u/DudeIDoReviews

The gang’s all back, and this time the introduction of devices jeopardizes the toys’ livelihood.

Another adventure with characters that are now over 30 years old. It works because they’re great characters. This time around, Jesse’s at the forefront. We get the Woody and Buzz dynamic, which is great as always, and the army of Buzz side quest must have been one of the best parts of the movie.

It’s tech vs. toys, and I have to say I liked where the movie landed with everything at the end. I did think it was a little rocky at first, and it took a bit for me to get into it. But realistically, it was the perfect idea and story to tell at this time. It fit so well with today’s reality of technology in toys and devices in general. All of the subplots are also fun and really help drive the movie.

The animation is fantastic, which isn’t a shocker at this point. I especially liked the imagination/play sequences. The voice cast, both returning and new, once again bring the characters to life.

The big question was… did we really need a fifth TOY STORY movie? Honestly, my answer to these kinds of questions is always… why not?

It’s not like we keep getting terrible movies. They’re always a fun time. And although I think it’s the weakest of the bunch, it was still a good movie. People obviously love these movies and go out and watch them (the amount of money it’s already made is a clear indication of that).

Personally, I think having these big franchises that keep making lots of money just leaves room for studios to take chances on original stories. They might not make as much, but because they’ll always have the franchise to fall back on, they make the risk more affordable. But that’s just my take, and I’ll take as many more TOY STORY movies as they make if they keep staying consistent quality-wise.

TOY STORY 5 was a good time. The whole family enjoyed it. There was a good message, a fun adventure, and some laughs. Check it out! It’s worth it.

It’s a solid…
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
7/10

That whole Star Command bit was awesome. My daughter and I keep saying that.

Based on the video game, DOUBLE DRAGON is set in a post-earthquake future version of Los Angeles, where a powerful gang leader possesses one half of an ancient Chinese talisman. The other half is held by brothers Billy and Jimmy. Whoever unites both pieces will gain power over body and soul.

Look, is this movie awesome? Not at all. Is it cheesy? Absolutely!

Some things worked for me. The world and overall look are great, with a colorful post-apocalyptic vibe. I also liked some of the wardrobe choices, especially the brothers’ suits at the end. The cast is a mixed bag, and the fight scenes are hit-and-miss. The talisman concept is cool, but it never feels like it’s used to its full potential, much like the story itself.

So yeah, overall DOUBLE DRAGON is a very uneven misfire. It had some good ideas but didn’t execute them as well as it should have. I loved the games growing up, and they had absolutely killer music that would have been awesome to hear incorporated into the movie. I remember watching this as a kid, and it didn’t do much for me then. Unfortunately, that hasn’t changed this time around.

It’s definitely a product of its time, and it’s not particularly memorable. There is some fun to be had here, but it’s limited.

Have you checked out DOUBLE DRAGON?

April O’Neil accidentally time travels back to ancient Japan, and the TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES must go back themselves to find her and bring her home.

Sweet story and concept… but the execution—oh man, what happened?

I remember enjoying this one as a kid, but I definitely didn’t watch it as much as the other two, and I haven’t really revisited it either. Rewatching it all these years later reminded me why.

It’s not absolutely terrible—there are some fun scenes—but for the most part, I think they missed the mark. The thing that stands out the most is the TURTLES themselves. They look drastically different this time around, and that wouldn’t be a bad thing if the quality was just as good—it isn’t. It gets distracting at times, especially the rough mouth movement when they talk. That said, it does look awesome seeing them in the samurai outfits.

The setting is another thing that stands out, but in a good way. Having the TURTLES in 1593 instead of a modern city was refreshing and added a nice layer to the movie. I really liked the “demon” aspect of the story, but wish they had gone even deeper into it.

Now let’s talk about the movies antagonists. They aren’t memorable at all! We needed a more menacing villain. Maybe if they found a way to include a more recognizable bad guy from the cartoon or comics, it would have worked better.

Casey Jones is back—but he’s basically a babysitter? I did enjoy his scenes, and the whole “Japanese warriors in modern times” angle was fun, but I would’ve preferred seeing him in the action—especially since he was missing from the last movie.

Overall, this movie can be summed up pretty simply: great ideas, poor execution. It’s definitely the least rewatchable out of the TMNT movies, but it still has its moments. Should you check it out? It’s part of the history—and if you’re a fan of the TURTLES, you kind of have to experience it.

This one gets a…
🇯🇵🇯🇵🇯🇵🇯🇵🇯🇵🇯🇵
6/10

I remember the action figures being pretty cool.

There’s something going on with some of the students in the small town of Cradle Bay. When Steve and his family move to town, things start coming to light.

I was looking for a movie that was under 90 minutes and something I hadn’t seen before. DISTURBING BEHAVIOR fit the bill.

