously. The meta-slasher is back at it again, poking fun at the genre and doing exactly what the rules say. This one had a bit more of a twist. You figure out one of the killers almost from the get-go, but the other killer you would never expect on first watch. Like the first movie, it was very meta with its rules, which did make it a bit more obvious who the killers are. I do appreciate they acknowledged the caller ID complaint I had with the first movie. There were also a lot of actors in the movie that I have actually seen in multiple projects. Sarah Michelle Gellar was even in this thing. It was a solid sequel that is on par with the first movie. It did go a little bigger in action. A few extra twists were thrown in this go-round because the audience understands the rules now. This movie did exactly what it needed to do. Not as classic as the original, but still worth a watch. Story - 16% Characters - 16% Pacing - 15% Spectacle - 18% Entertainment - 18% Total score: 83% Grade scale: 90%-100% = must watch 80%-89% = solid, but could be better 70%-79% = Not terrible, watch if the characters or story interests you 60%-69% = only watch for completionist reasons 0%-59% = just skip it, I find the positives and they don't exist here

I went into this 100% knowing how it ended. I had to be mindful of setups you may not have caught the first time. Honestly, it does a great job of keeping you on your toes. They do leave breadcrumbs of who the killers are based on behavior, but the most concerning part of the rewatch is how connected the killers are to the main characters. Obviously, the movie is known for being a meta-commentary on the rules of horror movies. At the time, being meta about your own movie was fresh and new. Nowadays, unless it is done with care, it is much more of a crutch than a schtick. This is a creative slasher helmed by the great Wes Craven who has directed horror greats like The Hills Have Eyes and A Nightmare on Elm Street. My only issue was the caller ID. Those phones have caller IDs and I know spam calls were less of an issue but would you answer an unknown number? Was that a 90s thing or what? It was just a small issue I had. This movie gets a lot right and started a franchise that gets to take itself seriously while also poking meta-holes at itself. This movie is a classic and a must-watch for slasher horror fans. Story - 17% Characters - 16% Pacing - 15% Spectacle - 18% Entertainment - 17% Total score: 83% Grade scale: 90%-100% = must watch 80%-89% = solid, but could be better 70%-79% = Not terrible, watch if the characters or story interests you 60%-69% = only watch for completionist reasons 0%-59% = just skip it, I find the positives and they don't exist here

This movie is about on par with the first one. Danny Devito as the penguin is fantastic. This is a star-studded cast and well worth the watch. Similar to the first movie, you feel the runtime. It’s a good story, just not as engaging as it could be. These movies definitely set the precedent for Batman properties going forward. I never noticed until the YouTube channel "Pitch Meeting" pointed it out, but Batman kills in these movies. That’s his one rule and he does it in both movies. You should still watch it, though. Story - 16% Characters - 16% Pacing - 12% Spectacle - 15% Entertainment - 16% Total score: 75% Grade scale: 90%-100% = must watch 80%-89% = solid, but could be better 70%-79% = Not terrible, watch if the characters or story interests you 60%-69% = only watch for completionist reasons 0%-59% = just skip it, I find the positives and they don't exist here

“People should have the choice for a vaccine, but the government actually wants to force people to take it”. Sound familiar? This movie essentially tries to have the vaccine argument and the “Gay is a disease” argument all in one go. It definitely tried to be a big final conclusion and it played its cards well. While not perfect, I thought it was a solid enough conclusion to the initial trilogy. There were lots of new players that kept it fairly fresh. Logan continued to be at the center of the story as he always does. There was a bit of grandiosity to the movie as well. As I said, it is a decent finish, but it didn't land as perfectly as it should have after the success of X-men 2. Story - 15% Characters - 14% Pacing - 15% Spectacle - 19% Entertainment - 15% Total score: 78% Grade scale: 90%-100% = must watch 80%-89% = solid, but could be better 70%-79% = Not terrible, watch if the characters or story interests you 60%-69% = only watch for completionist reasons 0%-59% = just skip it, I find the positives and they don't exist here

I will be straight up and say this is a very formulaic sports dramedy. It follows in a similar path that was done in the first Mighty Ducks movie mixed with the Disney+ show Big Shot. A coach, well past his prime, gets in trouble with the law and must do community service by coaching a ragtag group of outcasts. The biggest change from the normal formula is they replaced kids with special needs adults that seem to be in their 20s or so, if not older. It is very predictable and nothing will be unexpected. The relationship between the characters is enjoyable at least. If you want to go to the theatre to see something chill and fairly heartwarming instead of the bombardment of action and horror movies coming out right now, maybe make this your date night movie. It's not horrible, it even made me laugh a good bit. It just isn't anything special. Story - 14% Characters - 18% Pacing - 16% Spectacle - 14% Entertainment - 16% Total score: 78% Grade scale: 90%-100% = must watch 80%-89% = solid, but could be better 70%-79% = Not terrible, watch if the characters or story interests you 60%-69% = only watch for completionist reasons 0%-59% = just skip it, I find the positives and they don't exist here

