Well, they're bad and badder than ever. Our (in)famous bad boys from 1995 are back and campier than ever. I sat there thinking they're just trying to say the name of the movie as many times as they could. Bad Boys for Life is an action movie that has the camp you'd expect to find from a 90's action movie. Complete with the constant "getting to old for this s**t" groans, James Bond style secret lab with apparently unlimited budgets and a bad guy twist that you see coming from a mile away. 

I had someone ask if you need to see other Bad Boy movies to get what's going on here. Not at all. You don't need any backstory, because most of the movie is going back into their back story. Constantly looking back and not progressing anything. Where progress comes, it comes with groans. There's a death of a very familiar character and our villain is somehow forgiven for all of this because of the "big reveal" at the end. I had flashbacks of the "your mother's name is Martha too?" scene (and for those of you who saw Batman Vs. Superman know what I'm talking about). 

There's moments of fun action and stunt work, but most of the movie is lost in the sparkling gloss that goes over the entire movie. The humor is hit or miss and that makes it feel just worn out and tired, kind of like our stars (Will Smith and Martin Lawrence). This movie does work as a 90's action popcorn flick, but that was a long time ago and unfortunately, we've moved on. 

Rating: 2/5 Stars

What... was... that...?

​That's probably what you'd be thinking when (or if) you see this movie. I decided to take the family to go see what appeared to be a fun family movie, and at very least, the kids will like to see the animals run around on the screen. Well that's not true either and they barely were able to stay in the same theater for this movie, but resorted to just jumping around on the chairs of a mostly empty theater. That about sums up the reaction to this movie. 

With the cast present and the money spent on this movie, there was so much potential! But it crashed hard. I had heard about a questionable scene that is at the end of the movie, which if you want to know, there is a creature with a blockage, and Dr. Dolittle reaches right up and removes the blockage. I mean, Robert Downey Jr., Antonio Banderas, Michael Sheen and Jim Broadbent have decent on-screen presence, but still can't hold this movie up. Big name actors lend their voices to the animals, including Emma Thompson, Tom Holland, Ralph Fines and Selena Gomez, but they're lost completely in this. Emma Thompson's Poly is maybe the only one you can connect with and is the sole voice of reason. 

Lots of questionable choices, but again I saw the potential of actually doing a proper steam-punk style Dr. Dolittle movie could be fantastic! Honestly, there really should be more in that genre, but this movie is a mess. Is it a kids movie? Is it an adult humor movie? I'm still not sure. It was a hard mess and even had times where my wife and I looked at each other like "what... was... that...?" 

You'll be scratching your head during and after viewing of this movie, and more than likely it won't even matter to your kids. There's much better stuff out there. 

​Rating: 1/5 Stars

There has been lots of Oscar buzz around Sam Mendes' WWI epic 1917. But is that buzz justified? Short answer: Absolutely. 

The performances, the camera work and the direction is outstanding. If you don't already know, the film is presented as one long take, to be as real-time and first person as possible. That means massive amounts of pre-planning, massive set pieces and massive amounts of extras. You do have small intimate moments but it does get big at times. 

We follow two young soldiers who are given a special mission. Scattered throughout the film are a few A-List actors who give great performances, albeit brief ones. They play characters who have large ranks, and it seems like the more popular the actor, the higher the rank. Which I thought was an interesting take, because to the soldiers themselves, generals, colonels and other officers were sometimes celebrities themselves among their men. But their roles are brief as the camera is always moving, always following our heroes on their journey. 

I wanted to love the hell out of this movie. I am a huge fan of Saving Private Ryan and as the film progressed, I started to feel that this movie IS Saving Private Ryan but set in a different war. Also, having the camera seemingly never cut became, to me at least, a distraction. The movie was not shot all in one take, rather several very long takes and then cleverly edited together. However, I began looking for those edits, hunting for those, rather than thinking about the story. 

