Last night I saw Creed 3. Although I enjoyed the movie, I found the movie to be a little uneven but found the characters compelling enough to care about them.  Jonathan Majors is great again in another role where he outshines everyone else. Not to say Tessa Thompson and Michael B. Jordan were underwhelming in the movie, they just don’t sparkle as much as Majors.  The movie has a feeling of family as well as forgetting those from our past.  Both guys look huge as they took their roles seriously in terms of putting on muscle. The movie had a perfect running time at just under 2 hours.  Parts of the movie felt like it was paying homage to earlier Rocky movies, specifically Rocky 3 and Rocky 4 as there was a nice 5–6-minute montage of Creed and Dame (Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Majors respectively) training and getting ready to fight each other.  All in all, the movie was good enough to recommend. B- (Writer: Marc Moses)

Matrix, Resurrections (2021) A-.  They should have called it Matrix Redemptions; it erased the stench of the 2^nd and 3^rd installments.  It was fresh, it what was logically next for the Matrix on film and for the lore of how the Matrix system worked.  It was a bit long at 2hrs+ and for me, a little short on ‘money shot’ effects.  Thankfully, it’s still a love story at its core, centered around the two we know (even if this time they don’t know each other).  You don’t need to have seen Reloaded or Revolutions to feel right at home in this one.  It’s the original Matrix film…essentially resurrected (no spoilers!)  The opening scene sets the tone for a sweet ride down memory lane via the first film (keep your eyes open and if you can, watch the original before catching this one!).  #MatrixStillHasIt #MatrixMovie #MatrixBaltimore

Buster Moon is at it again!  Only this time, you’ll feel a bit different about it.  Sing 2 thumps into theaters and On Demand this holiday weekend and hopes to entice you and your little ones back for some high flying adventure and super cool pop tunes like the original.  All the cast is back including some newcomers (Singers Halsey & Bono as well as Letitia Wright to name a few), and they’re trying to put on an epic show anchored by a retired rock-and-roll star who is reluctantly pulled back into showbiz.   For me, this one is a miss – not because it’s almost 2 hours long (is that necessary?), and not because it’s the same awesome pop-music & hijinks formula as the original.  For me, it misses because it’s not inspiring, nor original.  You know the show will happen; you know it’ll be epic – but where’s the character growth?  Even Rosita (the worrywart pig voiced by Reese Witherspoon), and Meena (the shy elephant voiced by Tori Kelly) are the same tepid characters who big shock, overcome it again in the 3^rd act.  I loved the song selections (covering the 70’s thru today), the coloring was masterful (the Ms. Crawly chase scene was amazing!), but it doesn’t make the film, and your little ones will fade away a bit, it’s just too long.  I’m giving this one a C+; see it if you have kids who need some new ‘food’ and loved the original.  Heck, watch it if you dig pop music through the years, but I defy you to not think you’re watching Zootopia 2 in between the song numbers. 

(G4E Reviewer: Matthew Snider) I went into this film blind, as in knowing nothing, seeing nothing, something that put me in a good place to really dive into the drama that unfolded.

The Mauritanian or prisoner 760 is based on a true story about one of the hundreds of detainees that were unlawfully kept in-prisoned in Guantanamo Bay after the 9/11 attacks on US soil.

The premise as described on Wikipedia is as follows: The film follows Mohamedou Ould Salahi (Rahim), who is captured by the U.S. government and languishing in Guantanamo Bay detention camp without charge or trial. Losing all hope, Salahi finds allies in defense attorney Nancy Hollander (Foster) and her associate Teri Duncan (Woodley). Together, they face countless   obstacles in a desperate pursuit for justice. Their controversial advocacy, along with evidence uncovered by formidable military prosecutor, Lt. Colonel Stuart Couch (Cumberbatch), eventually reveals a shocking and far reaching conspiracy.

The Mauritanian brings to light a true story of one Mo Salahi who unravels and is built up all throughout this wonderful film. The pain, the confusion, the hatred, the broken hope and the restoration and forgiveness that is woven in and around this drama is one to really sit with.

The film brings together a heart breaking story of truth and lies, of death and life, of despair and hope, and of good and evil. 

Yet it doesn’t have a villain. 

Not the justice system, not the guards at Gitmo, not the Christian attorney or even the Islamic people group as a whole. This film really shows you people. Hurting and lost people.

In some of the last words we hear from Mo at the ending of the film, he explains to the judge that in the Arabic language, the word for Freedom and Forgiveness is the same.

With this powerful line delivered with such heart and faith, it truly gives us a picture of what humanity, in such a time as this, really needs to look too.

