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’Anaconda’ is a comedy that is, unfortunately, devoid of actually comedic moments. It tries too hard to do the wink, nudge, hey, did you get what we did here type of comedy, and past a couple of moments that made us lightly chuckle, we found the film flat and lacking entertainment. It also has a ridiculous story with 3 plot lines going on at once, and barely 2 of them really matter to anything in the end, with the other being nearly meaningless. In the end, ‘Anaconda’ is a waste of Jack Black, Paul Rudd, and Thandiwe Newton’s talent, with flat jokes and a bad story. Brad: 3 Josh: 2.5 Full Review: wbtp.link/youtube

’Avatar: Fire and Ash’ is another visual splendor, giving us some of the best visual effects and CGI work we have seen since, well, the last Avatar film in The Way of Water. The new Ash tribe brings another level to the film, giving us our first look at evil and dark native characters of Pandora, which was entertaining to watch. But, Brad had issues with some characters having way too much plot armor protecting them while not progressing us to a point that felt much more than where we ended with The Way of Water. Josh didn’t see as many problems and thought the character arcs were done well enough with feelings that Avatar 4 definitely has to be coming. In the end, ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ gave Brad a lot of problems and issues with the story and where we are left with progression and character arcs, but Josh didn’t have as many issues with the story and enjoyed the ride. Brad: 7.5 Josh: 8.5 Full Review: wbtp.link/youtube

’Wake Up Dead Man’ is the 3rd film in the Knives Out murder mystery film series, one that smartly can be watched in any order, at any time. Thankfully, Wake Up Dead Man is another great film in the series that gives you just enough twists and turns along with plenty of humor and mystery to keep you entertained for the nearly 2 and a half hour running time. In Wake Up Dead, the mystery here revolves around a small church and the death of its cult like pastor, with plenty of motives and suspects to go around. Daniel Craig continues to be fantastic as Detective Benoit Blanc, with his over-the-top accent and charm leading the way. Josh O’Connor is a great addition to the series, along with Josh Brolin, Glenn Close, Thomas Haden Church, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, and Kerry Washington rounding out a stacked cast that all do so well in their roles. It may be 3 films in, but the Knives Out series continues to show its strength through excellent casting, entertaining story points, and just enough twists to keep you gripped the entire time. ‘Wake Up Dead Man’ is a fun, intriguing, and well put together murder mystery that will leave you guessing up until the end, with a well rounded cast and plenty of humor to pick up the darker moments. Brad: 8.5 Josh: 9 Full Review: wbtp.link/youtube

’Jay Kelly’ takes us through the life of an aging actor who begins to rethink what he’s done with his life and everything he’s missed out on. George Clooney gives one of the best performances of his career in a role that allows him to go through all the emotions and hardships of a life lived behind the camera, a role that feels like it mirrors his life. Adam Sandler gives a fantastic performance as Jay Kelly’s manager, bringing another layer to the complexity of the movie industry and what everyone gives up to be successful in it. It’s a bit of a slow burn, but it’s a really fascinating look at the ins and outs of a life in the spotlight. ‘Jay Kelly’ gets subtle but fantastic performances out of George Clooney and Adam Sandler, with a film that is emotional and reflective on moments missed and lives lived. Brad: 8.5 Josh: 8 Full Review: wbtp.link/youtube

’Five Nights at Freddy’s 2’ looked to correct the mistakes from the first film by upping the horror and making it feel more like the games, but looks can be deceiving. While the heavy addition of jump scares fit the franchise, they feel lazy and predictable, with a story that barely does much more than the first, leaving us with characters that really haven’t grown or changed at all. It’s disappointing in almost every aspect, with bad dialogue, a mediocre story, and a waste of the additional cast. There is a good horror series that can be done with this franchise, but they have yet to allow that potential to shine through. The younger fans may get more enjoyment out of it, but that doesn’t excuse the mess of this less-than-ideal sequel. The main bright point of the film is the excellent animatronic work by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, which really looked fantastic. ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s 2’ feels phoned in, with basic lazy jump scares, little to no character development, and a story that doesn’t do much more than the first did. Hardcore fans of FNAF will probably enjoy it a bit more, but for the rest of us, it’s a disappointment. Brad: 4 Josh: 5.5 Full Review: wbtp.link/youtube

’The Running Man’ keeps some of the over-the-top antics of the 1987 version, while trying to bring us into a somewhat grounded dystopian future with a more serious tone. Glenn Powell does a fine job stepping into the role of Ben, and the film does feature some good action set pieces. But this is definitely a film to go into without wanting to worry too much about the plot, as there are holes and issues abound. ‘The Running Man’ is a solid throwback style action flick, hearkening back to the 70 and 80’s indestructible hero movies, but the plot holes and issues with the story keep it from really shining. It can be fun, as long as you don’t go in expecting much more than action out of it. Brad: 7 Josh: 7 Full Review: wbtp.link/youtube