It most definitely has that late 90’s teen movie vibe. There isn’t much depth or explanation to it. The movie gets straight into things and doesn’t sugarcoat anything. If you’re just looking to watch something quick and turn off your brain, DISTURBING BEHAVIOR will absolutely keep you entertained.

James Marsden, Katie Holmes, Nick Stahl, Bruce Greenwood, and William Sadler make up the cast. I’m a fan of Marsden, he’s always likable and brings the charm. The whole cast works well here and delivers exactly what the movie needed.

DISTURBING BEHAVIOR isn’t anything spectacular. You watch it and forget it, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I will say a little more elaboration would have totally helped make this better. But it kept me locked in throughout and I think it’s worth checking out.

This one’s a…
🐀🐀🐀🐀🐀🐀
6/10

Katie Holmes as a punk rock goth chick… works.

A burnt-out paramedic takes us on a ride. Along with his partner and student, we get to see what a 24-hour shift looks like.

This was a random watch. I didn’t really know what to expect. It says it’s a comedy, but I wouldn’t really call it that—not even a dark comedy. There are some comedic moments, but it’s mostly focused on real-life situations and isn’t really trying to get laughs. What CODE 3 is, though, is dramatic, tense, and emotional. It feels real and has plenty of heart. It never goes over the top and keeps things grounded and believable. Needless to say, I was locked in.

I loved the cast. Rainn Wilson, Lil Rel Howery, Aimee Carrero, Rob Riggle, and Yvette Nicole Brown all deliver good performances and fit their characters perfectly.

CODE 3 stuck with me long after it was over. I definitely connected with it and recommend checking it out.

I’m giving this one a…
🚑🚑🚑🚑🚑🚑🚑
7/10

I can’t handle anything involving kids, and this movie definitely got to me in a few spots.

After a storm, a former assassin must protect a young girl left stranded on the island where he lives as his past comes back to haunt him.

This is another Jason Statham-driven action movie. I’m always down for these kinds of films because they consistently deliver what I need from them: good action and a decent story to keep things moving. I was totally entertained throughout, and I actually look forward to these releases since we seem to get a new one every year.

Jason Statham always brings it, and the rest of the cast—Bodhi Rae Breathnach, Naomi Ackie, Bryan Vigier, Daniel Mays, and Bill Nighy—are all pretty good as well.

SHELTER is nothing revolutionary, but movies like this don’t have to be. They’re there to provide an engaging good time with fun action set pieces, and this one succeeds. If you’re into this kind of movie, you won’t be disappointed, so go and check it out.

It’s a solid…
♟️♟️♟️♟️♟️♟️♟️
7/10

These types of movies are my comfort watches.

The Chicago Cubs need a miracle. After an accident leaves Henry with a powerful pitching arm, the Cubs recruit him in hopes of turning their season around.

I watched this with my daughter, and I hadn’t seen it in over 30 years. All I really remembered was a kid playing in the Major Leagues. It’s a decent kids movie and there’s definitely some fun to be had. Funny enough, it’s basically child exploitation… but in that fun family movie kind of way. It’s a feel-good movie with a lot of charm.

It’s a good story with some funny moments and a solid cast featuring Thomas Ian Nicholas, Gary Busey, Amy Morton, Albert Hall, Dan Hedaya, Bruce Altman, Daniel Stern, and Eddie Bracken.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR is a good time. It’s definitely more of a one-and-done movie, but still worth giving a shot.

It’s a…
⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️
6/10

A kid playing in the Majors is a fun idea for a movie.

Adam must find his missing sword, travel back home to Eternia, save his world, and fulfill his destiny by becoming He-Man: the most powerful man in the universe.

MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE was a little before my time, so I’m not a huge fan of the IP, but I am a fan. I had action figures growing up, caught episodes of the original animated series and some of the newer ones here and there, and I’ve seen the 80s movie. I know the basic story and characters.

This was my most anticipated movie of the summer, and it totally didn’t disappoint. It gave me exactly what I wanted from a MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE movie and it’s an absolute summer blockbuster!

The story isn’t anything new. It’s an action adventure fantasy where our hero gets banished to another world as a child, finds his way back home, and must save the day while discovering his true potential. It’s a tried-and-true narrative, and it suits this movie perfectly. There are lessons to be learned and plenty of heart throughout.

What the movie has even more of is comedy. While it’s not a full-blown comedy, it definitely has a Thor: Ragnarok and Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves feel, and that’s a good thing. The humor landed for me and there are some absolutely hilarious moments. My only small gripe is that I wish a few scenes had been allowed to stay more serious. With that said, the 80’s were cheesy, and that spirit is represented nicely here.

The 80’s also had some sweet tunes, and the score is excellent. Daniel Pemberton composed something truly epic, featuring some fantastic guitar work from Brian May. It’s prominent throughout the film and stands out as one of its highlights. Princes Of The Universe by Queen hits hard, we get a new song from The Darkness during the credits, and yes, we do get the classic theme.

