Movie Review: "12 Strong" (2018)

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Movie: "12 Strong"

Director: Nicolai Fuglsig
Year: 2018
Rating: R
Running Time: 2 hours, 10 minutes

The story of a team of 12 Green Berets who faced down the Taliban post-9/11 while riding into combat on horses.

They could have called this movie "War Horse," but that title was already taken. "12 Strong" is a historical military drama based on the now declassified true story of the horse soldiers of Afghanistan. The film is directed by Nicolai Fuglsig, who only has one other film credit to his name. It is written by Ted Tally and Peter Craig and is based on the book "Horse Soldiers" by Doug Stanton. The film stars Chris Hemsworth as Captain Mitch Nelson, the leader of a team of Green Berets on a mission in Afghanistan just a few days after 9/11. Their task is to meet a local warlord named General Dostum, played by Navid Negahban, and help him and his army run an attack on the Taliban in the area. Also in the film are Michael Shannon, Michael Peña, Trevante Rhodes, Geoff Stults, and Thad Luckinbill, who play some of the members of Captain Nelson's team. Captain Nelson is inexperienced in combat, but that doesn't taint his confidence in the slightest. He makes lofty promises about what his team can deliver. The terrain they are trying to deal with in the region is perilous, and working with General Dostum is much more difficult than he expected. In order to fulfill his goal, he and his team will have to do what no United States military team has had to do in decades: ride into battle on horseback.

The story of a group of soldiers riding into battle on horseback is pretty harrowing. Charging down truck-mounted high caliber machine guns, tanks, and rockets on mounted cavalry is the stuff of legends. "12 Strong" does show these moments, but many of the combat operations also involve phoning in coordinates on a radio and waiting for planes to drop bombs on the enemy. That probably helped the situation quite a bit. This movie plays out exactly as one might expect. It is a fairly standard, well-choreographed war drama based on a true story. There is a lot, and we mean a lot, of gunfire and explosions, which may be enough to satisfy most fans of combat films. The story itself doesn't have a lot of meat and potatoes. The characters are fairly thin, and this goes double for the women in the film, who only exist to say inspirational phrases and give the men a reason to come home alive. Unfortunately, because the familial units are so tossed aside, we never feel a strong connection to any of the characters. The subplots involving each soldier's family could have been omitted, and it wouldn't have made any difference.

This isn't the biggest problem with the film. It's a little too long and a little too repetitive. Most of the actors are playing to type. Need a character who can bring some comedic relief? Cast Michael Peña! Need a hulking leader? Chris Hemsworth is your guy! Look, we enjoy Hemsworth as Thor, but he really hasn't had much success outside of his role as the God of Thunder. He loses his put-on American accent frequently. Michael Shannon gives the best performance in the film by far. Also, we love that Navid Negahban's General Dostum gets to tell Michael Shannon he has "the eyes of a killer." We've been saying that for years! Also, though it seems minor, the biggest problem we had with "12 Strong" is how distractingly bad William Fitchner's bald cap looks.

On a huge movie theater screen, you can totally see the seams.

The only way we can possibly fathom the people behind the screens making this awful, appalling choice is that they asked for a photo of John F. Mulholland Jr. and were sent this picture.

Looking at this picture, you might say, "well, this actually looks pretty close, what are you guys bitching about?" Just one problem: Mulholland is the man on the left, not the bald man on the right. C'mon, you know that's what happened.

In the end, "12 Strong" is an average 'glory of war' picture that might be a little bit too long and a little too undeveloped, but may be worth checking out if you're a fan of the genre.

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My Rating: 6/10
BigJ's Rating: 6/10
IMDB's Rating: ~7.0/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 54%
Do we recommend this movie: Sure, why not?

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Movie Review: "Wonderstruck" (2017)

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Movie: "Wonderstruck"

Director: Todd Haynes
Year: 2017
Rating: PG
Running Time: 1 hour, 56 minutes

A story about two young runaways each seeking out an estranged parent. Their stories take place 50 years apart but share a deep connection.

"Wonderstruck" really had everything going for it. It is written by Brian Selznick, who wrote the best picture-nominated "Hugo," one of our favorite films of 2011. It is directed by Todd Haynes, who directed the Oscar-nominated "Carol," one of our favorite films of 2015. It also has a score composed by Carter Burwell, who has arranged the music for some of our favorite Academy Award-nominated movies including "Fargo," "True Grit," and this year's "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri." Everyone working behind the scenes of "Wonderstruck" has been involved in fantastic projects, so needless to say we expected great things. This movie is a family drama that tells the story of two twelve-year-old children. One of them is a boy named Ben, played by Oakes Fegley, who is living in Minnesota in 1977. After being struck by lightning, he loses his hearing and quickly runs away to New York in search of the estranged father he never met. The other is a girl named Rose, played by Millicent Simmonds, who is living in 1927 and has been deaf her whole life. She runs away from home to New York in search of her estranged mother who left the family in pursuit of an acting career. These two wander the street of the city searching for their place in parallel stories that share multiple connections.

As we said, "Wonderstruck" has all of the components necessary to make a movie we would love. Unfortunately, we did not. Let's start with the good. The movie does have some interesting elements as half of it is shot as a silent film in black and white while the other half looks more like a modern picture. We love the inclusion of a deaf actress in this movie. So often in Hollywood, actors who are not actually disabled get to play disabled parts because it is easier to cast a known actor than it is to take a chance on someone new who is actually disabled. We appreciate when a movie is inclusive, and Millicent Simmonds does a tremendous job, as does her counterpart Oakes Fegley. There is a sequence towards the end of the movie that is played out with diorama-style figures. The sets, the score, the look of these final scenes are impressive. We loved watching the magic of the ending unfold right before our eyes. These final moments give the audience the meat of the story and show how everything is connected, though it is mostly done through expository dialogue.

That being said, everything leading up to the end point is sadly poorly paced and drags on for far too long. The movie is just shy of two hours, but it easily felt 40 minutes longer. The film mostly consists of watching the two kids wander around New York City with very little excitement, tension, or intrigue (apart from a moment or two). The only reason we get any real connection between the stories at all is due to the aforementioned exposition scene at the end. The screenplay doesn't exactly go into why Ben's mom, played by Michelle Williams, never talked about his father. It doesn't explain why everyone was kept in the dark about Ben's dad other than the sadness that arises from talking about how he left their family. Look, we don't need our hands held, but a little bit more information would have been nice. There is so much left unexplained and unexplored that we feel like the movie as a whole was missing something big.