’Wicked: For Good’ is a solid finale, bringing us into the darker, more emotional side of the Wicked story, while still having some of the issues that the second half of the musical had. There is a lot packed into a little over 2 hours and it does struggle a bit with pacing and flow, as we don’t spend much time with any one moment. The song selection is also weaker here and while the original songs are passable, they don't add a whole lot to the film. With that aside, it’s still a bright, colorful and impactful film that was enjoyable to watch with great performances by Ariana and Cynthia. ‘Wicked: For Good’ suffers a lot of the issues that plagued the second half of the musical, but it’s still a solid, enjoyable ending that pays true honor to the musical. But it is to note, without the performances by Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, this film would not have worked as well. Brad: 8.5 Josh: 8.5 Full Review: wbtp.link/youtube

’ Frankenstein’ takes the base layers of the original story and adds Guillermo del Toro’s unique vision and take to bring Frankenstein to life in a familiar but interesting new way. We delve deeper into Victor's trauma while also examining the creature from a fresh perspective to add more layers to these characters. While most of the changes from the original story work, we feel that Christoph Waltz new character was underused and, in many ways, not needed, but it didn’t hamper our enjoyment of this tale. Clocking in at nearly 2 and a half hours long, it’s a long watch, but well worth the journey. ‘Frankenstein’ offers a unique perspective on the creature and the doctor's psychology, allowing us to feel more sympathy for characters who are often viewed in a different light. While some monstervers/supernatural changes were made, they worked overall for the story he was trying to tell. With beautiful sets, costuming, and mostly practical effects, Guillermo del Toro brought Frankenstein to life in one of his best films. Brad: 8 Josh: 8.5 Full Review: wbtp.link/youtube

’Predator: Badlands’ is a definite new direction for the franchise, with its first PG-13 rating and following the exploits of a young Predator trying to earn his way into the clan. While purists may not like this take, it’s highly successful in bringing us an action-packed, interesting, and fun look at the Predator. It’s still violent, it’s still loaded with action, but it does pack more humor and world-building into this universe, setting up a potential bright future for the franchise. With ‘Predator: Badlands’, director Dan Trachtenberg continues his successful take on the franchise, going 3 for 3 with three different takes. Give this one a chance and you’ll have a good time. It’s not perfect, but it has a high rewatchability that makes us ready for the next adventure. Brad: 8 Josh: 8 Full Review: wbtp.link/youtube

’Bugonia’ is another wild, out-there film that has a lot to say about many subjects, but fails to capitalize on what it sets up in the end, and with a strange score and presentation, it struggles to really show what type of film it was really trying to be. Emma Stone is solid, but Jesse Plemons is the one who really does the heavy lifting in this film, delivering a layered, emotional, and outstanding performance that should have him on everyone's radar come award season. It had our attention for most of the film, but an oddly placed side story with a police officer that really didn’t add to the film, and a really out-there ending left us feeling a bit let down. These films are not for everyone, and Bugonia is another one that will have that big divide between those who love it and those who really didn’t enjoy it at all. It’s a tough one to be anywhere in the middle on. ‘Bugonia’ had us in the first half, with a fantastic performance by Jesse Plemons, but really lost us with the absurd and out-there ending that the more we thought about, left us really surprised at how much it affected our enjoyment of everything else in the film. Brad: 6.5 Josh: 6 Full Review: wbtp.link/youtube

’Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere’ tells the story of how his infamous Nebraska album was made, diving into the depression and mental health issues that plague him and his family. While Jeremy Allen White and Jeremy Strong give strong performances with some good musical numbers, it failed to deliver depth to the story behind the songs and left us really questioning several decisions made in the film. ‘Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere’ is a decent biopic, but ultimately struggled with made up characters, family members left out, and lack up of connection for the audience to the songs. Jeremy Allen White was great as Bruce, but the story let him down. Brad: 7 Josh: 7 Full Review: wbtp.link/youtube

’Good Fortune’ is a solid return to comedy for Keanu Reeves, who really becomes the glue that holds the film together playing the well meaning but ultimately inept angel Gabriel. Aziz Ansari is solid as Arj, our main character, but gets overshadowed by Reeves (and the feeling of playing the same type of character we’ve seen from him countless times before) with a similar feeling on Seth Rogan’s Jeff. Keke Palmer is great, but underused and we would have really loved to have seen more out of her character, especially to bring out more of the heart and soul to the struggle. ‘Good Fortune’ is a solid enough comedy that allows Keanu to really shine, with an overall good message of the gap in lives of the ultra rich and those that help get them there, that make little to nothing. Brad: 7.5 Josh: 7.5 Full Review: wbtp.link/youtube