Visually, the movie looks great. Vibrant and energetic. Eternia and its environments feel like a cartoon brought to life. But to make a movie like this work, the characters need to look the part, and they absolutely nailed it. The character designs are fantastic and the casting works perfectly, with Camila Mendes, Idris Elba, Alison Brie, Morena Baccarin, and Kirsten Wiig to name a few. Everyone looks like they stepped right off the toy shelf as straight-up action figures, and the movie isn’t afraid to embrace the weirdness of this universe.

The obvious two characters that had to be perfect were He-Man and Skeletor. Nicholas Galitzine was a great choice for Prince Adam/He-Man. He has that innocent, charming look while still looking completely badass in the He-Man attire. And that transformation… when he says, “By the Power of Grayskull, I have the power!” I got goosebumps every time. It looked amazing!

And speaking of amazing, Skeletor blew me away. For me, he’s the character that had to work in order for this movie to succeed. Jared Leto delivered. His look, his mannerisms, and especially that voice were all great. I love that they kept his quirkiness while still making him feel menacing, dark, and genuinely villainous. They made all the right choices with the character.

The final battle between He-Man and Skeletor was legendary. All of the action throughout the movie was fun, exciting, and incredibly entertaining.

MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE was such a blast! It’s the total package when it comes to summer blockbusters and Travis Knight crushed it! There were a couple of kids in the theater and they were audibly loving it. It made me want to experience it again with my daughter, so I can’t wait to take her. This is a movie for all ages.

It has great action, beautiful visuals, a wicked score, awesome characters, is crammed full of nostalgia, and is just a whole lot of fun! It’s a must-see, especially on the big screen, so go check it out now!

I’m giving it a…
🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️
9/10

This movie needs our support! There’s a mid-credit and post-credit scene that set things up for the future… I want a sequel! It needs a sequel!

Sacha Baron Cohen plays Damian, an arrogant and successful advertising executive. After bumping his head, he wakes up in a world where gender roles have been completely reversed. Now, he must face off against the female version of himself, Alex, played by Rosamund Pike.

This one has a fun concept, but it should have been a much better movie. There was so much potential with both the cast and the idea. They should have leaned further into the over-the-top comedy that we know Sacha Baron Cohen can deliver, but I feel like they played it safe. It isn’t terrible, and it got a couple of laughs out of me, but it’s also not very memorable.

The scene where Cohen is dressed up as a sexy cowboy was hilarious. If only the entire movie had that same energy…

At 90 minutes, it’s a decent Netflix diversion. It’s an easy watch, so if that’s what you’re looking for, it’ll do the job.

I’m giving this one a…
🤠🤠🤠🤠🤠
5/10

A fun idea that never quite reaches its full potential. It could have been a real standout if they had taken a chance instead of playing it safe.

We follow THE MANDALORIAN and his young apprentice GROGU in a new theatrical Star Wars adventure.

I really enjoyed THE MANDALORIAN series, and when they announced a movie, I was curious to see how it would translate to film. Turns out, it’s exactly like the series. It feels like a couple of episodes put together, and I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, because it isn’t.

There’s a main objective and, as always, things get messy, which takes MANDO and GROGU to multiple locations and introduces us to multiple people along the way. It’s a clear-cut narrative without much expansion of the overall story, characters, or lore. It doesn’t really add anything new to the Star Wars universe. It’s simply another adventure for these characters, this time on the big screen. And honestly, that’s exactly what I expected it to be, and that’s alright.

Now, would I have loved a little more depth and world-building? Absolutely. Even one small addition to the lore or a bit more character development would have gone a long way. I want to know more about these characters and the world around them.

Visually, the movie looks great, and the score sounds fantastic, setting the tone throughout. I love the series theme and that they played it in full and also the way they incorporated THE MANDALORIAN theme into the film. The action is fun, there are some really cool set pieces, and GROGU is as adorable as ever.

If you’re a fan of the series, you’ll definitely have a blast with this movie. I also think you could watch it without ever seeing the show and still enjoy it. It’s just a fun adventure set in the Star Wars universe. It was great seeing these characters make the jump to the big screen, and I’d definitely love to see more movies like this. With that said, it’s well worth checking out.

I’m giving this one…
💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫
8/10

I hope we eventually find out where GROGU fits into the larger Star Wars universe. He feels like he needs to have some kind of importance.

JACK RYAN is back in action, but why wasn’t I able to connect with this movie?

I loved the series and was really anticipating this movie. After watching it, I’m sad to say I was a little disappointed. I honestly feel like this would have worked much better as another season of the series instead of a movie. Everything felt rushed.

There are still some good things here, and one scene in particular totally caught me off guard. But I think if they had more time to build a deeper plot, it would have created much more tension and made the payoff stronger.