In the end, "Wonderstruck" benefits from two excellent performances by Millicent Simmonds and Oakes Fegley. The ending saved the film for us. It is one full of brilliant filmmaking techniques and neat visuals. Unfortunately, the story can be a dull drudgery without enough intrigue for a movie that was supposed to be magical. We wish we had liked this one more than we did.

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My Rating: 6/10
BigJ's Rating: 5/10
IMDB's Rating: 6.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 69%
Do we recommend this movie: Sure, why not?

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Movie Review: "Phantom Thread" (2017)

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Movie: "Phantom Thread"

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Year: 2017
Rating: R
Running Time: 2 hours, 10 minutes

A look at the relationship between an unpleasant, demanding fashion designer and a waitress who he uses as his inspiration and as a lover.

Regardless of how you feel about "Phantom Thread," there is no denying this is an utterly stunning film to look at. We can't say we're surprised since it is written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, who has directed films like "Boogie Nights," "Punch Drunk Love," and "There Will Be Blood." This project stars Daniel Day-Lewis, who claims to now be retired and says this will be his final film. Only time will tell if it's true or not. Here, he plays Reynolds Woodcock, a meticulous fashion designer who has a disagreeable, abrasive personality and is a perfectionist when it comes to his work. He likes things a certain way and has no problem letting other people know exactly what he thinks. He is anal-retentive, and even the smallest disturbance can ruin his whole day. Joining him is Vicky Krieps, who plays Alma, a strong-willed and often combative waitress who Reynolds takes on as a lover and as his muse. The entire movie is a character study about their relationship, which gets increasingly more toxic. Also in the film is Lesley Manville, who plays Cyril Woodcock, the sister of Reynolds who seems to handle all his affairs on the business end of things.

When we said this movie was gorgeous, we meant it in every way. Technically speaking, "Phantom Thread" is a beautiful film full of interesting camerawork, beautiful set designs, and breathtaking costumes. This is a movie loaded with eye-candy for those who are into fashion and all things alluring. Even the score is tremendous and aids to its beauty. That being said, this is an often stuffy, unrelatable period piece about mostly unlikable characters. No one does unlikable better than Daniel Day-Lewis. He is one of the greatest living actors and he plays an utterly despicable person extraordinarily well. His mannerisms are both snobbish and rude. His many peculiarities are a complete turn-off. There is one particular scene involving breakfast toast and tea that shows just how much of an overbearing, unreasonable, unimaginable bastard he can be. As good as Day-Lewis is, he is aided in large part by the performances of Vicky Krieps and Lesley Manville, who put on equally strong performances. Manville received an Oscar nomination for her portrayal of Reynolds' sharp-and-frank-tongued sister who understands her brother's needs better than anyone and says things that are brutally unapologetic. Krieps gets to be the woman who at first bends to the will of her lover only to test the boundaries and push more and more of his buttons as their relationship becomes more serious. Between the two of them, it is hard to tell who is actually the worse person. Sure, Reynolds is a complete asshole, but Alma does some things that are downright wicked and evil.

While we did find enjoyment in "Phantom Thread," the story isn't all that compelling, especially early on. It becomes a bit mundane and repetitive at times. There are only a few moments where we really became truly engaged by this increasingly malicious, virulent story. On the one hand, this is a visually remarkable and well put together piece of cinema, but on the other, the story flounders from time to time. This is not a movie everyone will enjoy and we have a feeling it will divide viewers more than anything.

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My Rating: 7.5/10
BigJ's Rating: 7/10
IMDB's Rating: ~8.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: ~91%
Do we recommend this movie: Sure, why not?

TOP 10 BIGGEST SURPRISES OF 2017!

Last time we brought you a list, we focused on the films from 2017 that disappointed us. This week, we're here with a brand new, much happier list. Today, we want to share with you our TOP 10 BIGGEST MOVIE SURPRISES OF 2017! These are the flicks we thought were going to be awful but massively shattered our expectations. Do you agree or disagree with our picks? What films from 2017 surprised the heck out of you? We'd love to know! Onward with our choices!

10. "Power Rangers" - I was a hardcore Power Rangers fan when I was a little kid. I'm talking Halloween costumes, obsessively watching the TV show after I got home from school, owning every piece of merchandise the show had to offer, the whole nine. The trailer for this newest incarnation of my favorite, most beloved childhood TV show looked awful, so it was a complete and total surprise when BigJ and I both found lots of enjoyment in this reboot. It puts a darker spin on the source material but is still a fun, fan-serviced affair.

9. "Megan Leavey" - We knew very little about this movie going into it. We had never even seen a trailer for it which, if you've been longtime readers of our site, you'll know we see everything, so if we don't see a trailer for something, it's obvious the studio had no faith in it. All signs pointed to "Megan Leavey" being a total a trainwreck. Luckily, what we got was a surprisingly heartfelt and engaging true life story about a soldier and her bomb-sniffing dog that has both intense and genuinely emotional moments that drew us into the film and Leavey as a person.

8. "Ferdinand" - 2017 was a downright terrible year for animated films, with some notable exceptions. "Ferdinand" looked like it would fit right in and be another atrociously made animated picture, but it's actually way better than we expected! It is much funnier than it had any right to be. The voice acting is wonderful, particularly John Cena's. It's a story full of silliness and heart. Plus, the animation is constantly getting better from Blue Sky Studios. Give it a chance.

7. "Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie" - We are both 30-something adults, so it's only appropriate that we cringed (really, really hard) when we saw that there was a movie coming out called "Captain Underpants." Shockingly, this is a sweet, self-aware, smart movie full of vibrant animation and little vignettes to keep the audience interested. Thomas Middleditch, Kevin Hart, and Nick Kroll bring the characters to life perfectly. It is actually quite funny, and not just for the youngins! Sure, it's got a lot of potty humor, but it is sure to put a smile on the face of everyone who watches it.

6. "xXx: Return of Xander Cage" - We were not fans of the original "xXx" film and we absolutely loathed the second installment in the series. Going into "xXx: Return of Xander Cage," we expected it to be completely stupid, and in many ways, it is. No matter how ridiculous, over-the-top, and laughable it can be, it doesn't matter because we wound having an absolute blast while watching it. There is not one ounce of sarcasm in our voices. We mean it. We loved it. Fight us.

