Movies I've Watched in 2018.

First movie of the year; I watched this in preparation for Insidious: The Last key.

While the story did serve as a prequel to Lin Shaye's character Elise as a psychic and returning to the profession in order to save a teenage girl who is being targeted by demonic forces, there was a bit of bad acting from the father (Dermot Mulrooney) and just some ineffective jump-scares that took me away from the movie.

1/1/18

C

Still holds up after 6 years! Great found footage movie and directorial debut from Josh Trank as well as great performances and story that focuses on what happens when teens acquire superpowers from a mysterious source and end up screwing around with the abilities to the point where one of the characters with a sad past decides to turn to the dark side and wreak havoc.

1/5/18

A-

I watched this in preparation for the remake starring Bruce Willis; the original wasn't so bad, slow paced and good character development and storyline that focuses on what happens when a mild-mannered man deals with the pain of the loss of his wife and daughter transitions slowly into a vigilante bent on stopping crime with consequences that come along the way with his actions.

1/6/18

B-

Eh...I was expecting a little bit more from this movie; Jackie Chan and Pierce Bronson both deliver great performances and there are some good action sequences, but I nearly fell asleep through the third act due to some slow pacing moments.

1/6/18

B-

10 years later, still one of my favorite found footage movies. Matt Reeves does excellent with telling the story of a monster attack in NYC through found footage style that inspired a whole variety of other found footage movies but still maintains the intensity and mystery of the creature's origins. Looking forward to a TRUE sequel.

1/18/18

As a movie, this was okay. But as a Star Wars movie? Really disappointing. Luke's character as a veteran Jedi just wasn't developed well and there were forced comedy moments that lost me from time to time. While the action sequences and storyline were okay, I just couldn't see myself watching this film again.

1/21/18

D

The best ending to a well-respected YA franchise; Dylan O'Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Thomas Brodie-Sangster (delivering one of the greatest performances in his career), and Wes Ball deliver a satisfying, action-packed, heart-wrenching finale that makes me want to rewatch ALL the Maze Runner movies.

First viewing: 1/28/18 - Theaters (Opening Weekend)

Second Viewing: 4/13/18 (Digital HD)

B

Really disappointing entry for the Cloverfield franchise, didn't even feel like a Cloverfield movie, let alone have any connection to the first two entries, in my opinion. While the performances were okay, the writing was cringey, and the movie could have been better without Cloverfield references being added in.

2/5/18

C-

Boy, I have never been more disappointed towards a remake that showed potential to be a little better than what the trailers have shown. While I enjoy watching Bruce Willis on-screen, there isn't any of the Charles Bronson element in which he struggles with the loss of his wife and his journey as a vigilante. But I will give Eli Roth credit for making a transition from horror to action.

First viewing: 3/2/18 - Theaters (Opening Weekend)

Second Viewing: 6/7/18 - Rental

D+.

After reading the book (which was great in terms of story, character development, conflict, and stakes), I enjoyed this movie a lot more: Steven Spielberg makes a great comeback after Indiana Jones: Kingdom of the Crystal Skull with his fantasy/sci-fi movies, Tye Sheridan and Olivia Cooke give great performances and chemistry, the action sequences and fast-paced storyline also work well!

3/29/18 - Theaters (Opening Weekend)

B+

Simple story, great direction, writing, and performance from John Krasinski, who makes a phenomenal turn from comedy (The Office) to more serious roles (13 Hours, A Quiet Place), while maintaining the suspense and thrills of the monsters detecting any kind of sound; Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds and Noah Jupe also hold their own in this interesting thriller.

4/7/18 - Opening Weekend

A-

Great ensemble cast, visual effects, action sequences, but a surprising ending in which the villain wins and is totally worth watching in the end.

5/8/18 - Theaters

A-

While Ryan Reynolds still does great as Deadpool along with some of the newcomers (Josh Brolin as Cable, Zazie Beetz as Domino), the story lost me a bit with some humor that didn't work and was let down by a sequel that could have been a little better than what was shown.

5/22/18 - Theaters

C+

After watching Brawl in Cell Block 99, I immediately put S. Craig Zahler as one of my favorite directors to look out for in the future. He does keep the movie at a slow pace but the build-up towards the end is worth the payoff. Some good action there and then, good performances from Russell, Wilson, Fox, and Simmons, and a horrifying but thrilling end.

5/18/18 - Rental

A

One of the best movies of the summer! Simple concept with great twists that lead to a shocking ending that pays off; Logan Marshall-Green is awesome: his transition from a technophobe to a paraplegic to a complete badass with well-filmed action sequences and humor that really works. A great Blumhouse feature!

6/1/18 - Theaters (Opening Weekend)

A-

Brilliant writing, direction, and story about Mayan civilization and how one man fights for survival against a tribe that is in pursuit of killing his own men and family. One of Mel Gibson's greatest movies with great performances from the cast and an interesting ending that foreshadows the future of the Mayans.