’Roofman’ is a perfect vehicle for Channing Tatum, who delivers a possible career-best performance, bringing heart, soul, and laughter to this wild and over-the-top story, based on real-life events. Kirsten Dunst shines opposite Tatum, helping to bring home the emotion and heart of the film. ‘Roofman’ feels almost unbelievable at times with how over the top the story can feel, but it’s mostly grounded in what really happened to Channing’s character back in the early 2000s. It’s a fun, emotional, and enjoyable film that is well worth checking out on the big screen. Brad: 8.5 Josh: 8 Full Review: wbtp.link/youtube

Tron: Ares’ is a visual spectacle, the type of film that is made for large formats, 3D, and motion seating, but outside of the visuals and audio excellence, it fails to deliver on a compelling story, with things drastically falling off story-wise in the back half. It’s been 15 years since Tron: Legacy, but Tron: Ares mostly ignores that film to create a really confusing timeline for the Tron story, including leaving out multiple important characters from the past and bad use of others they did bring back. ‘Tron: Ares’ ultimately is a visual feast with a fantastic score from Nine Inch Nails that fits the film perfectly, but the story, which started off decently strong, really falls apart in the back-end of the movie, leaving us amazed by the visuals but let down by the messy, thin story. Brad: 7.5 Josh: 6.5 Full Review: wbtp.link/youtube

’The Smashing Machine’ tells the story of wrestler Mark Kerr during the significant 1997-2000 years of his life in MMA along with his struggles and drama of his personal life. Overall the film is an entertaining, dramatic, and touching tale of what these fighters and athletes put their bodies and minds through to fight for a living. Dwayne Johnson delivers the best performance of his career - a potential award worthy one - with layers of softness, emotion, and heart. Emily Blunt works well opposite him, playing his girlfriend Dawn that has Blunt rolling through all emotions at any given moment. ‘The Smashing Machine’ overall is a solid tale of an impactful and emotional span of Mark Kerr's life with Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt giving standout performances. It loses some marks for a questionable final ending to the film that felt out of place, and a few areas where the heart and emotion of the story could have had a more significant impact. It sits right on the cusp of being a significantly great film that just needed a bit more to get there. Brad: 8 Josh: 7.5 Full Review: wbtp.link/youtube

’One Battle After Another’ is another great film from Paul Thomas Anderson, who excels in giving us great characters, solid cinematography, and bold storytelling. Sean Penn and Benicio del Toro steal the show with two fantastic but very different performances, while Leonardo DiCaprio is solid as usual. Throw in Chase Infiniti as an actress to keep an eye on going forward, and you have a collective group that takes this politically charged, deep, layered story into a humorous and deeply thought-provoking film. ‘One Battle After Another’ is well worth your time, but won’t be a film for everyone. It’s heavy on the political and social commentary and doesn’t hold back on its message. If you enjoy Paul Thomas Anderson films, this is another one not to miss. Brad: 9 Josh: 9 Full Review: wbtp.link/youtube

’HIM’ tries to immerse us in a dark world where winning, being the best, and doing whatever it takes to get there matter most. It shows the hardships, demands, and questionable choices faced by those striving to be the greatest of all time. However, due to its overuse of symbolism, metaphors, and some odd decisions with camera cuts and style, it leaves us feeling indifferent about what happens to any character or the story itself. The highest praise that we can give this movie is for Marlon Wayans, who delivers a career-best performance. Still, that gets lost in a film that fails to make us care about anything happening on screen, leaving us puzzled rather than moved. There's a good movie in here somewhere, but they fumbled the chance of making it get there. ‘HIM’ is a rough film, filled with unrelatable characters, a chaotic artistic style, and a story that ultimately doesn’t evoke emotion or connection. Marlon Wayans is excellent, but everything else about this film feels forced, pretentious, and heavy-handed. Brad: 4.5 Josh: 5 Full Review: wbtp.link/youtube