But on a technical level, I think Sam Mendes did an amazing accomplishment and feat in this movie that should be experienced on the big screen. It's moving, well performed and has some of the best production design you'll see in a WWI movie. I also want to commend the visual effects team who helped paint out some of the tools of the movie making process (wires, roads, crews, etc.). It really feels like you're there. 

Mark my words: This will win a lot (if not then some of the top) of Oscar gold.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

PS: for a bonus, check out this behind-the-scenes video.

Little Women is not something that is new to the screen. There has been many different adaptations and each has their own take. But this adaptation hits the right chords and makes this a delightful film to see, especially around the holiday season. 

The cast is an amazing ensemble cast, and there are some standout performances for sure. Saoirse Ronan as Jo and Florence Pugh as Amy really hit it. Emma Watson is actually lost in those performances as one of the daughters, but you cannot also discredit the performances by Laura Dern and Chris Cooper. The story has a wide range of emotions, from pure joy to absolute heartbreak. The performances match those ranges as well and is a pure delight to watch. 

There was one questionable casting choice for me, which was Bob Odenkirk as the father. It wasn't that he did a bad job, but that I was constantly seeing him as Sal Goodman from breaking bad, more so than seeing Emma Watson as Hermione Granger. Meryl Streep also makes her presence known, but she is able to dive so deep into the character you forget all her countless other performances.

But the movie hits the right notes and is still a little bit of a happy presentation of historical life which is what is needed in a holiday movie. Highly enjoyable and great performances!

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Hopefully you've read the headline for this review. This is our SPOILER filled review, which means, if you haven't seen it, you may want to go check it out before reading this. I also try to make sure any SPOILER reviews come out a week after the film has been released to make sure you have plenty of time to check out the movie. You can also check out my SPOILER FREE review if you'd like. 

​Okay, if you're ready, scroll on down!

 What a piece of fun! 
I want to start out by saying: This film is by no means anywhere near perfect. In some places, far from it. But, is it fun, mind-numbing escapism entertainment? You bet your space boots!! It's a fun conclusion to a saga running almost 40 years. And I personally believe it's not near over yet. The film does play heavy on nostalgia because, well, it has too! These stories are classic in terms of classic character archetypes, and follow classic themes of good versus evil, redemption, and family. It's what the other films have followed, and some say (for better or worse) that The Last Jedi was breaking that mold set forth by it's predecessors. But The Rise Of Skywalker brings us back (for better or worse) to what we are used to. We will get into it all a little later. 

Like I said, as just going for a thrill in a theater, this movie hits the right nots, but there are still things that did not sit well with me. Some are the "fan-boy eye roll" moments, others are "filmmaker eye roll" moments. Most of my gripes with this film can be simply answered by saying, "This is Star Wars, do you really need more of an explanation?" 

But let's get into the gripes first. 

The Kiss That Made a Theater Groan
You know what I'm talking about, and I'm not talking about the first on-screen same-sex kiss in a Star Wars movie. I'm talking about that "Reylo" kiss. My theater did not gasp, it groaned. I saw the film a second time a few days later, and the reaction was the same. One person behind me audibly said during Rey and Ben's "buildup" moments before, "If they kiss, that's it, I'm out of here." And when they did, I was gone. I was out of the moment. I was just left thinking, "Why?" Did they really have to go there? I preferred the kiss between Rose and Finn from The Last Jedi, which has about the same amount of weight in this movie. Seriously, they kind of just ignore that ever happens. Rose is just left to be on her own. As someone said, "They Jar-Jared her." But the Rey and Ben Solo kiss should not have happened. Period.

The Knights of Who?
I think the Knights of Ren got the real shaft here. Almost like Captain Phasma did in the other movies. There was such a build up of these mysterious knights, and let's put it this way; if they were magically edited out of the movie, would it really make a difference? Nope. They showed up, were "hunting" our heroes and never really had a run-in with them, and then they were all killed in the end by Ben Solo. Which I don't mind, and I don't mind the force-teleportation of things to save him, it's a fun new way to use the force. (By the way, teleportation IS cannon in Star Wars. Just remember Luke telling C3-PO he'd like to be "teleported off this rock" in A New Hope.) But they are just killed off and not explained at all. I'm not even sure they knew how to use the force. Worthless. 