5. "Wonder Woman" - Diana Prince's cameo was one of the best parts of "Batman vs. Superman" in our opinion. The DCEU hasn't exactly been full of slam dunks, so we feared the worst for this film. Fortunately, "Wonder Woman" was a massive hit both commercially and critically. We really, really enjoyed this movie. Gal Gadot is the perfect balance of fierce, naive, brave, charismatic, and badass. This movie is cohesive, colorful, and full of interesting characters. Patty Jenkins knocked it out of the park with this one!

4. "Girls Trip" - After the mega-flop that was "Rough Night," which came out only a few months before "Girls Trip," we were sure we would feel the same way about this latest female-centered comedy full of debauchery, bonding, and booze. Though it can get a bit dramatic at times, there's no denying this film is one of the best comedies of 2017. It's dirty, raucous, and most importantly, funny as hell. Regina Hall, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Queen Latifah, and breakout star Tiffany Haddish have tremendous chemistry as friends and make the story feel all the more believable. Get ready to laugh your ass off. 

3. "Annabelle: Creation" - If you're a studio head and you've greenlit a sequel to a very successful yet critically panned horror movie but don't know what to do with it, all you need to do to save your floundering film is hire Lulu Wilson! She has been in two horror prequels that are much, much better than their originals. The first was "Ouija: Origin of Evil," and now, "Annabelle: Creation." This movie is legitimately scary and moody as all hell. It truly benefits from an R-rating. It has a super creepy setting, an unsettling soundtrack, and tons of spooky imagery, all of which will certainly have an effect on the audience. What a difference a director makes!

2. "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" - We will admit, we were not huge fans of the original "Jumanji," but even we facepalmed when we heard they were making a sequel to Robin Williams' 1995 fan favorite. Talk about unnecessary. We were absolutely floored when "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" was a huge surprise for us. Banking on the charisma of Dwayne Johnson, his chemistry with Kevin Hart, a fresh and updated premise, and the humor derived from Jack Black playing a 16-year-old girl trapped in an overweight middle-aged man's body, we found a lot of enjoyment in this blockbuster action comedy that seems to be unstoppable. It's not a perfect movie, but damn it, we were very entertained!

1. "Wonder" - Judging by its trailers alone, "Wonder" looked like it would be yet another cheesy, cliche-riddled, disingenuous family film with a message shoehorned in for drama's sake. However, this film never once felt phony. It's a complete sincere tearjerker with fantastic performances from Jacob Tremblay, Julia Roberts, Owen Wilson, and Izabela Vidovic. It has splendid makeup work and excellent direction. The characters, situations, and story are supremely relatable. The message is one of the utmost importance for kids and adults alike. We were blown away by this endearing, charming, heartfelt drama, and it is not at all what we expected it to be. We implore you: GO SEE THIS MOVIE!! You might be surprised, too.

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Movie Review: "The Open House" (2018)

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Movie: "The Open House"

Director: Matt Angel & Suzanne Coote
Year: 2018
Rating: NR
Running Time: 1 hour, 34 minutes

After her husband dies in a tragic accident, a woman and her son move into her sister's house that is for sale until they can get back on their feet, though unexplained events interfere with their recovery.

Have you ever finished watching a movie and felt like it was a complete waste of time and energy? That's the feeling we got after watching Netflix's recently released horror film "The Open House." This film is written and directed by Matt Angel and Suzanne Coote, neither of whom have much experience writing or directing. The film stars Piercy Dalton as Naomi Wallace and Dylan Minnette as her son Logan. When Naomi sends her husband Brian, played by Aaron Abrams, to the store for some eggs and milk, he is struck by a runaway car, killing him instantly while his son was there to witness it. Naomi wasn't left in the best financial situation and is now struggling to pay their bills. She puts her house up for rent while she and Logan go stay in her sister's home, which is up for sale. They get to stay at the house rent-free but have to deal with the occasional open house so prospective buyers can check it out. A short time after moving in, bizarre, unexplained occurrences start to happen.

The slow-burning horror-thriller genre has made a huge resurgence in the past few years. It's a genre that relies on mood, atmosphere, and tension rather than gore, disturbing visuals, and jump-scares. We love good slow-burn horrors, including movies like "Rosemary's Baby," "The Shining," "The Babadook," and "TheVVitch." The key to any successful movie like this is that it builds to something. These types of films keep the audience tense and on-edge, leading to a satisfying grand finale. "The Open House," on the other hand, takes the opposite approach and fails to build tension, fails to set a creepy mood or atmosphere, and worst of all, it fails to pay off in the end. Sure, it has a "big climax," but we don't care when it happens because where the filmmakers take the story is stupid. We are 110% unsatisfied with the final outcome. Writers Matt Angel and Suzanne Coote act like they are trying set up all of these intricate threads and introduce all of these different characters, but none of it is important to the overall story. They want us to ask questions like, "is this a ghost story? Is the neighbor a psychopath? Is the friendly guy hitting on Naomi a stalker? Is Logan just going mad because of witnessing his father's death?" All of these would have made completely legitimate endings. But, when the end actually happens, it feels like the filmmakers stuck a big ol' massive middle finger our faces and told us to go f*ck ourselves as they deliver the stupidest, laziest cop-out of an ending we have seen in quite some time. And, in the process, they answer no questions whatsoever. Ambiguous endings are fine with us when the lack of total answers lends itself to the overall story. Endings like that feel satisfying because the exact answer doesn't matter. The conclusion of "The Open House" doesn't feel like it left questions unanswered because those questions never mattered. It simply felt like they left them unanswered because the writers didn't know what they were doing and had no clue what they wanted to say. It's like they felt like they had to slap something on the end of their already dull drudgery of a movie and they didn't know what to do, so this is what we got! Lucky us! It's clear that Angel and Coote have a lot to learn, and we hope for the sake of their careers they learn their lesson fast.

We know "The Open House" is free to watch on Netflix, but please spare yourself the torture and don't watch this boring, pointless movie. We don't do this often because we like knowing people explore films for themselves and make their own decisions regardless of what critics have to say, but in this instance, we implore you: DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME on this non-horror horror movie. You will not get it back.

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My Rating: 1/10
BigJ's Rating: 1/10
IMDB's Rating: 3.3/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 17%
Do we recommend this movie: AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE!!!

