The Matrix Resurrections

SYNOPSIS: Neo must find Trinity and together, fight a new enemy.

MY TAKE: This was as mind-bending as the original, but I was surprised by the comedy and how it poked fun at itself. It was also nice to see Neo and Trinity again, but Trinity did not feature much until the latter part of the movie. Scenes from the original trilogy were woven in, which helped tie the sequel to the original, but the action scenes were not as memorably unique as the original. And there was a post-credits scene that was blah. Not a bad sequel, but not one screaming for a Matrix 5 either.

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American Underdog: The Kurt Warner Story

SYNOPSIS: The story of Kurt Warner’s journey from undrafted quarterback to NFL MVP.

MY TAKE: This was definitely a feel-good movie. The story did not drill deep into Warner’s faith or pre-college family background, but more on his non-standard journey from college to the NFL, as well as his relationship with his now-wife and now-adopted children. I don’t follow football, but I felt the emotion and anticipation in the football scenes. Only thing was Zachary Levi and Anna Paquin looked kinda old for the early career scenes. Not a bad alternative to the blockbuster sequels releasing around this same time frame.

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Nightmare Alley

SYNOPSIS: The rise and fall of killer / con artist Stan Carlisle from carnival worker to successful mentalist back to carnival worker.

MY TAKE: So much promise, so much waste of star power. I don’t typically enjoy noir, and this movie was no exception. The cast was good, but the movie was too long, too slow, and the story never pulled me in. Critics liked the movie though, so, if you like Guillermo del Toro, Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, or any of the other big names in this movie, you’ll probably want to watch this at some point, perhaps when it comes out on streaming or video.

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West Side Story

SYNOPSIS: The blossoming love between Tony and Maria is complicated by the turf war between the Jets and the Sharks.

MY TAKE: The movie held its own pretty well for something that will forever be compared with the original award-winning movie and stage versions. The theme resonates today as it did then. The cast also did a great job. Who knew Ansel Elgort could sing and dance? And while there is Oscar buzz around Rachel Zegler (Maria), I think the best performance came from Ariana DeBose (Anita). Just a quick note though – there were no subtitles, so, brush up on your Spanish if you want to follow every bit of dialog.

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House of Gucci

SYNOPSIS: The true story of Patrizia Reggiani’s marriage to Maurizio Gucci and eventual masterminding of his murder.

MY TAKE: The cast, especially Al Pacino and Lady Gaga, gave stellar performances and healthy attempts at sounding Italian. However, Jeremy Irons’ English accent sometimes slipped out, and Salma Hayek did not sound Italian at all. Adam Driver delivered as a shy and idealistic Maurizio evolving into an extravagant spender. And Jared Leto in prosthetics was unrecognizable as a caricaturish Paolo. I don’t know how faithful the story and characters were to real events and the actual people, but overall, I liked the movie.

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Encanto

SYNOPSIS: Even though Mirabel is the only one in her family without magical powers, she must find out what is causing her family’s magic to fade.

MY TAKE: The movie was visually vibrant and colorful. The animation was good, with characters who had very expressive faces. The songs, from Lin-Manuel Miranda, were enjoyable, but not “Let It Go” catchy – parents can breathe a sigh of relief! However, the story did not quite meet my expectations. The first half was good, introducing the characters and Mirabel’s quest, but the climax and resolution seemed too easy and simple. Overall, a nice movie. Just temper your expectations.

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King Richard

SYNOPSIS: The story of Venus and Serena Williams’ father, Richard Williams.

MY TAKE: The movie was good, and the cast delivered terrific performances. However, the story focused so much on the positive aspects of Richard’s character and masterminding of the rise of Venus and Serena that it almost seemed too good to be true. Were his plans ever wrong? And what about the impact of his focus on Venus and Serena on his other children? Nevertheless, there are lessons and inspiration to be gained from this movie. Worth watching.

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Belfast

SYNOPSIS: Buddy and his family navigate life in Belfast during the 1969 Northern Ireland rioting.

MY TAKE: This was a nice, light drama, the kind critics like. There were flashes of witty and funny dialog, and the performances were good, especially from Jude Hill, who portrayed nine-year-old Buddy. The movie being in black-and-white made sense since the setting was 1969, but I don’t understand why it switched to color when showing films that Buddy was watching. If you like light family dramas, you’ll probably like this, though you can just wait to stream this or watch on video instead of going to the theater.

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Eternals

SYNOPSIS: Sersi, Ikaris, and Sprite try to bring the Eternals back together after they are attacked by the long-thought-vanquished Deviants.

MY TAKE: I liked this movie. The style was more sweepingly cinematic and nuanced, and less Marvel blockbuster pulse-pounding non-stop action, although the comedy was still there. The story moved back and forth between present and ancient times but was easy to follow and provided just enough back story for all these new superheroes with no previous origin story movies. I hardly noticed the 2.5+ hour run time. Ignore the critics and watch the movie for yourself, plus the two extra scenes that book-end the credits.

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Dune: Part One

SYNOPSIS: Paul Atreides must rise to his calling after House Atreides is betrayed and his father killed.

MY TAKE: The visuals were stunning and the music thumping, but the pacing could stand to be sped up, and Timothee Chalamet in a stillsuit with his unruly hair made me think of Edward Scissorhands. The story was deliberately incomplete because it was meant to be a set up for a Part Two, and people will either love this movie or find it meh. Regardless, this is best viewed in theaters on as big a screen as you can find so you can immerse yourself in this sci-fi world.

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