’The Long Walk’ is the latest Stephen King adaptation, bringing to life the first story he had ever written. After many failed attempts to do it in live action, we finally have it from Francis Lawrence and It was well worth the wait. Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson lead the cast with brilliant performances that hit you in the heart and soul. We can’t say enough good things about what they brought to this film, delivering the best performances of their careers yet. Mark Hamill, Judy Greer, Ben Wang, Tut Nyuot, and just about everyone else give such moving, deep, and heartbreaking performances that grab onto you and never let go. This is a dark, gruesome, haunting, and emotional film that, while it can seem like a simple premise, hits it out of the park with the bond and connection shared between the actors. ‘The Long Walk’ is potentially the best Stephen King adaptation yet, with gut-wrenching emotion, brilliant performances and a heartbreaking story that will leave you thinking about the film long after you’ve left the theater. Brad: 9.5 Josh: 9.5 Full Review: wbtp.link/youtube

’The Toxic Avenger’ has had a long and crazy journey, going back to the original's release in 1984. You should now know what to expect when you see Toxie coming. This is the first “Hollywood” adventure for the franchise, and it does a solid job overall of providing you with some dark, gruesome, and out-there entertainment. It’s still a B-level movie like the others, but it does try to elevate the storytelling while keeping the slapstick and gore to the levels you expect, and it’s mostly successful with that. ‘The Toxic Avenger’ is a wild and over-the-top ride that has a few missteps, but if you allow yourself just to let loose and be in the moment, you can have a good time with it (as long as you like the obscene and over-the-top gore and vulgar humor). Brad: 6.5 Josh: 6 Full Review: wbtp.link/youtube

’Caught Stealing’ is a fun, entertaining, and well put together dark crime comedy that gives you plenty of laughs amongst the dark and gritty moments of violence. Austin Butler is solid as Hank, with a great supporting cast around him, including Zoe Kravitz, Matt Smith, Vincent D’Onofrio, and Liev Schreiber, who equally bring laughs and emotion to the film. With great pacing and a story that keeps you engaged, ‘Caught Stealing’ is a highlight of the end of the summer blockbuster season. Brad: 8 Josh: 8 Full Review: wbtp.link/podcast

’Nobody 2’ is a fine film if all you really want out of it is the same type of action sequences you experienced in ‘Nobody’ because past that, it doesn’t offer a ton of new. There is enjoyment to be found here in pieces, but it doesn’t really try to present audiences with much more than it did in the first film to make the sequel feel like anything more than a repeat. ‘Nobody 2’ has entertaining action sequences, but it’s plan to stick so close to the structure of the first film leaves you with little that feels fresh and new outside of the action. Brad: 6.5 Josh: 7 Full Review: ****/@wellbringthepopcorn

’Freakier Friday’ brings back the classic Disney story after 22 years and is surprisingly successful in extending that story into a familiar but fun new adventure. It’s great to see Jamie Lee Curtis have a blast portraying Tess again while Lindsay Lohan does a solid job of bringing her then teenage character into adult and mom life. ‘Freakier Friday’ works because of how well the second half of the film comes together, while the first half ends up feeling like they tried to cram too much stuff into it. Once they allow the heart and soul of the film to shine and breath, it really made for a fun and enjoyable Disney family film that was worth the revisit. Brad: 7.5 Josh: 7.5 Full Review: ****/@wellbringthepopcorn

’Weapons’ explores a vast array of ways people deal with grief and loss, from obsession, drinking, violence, blame, guilt, and more all wrapped around a solid and disturbing horror premise that blends the natural with the unnatural world. A unique approach to the chapter storytelling allows the dread and suspense to build until it’s all unleashed in a satisfying, albeit over-the-top, ending. ‘Weapons’ gets great performances from all it’s cast through a dark, disturbing and down right terrifying story that while not everything works, still cements itself as one of the top horror films of the year that shouldn’t be missed. Brad: 8.5Josh: 8.5 Full Review: ****/@wellbringthepopcorn

’The Bad Guys 2’ is a well animated and acted film that doesn’t give us a ton of memorable moments but does just enough to entertain. This time around, the Bad Guys have to prove they really are trying to be good, but their efforts are derailed when another group of criminals frame and use their past against them. This works fine for the story, but never fully launches itself into something memorable, instead adds a 3rd act that goes way over the top and an ending that shows this series could be heading in a brand new direction if it continues on. ‘The Bad Guys 2’ story in the end is just fine, it’ll entertain the younger viewers but not leave you with much more than that. Brad: 7 Josh: 6

’The Naked Gun’ is easily one of the best comedies of the last several years due to the care and commitment by everyone involved. There were several laugh out loud moments and it just kept the gags going, one after another. If a joke didn't hit, they had one coming down the pipeline that did shortly after. It’s a loving throwback to the spoof and parody movies of the 70’s through early 2000’s that excels in nailing the straight-faced silly humor that the original 3 Naked Gun films did so well. Liam Neeson at first seemed liked an odd choice to lead this due to his mostly dramatic and action filmography, but he nailed his performance giving us some genuine laughs in ridiculous situations. There are also a lot of details and throwbacks to honor Leslie Nielsen which was great to see for those that grew up with the originals and an actor that really perfected this type of humor. Overall, ‘The Naked Gun’ is as silly, over the top and ridiculous as the originals and works extremely well due to the care they took with doing a spoof film right, paying tribute to the parody films of the past, and the overall commitment to the bits from everyone involved. Brad: 8 Josh: 8