Movie Review: "The Commuter" (2018)

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Movie: "The Commuter"

Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
Year: 2018
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 1 hour, 44 minutes

Michael MacCauly is a hard-working family man who has taken the train to and from work every day for the past 10 years. One day, he is approached by a woman who presents him with a question: could he find a stranger on the train for $100,000? Michael assumes the question is hypothetical, so he accepts the task, but when it turns out this hypothetical has very real sinister intentions, he is stuck in a deadly situation he cannot escape.

If you need an action star to locate a passenger on some random mode of transportation, Liam Neeson is the guy to call. Whether he has to "Run All Night," whether he is on a "Non-Stop" flight, or whether he simply needs to ride a "Commuter" train, director Jaume Collet-Serra like to keep Liam Neeson moving. This is the fourth time Collet-Serra and Neeson have worked together, and so far, we think they make a solid team. This time around, Neeson plays Michael MacCauley, a former cop turned life insurance salesman. After 10 years selling insurance, Michael is called into his boss's office and is let go without warning. On the train ride home, he is approached by a woman named Joanna, played by Vera Farmiga, who presents him with a hypothetical question: would he locate a person he doesn't know but does not belong on the train for $100,000 dollars? He is intrigued by the question, but when he discovers it isn't so imaginary and that the person he is meant to find is to be killed, he tries to back out, though doing so would mean his own family will be killed. Michael has until the end of the line to figure out what he should do.

When we saw the trailer for "The Commuter," we weren't exactly excited by it. We thought the whole premise looked a little silly, though that seems to be the case every single time Neeson is in a movie directed by Jaume Collett-Serra. If we're being honest, the premises of all of their collaborations are a little bit silly. Each time we've actually watched one of their projects, we've walked out of the theater having enjoyed ourselves, and we felt exactly the same way with their latest collaboration, "The Commuter." The story itself is very contrived. The moment you start to think about it, all of the conveniences and the over-elaborate mysterious conspiracy, it entirely falls apart. That being said, there's something surprisingly fun about watching a 65-year-old Liam Neeson use his skills as a former policeman to track down some random person on a train and kick the asses of the people who get in his way.

If you're willing to turn your brain off and enjoy yourself, "The Commuter" is a surprisingly good time. There is a lot more tension and excitement than we anticipated. Much of the action enters into over the top, "what the hell is physics?" territory, but let's face it, we don't seek out Liam Neeson action films for their realism. The mystery has a little bit of intrigue, though it is not tightly put together and we never felt wowed by that aspect of it. The camerawork gets pretty shaky at times and the jump-cuts come a bit too often, especially in the beginning when. Even with all its flaws, in the end, we think back on the words of Maximus Decimus Meridius that ask, "were you not entertained?" And for the most part, we were. If you are into Liam Neeson action films, chances are, this one will not disappoint you.

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My Rating: 6.5/10
BigJ's Rating: 6.5/10
IMDB's Rating: ~6.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: ~57%
Do we recommend this movie: Sure, why not?

Movie Review: "Forever My Girl" (2018)

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Movie: "Forever My Girl"

Director: Bethany Ashton Wolf
Year: 2018
Rating: PG
Running Time: 1 hour, 48 minutes

A country music superstar returns to his hometown for the first time in eight years to attend his former best friend's funeral. Once there, he runs into the woman he left at the altar eight years earlier and learns he has a seven-year-old daughter. Now, he wants to do what he can to make things right.

Oh, look, a January romantic drama. There's no way this could be bad, right!? "Forever My Girl" is written and directed by Bethany Ashton Wolf and is based on a book of the same name by Heidi McLaughlin. It stars Alex Roe as Liam Page who, after leaving his longtime girlfriend Josie, played by Jessica Rothe, at the altar on their wedding day, rockets to country music stardom. Liam has spent the last eight years making albums, touring day in and day out, having fun with a different groupie every night, drinking, and earning a boatload of cash. When he learns his best friend from high school has been killed in a car accident, he returns to his hometown of St. Augustine, Louisiana for the first time since he made it big and now must face his past mistakes. Once he gets home, he runs into his ex and learns he has a seven-year-old daughter named Billy, played by Abby Ryder Fortson. Now, Liam wants to do what he can to atone for his mistakes.

What can we really expect from a January romance movie other than a schmaltzy story loaded with every cliche in cinematic existence? This is a story about a man seeking redemption for the wrongs he's done. He abandoned his fiance. He abandoned his father. He didn't contact anybody from his hometown in eight years. Still, he has a young daughter, and the filmmaker and writer want us to root for his redemption story. We want him to get back together with Josie and to be a good daddy to his little Billy. It's a tale as old as time.

We imagine this is what it would look like if a rich lady's Pinterest board came to life. It's very apparent that to achieve a certain aesthetic for "Forever My Girl," the people responsible for making this movie scoured every possible Pinterest pin they could to make it a country lover's wet dream: the Southern sunsets, the dirt roads, the laid-back lifestyle, the twinkle lights outside people's houses, the two hundred varieties of flowers dripping in sunlight, and the mason jars...Jesus almighty, the mason jars...they are seriously everywhere, from flower holders to soap dispensers to drinking glasses.

The characters themselves are paper thin. Liam is the stereotypical jock who has a hidden talent as a country music singer. When he leaves town, he becomes the stereotypical musician complete with groupies, substance abuse, writer's block, and a penchant for ducking out on his management knowing he has no new material for them. Josie has hardly anything to do and has almost zero character arc. It seems like she has only ever been a mother for eight years and has had zero other romantic interests in her life hoping that someday, one day, maybe, Liam might return to their little town of "Saint" and sweep her off her feet. We don't have any feelings one way or the other about the acting, though it does seem like Jessica Rothe loses her southern accent from times to time. We do see potential in her as an actress and hope she gets more roles in the future.

The movie is as predictable as can be. It offers nothing new to the romance genre, just more unrealistic romantic fantasies full of sap and cheese. It never tries to tackle larger issues at play, it merely treats them as minor inconveniences. Liam has a clear history of substance abuse and is definitely an alcoholic, but that whole aspect of his character is glossed over just as fast as it's introduced. It is only briefly mentioned by his father, yet he never really struggles to give it up. Also, the entire idea of Liam's grand romantic gesture hinges on him keeping this old beat-up, out of date, no internet flip phone because he doesn't want to lose a voicemail. Anyone who has even the smallest knowledge of phones can tell you voicemails are not stored on the phone, but rather on the network server. This may be a big nitpick, but it certainly bugged the hell out of us considering BigJ's work history in the cell phone industry. In fact, Liam's complete ineptness around all things technological really bugged us. It's like he was some weird creature kept in a cage and was only let out to record albums and perform concerts and drink heavily like his life didn't exist beyond music. Seriously...he couldn't even order a piece of jewelry online and had never used his credit cards on his own. How the hell does that even happen in the 2010's?

