Avengers: Infinity War

PG-13
Starring:Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Benedict Cumberbatch, Josh Brolin, Chris Evans, Chris Pratt, Tom Holland, Chadwick Boseman, Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hiddleston, Peter Dinklage, Zoe Saldana, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeremy Renner, Paul Rudd, Idris Elba, Dave Bautista, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Anthony Mackie, Tessa Thompson and Angela Bassett
Running Time: 2 Hours and 30 Minutes

This is the big one folks! The 19th movie in The Marvel Universe. The Marvel Cinematic Universe "movie of all movies"!
This is going to be a very brief synopsis from me about this movie.
We critics were asked to keep a lid on the story so that every person can enjoy this movie without spoiling any part of it. We had a strict embargo that we were asked to adhere to.
I have chosen to honor this request to keep it authentic. #Thanosdemandsyoursilence!
I will say that I knew this movie was going to be a bit shocking, I was in no way prepared for all of the carnage that took place!
Thanos (Josh Brolin) is a diabolical super-villain who has just arrived and is on a mission to collect all six of the Infinity Stones, he will stop at nothing to obtain them!
That is all I am going to divulge. I will say that this is a very dramatic and emotional movie.
In light of all the seriousness of it, it was actually pretty humorous as well. I would say that it is the total package. Make sure you stay until all of the credits have finished, there is a very important scene you can't miss!
Parents be advised: This movie is rated PG-13. This is a strong PG-13. Lots and lots of super-villain violence, very intense and some strong profanity too. I would recommend no children under the age of 13.
I am giving "Avengers: Infinity War" four bags of popcorn.

Rampage

PG-13
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Naomi Harris, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Jake Lacy, Malin Ackerman, Joseph Manganiello, P.J. Byrne and Demetrius Grosse
Running Time: 1 Hour and 47 Minutes

In case you you were not aware, the movie "Rampage" is loosely based on the very popular 1986 arcade game by Bally Midway. I will honestly admit that I went into this movie with zero expectations. I found myself immediately drawn in and completely engrossed in this movie! It reminded me of my childhood adventure movies that held my complete interest and kept me on the edge of my seat.
This is the story of a Primatoligist Davis Okoye (Dwayne Johnson) who works closely with primates and has become very close and attached to a silverback gorilla named George, to the point that he can converse with him through sign language. George is a very intelligent and human-like gorilla who has been raised by Davis since birth. The two of them share a very special relationship.
A renegade experiment had taken place by some unethical characters, the experiment went awry and all chaos ensues! A dangerous chemical is released into the atmosphere and it adversely affects the gorilla George, an alligator in the Florida Everglades and a wolf in Wyoming.
 It causes them to become super-sized, get very angry and become extremely violent! The three of them converge on the City of Chicago where a signal is being released and they are drawn to it.
This is where the ultimate showdown takes place!
Like I said in the beginning, this is just an edge of your seat popcorn movie. It really did take me back to my childhood days when I would watch the old "King Kong" movies and be completely captivated.
I actually really did enjoy this action/adventure movie, it was just a fun thrill ride. The special effects were great too.
Parents be advised: This is a PG-13 rated movie. That allows for more flexibility. This movie has a lot of monster type violence. There is a lot of profanity, even the f-bomb is dropped in this movie.
I am giving "Rampage" three and a half bags of popcorn.

Ready Player One

PG-13
Starring: Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, Lena Waithe, T.J. Miller, Mark Rylance, Win Morisaki and Philip Zhao
Running Time 2 Hours and 33 Minutes

