See the longer reviews on my channel, on YouTube, WeirdKitty07, or Kal Kat reviews on channel 2.
"The Predator" R
The next reboot sequel in the Predator franchise that started in the 1980s with Arnie, returns with an odd combination of Halloween, Class of 1999, the Navigator, and Predator, the Predators delivers a frantic action set piece.The bizarre sexist dialog from the guy claiming he has Tourettes is annoying. Most of the maverick dog faced crazies on the bus are unlikable, so when the alien takes them out, it's like, well they deserved it. The movie's message seems to be "autism leads to genius hacking skills and superpowers" and "bad ass soldiers with guns are cool", and "child endangerment for scifi is okay". Mixing these in a soupy green glowing liquid makes you long for watching that strange one that took place on their planet, called Predators. It was never boring, but was more cringe worthy and seemed like Michael Bay was involved somewhere. The ending looks like they tacked it on. One actor just drops out, because as it was later revealed, he was actually a predator and got arrested, so that's ironic. Still popcorn fare. Movie is neither horrible or all that good. Stick with Predator.
"A House with a Clock in its Walls" PG
This is a strange Goosebumps like mix match of a beloved children's horror book of the 1980s, and a series, set to the tone of rock movie enthusiast Jack Black and dame of forest elves, Kate Blanchette, as magician sorcerers. Little orphaned boy goes to live with his uncle in his creepy Gothic Victorian house whiled used to be owned by a crazed warlock who put a clock in the house to scare them, and lead to his literal untimely resurrection. Weird chemistry between the leads seems to imply the two of them have a May-December thing. That's when a younger man and an older woman have a thing. However, having just looked into that, both are the same age! They're both 49, but she is made up to be older in the film with platinum hair and make up. This doesn't change the film though, where it is pretty good until the last act, where it turns into kind of a mess similar to the end of Ghostbuster 2016, which just a lot of blasting bewitched things, and a horrible CGI baby Jack. The boy actor is okay in the role. I have not read the books, but Marx Cards has. He has not seen the movie.
"Fahrenheit 11/9" R
Michael Moore of Bowling for Columbine fame returns to the Fahrenheit series for a follow up set during the rise of the Donald Trump administration. The first third of the film is about the bizarre popular vote rending Hilary Clinton loss, and the rise of the unexpected reality TV star, Donald Trump, yo the office of the president. Then he goes on about how previously Obama had finally come to Flint, his hometown, about the bad water, but then made a stunt about it, and did nothing. As best documentary of the year so far, the film does make you think the 2016 election was all rigged from the get go, but not like the conservatives claimed. It was rigged in their favor, and the liberals did no favors to prevent it, and making Hilarly their go to was a bad idea as it turned out. In my reeview, I encouraged them to run Oprah and Jon Stewart. Might as well.
"Small Foot" G
Small Foot is a film told from the perspective of insane Yeti creatures living on a mountain where they were conned by their charismatic leader into believing the lie that they were alone. Seems a lot like politics. Anyway, the WB movie cartoon is also a commentary on reality TV culture, does a good riff on Finding Bigfoot, and has fun with celeb shows with British dudes in them. When a plane crashed on the mountain, the isolated eager and questioning main character tries to prove he saw an actual Small Foot, and allies with the fringe outcasts to prove it. When he gets banished, he finds out that a whole new world lies below.Not a bad cartoon movie, if a little ham fisted.
"A Star is Born" R
All the critical buzz is on point for this film, as Lady Gaga nails a performance tour de force as an up and coming starlet in the fourth adaptation of A Star is Born, a movie made famous by Garland in the 1950s and Streisand in the 1970s. For a rare thing, this is in agreement here. The critics are right, and this should get not only Best Actress, but Best Picture of the Year, so far. The movie tells the story of a drunken falling celebrity cowboy rocker who meets a girl in a drag bar, and they fall in love. She is actually a girl, mind you. Well, just shy of 30, not a 'girl' anymore, but still. The man is called Jackson, and he is doing a spot on Kristofferson imitation, while Gaga seems to channel more Garland than the Babs. It is not payed for comedy. The chemistry they extrude is on point, and not ayt any time cringe worthy. Not just saying that because we're long time GaGa fans. This actually is something. This movie is groundbreaking. It is what La La Land tried to do, but was too campy and lacked some chemistry. You never bought they would be together for long in that movie. You kjnow they must be here, and it must end in typical Hamlet fashion. Everyone is solid from even some old time actors, and some you haven't seen in a while. Alcoholism and depression are themes. Not for children. Please don't take your kids to see this.