If you are a huge fan of formulaic Nicholas Sparks-style romance films, you may enjoy "Forever My Girl," a generic romance full of generic characters, a generic premise, and generic songs. Otherwise, steer clear of this Pinterest board come to life.

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My Rating: 2.5/10
BigJ's Rating: 2.5/10
IMDB's Rating: ~6.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: ~20%
Do we recommend this movie: AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE!!!

Movie Review: "Frances Ha" (2012)

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Movie: "Frances Ha"

Director: Noah Baumbach
Year: 2012
Rating: R
Running Time: 1 hour, 26 minutes

Frances is a modern dance performer struggling to make it in New York City. She remains stuck in her life, chasing her dream while everyone around her moves on and up in their lives.

"Frances Ha" is directed by Noah Baumbach, who also wrote the film along with Greta Gerwig, who stars as the titular Frances. Both Gerwig and Baumbach are known for making indie New York hipster intellectual comedies such as this. They aren't films that typically have mass appeal but draw in critical praise and a certain demographic of arthouse and film festival fans. Both Baumbach and Gerwig's works have been hit or miss with us, but we feel this film hit its mark very well. It shows the struggles of post-college life in a very frank and accurate manner, especially for those who are chasing an artistic dream but lack the aptitude to truly excel in it. Frances finds herself in increasingly worse off circumstances when it comes to housing in New York City. She is very unwilling to compromise when it comes to her dream and often makes poor decisions. She goes from sharing an apartment with her best friend to renting a single bed in a living room from an acquaintance for the low, low price of $900 a month (though she should be paying $1200/month.....WOW). Eventually, she has to put all of her stuff in storage and go back to living in a dormitory at her alma mater as an RA. The movie also speaks about competition amongst friends and how constantly striving to be the best at something with no compromise can drive friendships, relationships, and families apart.

Greta Gerwig is a charming actress with a certain quirky, unique, sometimes nerdy appeal. She has an awkwardness about her that comes out naturally in each of her characters. Frances as a character is a person who feels she should speak with confidence about stuff she really knows nothing about, and this often gets her in trouble. Gerwig is simultaneously self-righteous and endearing, chic and modern. "Frances Ha" is a funny movie, but it doesn't necessarily have the type of humor that will make the audience roll on the floor with laughter. It's filled with moments and situations that are ironic and lively. It will speak to a specific type audience who blossom and buzz with a naive immaturity and an honest to god passion. It is full of some great, wry dialogue that will draw in a chuckle while being mixed with some dramatic themes for good measure. In the end, "Frances Ha" does a great job of capturing life in New York for this very specific subculture.

**CLICK HERE to buy "Frances Ha" on the Criterion Collection!**

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My Rating: 8/10
BigJ's Rating: 7/10
IMDB's Rating: 7.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 92%
Do we recommend this movie: Yes!

Movie Review: "Insidious: The Last Key" (2018)

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Movie: "Insidious: The Last Key"

Director: Adam Robitel
Year: 2018
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 1 hour, 43 minutes

Spiritual medium Elise Rainier returns to her childhood home to help ward off the demons who reside there. She also must battle the many personal demons from her tumultuous past.

"Insidious: The Last Key" is the fourth film in the "Insidious" franchise. It is a sequel to "Insidious: Chapter 3," but is still a prequel to the original "Insidious." It is to "Insidious" what "Rogue One" is to "Star Wars," though it is not nearly as good or as successful. This film is once again written by Leigh Whannell, who has been the writer of the franchise since the beginning of it. Though he returns as the writer of this installment, he takes a step back from directing. Replacing Whannell as director for this fourth film is Adam Robite, who has one other feature film credit in "The Taking of Deborah Logan." Lin Shaye returns as Elise Rainier, and this time, she takes the front and center starring role. Also returning are the aforementioned Leigh Whannell and Angus Sampson, who reprise their roles as Elise's two assistants Specs and Tucker. Elise is called to her childhood home by its current resident Ted Garza, played by Kirk Acevedo, to help clear it of the ghosts and demons that torment him. This task will also put Elise face-to-face with the demons of her past and the memory of her abusive father, played by Josh Stewart.

The "Insidious" franchise has always been known for its impressive visuals and creative makeup work. Throughout the series, the ghosts in "the Further" have continually had interesting looks about them. In this fourth installment, however, other than the primary demon known as 'Key Face,' most of the ghosts look as generic as possible. In fact, generic is probably the best way to describe "Insidious: The Last Key." It relies primarily on jump scares as its main form of horror. It really fails to build a lot of tension and there is no sense of imminent danger in this installment. We see most of the scares coming. It follows the standard horror movie formula: cue creepy score playing ominously, then a brief moment of silence, and then... BOO!, out jumps a ghost and up goes the volume all the way to 11. There are some elements of the story that had potential, but they are not explored effectively, and as such, make for a conventional, step by step, by the book horror movie with predictable horror moments. Another big problem we have with the film is how skeevy and cringe-worthy some of the humor is. Specs and Tucker have always been the comedic relief characters in this franchise, but here, their comedy is taken to massively uncomfortable places. There are numerous exchanges between these two characters and two young women, played by Melissa Locke and Caitlin Gerard, that come off as predatory. It made us physically uncomfortable to watch these moments that are supposed to be played for laughs. Luckily, Lin Shaye does a solid job carrying this franchise by herself. Let's be honest, she always has. It's good to see her in the lead for once and it's nice to hear her backstory.

"Insidious: The Last Key" had a lot more potential than what we got in this basic and cliche-riddled horror. We have a hunch only hardcore "Insidious" fans will love it. For everyone else, it's best to avoid this movie. Be on the lookout for "Insidious: The New Beginning" coming to theaters in 2020. We assume this only because this sequel prequel has made $100+ million at the box office already.

**CLICK HERE to buy "Insidious: Chapter 3" on Blu-ray!**
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My Rating: 3.5/10
BigJ's Rating: 4/10
IMDB's Rating: ~5.8/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: ~30%
Do we recommend this movie: No.