You may not be aware that this movie is based on the 2011 science fiction novel, "Ready Player One" by American author Ernest Cline. And... another dystopian story set in the year 2045.
 I screened this whirlwind movie in 3-D IMAX. I knew it was going to be a super Sci-fi, but nothing could really prepare me for just how much Sci-fi! There seriously are so many things going on in almost every single scene that I found it to be totally overwhelming! On the other hand, the attention to detail was incredible and the computer generated images were very realistic. I loved all of the music they used throughout the movie too. It was a lot of fun. This is definitely entertaining, a serious popcorn movie!
This is the story of a young man named Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan) and his Avatar known as, Parzival. Both of Wade's parents are dead and he lives with his Aunt in Columbus, Ohio. They live in a very dismal and depressing area called "the stacks" where old trailers are piled one on top of the other in a very poverty-stricken neighborhood compliments of too many environmental disasters!
Wade is a super-talented video gamer who uses that talent to escape the reality of his surroundings.
He seeks to go to "The Oasis", a paradisaical dream world where everything is amazing!
The inventor of The Oasis, James Halliday (Mark Rylance) challenges all of his adoring followers to try and solve the mysteries using "Easter eggs" or secret codes to get the magic keys and ultimately win the game and take control of The Oasis. The winner has to find all three magical keys.
 Throw in some evil bad guys who want to take control of everything and you have yourself a very strange and futuristic movie. Steven Spielberg directed this movie and pushed the special effects to the max! He used several different cameos from other famous movies such as, Chuckie, Beetlejuice and a bloody scene from "The Shining" for extra drama. Plus Godzilla and King Kong. There is just so much going on that it is hard to focus on  the actual plot of the movie. Granted, video games are definitely not my thing so I'm seeing this movie from a different perspective. Maybe if I went and saw it again I would understand the plot just that much more, but I really have no desire to see this one again
Parents be advised: This movie is rated PG-13. There is a lot of video game reality, violence and profanity too.
I would not recommend this movie for children under the age of ten.
I am giving "Ready Player One" three bags of popcorn.

A Wrinkle in Time

PG
Starring: Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling, Chris Pine, Storm Reid, Deric McCabe, Levi Miller, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Zach Galifianakis
Running Time: 2 Hours

I had such high hopes for this movie having been a huge fan of the book in my youth... but, it ended up being a major disappointment to me! I was so excited to see how they were going to tell this unique story and bring it to life on the big screen. There was so much hype and anticipation for this movie that maybe that may have played into my disappointment as well.
I don't feel like they followed the story from the book closely enough to keep it authentic.
The movie takes place four years after the young father in the family Mr. Murry (Chris Pine) some kind of a scientist experimenting in dimensional time-travel, suddenly disappears.
From there his daughter Meg (Storm Reid) is determined to discover what on earth happened to her beloved father and prove that he is still alive. Meg, her six-year old brother Charles Wallace (Deric McCabe) and a close school friend Calvin (Levi Miller) suddenly find themselves in the presence of a unique woman named Mrs.Whatsit (Reese Witherspoon) when all chaos ensues and they are completely confused. They are suddenly whisked off into another dimension to try and find their father. They encounter Mrs. Who (Mindy Kaling) and eventually the very calming and reassuring Mrs.Which (Oprah Winfrey).
This movie was so confusing and bewildering that it just left you completely baffled.
There were just too many strange occurrences with such unusual characters that it lost its appeal and draw. I felt like the movie was all over the place with no real direction.
The three Mrs. characters, Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who and Mrs. Which were some of the strangest and  most misunderstood characters in a movie. They had the weirdest make-up and hair dos ever. I did appreciate the strength in the character of Meg and her determination to not give up on her father. However, there were some really cool scenes with beautiful, bright colors and some stunning special effects.
Parents be aware: This movie is rated PG. There were some intense scenes with some very bizarre looking characters. There was also strange and unusual scenery that young children could find troubling and scary.
I am giving "A Wrinkle in Time" two and a half bags of popcorn.

Black Panther

PG-13
Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Lupita Nyong'o, Michael B . Jordan, Angela Bassett, Martin Freeman, Forest Whittaker, Andy Serkis, Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke and Sterling K. Brown
Running Time: 2 Hours and 20 Minutes

This is the next installment of the Marvel Universe (18th to be exact).
This is the story of the superhero "T'Challa"aka "Black Panther" (Chadwick Boseman). The film begins where Captain America: Civil War left off. T'Challa goes back to Wakanda in Africa to succeed the throne of his late father and become the King of this incredible little country.
What makes Wakanda so incredible is that it has been blessed with a very special substance there called "Vibranium", which came from a meteorite from deep in outer space... but it has a power all of its own!!!
I loved the introduction to Wakanda. It felt a little "Lion King" to me. I thought the special effects were just breathtaking! The beautiful scenery and the special colors made it spectacular.
The story was not that strong, I felt like T'Challa wasn't so much of a superhero as he was a man trying to be a great King and save his people from an outside threat. I enjoyed "Black Panther", I thought Michael B. Jordan did a great job as Erik Killmonger and I thought it was great to see an almost exclusive African/American cast. I really enjoyed the scenery, the music and the culture.
Parents be advised: there was some fighting and violence and some mild profanity.
I am giving "Black Panther" three bags of popcorn.