There are lots of other characters that seemed to be throwaways. Dominic Monaghan, most known as a Merry in Lord of the Rings, played someone who again, if was magically edited out of the movie, would make zero change to the story. Some may say characters like this make the film seem bloated. But this also leads to my next gripe...

To Cut or Not To Cut...?
This movie is not well edited. Now, I understand that the overlords at Disney are probably ordering the filmmakers to make sure have the film fit within certain guidelines, but it's too confining. The result makes it feel rushed. We want to see longer reaction shots, especially on characters we know we'll never see again on the silver screen. I want to know how the hell Rey found a "skimmer" to go out to the Death Star wreckage. I want to know more about Rey's training and abilities she's learning from Leia. I also wanted to experience the opening crawl, not read about a mysterious broadcast. That would be scary as hell and would have been amazing to see our hero's reactions. I want to know what the hell happened to "broom boy" from The Last Jedi. I also want to know what the hell is Lando doing with Jannah? Oh yeah, and how the hell did Lando convince so many to join the fight in so little time? I mean I know he's a smooth talk and all... but come on! I also want to know what made General Hux really turn somewhat decent. It was all so sudden. But after seeing the Rise of Resistance attraction, I began to have my suspicion then about Hux. Also, anyone curious about Kylo's helmet at Galaxy's Edge and the timeline of the story? Anyways, the point is I could begin to smell the Disney behind all these choices because of...

Merchandising! Merchandising! Where the Real Money From the Movie is Made. 
Synergy is real at Disney. And in an attempt to try to make a duplicate Marvel Cinematic Universe, they do it with multiple platform universe. This is where video games, comics, novels, short stories, cartoons, television shows and theme park attractions are all known as "cannon" and a part of the larger Star Wars Universe. I'll admit, I'm a huge fan of Galaxy's Edge at the Disney Parks, and the amount of backstory and detail you can get into is massive. But it's sad to see the movie suffer because disney is pushing their other platforms. 

Already it's discussed how you can help put some pieces of the missing puzzles from the movie in the Visual Dictionary of the movie. Things like this will continue to come out for a while. You will have to read a novel, walk through Batuu or subscribe to Disney+ to find answers to some of these things. It's a bit nickel-and-diming  if you ask me, and unfair to general movie goers. Remember when bonus material was created from the stories in the movies? Because now it seems the stories in the movies are dictated by the preplanned merchandise. Kind of sad.

But Hey, It's Star Wars
This is science fantasy after all. You have to suspend your disbelief a little bit more when watching this rather than watching, say, Star Trek. 

We don't know what the force can do. We don't know what Rey has learned. We just accept it and have fun, as it is intended to be. If you're willing to "let go" and "accept" things as they're presented to you, this is going to be fun. It's fun because you get to see people die and come back, and then die again if you're Ben Solo. We get to see old friends, and closure on things like Chewie finally getting a medal from the Battle of Yavin (yet there's debate as to whom the medal really belongs to). 

There are new characters that work. Zorii Bliss was fun, but needed more screen time. Babu Frik wins the best new-commer award, and General Pryde should have been Hux all along. In this film it was great to see our heroes all together for most of the adventure. It was also great to see Lando and the Emperor. I don't mind the Emperor either. I like that he was mangeled and sick. I'm sure we will figure out how he survies a high fall (like Luke and Darth Maul) and then has time to make a baby, but again, just go with it! It's fun and it's a joy! It also really doesn't deserved the 55% critic rating on RottenTomatoes. 

You will have a good time. 4/5 Stars.

Well, today is the day that the galaxy has some closure. The end of the Skywalker Saga is here, and movie-goers are beyond excited (maybe even scared?) about going to see this last installment. I got a chance to see the movie, after reading a lot of critics responses to it as well. And while I'll keep this review a SPOILER FREE review and will be perfectly safe for you to read, I also want to start out by saying, "Don't read reviews for this movie!!" 