Movie Review: "Paddington 2" (2018)

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Movie: "Paddington 2"

Director: Paul King
Year: 2018
Rating: PG
Running Time: 1 hour, 43 minutes

When Paddington is arrested for a crime he didn't commit, the Brown family must work to prove his innocence while Paddington is forced to survive in a dangerous prison environment.

When the original "Paddington" came out in the United States in 2015, we will admit, we weren't really looking forward to it. We thought it would be silly and dumb, judging by the trailer. It completely surprised us and it wound up being one of our favorite films of that year. So when a trailer for "Paddington 2" popped up a few months back, we were much more excited to see it, but since we were expecting a good movie, would it live up to its predecessor?

"Paddington 2" is directed by Paul King, who helmed the original "Paddington." Also returning is (almost) the entire original cast including Sally Hawkins, Hugh Bonneville, Samuel Josling, and Madeline Harris as the member of the Brown family, Julie Walters as Mrs. Byrd, and of course, Ben Whishaw as the voice of the titular Paddington. New to the cast and replacing Nicole Kidman is Hugh Grant as has-been actor Phoenix Buchanan. Another welcomed addition is Brendan Gleeson as rough and tough prison cook Knuckles McGinty. This sequel sees Paddington looking for the perfect gift to send to his Aunt Lucy for her birthday. He thinks he has found it in an old popup book of London. When Paddington is falsely accused of stealing the book from Mr. Gruber's antique shop, he is sentenced to 10 years in prison for grand larceny. Now, the Brown family must try to prove Paddington's innocence on the outside while Paddington must survive in prison, where his cheery disposition may not be so welcome.

Both Paddington as a character and "Paddington 2" as a film are endlessly charming and will bring joy to anyone who encounters with them. You would have to have a sinister, cold as ice soul and a hatred of all happy things to dislike Paddington. In many ways, "Paddington 2" has a lot of the standard family film fare. It has its fair share of slapstick humor, though it rarely if ever resorts to low-brow toilet humor for a cheap laugh. Sure, Paddington rides on the back of a giant dog, drops buckets of water onto his head, and gets carried away by a goose, which kids will love, but it also has loads of witty, smart humor for adults to enjoy as well. Visually, the film is gorgeous to look at. It has a whimsical, vibrant, pleasant aesthetic that will make you awe in its delight. We see shades of Wes Anderson's "The Grand Budapest Hotel," Tim Burton's "Big Fish," as well as other impressive, wonderful techniques from other directors combined beautifully into one cohesive look.

Just because a movie looks cool doesn't always mean everything else works out. Luckily, everything else about "Paddington 2" matches its glorious visuals. The acting is incredible. Mrs. Brown is such a gentle character, and there is no better actor to portray a person like this than Sally Hawkins. She maintains the same loving, quirky, head-in-the-clouds personality from the first installment, but now, she seems like an even bigger dreamer who strives for more adventure. Hugh Bonneville cares for Paddington much more in this installment than the last, and it's fun to see him embrace the little brown bear we've come to love into his family. Both Brendan Gleeson and Hugh Grant are fantastic new additions to the series. They each give stellar, amusing, entertaining and fun performances. Paddington himself is such a good-natured, likable bear who never fails to see the good in people, even if they have sinister intentions. Ben Whishaw has the perfect voice to bring this sweet, lovable character to life.

We want to feel the way we felt when we watched "Paddington 2" all the time. It's a movie that will make your face hurt from smiling too much. At the same time, it has several moments of touching heart and a couple of instances that will stir up your emotions and may even bring a tear to your eye. This is the perfect film for the whole family. If they don't make another one, we don't think we'll ever be happy again. We highly recommend you go see it. It's the perfect movie we need right now.

**CLICK HERE to buy "Paddington" on Blu-ray!**
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My Rating: 9.5/10
BigJ's Rating: 9/10
IMDB's Rating: ~8.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: ~100%
Do we recommend this movie: ABSOLUTELY YES!!!

TOP 10 MOST DISAPPOINTING MOVIES OF 2017!

2017 was a great year for movies, but it was also a fairly disappointing year for us as well. Many of the films we thought would be bad turned out to be good, and several films we were looking forward to were massive letdowns. Today, we wanted to share with you the disappointments of the year. A couple of dishonorable mentions that just barely missed the list by the skin of their teeth include "The Dark Tower," "Ghost in the Shell," and "Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets." Without further ado, here is our list of the 10 MOST DISAPPOINTING MOVIES OF 2017! Do you agree or disagree with our list? What were some of the most disappointing films you saw in 2017?

10. "Birth of the Dragon" - We went into this movie thinking it was about Bruce Lee, and why wouldn't we? It was only completely marketed as a Bruce Lee biopic complete with a play-on-words title invoking the Kung-Fu master's name. Well, it's not! This is a film about some guy named Steve who happened to train under Bruce Lee. How disappointing.

9. "Personal Shopper" - This is a film that had massive amounts of festival buzz and critical praise. While we fully admit Kristen Stewart gives a great performance in "Personal Shopper," what starts out as a story with an interesting, intricate premise quickly turns into an uneven, meandering, mundane, rather forgettable drama. We much prefer director Oliver Assayas's other film "Clouds of Sils Maria."

8. "The Dinner" - With a cast featuring Rebecca Hall, Richard Gere, Steve Coogan, and Laura Linney, we expected "The Dinner" to be a rousingly true examination of how people "really act." So it was disappointing when the movie was actually about "vile, privileged, amoral people who raised spoiled, amoral, sociopathic children." We truly hated this film.

7. "Brad's Status" - Ben Stiller deserves good movies where he can showcase his dramatic abilities, which we think are underappreciated. "Brad's Status," sadly, doesn't let him shine, but rather makes him look like a pretentious jerk in a pointless movie. This seemed like it would be a relatable, truthful film displaying one man's existential crisis, but it is really just a frustrating slog featuring a man who has everything at his fingertips complaining for 101 minutes.

6. "All Eyez on Me" - As huge fans of Tupac Shakur, we've waited a long time for a feature-length biopic about his life. "All Eyez on Me" might have an actor who looks exactly like the late Shakur, but that's about it. This is a lifeless, dull stretch of the truth with no emotion or intrigue, which should have been hard to do since it was based on a man who was so interesting and entertaining.

