New in Theaters this week

 Blockers

Well, there seems to be no end to these kinds of movies, the raunchy comedy that through it all, tries to grow a heart and say something.  Well, as raunchy and at times as distasteful as some of this is, there are some laughs.  And even though this is an exaggerated look at parents letting their teens grow up sexually, there is enough truth to make this fun.

John Cena and Leslie Manna are pretty darn funny as panicked parents who are trying to get in the way of a "sex pact" that their daughters have made to lose their virginity on prom night.   Without question, some of this goes way too far, and there are things we don't need to see, but I laughed at times, and felt the parents fear for most of this.

What I wish is, that the makers of these movies would remember is that there is a limit.  Not every scene has to be 7th grade locker room funny.  A bit of imagination, a small rewrite, and a sharper editing blade would be in order and movies like this could be a bit more attractive to more peeps.  Until then, we have to watch Cena chug beer through his kiester.  Just sayin'

Blockers.  Yes, funny a times.  An acquired taste.




A Quiet Place

There are many things about this movie that make it very original and others that don't.  But for me, the good far outweighs the bad.  This is a 90-minute intense thriller that doesn't sell out to special effects and uses just good old fashioned ways to scare you.

Set in today's world, some sort of event has happened and Earth is now inhabited by these awful creatures that are barbaric and hunt humans, but can only do so when they hear them. They cannot see,  but sound of any kind now is the enemy of all of mankind.  So this family lives in silence and communicates through sign language to survive. But they soon learn that is easier said than done, as about every imaginable thing makes sound on earth. Can they survive?

This movie has very little dialogue, and that is very interesting. The silence to me still, became a bit fatiguing, but at only 90 minutes (good decision)  this works.  And this is going to continue to work for a few weeks, as word of mouth will be great on this, and it's quite good.

A Quiet Place.   Very good, intense.  



The Miracle Season

There are some movies that have a nice story to tell, but lack the budget and commitment to make it great.  And that is the case here.  This is not a terrible movie by any stretch, but could have been a whole lot better.

This is the true story of the 2011 Iowa City, Iowa West High School women's volleyball team, and their struggles on and off the court after the death of their star player and inspiration, Caroline Found.  This is also a story worth telling, but this could have used a rewrite two.  Much of this is cliche', and looks rushed, and pushed through.  Also, Oscar winners Helen Hunt and William Hurt, seem to be taking this to simply find work and that's hard to watch too.

But, this even though this isn't near perfect at all, families will like this and that is generally fine with me.  We need all kinds of movies for all kind of fans.  Found's legacy does shine through and that is great, even if the movie writing and making is not.

The Miracle Season.  Problems, yes.  But fine for family day.

Midnight Sun

Here comes a little movie that on the surface looks like a silly Nicolas Sparks story, and in some aspects, it is.  And it is another movie that chronicles a young woman housebound by a terrible illness, and yearning for love, and it is. But after seeing this, I liked it far more than the above mentioned. Even though the national critics are hammering it.  Is this perfect? Heck no, but please quit showing your pompousness. 

This is the story of Katy, who has a disease called XP.  She cannot go in the sun at all, as it would be life ending.  So, she goes out at night, and lives a life in reverse, which is no life at all.  She falls in love with Charlie and risks it all to live a life of love, as best she can.  Yes, this is predictable, and melodramatic, and a bit far fetched at times. But so what?  Can't we make a movie that is easy to digest, and have a good cry, or a few awww moments without critics being too far above it?  

This flick shows a few new faces, and does its best to be an escape from the rest of the nonsense that can be out there this time of year.  Granted, it's not fighting robots, or superheros saving the world, but there is room for this.  This is for young people who want a love story for spring break. Period.  And that's fine with me.

Midnight Sun.  It's fine. They can't all win Oscars, and this won't. But at 90 minutes, this is a fair rainy afternoon flick.


Love, Simon 

This is a very well written movie that takes on a highly topical, and potentially difficult issue of growing up in high school in the 21st century.  This movie is a slick romcom, that features the life of Simon, a 17 year old young man who realizes he is gay.  Now, how does he handle this? And how will his life, and his friends life change as a result of his "coming out?"

This movie chronicles his journey, and in many ways is deadly accurate showcasing the landmines that teens have today. The social pressures, and social media, constant communication and the anxiety of it all.  Although, my gut feeling too is there are also scenes here that may be a bit too generous to the good,  in their depiction of  the travels Simon would have to take.   

But overall, this is very well done, and moves along nicely.  I found this to be for the most part a charming flick, with a strong cast, and solid characters created.  This movie may fly a bit below the radar, but is certianly worth a ticket.

Love, Simon.  Well done indeed.


Pacific Rim: Uprising

There is the obvious question here.  Why?  Do we really need more of this series?  Well the answer is probably yes, for some.  Here we go again, gigantic robots defending the world against alien forces and this time - even ourselves.  Put a ton of great effects together with a bunch of noise and a large screen and you seemingly have the right formula.  

The big problem with this is, Transformers.  I'm not going to sit here and say those are way better movies, but they were here first and that means PR looks like a poor mans rip off.  And if it is.  This is about 2 hours of animated robots fighting with a touch of a story mixed in.  Honestly, if you are about 12, this is really cool.  Good for your kids, grand kids and the dudes in general.  This is not recommended for a first date  (kidding).

Pacific Rim:Uprising.  Can we just stop...Please?



Unsane

Wow!  There are some movies that take us to places that we have never been, and this is one of them.  This is the story of a young, troubled woman that seeks professional counseling to deal with some of her everyday problems.  And when she admits during a session she has had thoughts of suicide in the past, her life takes a horrible turn.

Actually, beyond horrible.  This movie will scare the heck out of anyone who may seek counseling, and that is an honest observation, even though this is a fictional movie. This also morphs into a "stalker" movie, as if the original premise isn't disturbing enough.  This movie is well written, compelling and thought provoking all at the same time.  Although there a remnants that are similar to other "mental ward" movies, this is another level and stands on its own just fine.

In the end, this is a bit unsettling and tough to watch at times, as it dares to look deeply at problems that everyday people can possibly face, and the willingness to share these problems with those who are charged with trying to help sort them out.  I am sure the healthcare companies are not thrilled with this.

Unsane.  Good, well done, creepy.


I Can Only Imagine

This movie for some reason is wearing the "Christian" movie label, and I can't really understand that. Granted there are elements that are, but they are very subtle.  This is the true and brave story told of the origins of the biggest Christian hit song ever, I Can Only Imagine and its writer Bart Millard, and band, Mercy Me. 

This is a powerful flick with a great performance from J. Micheal Finley as Millard.  This is the first time I can remember a movie being made about a song as well.  Finley is terrific as Millard and is a fresh face on screen that was central to its success. The music is done very well and some of the filming of this is great, especially in pivotal scenes when it really matters.  There is an underlying Christian element throughout, but it's not preachy, or judgmental.  The writing here was a challenge, and they pulled it off walking a fine line.

In short, this is a nice little movie that is destined for some big success. This will attract people to the theaters that seldom go, and that's a good thing.  Its good for anyone, including the whole family.  Is this perfect?  Well, no.  But it's a great example that Hollywood can make movies for everyone can can make it work.

I Can Only Imagine.  Good, solid movie.