‘Happy Gilmore 2’ is a pretty big mixed bag. For Josh, it provided a ton of laughs from it’s absurd over the top nature that he really enjoyed. For Brad, the jokes fell pretty flat and felt like it was one bit after another with no real effort put behind it. As usual with Adam Sandler, he takes care of his own so you do see a lot of familiar faces return and some nice tributes to those that have passed away. But for Brad at least, they went a bit too overboard on the cameos and and the amount of people included in the film just felt way too overloaded.J osh had a fun time with ‘Happy Gilmore 2’, saying that it had some really funny great moments that he really enjoyed, noting that it isn’t a great movie but he found good entertainment. For Brad on the other hand, the entertainment value was dragged down by jokes that didn’t work, way too many tossed in cameos, and being knocked over the head with throwbacks that didn't allow Happy Gilmore 2 to feel like it had it's own identity but to recycle jokes. Brad: 4 Josh: 7

’The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ brings us to another Earth with a great 1960’s retro futuristic vibe that works so well for the film. Vanessa Kirby and Joseph Quinn both really shine giving some great, layered performances but the entire cast worked so well in their roles. Galactus was finally the large fearsome being that we’ve been waiting to see brought to life perfectly by Ralph Ineson and Julia Garner’s Shalla-Bal was also done really well with some emotional and fun scenes with the surfer. It does have a few issues with it’s connection to the main MCU, some rough CGI moments, and being a little light on action, but it more than makes up for with great acting and a family dynamic that you actually care about. ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ is the first appearance of Marvel’s first family in the MCU and it was done about as well as you could hope. It was fun, dramatic and well acted that left us smiling as we left the theater. Brad: 8.5 osh: 8.5

’I Know What You Did Last Summer’ is a bit strange. It feels like a reboot, that in reality is a sequel due to it’s connection to the original and bringing back characters from past installments. But it fails on both fronts with not really having it’s own identity due to it’s obsession with doing things nearly the same as the first film did. It relies on the nostalgia too much without a great payoff, and doesn’t really give us anything new or interesting to feel like it’s anything different. It doesn’t help that you feel less connected to the new cast of characters and their crime is a lot less meaningful than the original. Overall, we were left underwhelmed and wondering if this film was really necessary. ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’ is a bland, by numbers reboot/sequel that doesn’t really do anything new or fresh to set itself apart. It relies on nostalgia too much while also giving us a new cast that we really didn’t care about. Brad: 4.5 Josh: 5.5

’Superman’ is exactly what the character and DC needed. James Gunn has made a bright, colorful comic book movie that feels like a comic book movie. Superman has many more layers now, creating a much more dynamic character. Rachel Brosnahan is perfectly cast as Lois, and Nicholas Hoult as Lex, while a bit maniacal and all over the place, is played so well. Where it falls short is including one too many characters, some bits that get a little too silly, and its story goes into strange territory at times. It’s a departure from what we’ve seen so far, but well worth the ride. James Gunn has nailed the introduction of ‘Superman’ into the DCU with a highly entertaining film that gives us a real live-action comic book feeling Superman. Brad: 8.5 Josh: 8.5

’Jurassic World Rebirth’ made us think by the time it was over that they never really thought about if this move should be made. Don’t get us wrong, it has some fun and entertaining moments, it’s well shot and great to look at, and the audio design and acting were good as well. But, the weak script spent too much time trying to make callbacks and references to films before it, that it didn’t really establish its own identity. We were also questioning a bit with the dinosaurs starting to look more like aliens from another planet with the mutation designs, and while terrifying for the D-Rex, it felt like it belonged in Star Wars and not Jurassic World. Overall, ‘Jurassic World Rebirth’ felt like a movie that was made just to make another Jurassic Park/World film. It has very few ties to the other films in the franchise (other than the call backs) and made us really question what the point was. It’s entertaining, but really lacking in an interesting story. Brad: 6.5 Josh: 7