5. "The Circle" - In our high-tech world, we're one step away from always being on camera for the world to see. "The Circle" takes this notion to the nth degree in what looked like it would be a spy thriller complete with a thoughtful discussion on connection, privacy, surveillance, and ethics. But, this movie is a mess. It's disjointed as all hell, it's sloppy in its execution, it's full of bland, one-note characters, and it's not particularly well acted. Hell, even Tom Hanks looks like he's phoning it in. This is mawkish, contrived, pseudo-intellectual tripe wrapped in a litany of technological buzzwords.

4. "The Snowman" - The tagline for "The Snowman" is "Mister Police, you could have saved her, I gave you all the clues." Add that to a cast featuring Micheal Fassbender, Rebecca Ferguson, and J.K. Simmons and have it be directed by Tomas Alfredson (who directed one of our all-time favorite horror movies) and you've got a recipe for maximum intrigue. However, NO CLUES GET GOT in this awful thriller that makes no sense. Though the acting is mostly fine, this film is a horribly executed whodunit that drags and drags and drags, leading to nothing but a maddeningly idiotic ending. Please avoid this movie at all costs as it is a massive waste of talent.

3. "Alien: Covenant" - First, we'd be remiss if we didn't mention the stellar visuals and awesome set design in "Alien: Covenant." Where it falters is everywhere else. We thought it would bridge the story between "Prometheus" and the rest of the "Alien" franchise. Instead, it only widened the gap by a lot. It is clear that director Ridley Scott is going through some sort of existential crisis in his old age, but for god's sake, don't take it out on your movies, man! There are so many head-scratching moments, so many dumb decisions, and way too much pretension. We left the theater underwhelmed, disappointed, and not really looking forward to seeing where this series goes in the future.

2. "Suburbicon" - George Clooney doesn't have a great track record as a director. His latest film "Suburbicon" is an absolute joke. It feels like three separate clumsily handled movies that never come together into a cohesive unit. Clooney's heart may have been in the right place here, but the material is handled in such a ham-fisted, irritating, mean-spirited manner that it will turn viewers off left and right. Considering who is in the cast and who wrote the screenplay for this flick (the Coen brothers), we're disappointed, to say the least.

1. "Downsizing" - Director Alexander Payne has made some of our favorite best picture-nominated films, including "Nebraska," "The Descendants," and "Sideways." "Downsizing" takes his stellar reputation as a director and shrinks it into nonexistence. Despite some cool visuals, this movie is a poorly paced, overlong, floundering mess full of banal dialogue, subpar performances, and a pseudo-smart plot. It's the final feather in Matt Damon's terrible 2017 cap.

Movie Review: "The Devil's Backbone" (2001)

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Movie: "The Devil's Backbone"

Director: Guillermo del Toro
Year: 2001
Rating: R
Running Time: 1 hour, 46 minutes

A young boy is dropped off at an orphanage while his guardians leave to fight for the rebels in the Spanish Civil War. Once there, he begins to see the ghost of a young boy, which eventually leads him to uncover a sinister plot by one of the orphanage employees.

"What is a ghost? A tragedy condemned to repeat itself time and again? An instant of pain, perhaps. Something dead which still seems to be alive. An emotion suspended in time..." This opening quote drives the entire theme of Guillermo del Toro's historical ghost story "The Devils' Backbone." The film follows a young boy named Carlos, played by Fernando Tielve, who, after his tutor drops him off at an orphanage, begins seeing the ghost of a young boy who died there. Jaime, played by Íñigo Garcés, an older boy at the orphanage, gives Carlos a hard time upon his arrival and even pulls a knife on him at one point. Most of the adults at the orphanage have the kids' best interests at heart, except Jacinto, played by Eduardo Noriega, who grew up in the orphanage and now works there as an adult. He is only interested in himself and the gold that Carmen, played Marisa Paredes, the woman who runs the orphanage, is rumored to be holding for the rebels fighting in the Spanish Civil War. Jacinto will stop at nothing to get the gold all for himself.

This film is a period piece drama with a half-horror twist. Not only is it scary at some points, but it has an interesting story to go along with it. The ghost element is extremely engaging and intertwines very well with the drama of the sinister Jacinto and his desire to find the hidden gold. The ghostly storyline also acts as a metaphor for the Spanish Civil War. As we mentioned, the movie references a ghost being "an emotion suspended in time," much like the unexploded bomb that sits in the front courtyard of the orphanage. The rage it took to drop the bomb and the fact that it will remain there as a reminder of that anger long after the fighting has stopped. This is a very powerful, extremely haunting notion. The makeup work is really great, though this is not the type of story that needs a ton of it since the ghosts aren't the central focus of the film. There are some gruesome death scenes, but nothing like what you'd see in a traditional splatterhouse horror film.

This is not the scariest horror movie you'll see, but it is a beautiful, tragic, eerie story about life, loss, and war, complete with lots of strong emotion. Guillermo del Toro is a fantastic director, and he puts a lot of attention into the small details when he makes his films. He also puts his heart and soul into each picture he crafts, and that has never been more apparent than it is in "The Devil's Backbone."

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My Rating: 8.5/10
BigJ's Rating: 8.5/10
IMDB's Rating: 7.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 92%
Do we recommend this movie: Yes!

Movie Review: "Proud Mary" (2018)

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Movie: "Proud Mary"

Director: Babak Najafi
Year: 2018
Rating: R
Running Time: 1 hour, 29 minutes

A hitwoman who works for a crime family takes in the son of one of the targets she assassinated. Now, she wants to leave the business, but her boss won't let her go without a fight. 

January is a notorious dumping group for bottom-of-the-barrel movies. Every so often, a good one sneaks through the early-year cesspool, but more often than not, January is overloaded with the cream of the crop of frighteningly bad flicks. When a movie doesn't get a lot of promotion from a studio (regardless of its release date), it's usually because it belongs in a month like January. "Proud Mary" surprisingly got no love from Sony. It was barely marketed. We can only remember seeing one trailer for it in 2017 and we never even saw a poster for it being advertised in the lobbies of the theaters we frequent. It seemed like Sony didn't have much faith in the project. Despite that, we hoped it would be good since we are fans of both Taraji P. Henson and big action movies. So, is this movie any good? We will get to that in just a bit.