Seriously, I can (and will) get into things that I loved, things that irked me, but even speaking in generalities about those things may prejudice you (towards the light or dark side). So in all honesty and respect to you as the reader, I'll tell you right now to stop reading this and go see the movie. Don't talk to your friends about it, just go. I can't even tell you how many random texts from friends I got that were, "Did you see it?" "Well...?" "Okay, what did you think?" It was like a code, a nudge-nudge, wink-wink sort of lingo while putting our toe in the water of being able to freely talk about the movie. Once you respond with "I saw the movie" then be prepared for endless conversation about the most famous film franchise in cinema history. It may be a better experience for you to just have that moment with your friends after seeing the movie. 

That being said, if you're still reading, I'm going to go into my initial reactions and feels about this movie and won't talk about anything you don't already see in the trailer. So I'll say this to sum it up: "Whoa."

There's a LOT in Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker. And that is a blessing (and in some small ways, the curse) of this movie. There was so much we needed closure on and to have answers to, even to things we never knew we needed closure on, including things that stem back to the original 1977 film. This film was one of the best blockbuster, tent-pole, escapism film to come out since Avengers: Endgame (only just a few months ago). That's of course some cynicism, but honestly, Disney has made 2019 THE year to make some massive movie franchise finales. 

The film succeeds on building the universe of Star Wars. We go to new planets, meet new characters and discover numerous new force powers. New weapons, new ships, new stormtroopers, new costumes, new looks, new villains, new heroes and a new legends that are just teased to us. 

That's also where things fall apart a little, and it's not to any fault of the filmmakers. I think the biggest flaw is that this film is stretched way too thin. It's a part of the Disney "machine" that is cranking out comic books, novels, video games, a new (amazing) themed land in two parks and of course the new "TV" shows coming to Disney+. All this new content is "cannon" and exists in the Star Wars Universe. With this amount of content all connecting to this movie in some way or another (and they do in small, less than Marvel's attempt), there's a ton of small details that are to be filled in later in those smaller, more intimate settings. I think Disney executives are thinking this is a way to sell more "byproduct" of the films, but it really makes the film a bit clunky and you miss some plot details. There's a few moments of like "where did that come from?" or "how did that happen?" I felt like the editor had some Disney brass with a gun to their head making them stick to the bladder-tested time of 2 hours and 20 minutes, and the editor just cried as they had to chop up the beautiful shots and scenes that maybe had a lasting moment, or a little more explanation. Maybe there is a director's cut coming?? This movie could really use the Peter Jackson Lord of the Rings: Return of the King Extended Edition treatment.

But that was me going into this movie knowing I'd soon be writing this (and a future spoiler) review. Then the 10-year-old inside of me was kicking me in the shin saying, "It's a Star Wars movie, dude!" And he was right. 

Lots of things you have to let go of what you have learned, because we may forget, Star Wars is NOT science-fiction, it is science-fantasy. This means, as an audience, we must be more willing to suspend our disbelief and just go with it. Maybe it's a sign of the times, but it seems more and more people can't do that. Star Wars makes you do that, it makes you be a kid again because you're willing to accept things and just go with it. It's a fun, rollicking adventure through space that adheres to the poetry patterns of George Lucas. In a way, you're not surprised about how things end up, but for a moment, you're not sure how it's going to happen. 

There was ONE thing that took me out of the movie and the story. Just one. Most people who have seen this movie probably already know what I'm talking about because it's not a small thing. It's a big moment with some of our characters we've gotten to know over these three films (and books, and theme parks, etc.), but it felt so unnecessary and out of place that the suspension of disbelief is so far out, it snaps you in the face like a rubber band at that moment. *Sigh*

But again, it's a Star Wars movie, dude! And a good one at that. Kids will love it, big kids will love it, and parents will have fun too! It's just a pure fun and a joy of a movie to go to. This movie is the reason why we love to go to the movies. Well done! I'll be posting my spoiler review soon, after another viewing or two of the film. I want to see it again! The re-watchability of this movie is great! Go see it... then go see it again. 