Somehow they managed to make the opening kill unique and subvert expectations. This whole movie does a great job of using smoke and mirrors to mislead you. The people you assume early on will probably be correct but they do a great job of misdirection. I am curious as to how this all plays out in the sequel because they set up one of the characters to maybe possibly be Ghostface in the future. They go with franchise rules and as always some rules are binding while others are subverted. Scream always does a great job of making you question everything. I don’t know if this movie is a standout but it keeps things fresh in a 27-year-old franchise. It’s fun and entertaining. It leans into the theme of family. It will definitely satisfy that itch Scream always seems to scratch. Story - 18% Characters - 16% Pacing - 17% Spectacle - 18% Entertainment - 18% Total score: 87% Grade scale: 90%-100% = must watch 80%-89% = solid, but could be better 70%-79% = Not terrible, watch if the characters or story interests you 60%-69% = only watch for completionist reasons 0%-59% = just skip it, I find the positives and they don't exist here

If you need your Jurassic Park fill of dangerous dinosaurs, then this is the movie for you. The plot does become predictable when it gives you an inch of information. Don't go in expecting a blood bath either because we only follow two characters desperately trying to make it to an escape pod that landed a good 15 km away or a little over 9 miles for us Americans. Now that I did the conversion, I gotta ask why it took them so long to get there. Yes, there are dangerous animals and some mountainous terrain. Going one mph could knock that out in a day. It took about two days to go from their crash point to the escape pod. But can they get out with their lives? You'll have to watch it for yourself. The characters are pretty solid, and the relationship between Adam Driver's character and the girl gets more entertaining as the movie goes on. It does have a 90-minute runtime so I do recommend a matinee to get more bang for your buck. The part that works best about this movie is the contrast. They will have these intense scenes where you are scared for the characters' lives. Then they follow it up with a heart-warming moment or a brief comedic moment. There are a few jump scares if that is a hard 'no' thing for you. It's a fun sci-fi prehistoric horror/suspense movie. It really checks all the boxes off for genres. If you need a thrilling dino movie, give it a watch. Story - 15% Characters - 18% Pacing - 16% Spectacle - 18% Entertainment - 16% Total score: 83% Grade scale: 90%-100% = must watch 80%-89% = solid, but could be better 70%-79% = Not terrible, watch if the characters or story interests you 60%-69% = only watch for completionist reasons 0%-59% = just skip it, I find the positives and they don't exist here

Do you want Rocky 2,3, and 4 combined into one movie? Here is that movie. The focus is on Adonis getting engaged and having a baby: Rocky 2. He fights a beefy enemy and goes into the fight with the wrong headspace and loses, gets scared but ultimately trains in a new way to defeat the Goliath the second time: Rocky 3. Drago……….Rocky 4. It still manages to feel like its own thing since it managed to create new world-building while staying true to the Rocky world. Also, it’s funny that Ivan’s wife left him after the events of Rocky 4 and that is Sylvester Stallone’s real-life ex-wife. Must have been odd all around to have her reprise her role. The Sins of the Father theme is apparent throughout. Adonis wanted to spiritually avenge his father by fighting Drago Jr. You have Drago Jr. who is pushed by Ivan because Ivan was cast out and wants to redeem himself through his son. It’s a solid movie, but it just doesn’t hit as well as it should. Still worth a watch for a franchise binge. Story - 16% Characters - 16% Pacing - 14% Spectacle - 17% Entertainment - 16% Total score: 79% Grade scale: 90%-100% = must watch 80%-89% = solid, but could be better 70%-79% = Not terrible, watch if the characters or story interests you 60%-69% = only watch for completionist reasons 0%-59% = just skip it, I find the positives and they don't exist here

Ryan Coogler did an awesome job of injecting his own flair into the movie while keeping what made the Rocky movies great. There was the conflict between the families and the characters. There was genuine drama with boxing as the background. The best part of the movie is the fight about an hour into the movie. It is one continuous shot from the beginning to the end of the fight. I’m sure they had some sneaky cuts in there but the choreography that is required to pull it off, not just for the actors but the camera operator as well, is insane. It did drag at some parts and that has a lot to do with the drama aspect. The characters are incredible though. This was a solid start to a spinoff franchise that could get its own 6 movies. I definitely recommend it. Story - 18% Characters - 17% Pacing - 16% Spectacle - 20% Entertainment - 18% Total score: 89% Grade scale: 90%-100% = must watch 80%-89% = solid, but could be better 70%-79% = Not terrible, watch if the characters or story interests you 60%-69% = only watch for completionist reasons 0%-59% = just skip it, I find the positives and they don't exist here

This was a very solid batman story. If the fight sequences were a bit faster-paced, it would fit right in with the Arkham games. It’s gritty and gothic but has some of the campy quirkiness of the Adam West version. The thing that held it back was that it was a 2-hour movie that really felt like one. A well-paced 2-hour superhero movie should feel like an hour and a half. This leaned in the other direction. Still a great movie and a must-watch for Batman fans. Jack Nicholson played an amazing Joker. It was the perfect balance of quirky and crazy. It was so good, it just needed slightly better pacing. Story - 15% Characters - 16% Pacing - 12% Spectacle - 16% Entertainment - 17% Total score: 76% Grade scale: 90%-100% = must watch 80%-89% = solid, but could be better 70%-79% = Not terrible, watch if the characters or story interests you 60%-69% = only watch for completionist reasons 0%-59% = just skip it, I find the positives and they don't exist here