"Proud Mary" is directed by Babak Najafi, who is known for directing "London Has Fallen," because if you want to make a killer action movie with a strong Black female lead, the director of the critically panned "London Has Fallen" seems like a good place to start, right? It stars the aforementioned Taraji P. Henson as the titular Mary, a badass assassin working for a Boston crime family. After her most recent hit, Mary notices her target had a young son, played by Jahi Di'Allo Winston, whom she leaves alive since he was too busy playing video games to notice his dad got shot in the head. A year later, the boy is now delivering drugs for a mob under-boss named Uncle, played by Xander Berkley, who regularly beats him and doesn't appear to feed him regularly despite saying that he does. Once again, Mary runs into the kid, and feeling a little guilty, she wants to free him from his tormentor. She takes steps to make that happen and takes her former target's son into her home. Her action may start a crime war, but she wants to leave the crime business anyway. Unfortunately, her boss Benny, played by Danny Glover, won't let her go that easily.

If the description of "Proud Mary" sounds a bit disjointed, that's because the movie itself is massively disorganized. The narrative makes almost no sense. There is no real sense of cause and effect. Things happen regularly that have little bearing on the overall story. The series of events goes from A to B, then from B to H to Q, then to F and back to B, and then finally we end at Z. It's truly all over the place. The entire plot about a crime war brewing between two mob families seems like it only exists to fill the very short 88-minute runtime with moments of try-hard tension, all of which ultimately fail to deliver any thrills. More important but not quite clear is why Mary goes from killer to mother just like 'The Bride' in "Kill Bill." The main plot is about Mary wanting to leave her criminal past behind and even that seems to come out of nowhere. It feels like giant chunks of the story got left on the cutting room floor, pieces that would have filled in the gaps to make a more cohesive screenplay. The movie is also far more melodramatic than we expected. The trailer promised audiences a character along the lines of Foxy Brown meets John Wick, but this promise is quickly broken. Apparently, women can't just be kickass assassins, they have to be nurturing, too. The action comes here and there, but even those scenes feel underwhelming. On the other hand, the final big action sequence is so over the top and unbelievable in an otherwise mostly serious movie that it was hard to fight off our laughter with how ridiculous it was. It felt like we went from watching a Michael Mann movie to a Michael Bay movie completely out of nowhere and for no reason.

So, is this movie good? No, no it is not. Here's the real question: did the studio have no faith in "Proud Mary" because it was bad, or is it bad because the studio never had any faith in it in the first place? We will never know. All we know is Taraji P. Henson deserves a better vehicle than this awful film to showcase her tremendous talents. She tries her best to elevate the mess that's made here, but even someone with her skills can't make something out of nothing. There are only a handful of genuinely decent moments in this movie, and even those aren't enough to make "Proud Mary" worth renting let alone seeing in a theater.

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My Rating: 3/10
BigJ's Rating: 2.5/10
IMDB's Rating: ~5.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 23%
Do we recommend this movie: AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE!!!

Movie Review: "I, Tonya" (2017)

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Movie: "I, Tonya"

Director: Craig Gillespie
Year: 2017
Rating: R
Running Time: 1 hour, 59 minutes

The life story of infamous Olympic figure skater Tonya Harding.

Many of us who were alive at the time are all too aware of the incident that made Tonya Harding a household name in the mid-1990's. But who is Tonya Harding beyond being the woman linked to the knee-capping of one of her fellow U.S. Olympic figure skating teammates? Is she the mastermind of a horrendous act, or did she just happen to surround herself with stupid people doing stupid things? Those are the questions explored in director Craig Gillespie's darkly comedic biopic "I, Tonya." The film is written by Steven Rogers, who has worked on films like "Hope Floats," "Stepmom," and "Kate & Leopold," so this screenplay seems to be new territory for him. The film stars Margot Robbie as two-time Olympic figure skater Tonya Harding. Joining her are Sebastian Stan, who plays Harding's abusive first husband Jeff Gillooly, and Allison Janney, who plays her abusive mother LaVona Golden. As you can already plainly see, abuse played a big factor in Tonya's upbringing. More on that later. The film follows her from her early youth to her rise in the ranks as a figure skater, all the way through the Nancy Kerrigan scandal and its aftermath.

There are some tremendous performances in "I, Tonya." Margot Robbie is excellent as Harding and plays her as a hard-nosed, rough around the edges, redneck-type looking for respect in a sport that expects and demands prim and proper. Robbie captures the mannerisms and vocal cadence of Harding with the looks to mostly match. The costuming and makeup work in this film should really be getting more attention. Allison Janney is brilliant as LaVona and completely steals the spotlight whenever she's on screen. Her character may be a little one-note, but she hits that note beautifully. She is mean, nasty, seemingly unloving, a complete and total asshole. Speaking of assholes, Sebastian Stan is great as one of the stories biggest dirtbags, Jeff Gillooly, the abusive lover Tonya seemed addicted to for years. Finally, Paul Walter Hauser delivers a hilarious performance as Tonya's bodyguard Shawn, who is a little too stupid for his own good but talks a big game despite being a brute and a loser who literally lives in his mom's basement.

The "I, Tonya" screenplay allows the audience to learn a little bit more about Tonya Harding beyond the media sensation and spectacle of the attack on Nancy Kerrigan. We learn about the struggles she endured in her life and how her eventual downfall came about post-attack. If you take what this film says as gospel, Tonya was not the mastermind of some grand assault and in fact, had no knowledge of an impending physical attack on her competitor. She simply surrounded herself with the dumbest, most moronic bulbs in the bunch like Jeff and his friend/her bodyguard Shawn. She may have contributed with words, but she was mostly a victim of circumstance, that the disorder, misery, and abuse she suffered growing up led to her eventually marrying an abuser. We assume the truth lies somewhere in between the lines. Some will not enjoy "I, Tonya" for the simple fact that they think she is not worthy of cinematic redemption or acclaim. Others will not like it because it is not a happy story. We found this movie to be quite funny, though darkly so and in the worst way possible. It highlights terrible people doing awful things for a bit of an uncomfortable laugh. By the time the film was over, we found ourselves sympathizing with Tonya Harding just a little bit. We started to wonder if her punishment truly fit the crime of guilt by association. There's no way around the fact that she was involved in terrible things, but this paints the story in a different light just a little bit. We enjoyed watching this film and think it's definitely worth checking out if it comes to a theater near you.

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My Rating: 8/10
BigJ's Rating: 8/10
IMDB's Rating: ~7.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 89%
Do we recommend this movie: Yes!