The story itself is good and the action is decent, but there was just a disconnect with this one. It was great seeing these characters again, I just wish the experience had hit harder for me. I truly wanted to love this movie.

If you’re a fan of the series or the character, it’s still probably worth checking out to see if it lands with you more than it did with me.

It really saddens me to give it a…
💥💥💥💥💥
5/10

I really wanted to love this one.

A college student takes part in an experimental drug trial that heightens all of his senses.

This one brought me back and held up nicely. The story lends itself well to comedy, and revisiting it now was a lot of fun. Honestly, it probably could have been a little raunchier. That’s not a bad thing though. There’s a slight hint of it throughout, but I think pushing it a bit further would have benefited the movie.

Marlon Wayans is great here, delivering a really funny performance. That scene where he’s completely unable to move with that girl all up on him—absolutely hilarious. David Spade is also in this, but doesn’t really get much to do. He felt a bit underused. I also loved Matthew Lillard as Wayans’ “weird” best friend, and Rip Torn is in this as well.

SENSELESS is worth checking out. There were definitely a few laugh out loud moments. It’s not nonstop hilarious, but it’s got a fun charm to it. See what you make of it.

This one’s a…
🚽🚽🚽🚽🚽🚽
6/10

I wanted more of Matthew Lillard.

A psychic joins a secret government program that allows him to enter people’s dreams to help heal their trauma—but what starts as therapy quickly turns into something far more sinister.

This was a terrific find. Another movie I had never heard of from the 80’s—probably because my parents weren’t into the weird sci-fi horror stuff. But the concept for DREAMSCAPE is fantastic. I wouldn’t say it’s straight up horror or sci-fi but it’s a nice subtle blend of both mixed into a thriller with alittle bit of charm curtesy of are lead, Denis Quaid.

This cast! Max von Sydow**, Christopher Plummer, David Patrick Kelly, Kate Capshaw, George Wendt, Eddie Albert, all delivering great performances.**

This movie screams 80’s And so
Do the visuals. I think they hold up really well 40 years later. The traumatic dream sequences are eerie, dark, yet colorful. They give you that vibe of realty, and you feel that. I dug the tone of the movie and how everything fit together nicely.

DREAMSCAPE is one of those hidden gems. It kinda feels like a stripped-down version of Inception—more straightforward, with a horror edge and some real creepy moments. It was a really enjoyable watch. I like going into something I know nothing about and just having a good time, and that’s exactly what I got. This would be a solid choice for a remake, and a movie worth checking out!

This one gets a…
🐍🐍🐍🐍🐍🐍🐍
7/10

That poster! The 80’s had something special, we need to bring it back!

A man from the future enters a diner in search of a specific combination of people to accompany him on a one-night mission to save the future from a villainous AI.

GOOD LUCK, HAVE FUN, DON’T DIE was one hell of a ride! I had no idea what I was getting myself into, and that just made the viewing so much better.

It’s a sci-fi dark comedy that totally feels like an episode of Black Mirror… and I absolutely loved it! You’re never really sure what’s going on or what to believe. There’s some great use of flashbacks that add to the overall perplexity and mystery, with everything kind of tying together nicely by the end while leaving you with even more questions than answers. It’s such a fun time from start to finish and completely wacky in the best way possible.

We also get some really good characters and a great cast. Sam Rockwell, Juno Temple, Haley Lu Richardson, Zazie Beetz, Michael Peña, Asim Chaudhry, and Georgia Goodman make up the team setting out to save the future. They all work really well together and make for a unique and entertaining group of characters.

Visually, the movie looks great. The man from the future, the AI, and that whole third act all add to the story and really help make the world feel futuristic. The general vibe of this movie effectively sets the tone, and it’s quite the tone at that.

I truly had an awesome time with this movie. Going in with no knowledge of what I was about to watch was definitely the best way to experience it. I highly recommend checking this one out.

This one gets an…
🤖🤖🤖🤖🤖🤖🤖🤖
8/10

That glitter at the end? What in the actual…

When Eddie breaks into an SUV, he quickly realizes not only is he trapped inside, but he’s now part of a revenge plot he’ll have to survive if he ever wants to see his daughter again.

It’s a great setup for a thriller, and once it gets going, I was LOCKED in. There are intense moments, solid suspense, and some violence. It’s a pretty contained story, with Bill Skarsgård delivering a good performance and really carrying the film.

At just over 90 minutes, it’s straightforward and not overly complex, but it delivers exactly what it should—entertainment. It’s just a decent movie, and while it could have been better, I was pretty satisfied with it. I did love the ending, though. It’s worth checking out if you’re in the mood for a confined thriller.

It gets a…
🚘🚘🚘🚘🚘🚘
6/10

I really like Bill Skarsgård, he’s got something.