And may the force be with you. 

4/5 Stars

Well, they're playing that game again! The original 1995 Jumanji movie with Robin Williams was a hit in it's own right. That's why, after Williams' death, the thought of another Jumanji movie was questionable. Also, not as a reboot, but a sequel to the 1995 movie. But 2017's Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle turned out to be a surprise hit. It was in many ways a reboot, but still a true sequel as well building off it's predecessor. That's exactly what Jumanji: The Next Level does as well.

This movie more of a true sequel to the 2017 film, but it does have some ties into the 1995 movie and you might even miss it. But the point is, this franchise has become a fun and fanciful adventure with outlandish characters and where overacting and campiness is welcomed with open arms. It helps when a movie doesn't take itself too seriously and doesn't mind poking fun at itself. It engages in winks, nods and elbow jabs and we giggle along with them. 

This film doesn't bring anything really new to the 2017 film, but is just as much fun. It does bring a new spin to the characters in the game by including Danny DeVito and Danny Glover. The Danny's both get some good screen time before going into the game and becoming the avatars we've come to know and love. Everyone has their moment to shine and it's fun to see more backstory given to the actual people in the game.

If you want just a fun time at the movies, this is a good one for you!

​Rating: 3/5 Stars

Walt Disney Studios has just broke a Hollywood record by crossing $10 Billion at the Global Box Office. When you look at the massive hits that they have had with Avenger's Endgame, The Lion King and Toy Story 4, it's no wonder why. Also, just take this moment to think about they could be adding even more to that total with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker opening next week. But the film that put the studio over the record breaking limit was the sequel to the extremely popular animated film, Frozen. Please keep in mind there will be some spoilers ahead!

First off, Frozen II has some seriously gorgeous imagery, fun song numbers and overall an enjoyable story. In some instances, you may find yourself more mesmerized by the technical achievements, like how the fabric of the clothes are so photo-real. When looking at elements, like fire and water, those are some of the hardest things to create in a computer, but the animators do a fantastic job here. So the film shines in its technicality, it may be a little lacking during in the story telling details. Let me explain. 

This film starts out like it's predecessor, in a flashback, looking at Anna and Elsa as little kids. It's an important choice because this movie focuses on who they are and what their family is like. So come to find out, their grandfather was a not so nice king that decided to build a huge dam in an enchanted forrest where magic reigns, even though I don't quite understand why, but it becomes the thing that must be destroyed to restore peace to the realms. There was a one-line explanation about it, so if you have squirmy youngsters sitting next to you and you need to tell them to not throw popcorn at strangers, you might miss critical blink-and-you-missed-it explications to things. Like, "How do you like your new permafrost, Olaf?" was a line to explain why he doesn't need a little snow cloud to follow him around anymore and never melts. 

The film is short on explanations, long on over explaining "there is a mystery afoot" and still hits the right amount of music to action ratio. The musical numbers are great and fun, and yes, "Into the Unknown" is a great song, even enough to rival "Let It Go." But I enjoyed the fact that Kristoff actually had a real song to sign, however funny it was, I was not really into the sudden jump into a boy-band music video rendition. 

The film does dip deep into flashbacks and dream-like sequences which ups the magical and mystery element to it. I mean, they are in an enchanted forrest, so magic is a plenty! There was a great reference to even Elsa scoffing at her past breakout song number, which was hilarious for all of us parents. There was also a nice little nod to the author responsible for these movies. There's another quick line about a "new Danish author" which if anyone has ever been to Solvang, California, could tell you this was talking about Hans Christian Andersen. 

Long story, short: If you liked the original Frozen, you'll like Frozen II too. If you're a parent, just be aware that Disney realized they can sell a lot more dresses by giving the characters more costume changes, even if they really don't make any sense at all to the story. But hey, it's just a cartoon, right? If you want the "adult" version of this movie, just watch The Fifth Element, because it's basically the same story.