With ’M3GAN 2.0’, it’s clear Blumhouse thought they were really going to turn M3GAN into this mega franchise by heading away from horror and more into the sci-fi action, but it fails in almost every way by doing so. It’s not that interesting; we have no character growth, the action is sparse, and everything just feels slapped together. There are some entertaining moments, but the rest of the movie just feels pretty bland. By the end, ‘M3GAN 2.0’ left us scratching our heads on what exactly it wanted to do. There weren’t that many funny moments, it dropped all horror, and the story was mediocre at best. What could have been a big follow up from the first horror-comedy hit, turns out to be a bit of a disaster. Brad: 5 Josh: 5

‘F1’ is an over-the-top exhilarating thrill ride. Sure, the plot can be ridiculous and the F1 purists might have some issues, but this film is absolute and pure adrenaline. Beautiful cinematography coupled with some of the greatest racing sequences put on film make this one of the most entertaining movies of the year and one of the greatest racing films ever made. ‘F1’ is that summer blockbuster that you want to dive into right away. From the cinematography to the race sequences and acting, everything just works so well. Sure, the story could have been a bit better, but it did what it needed to do to give us those thrilling sequences that never really felt like it was approaching 3 hours in length. Brad: 9 Josh: 9

It’s been 23 years since ’28 Days Later’ (18 since ’28 Weeks Later’) but ‘28 Years Later’ doesn’t feel like it missed a step. It continues on the wild, frantic and brutal methods that made those films so revered. Adding in a new layer of emotional depth and great performance from relative new comer Alfie Williams as Spike to carry this film to new levels. It’s dark, brutal, and heart felt but also quirky and frantic that leaves plenty open to continue this story on to other films. ‘28 Years Later’ is a great new addition to the franchise that left us wanting for the next film, even if this one ended in a really strange over the top manner. ’28 Years Later’ joins ‘Sinners’ as a front-runner for best horror film of the year. It's not perfect, but it's a great and enjoyable new entry for the franchise. Brad: 8.5 Josh: 8

‘Elio’ is a touching story about a kid who doesn’t feel like he fits in anywhere and is ready to leave the planet behind in hopes of finding somewhere that does. It’s well animated and funny at times, but the story is just so-so and feels like it’s missing a little something that other Pixar films have. ‘Elio’ is right on the cusp of being a solid Pixar film, but it doesn’t fully stick the landing with it’s story. It feels like it’s missing a bit of that Pixar heart & charm and it just needed a little something else to make it really shine. Brad: 7.5 Josh: 7

‘The Life of Chuck’ is one of the year's best films, which gets you thinking about and contemplating the things in Chuck’s and your own life. Well acted, directed, and an interesting story that is only hampered by some decisions with the storytelling that didn’t have the exact impact they were expecting. Its unique structure helps, but can also hamper the overall feeling of the ending because the 3rd act is just that good (and it’s what the film begins with). ‘The Life of Chuck’ is a film that won’t be for everyone, but it deserves to be seen a few times to really digest everything that it was trying to do. It’s well worth experiencing the journey it takes you on. Brad: 8.5 Josh: 9

‘How to Train Your Dragon’ is, for better or worse, a pretty straightforward, scene-for-scene adaptation of the animated film. It doesn’t add much to what we already know, but that doesn’t make it a bad film. It’s overall an enjoyable experience, but it will have audiences divided based on what exactly they were looking to get out of this. The cinematography looks solid, as do the special effects. While it retains most of the heart and soul of the animated film, the rest of the kids, outside of Hiccup and Astrid, are somewhat flat in this live-action adaptation, losing some of the humor and charm in their characters. ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ is a fine film in the end that kids will enjoy. And while it doesn’t offer much outside of what the animated film gave us, it does its job well enough with bringing these characters to life, even if there will be debate about whether this film was even needed. Brad: 8 Josh: 7.5

‘Predator: Killer of Killers’ is one that came out of left field, as most were only expecting to see ‘Predator: Badlands’ later this year. Add to the fact that it’s animated and an anthology, and you could be questioning if there was hope for this to be any good. Fear not, though, as Killer of Killers is a fantastic, brutal, and interesting film that, despite the tight running time of around 90 minutes, manages to tell an interconnected and interesting story that lays the groundwork for a lot of potential moving forward. The animation style, with the entire film coming from the Unreal Engine, does take some time to get used to - it’s mainly the “jerky” style of the movements, but once you settle into that, it really is a good-looking film. ‘Predator: Killer of Killers’ is fun, dark, brutal film that tells 3 separate stories in an interesting way with a solid payoff in the end. The animation style and a couple of elements of the story line notwithstanding, this is a solid next entry into the Predator franchise. Brad: 8 Josh: 8 Final: 8

