Al's Top Rated Films: 2019

The John Wick franchise is turning out some of my favorite action-packed crime thrillers to date, and I must say this is probably my favorite in the series so far. Derek Kolstad and Chad Stahelski handle the writing and directing once again, and I could imagine a better sequel. This time we find John desperately on the run again after breaking a strict High Table rule by murdering an assassin and enemy named Santino D'Antonio within the confines of the Continental Hotel grounds. He's given a 1-hour grace period by his respected colleague and friend Winston (manager of the Continental Hotel) before he's forced to pronounce John "Excommunicado" with a $14 million price tag on his head. After his grace period is up and the information about John is texted to nearly every High Table assassin's phone, it results in John being hunted by the world's most ruthless and talented killers. Like like the first two films; the story, dialogue, characters, cast, action, and cinematography rivals so many films in this genre. Fantastic work all around. Keanu Reeves arguably delivers his all-time best lead performance. Halle Berry, Ian McShane, Laurence Fishburne, Mark Dacascos, Asia Kate Dillon, and Lance Reddick, Anjelica Huston, Boban Marjanovic, Saïd Taghmaoui, Jason Mantzoukas, Cecep Arif Rahman, Yayan Ruhian, and others had excellent supporting roles.

Quentin Tarantino's 9th film is a superb comedy drama unlike any of his other films. The story is set in 1969 Hollywood, and follows a TV star named Rick Dalton, and his longtime best friend, stunt double, and driver, Cliff Booth. Both are veterans in the business and have seemingly passed their prime. Meanwhile, Rick lives next store to film director Roman Polanski and actress Sharon Tate. There's also a correlating story of hippies living on Spahn Movie Ranch that live by the words of idealistic murderer, Charles Manson. While the history of Sharon Tate's murder along with 3 others is set in stone, Quentin Tarantino brilliant rewrites that history, giving it a supremely exciting and plot-twisting ending. This film gets so much better with repeat viewings, as many layers and details reveal themselves each time. Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt are a superb duo, and I feel both of them delivered some of their finest lead performances of all time. Margot Robbie, Austin Butler, Al Pacino, Margaret Qualley, Julia Butters, Bruce Dern, Timothy Olyphant, Dakota Fanning, Mike Moh, Emile Hirsch, Lorenza Izzo, and so many others delivered fantastic supporting roles.

Fantastic crime drama/thriller from Todd Phillips that tells the origin story of Arthur Fleck—a troubled man who works as a clown and an aspiring stand-up comic, but is also suffering from mental illness—one of which produces uncontrollable laughter. Constant failures and some incidents finds him falling further out of touch with reality, while partaking in ruthless violence as he transforms into his alter-ego, the Joker. I was thrilled to see this was a straight-up crime drama and something far removed from the Batman universe. Fantastically done in every way. Joaquin Phoenix delivers an amazing performance as the Joker. I can see why a lot of people say he's the best Joker yet. Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Frances Conroy, Brett Cullen, Shea Whigham, Bill Camp, Glenn Fleshler, Leigh Gill, Josh Pais, Douglas Hodge, and many others had excellent supporting roles.

Fantastic action-packed crime comedy/thriller from Guy Ritchie set in London, and follows the rag-to-riches story of American expatriate Mickey Pearson, who has become a major drug kingpin by revolutionizing a massive and heavily concealed marijuana growing and selling operation. He wants to go away with his family and retire after making his millions, and attempts to sell his business to American billionaire Matthew Berger for £400m. Once Mickey shows Matthew his operation in the final stages of their deal, Matthew exposes the secret of his hidden operation and gets other gang bosses and greedy criminals involved in schemes involving bribery, blackmail, and murder. But what these criminals did not count on, is that Mickey grew up on the streets, and has a brutal no-nonsense way of dealing with those that interfere with his business. After reading a lot of lackluster critical reviews for this film, I'd have to say they completely missed the mark with this one. The story is fantastic and constructed in superb fashion. The action is awesome, the dialogue and comedy is excellent, and the casting is top notch. Matthew McConaughey delivers one of his best lead performances. Hugh Grant, Charlie Hunnam, Jeremy Strong, Colin Farrell, Henry Golding, and Michelle Dockery also had excellent starring roles. Tom Wu, Lyne Renée, Chidi Ajufo, Eddie Marsan, Jason Wong, Franz Drameh, Christopher Evangelou, James Warren, Sean Sagar, Bugzy Malone, Danny Griffin, and others also had great supporting roles.