​Rating: 3/5 Stars

Spider-Man: Far From Home proves to be another successful entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). If you haven't seen this movie yet, stop reading. We are going to be getting into some very heavy spoilers below. You also probably will have need to have watched the entire MCU movies leading up to this, because let's face it, if you're coming in cold-turkey to these movies now without having seen the others, you're basically just enjoying the crust on your double deluxe deli sandwich. So here we go into spoiler territory! 

Who would have thought that Spider-Man: Far From Home would really come down to characters named Edith, Talos and J. Jonah Jameson. Yes, that's correct. Artificial intelligence, skulls and J.K. (Friggin') Simmons!! Sure we follow the usual suspects of Peter and his classmates around Europe while basking in Tom Holland's genuine performance of that awkward teenager having an internal struggle between saving the world with his powers of being "strong and sticky" and that of trying to execute his hopelessly romantic plan of getting MJ to kiss him. But did I mention that we have J. Jonah Jameson in this movie... the real one!

Okay, so long story short: Tony Stark is dead. He loved Peter Parker like a son and so left him all of his power. But Peter just wants to be a kid and his class trip to Europe is all orchestrated by Nick Fury and his remaining S.H.I.E.L.D. operations, working in the shadows. Fury needs Peter to help eliminate a bunch of monsters who will come and destroy the world. The other Avengers since Endgame have other things they need to attend to. So Nick Fury and team recruits Mysteryo who is seems like he's the newest contender for "Earth's Mightiest Hero." But of course, fans of Spider-Man know, this guys isn't to be trusted, but Peter Parker just wants to be a kid.

Sure, it sounds like a bad 90's action movie script... but that's because it is! The whole first half of the movie is a bit clunky and sticks like webbing in places, but it's all part of the design. So let's get into what this movie is also really about. Edith, or E.D.I.T.H., or "Even Dead, I'm The Hero" is another great piece of A.I. that Tony Stark created. It's basically Skynet, but needs a human controller, and has a much more friendly OS, and is operated completely by wearing a pair of sunglasses.  The world is still feeling the toll that Endgame put on us, and like the MCU audience, we are wondering who is going to take up the Iron Man mantel.

Tony left Edith's control to Peter, who Peter again is extremely reluctant to use, especially after almost assassinating a potential suitor for MJ. He then gives the control to Mysterio (aka Quentin Beck), which unbeknown to all of us, is a disgruntled former Stark Industries employee, who was responsible for designing the hologram program seen in Captain America: Civil War and Tony refers to as his "therapy project." But he's not alone, he has a whole team of disenchanted Stark Industry professionals, who like Stark, had no super powers other than being smart and posses high levels of technological skills. Even William Ginter Riva (played by Peter Billingsley from 11 years ago in the original Iron Man) was there to be a part of the former Stark Industries villains. With the control of Edith, Mysterio is now able to make it look like he's the Avenger that is all powerful. 

Mysterio seems kind of a "meh" character at first, nothing explained. But when you find out everything is being projected and mapped out by drones, the threat becomes very real for Spider-Man. I found myself in awe and wondering how Peter was going to get out of the visions Mysterio was putting around Peter. Even projecting a zombie-like Iron Man coming after Peter... a truly horrific image for Peter. At the beginning of the movie, his Spidey-senses (aka "Peter Tingle") are off because he's so distracted with teenage life. Of course, in the end he becomes more focused and that's what saves him in the end, bringing Mysterio down. 

But of course, William Ginter Riva makes it out with footage from the battle and leaks it to the press. Actually, he gives it exclusively to the Daily Bugle and the hands of J. Jonah Jameson! Yes, we are looking at the one and only from the original Spider-Man trilogy, and as far as I know, is the only previous non-MCU marvel character that reprises their old Marvel role in the MCU. That's probably because J.K. Simmons was one of the best parts of those trilogies, and a fan favorite. Well, in this Spider-Man universe, it was his responsibility to release the video of Mysterio dying at the hands of Spider-Man and then they release his true identity of Peter Parker. A call back to the "I am Iron Man" moment, only it's not what Peter wanted. Also, he is called the villain! This is probably the best mid-credit scenes in all of the MCU. 