‘Ballerina’ continues the spectacular action of the ‘John Wick’ series while Ana De Armas holds her own, showing that she can be a bona fide action star. While the story is a little weak, the action, cinematography, and commitment by De Armas make up for it. And while it could have felt like a cheap push to help the film by having John Wick show up (the movie takes place between Chapters 3 and 4), we think they actually did a solid enough job including him in here without it ever feeling shoehorned in. ‘Ballerina’ is a solid spinoff that is well worth seeing in theaters, and we hope to see more of it in the future. Brad: 8 Josh: 8 Final: 8

‘Karate Kid: Legends’ is a fun but flawed way of bringing the different worlds of Karate Kid together while giving us something (slightly) new. Ben Wang does a solid job and the action sequences are enjoyable, but the last half of the film feels extremely rushed, lessening the impact of the story. And while Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan shine while they are on screen together, they are barely there in the end. ‘Karate Kid: Legends’ is a bit less of the legends, and while it sets up an interesting world, it doesn’t give it enough time to breathe with a very rushed 3rd act. it’s enjoyable, but the film needed at least 20 more minutes to give the ending a better impact. Brad: 7.5 Josh: 7 Final: 7

’Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning’, the 8th and potential final film in the long-running series that started back in 1996, may not be the best finale that fans were expecting, but it’s still not a bad film. It spends a little too much time trying to bring in the other 6 films before Dead Reckoning into this story with little success. Gabriel, being our main villain for the end, was also a bit of a waste, as he’s a really thin character that doesn’t add much with his all-knowing nature, due to the Entity connection. While the Entity itself does feel like a real threat with high-stakes, it’s the disappointing nature of Gabriel being the face of it that doesn’t really make you feel like Ethan was truly battling his end all of end all enemies. The action sequences looked great as usual, but more over in this film, Ethan felt like the indestructible superhero causing the audience to need to suspend their beliefs and just go along with the absurdity that follows. ‘Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning’ is a solid film that still feels like a part 2 to Dead Reckoning, with the former being the better film. There’s a decent story and film here, but spending over an hour of the movie doing flashbacks to the original and the superhero nature that Ethan turns into here really dampens the finale. Brad: 7.5 Josh: 7 Final: 7.5

’Lilo & Stitch’ is Disney’s most successful live-action adaptation to date. Maia and Sydney have the heart and chemistry that really sets this apart, and while there are plenty of changes, some that work just fine while others are a bit more questionable, it’s that heart between those two actresses as Lilo & Nani that really carries the film. Getting the original voice actor for Stitch back was the right call as well, as changing his iconic voice would have been a mistake. ‘Lilo & Stitch’ is a fun and solid adaptation of the classic animated picture, and while not all the changes work, we were fine with the majority that were done. The main thing that made this film work so well was the performances of Maia and Sydney as Lilo & Nani, as they brought the heart and soul to the film. Brad: 8 Josh: 8 Final: 8

’Final Destination: Bloodlines’ is a solid return (and possible end?) for the franchise. It’s ridiculous and over-the-top, just as you expect it to be. But there’s also a really touching goodbye that will get audiences emotional. The kills are wild & gruesome, while the story was serviceable to what they were trying to do. ‘Final Destination: Bloodlines’ is a fun, wild, over-the-top ride with plenty of imaginative deaths to entertain fans of the franchise. Brad: 7 Josh: 7.5 Final: 7.5

’Thunderbolts*’ is a solid return for the MCU, bridging some gaps leading to what’s coming next, but, moreover, giving us a solid story filled with emotion, heart, action, and intrigue. It delves into darker subject matter when it comes to depression, loss, family, and a sense of belonging and loneliness. Florence Pugh shines, giving us a more emotional and well-rounded look at Yelena, while the rest of the cast does a fantastic job of taking us along for the ride with their struggles and problems. David Harbour also gives us plenty of laughs and a few solid emotional connections. ‘Thunderbolts*’ does have a pretty simple story overall, but it excels with a great look, good acting, and a ton of emotional pull. It dives into subject matter not touched on much in a Marvel film, which really helps set it apart. Brad: 8 Josh: 8.5 Final: 8

Brad’s view ‘Until Dawn’ is a bit of a mess, relying heavily on overly cranked audio for its numerous jump scares to try and force the audience to be frightened. The most frightening thing about the film is the large number of changes that happened to the story from the original game, with the director throwing in ‘Groundhog Day’, ‘Cabin in the Woods’, and many other throwbacks to other horror games and genres. It loses a lot of the lore (it’s partially there, but really insignificant to the story) and the emotional impact of the game's story. While it does a good job with the deaths and practical effects, the best scares are found in very short snippets towards the end of the film in yet another method of horror storytelling. Josh’s view If you can disconnect from it not being a straight adaptation, you can get a solid fun horror experience out of it that still gives you a decent amount of the game, but still feels that what they might be setting up for a sequel would have been better served for this first film. ‘Until Dawn’ can only be a recommendation if you are into jump scares and gore, or you can fully disconnect yourself from the game. Past that, there may not be a lot worth talking about. Brad: 4.5 Josh: 6.5 Final: 5.5