6/12/18 - Rental

A+

One of my favorite war movies; great ensemble cast and action, good elements of drama involving the brotherhood of Tom Hanks's crew in finding Ryan and the tension between the soldiers about the mission, a satisfying third act with some tear jerking moments.

6/13/18 - DVD

A

This fits in the "So Bad It's Good" category; while the first movie was considerably good, this one was BAD. Stupid character decisions and poor writing. There were only two good parts in the movie (The Pool Fight scene and the final chase scene near the end) that made this movie worth watching. No connection to the original whatsoever, and it feels like a straight-to-video flick.

6/14/18 - Rental

D

I wanted to see what all the hype was about surrounding this movie, and to my surprise I found something really entertaining and deep about The Shawshank Redemption. Tim Robbins has an interesting journey as a man who is convicted of murder who then plans his escape out of the Shawshank Prison with the intent to redeem himself through exposing a corrupt warden. Morgan Freeman also delivers a great performance as Red, as do the other cast members (Gunton, Sadler, Bellows, Bradenburg)

6/14/18 - TV

A-

6/15/18 - Rental

I'm a Tom Cruise fan when he's not doing Mission Impossible or any other action movies, and he manages to pull off a great performance as a leader of the Crime Division with a dark past but is determined to figure out why he is in the predicament that questions the future of the PreCrime division. I found the story here complex but intriguing enough to serve the film along with a few good twists and questions about free will and determinism.

A-

6/16/18 - Theaters (Opening Weekend)

Was in the mood for a comedy and some action; it was a pretty good story but lost me a few times with certain characters (Helms and Johnson). I did enjoy the movie for it's heartfelt story and twist near the end, but enjoyed the action and some of the comedy.

C

Enjoyed watching this movie back in theaters and decided to watch with a good friend and have a few laughs. Still good chemistry between Cube and Hart with funny action sequences. =)

6/16/18 - DVD

C+

Had high expectations for a movie that was really hyped up to be one of the best horror movies in the future, but was a little disappointed.

The concept is bizarre but interesting (the idea of an entity stalking people after a sexual encounter), Maika Monroe shines as a scream queen in this movie (and The Guest), some good tension in dealing with the entity, but I felt the movie wasn't suspenseful enough to deliver some scares.

B

7/9/18 - Theaters

I enjoyed this Marvel movie, Paul Rudd and Evangelline Lily have great chemistry and good action sequences, the sub-plots are well-balanced and told well, Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost being a sympathetic villain was interesting and she delivered a great performance there, but there wasn't much at stake with the mission in rescuing Janet nor Ghost dying from being unable to control her quantum abilities.

B

7/10/18 - Theaters

Disappointing...but had some good elements, such as the development of del Toro's character Alejandro as a hitman to protecting Isabela from both the cartels and the agency he works for. Cinematography almost looks like something out of a B-Movie but still works. Still little action like the first Sicario, but not much tension and build-up from scenes like the Bridge shootout and when Alejandro goes face to face with the man responsible for his family's death.

C+

7/11/18 - Rental

This spy thriller wasn't bad at all! It felt David Fincher-esque cinematography and writing wise, but still holds up well with a surprising twist with Jeremy Irons's character and some good tension along the way. Jennifer Lawrence actually does great with her role as a ballerina dancer turned spy after honing away from the Hunger Games and X-Men franchises.

B-

7/13/18 - Theaters (Opening Weekend)

The movie is basically Die Hard in a Skyscraper, but still enjoyable with high stakes in which Dwayne Johnson tries to rescue his family from the burning skyscraper and defeat the baddies. The action wasn't too bad, and Rawson Marshall Thurber is a considerably good director (We're the Millers and Central Intelligence were great films) who took a gradual leap from comedy to action and still delivered something fun to watch.

B+

7/14/18 - Netflix

Movie lost me 30 minutes in; neither Forest Whitaker nor Theo James could save this movie. Had plenty of promise and was let down with a slow-paced, uninteresting atmosphere and ending that would be more of an action sequence than just leaving the characters' fates unknown.

F

6/11/18 - Rental

Initially I was disappointed watching this movie when it was first released in 2016, expecting a TRUE sequel to Cloverfield and NOT a spin-off.

Watching it the second time, I found it enjoyable. Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Goodman, John Gallagher, Jr. deliver great performances, the suspense is convincing, but the build-up towards the end was a little "meh", but worked as we might be seeing more of Michelle play a part in the Cloverfield franchise. Also, a great directorial debut from Dan Trachtenberg.

A-

7/6/18 - Rental

I was in the mood for a classic, and I found this movie deep on quite a few levels: the developing relationship between five different types of characters, the way the stereotypes are covered (the outcast, the pretty girl, the bad boy, the brain, and the jock), the situations all five characters face that bring them together makes a really interesting story.

A-