We need to believe the best about each other, and to forgive so that we can find freedom in all our circumstances. The Mauritanian is a film of black and whites, and a large grey area, but plays on both sides of the line. It plays on your heart strings and asks you to see people, not just a movie.

4 out of 5 stars (Matthew Snider, G4E)

You know it’s hard to reboot a videogame into a movie with the right formula.  Many have tried and failed (anybody ever see Super Mario Bros?), but hats off here because this Sonic works and borrows just enough visible cues from the game to make this a delight for the 6, 16 and even 60yr olds of the world – and that’s no small feat.  The story centers on our blue hero who is chased from his home world and into ours only to be comically and relentlessly hunted by the evil Dr. Robotnik (of course it’s Jim Carrey, who else could portray a methodical genius and a haphazard buffoon at the same time!).  Aiding Sonic on Earth is an upstart Montana town Sheriff James Marsden (Cyclops of X-Men fame) who struggles with his place within a small Montana town and yearns for some action.   When Sonic and Robotnik hit the scene, we’re all treated to a videogame style melee that hits all the marks.  I was truly surprised at how enjoyable and just plain fun this was to watch.  I’m even going all-out on my fearless box office forecast:  It will be #1, it will beat Fantasy island & The Photograph on its way to a $40M+ box office weekend.  A- (why a minus?  Just something about the demographic makeup of the fictional town of Green Springs, Montana – but it’s a movie, so I’ll let it slide)

TwiView: Bad Boys For Life (in theaters now!) They’re back! Will Smith (Mike Lowery) and Martin Lawrence (Marcus Burnett) return after a 17yr hiatus and the two haven’t skipped a beat. Still just as funny, and despite their ages, just as action-packed. BB4L centers on a revenge plot being taken against Mike Lowery that inevitably pulls everyone from his past into focus. The ‘boys’ reluctantly team up in attempt to thwart the plot but also to help Mike get his mojo back (we know, how did he lose it right? And why would the boys be reluctant to join up?) Oddly, after 17yrs the series is not stale, and Miami looks as stylish and as hot as ever. What separates this 3rd chapter of the BB series from other buddy-cop stories and their third chapters (we’re thinking Lethal Weapon series) is…nothing, ok maybe a little something. Of course it has the same formulaic lost love that needs to be rekindled, the same tragedy scenario that befalls one of our heroes, and the obligatory death of a major character. Where BB4L separates, is a really unexpected plot twist that you don’t see coming, but you’ll get a small kick out of it all the same (can someone say the ‘Bad Boy Universe?’). BB4L has the laughs, the explosions, and the hot cars to take its place in the pantheon of action-comedy hits and our only complaint is that even though the characters got older (like Grandpop, gray haired and hittin’ the Grecian formula!), their action-moves did not. These characters are 50yo+ and still jumping, flying and kicking a lot of ‘arse’ – hey maybe they’re just in great shape and we’re jealous! You won’t mind though it though as you’re being treated to a barrage of bullets, one-liners and oh yeah, Reggie (memba him?). BB4L is rated R with a 2hr and 4min running time. We give this solid little threequel 4 out of 5 stars. Fearless Box Office forecast: $51M opening weekend).  Oh yeah, BB4L is taking a page from Marvel, so stick around for the credits!

After losing the love of his life Dr. Dolittle (Robert Downey Jr.) shuts himself and the doors of his animal sanctuary off from the world. That is until Queen Victoria (Jessie Buckley) is taken ill, and Dr. Dolittle is summoned to help her. With the help of a young boy Tommy Stubbins (Harry Collett) and Dr. Dolittle’s animal friends, Poly (Emma Thompson), Chee-Chee (Rami Malek), Yoshi (John Cena), Plimpton (Kumail Nanjiani), and Dab-Dab (Octavia Spencer), they all set sail to find the one thing that will cure the Queen.

Dolittle will have you laughing out loud from start to finish. It is also a movie that helps to remind us there is nothing we can’t overcome. Especially when we have great friends by our side. Dolittle has an amazing all-star cast that also contains Antonio Banderas as King Rassouli, Michael Sheen as Dr. Blair Müdfly, Jim Broadbent as Lord Thomas Badgley, Tom Holland as Jip, Craig Robinson as Kevin, Ralph Fiennes as Barry, Selena Gomez as Betsy, and Marion Cotillard as Tutu.

While it was refreshing to see Robert Downey Jr. in a role outside of Iron Man it was really the animated animals who stole the movie. Chee-Chee (Rami Malek), Yoshi (John Cena), and Plimpton (Kumail Nanjiani) have some of the funniest lines in the movie and will have you rolling with laughter. Dolittle is rated PG, and is a movie all ages can see and enjoy. I give Dolittle a B+. You can find Dolittle in theaters Friday, January 17, 2020. (R. Barry)