‘The Accountant 2’ takes what works so well in the first film and amps it up with a really great, dynamic screen chemistry between Ben Affleck and Jon Bernthal. They play off of each other so well, and their scenes together are some of the best of the film. This time around it spends a little less time fully focused on Christian Wolff’s special gifts as the forensic accountant by giving other gifted individuals time to shine while also playing up the great brother dynamic and Christian’s want for some normalcy in his life. The story does take a slight backseat to the brother relationship, but plays out rather well in the end, leaving open the possibility of another film in the future. In the end, ‘The Accountant 2’ gives us great action, good humor, and great performances for a film that’s well worth the price of admission. Brad: 8 Josh: 7.5 Final: 8

‘Sinners’ gives us a new, original story from Ryan Coogler, taking us back to the south in the 1930s to spin a tale of crime, struggle, belonging, and, of course, vampires. And ‘Sinners’ may just be the best film he’s put out so far. The music speaks to you so deeply, with the score and soundtrack woven throughout the fabric of the storytelling. The cinematography is gorgeous, with the color palette and visuals shifting depending on what is going on in the scene. Ryan has crafted a well-told, gripping, and expertly crafted experience that shouldn’t be missed. ‘Sinners’ is one of the best horror films of the last few years, one of the best films of this year, and a must-see event in theaters. Brad: 9 Josh: 9 Final: 9

‘The Amateur’ gives us an emotional tale of one man’s search for vengeance, but in a different way than your typical espionage spy thriller. Rami Malek gives a subdued but solid performance as a CIA decoder who shows us the more technical side of the espionage game. While Rami can come off a bit flat, he overall does a solid job in the end of leading us through his journey to a satisfying conclusion, albeit one that you could see coming from the get-go. In the end, ‘The Amateur’ doesn’t break any new ground and is overall pretty predictable, but a solid cast and touching story keeps you engaged throughout. Brad: 7.5 Josh: 7 Final: 7

‘A Minecraft Movie’ is one that you can tell was directed by the mind behind ‘Napoleon Dynamite’ and ‘Nacho Libre’ with an early 2000’s sense of humor and style. It pays honor to the games pretty well, but the use of language and innuendo clashes with the overall slapstick humor that looks meant for the younger generation. The dialogue is pretty rough, as is the story, and while Jack Black and Jason Momoa are fun, they seem like caricatures rather than characters. In the end, ‘A Minecraft Movie’ is entertaining but you have to turn your brain off and go full into the absolute ridiculousness while not caring about how over the top it may be. It does a good job of portraying the game world and showing different easter eggs and inside jokes, but the rest of the film around these parts is messy and strange. It’s not a film for everyone, but it will appeal more to younger kids, teens, and the big fans of the game who should end up having a pretty good time with it. Brad: 5.5 Josh: 6 Final: 6

‘A Working Man’ is another "classic" style action film where Jason Statham is the indestructible hero on a mission in which nothing can stand in his way. It works decently overall if you turn your brain off and enjoy the action. But it has the typical bad acting and bad dialogue along with a subplot that in the end, has no bearing on the film or the audience In the end, ‘A Working Man’ can be an entertaining time but it relies heavily on the classic action movie cliches and doesn’t really offer anything new. But, at the same time, if that’s what you want out of a movie experience, it’ll check a lot of those boxes for you and leave you with a decent action film overall. Brad: 6 Josh: 6.5 Final: 6

‘Snow White’ had a lot stacked against it going in. One of Disney’s biggest (and first) feature-length films brought to life by Gal Gadot and Rachel Zegler isn’t without controversy. Tales of its troubled filming and many re-shoots didn’t give a lot of hope before release. But, Snow White is actually a decent live-action adaptation with a great performance by Rachel Zegler. She commands the role with heart and solid new song performances (along with nailing the classics). The main problem is everything else around her is just okay. It tries to expand and modernize the Snow White story, and it works for the most part, but you really don’t connect or care about anything but Snow White. The effects on the dwarfs take you out of nearly every scene they are in due to their weird realistic but not realistic design (especially their oversized heads). In the end, ‘Snow White’ isn’t perfect, but it’s not the horrendous disaster it was made out to be. Rachel is fantastic, while Gal Gadot struggles, and some really rough CGI/design on the Dwarfs shows the film still needed more work. Brad: 7 Josh: 6.5 Final: 7