This situation probably is going to be hard for Nick Fury to cover up, considering the fact that he's sunning himself on a Skrull ship in outer space. Yes, kids, the Nick Fury and Maria Hill we've been watching for the entire movie are actually Skrull impostors, Nick actually being Talos, reprised by Ben Mendelsohn. So when Nick Fury tells Peter to not mention Captain Marvel again, it makes a lot more sense. So what's Nick doing? Where's he going? Is that why the other Avengers are available? What's going on?? Ah, that's Phase 4!

In the end, we are left with a thrilling new addition to the MCU and a fantastic Spider-Man movie. Is it perfect? Not 100 percent, but it's fun, and what else should it be? It is also very satisfying to know that after the leak of Peter's name, he'll be fine hiding with Happy Hogan and taking Aunt May with him. Now May and Happy will get more quality time together with their new romance. But Peter will squarely take up the mantle of Iron Man, wielding greater power to protect him from the outside forces that now call him a villain. But as we all know, with great power comes great box office returns (like a $185 million record breaking 4th of July weekend). 

I need to go see this movie again, and as soon as possible.  What did you think?

4 out of 5 stars. 

Tom Holland makes a triumphant return for his fifth time as the web-slinging teenager in Sony/Marvel Studios' Spider-Man: Far From Home. Which is saying something, considering Tobey Maguire had three runs and Andrew Garfield had two. This is his Tom Holland's second stand alone movie as Peter Parker, but he is just as fresh and entertaining to watch as ever. 

Something that Tom does is give a genuine performance to what it was like being an awkward shy teenager, who just happens to be "really strong and sticky." Now I won't get into spoilers here, that will come later. But I have to say that you really MUST have watched Avengers: Endgame to really appreciate what's going on here. For those fans who have been following these movies religiously, there's some major pay-offs, major heartbreak, and major fun with these characters. Even the fans going back to the Tobey Maguire films are going to find something to cheer about... but I'm not saying what it is... but man, am I still hooting and hollering about it! 

I will say I knew very little about Jake Gyllenhaal's character, Mysterio. So going into this movie was fun because I got really into who and what he's all about. It's hard to make a character work who sports a fishbowl on his head, but it all makes sense! His performance was just as good as the supporting cast, which includes Samuel L. Jackson, Cobie Smulders and Jon Favreau, who are continuing the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) thread here, just like they always have. It was great though to see Favreau's Happy Hogan get some much loved screen time and moments with Peter Parker as well. Especially after what we see they're like in Spiderman: Homecoming. There's a scene with the two characters in a location that is reminiscent of the village of Solvang, only it's in the Netherlands, that really is a moving moment... it would even make Tony Stark smile. 

Holland's command presence as an awkward teen will resonate with just about anyone who was ever a teenager. We all have our "off" days, including when distractions can top his "Peter Tingle." But it's an honest performance by him and Zendaya's character, MJ, which has the audience swooning at times for how simply precious he is and they are. There's a love for the characters that is genuine from the actors, and it shows. 

The first part of the film does come off a bit campy, clunky and predictable, but that's not so horrible because it's still fun. Films, especially ones in the MCU, that tend to have fun with itself seems to have better audience reactions. Which also may be why the DCU is having problems swaying their audience; they just take themselves too serious and are trying to be too responsible with the material. Well, Peter knows that with great power comes great responsibility. Yet we see Peter here, literally say that he doesn't want it. He just wants to be a kid and try to impress a girl... that is until he's needed and no Avengers are around to answer the call...

If you're going to the movies on this 4th of July Weekend, go see Spider-Man. It's another fantastic addition to the MCU that you really can't miss. See it before it gets spoiled, and whatever you do, (like I need to tell you) stick around to the end of the credits. This is probably my favorite (mid) credits scene I've seen in the MCU. Fantastic cliffhanger!! 

4/5 Stars