Fantastic drama from Noah Baumbach that follows an eccentric director/actor married couple from New York and their distressing and realistic path of breaking up and getting divorced, while working to be the best parents they can be to their 8-year-old son in the process. The film runs through a range of emotions with extreme effectivity, with cold-hearted lawyers fueling the fire and making the process even more traumatic. Adam Driver is one of my favorite newer actors, and I feel this is his best lead performance to date. The same could be said for Scarlett Johansson, who also delivered the best lead role I've seen her in yet. Both actors had very realistic and empathetic performances. Julie Hagerty, Laura Dern, Ray Liotta, Azhy Robertson, Merritt Wever, Wallace Shawn, and many others had excellent supporting roles.

Superb crime/drama/thriller from Benny and Josh Safdie that follows a determined New York City jeweler who's gambling addiction turns his life, family, and career upside down; leaving him in severe debt. Regardless of his bad luck, he is constantly looking for the next get-rich-quick scheme. One day he gets a hold of a rare uncut Ethiopian black opal that could be the answers to all his troubles, as Boston Celtics basketball player Kevin Garnett wants the stone because it brings him luck on the court, while debt collectors are threatening his entire life and existence. While he could make a quick deal and end his worries, his gambling addition takes over as he tries to pay off his debts and get rich at the same time. Visually stunning and exciting from start to finish. It was great to see Adam Sandler in such an intense and dramatic role. He owned it, and delivered an excellent lead performance. Julia Fox, LaKeith Stanfield, Kevin Garnett, Idina Menzel, Mike Francesa, Eric Bogosian, Jonathan Aranbayev, Judd Hirsch, and Marshall Greenberg also had excellent supporting roles.

Excellent and fascinating crime drama/biopic from Clint Eastwood based on the true story of Richard Jewell—a security guard who discovered the bomb while working the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, which saved upwards of 100 lives, and made him a hero overnight. His life gets turned upside down when the FBI leaks information to the press. The FBI finds his lifestyle, motives, and other factors suspicious, which makes him a prime suspect in the bombing. Paul Walter Hauser is one of the most underrated actors out there, and he delivered an absolutely phenomenal lead performance. It may also be my favorite performance from Sam Rockwell. He was phenomenal as Richard's lawyer. Kathy Bates was also superb as Richard's mom. Jon Hamm, Olivia Wilde, Ian Gomez, Nina Arianda, and Niko Nicotera also had great supporting roles.

Fantastic drama/biography from Marielle Heller set in 1998, and follows a troubled magazine journalist named Lloyd Vogel who has been struggling to forgive his estranged father for leaving their family when he was young. Following a fight with his father, he's tasked to profile children's television icon Fred Rogers (aka Mister Rogers). What Lloyd doesn't know, is that Fred has read almost every article Lloyd has written, and has specifically chosen Lloyd to interview him. Fred has famously been difficult to interview because he would spend the interview trying to befriend the interviewer, and that is exactly what happens in Lloyd's case. Fred takes a personal interest in Lloyd's family and life struggles, and helps them all reconcile their differences as Lloyd comes to realize that Fred is the same wonderful and caring person he portrays on television as he is in real life. Fantastic story, excellent dialogue, and perfect casting. Tom Hanks Oscar-nominated performance of Fred Rogers was one of his best performances of all time. I can't imagine anyone better playing the role. Matthew Rhys also carried the story perfectly with a great lead performance. Chris Cooper, Susan Kelechi, Maryann Plunkett, Enrico Colantoni, Wendy Makkena, Tammy Blanchard, and many others also had great supporting roles.

Fantastic action-packed biopic from James Mangold on the lives of American car designer Carroll Shelby and driver Ken Miles, as they work to pioneer a revolutionary race car that can beat the flawless speed of the Ferrari at the 1966 24-hour Le Mans race in France. Excellent historical story with great acting and fantastic racing action. Matt Damon and Christian Bale are a couple of my favorites, and they both turned out a couple of their finest lead performances. Jon Bernthal, Caitríona Balfe, Josh Lucas, Noah Jupe, Tracy Letts, Remo Girone, Ray McKinnon, Corrado Invernizzi, Francesco Bauco, and Rudolf Martin also had great roles among a solid supporting cast.