Coco

PG
Starring The Voices Of: Anthony Gonzalez, Gael Garcia Bernal, Benjamin Bratt, Alanna Ubach, Renee Victor, Jaime Camil and Alfonso Arau
Running Time: 1 Hour and 49 Minutes

This is the 19th Pixar movie to date. I can hardly believe they have made 19 movies. When it comes to Pixar I could honestly just replace it with "perfection"! They are scrupulous with every single detail! Just absolutely spectacular in every way!
As usual, I had absolutely no idea what this movie was going to be about and what to expect. I was very pleasantly surprised.
This is the sweet story of a young boy named Miguel (Anthony Gonzalez) (I'm guessing around 12 years old) who does not understand why his family has forsaken any music to be played or listened to at all! He comes from a family of proud Shoemaker's, who feel it is an honor to carry on the family tradition. Young Miguel does not want to become a Shoemaker! He has no interest in it and he has an intense love of music, especially, the guitar. His family strictly forbade's him to play the guitar and are sorely disappointed in him. He just cannot suppress his desire to play music and he decides to search to find his family's connection to music. Legend has it that his Great, Great Grandfather Ernesto (Benjamin Bratt) was an amazing and very talented guitarist. However, he left and went away from his wife and daughter one night and never returned again! The wife and daughter were devastated! They loved and admired him so! The mother had to find a way to support her daughter and herself and became a shoemaker.
 That is where the family began the company of making shoes. But Miguel has a burning desire to follow in his Great, Great Grandfather's tradition and become a musician. He begs his family to support him, but they sharply refuse!
He sets out to compete in a music competition only to find himself in another existence filled with mystery and intrigue. He becomes caught up in The Day of the Dead! He actually finds all of the answers he has long sought after.
The attention to detail and the bright and vivid colors and graphics are spectacular! This movie is just as much a movie for adults as it is for children. The story is strong and compelling. The music is beautiful as well.
ALSO... Do not be late for this movie, There is a short 20 Minute Olaf movie called "Olaf's Frozen Adventure" from the movie "Frozen" that you or the children will not want to miss!
Parents be advised: This movie is rated PG. The majority of the film takes place during The Day of the Dead and there are some unusual and intimidating creatures. I would recommend this movie for children of all ages. But, some children might be a little anxious in this one.
I am giving "Coco" four bags of popcorn.

Justice League

PG-13
Starring: Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Henry Cavill, Jason Momoa, Amy Adams, Ezra Miller, Ray Fisher,    Jeremy Irons, Diane Lane, Ciaran Hinds and J.K. Simmons
Running Time: 2 Hours

The world finds itself in crisis mode when a new enemy, Steppenwolf  (voice of Ciaran Hinds) an evil alien with a killer attitude and a whole army of followers suddenly appears and wants to take over!
Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) assembles a team of heroes, including Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), Aquaman (Jason Momoa), Cyborg (Ray Fisher), The Flash (Ezra Miller) and Superman (Henry Cavill) to attempt to take down the evil Steppenwolf!
This is the sequel that follows "Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice" plus we also had "Wonder Woman" this past summer.
 This is another action-packed super-hero, good guys vs the bad guys movie that we have come to expect. A ton of CGI (computer generated images) which really bring the bad guys to life. I really enjoy Gal Gadot as "Wonder Woman", she is always great!
Aquaman is an interesting character whom I predict will be starring in more superhero movies to come. He possesses superhuman characteristics which allow him to have incredible swimming skills, the ability to survive underwater and also the amazing ability to communicate with sea-life.
Cyborg adds his special touch to the heroes as well, he monitors crime through his cybernetics.
My favorite however was Flash, he added so much to this movie! He was just so much fun.
 Then we have Batman... I'm just not a fan of Ben Affleck as "The Batman"! I just don't enjoy him in this role. Then, we mysteriously have "Superman" (Henry Cavill) making an appearance?
Overall, this was an entertaining Super-hero movie that should satisfy the Super-hero junkies, but it wasn't outstanding like some of the others, mainly "Wonder Woman" which was definitely outstanding!
I did enjoy this movie, it's always fun to see the good guys take down the bad guys!
Parents be advised: This movie is rated PG-13. I would recommend it for children over the age of 11.
There is a lot of action and violence, mild profanity and super-hero suggestive costumes.
I am giving "Justice League" three bags of popcorn.