Fantastic coming-of-age drama from Greta Gerwig and arguably a perfect adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's classic 1868 novel. The story is set during the American Civil War in 1861 Concord, Massachusetts, and follows the mother and four daughters of the working-class March family while their father has left them to fight the war alongside the Union Army. The story mainly revolves around Jo, who is fiercely independent, extremely ambitious and idealistic, and immensely dedicated to her family. Given the time period, women could not vote, or work to make their own living in most cases. If they marry, all of their money, possessions and children will become property of their husbands. Each sister is determined to build a respectable and independent life for themselves in different ways. Meanwhile, Louisa May Alcott is channeled through Jo's character as a gifted writer, and follows her journey to write her famed and classic novel about her sisters and family. Outstanding story and film in every way. I've only seen the 1949 adaptation of this film so far, and this version is better and more impactful in every respect. Saoirse Ronan is one of my favorite actresses, and she delivers arguably her best lead performance to date. Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen, Laura Dern, and Timothée Chalamet also delivered some of the best starring roles of their careers. Louis Garrel, Tracy Letts, Chris Cooper, Meryl Streep, Bob Odenkirk, James Norton, Jayne Houdyshell, and many others has excellent supporting roles.

Beautiful comedy drama/adventure based on W. Bruce Cameron's best-selling novel. It's the sequel to A Dog's Purpose (2017), and I must say that this film is even better than the first (which I also loved). The story follows Bailey now living a happy and fulfilling life with his owner Ethan and his wife Hannah, and builds a special bond with their daughter, CJ. When Bailey reaches the end of his life, Ethan requests that Bailey look after CJ, as he understands Bailey's gift of reincarnating into different dogs and greatly affecting people's lives. Different stories jump around and correlate together, and make for a most outstanding and touching ending. Josh Gad, Dennis Quaid, and Kathryn Prescott all deliver superb lead performances. Marg Helgenberger, Henry Lau, Abby Ryder Fortson, Emma Volk, Betty Gilpin, Ian Chen, Jake Manley, and Daniela Barbosa all had excellent supporting roles.

Fantastic action-packed war drama from Sam Mendes that takes place on a battlefield in Northern France on April 6th, 1917, during World War I. The story follows two British soldiers in a race against time to deliver a message to an isolated outfit which will stop a deadly trap set by the Germans that could kill 1,600 allied soldiers. Visually stunning and beautifully done film. War movies don't get much better than this. Dean-Charles Chapman and George MacKay both deliver excellent lead performances. Colin Firth, Pip Carter, Andrew Scott, Mark Strong, Robert Maaser, Gerran Howell, Anson Boon, John Hollingworth, Jamie Parker, Adrian Scarborough, and Richard Madden all had excellent roles among the supporting cast.

Fantastic comedy drama that follows a very special golden retriever named Enzo, and his Formula One race car driving owner Denny. The story is told from Enzo's point of view, and details the inspiring events of of Denny's life as he meets his new wife, has a child, and also faces devastating loss, which results in a bitter legal battle which nearly causes him to lose his daughter and everything important in his life. Enzo is there every step of the way as he faithfully fulfills his life journey. Milo Ventimiglia and Amanda Seyfried both delivered excellent lead performances, but it was really Kevin Costner narrating the voce of Enzo that made this film so special. He has the perfect vernacular to express his thoughts, that are often times hilarious and extremely heart-wrenching. This was an extremely emotional ride all around—prepare to laugh and cry. Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Kathy Baker, Martin Donovan, Marcus Hondro, Ian Lake, Gary Cole, and Lily Dodsworth-Evans all had excellent roles among the supporting cast.

Excellent crime drama/biopic from Destin Daniel Cretton that follows determined civil rights defense attorney Bryan Stevenson. He could have had any job he wanted after graduating from Harvard, but instead decides to travel to Alabama to help defend poor folks who have been wrongly sentenced for crimes they can't afford legal representation for. In 1987, Walter McMillian was sentenced to death for a murder of an 18-year-old girl, despite not having any evidence to arrest or convict him. In 1989 Bryan Stevenson relentlessly works every angle to serve justice for Walter. Great story, writing, and acting throughout. Michael B. Jordan delivered one of his very best lead performances. Jamie Foxx and Brie Larson also delivered fantastic lead roles. Rob Morgan, Jacinte Blankenship, Tim Blake Nelson, Rafe Spall, and many others had great roles among a solid supporting cast.

Fantastic historical drama set in 1925 Alaska that tells the story about an amazingly dedicated Siberian husky named Togo, who was thought to be too old, weak, and small to complete the grueling 600-mile serum run; which was necessary to deliver medicine to treat the epidemic of diphtheria. The film centers around Togo's owner Leonhard Seppala as they both fight through their limitations in life. Inspiring story, and one of the very best Disney films out there. A must watch for dog lovers. Willem Dafoe delivered a a fantastic lead performances—perhaps my favorite from him. Julianne Nicholson, Christopher Heyerdahl, Zahn McClarnon, Brandon Oakes, and others also had great roles among a solid and relatively unknown supporting cast.

Fantastic and thrilling horror/mystery from Jordan Peele that follows the Wilson family of four on vacation at their lake home in Santa Cruz, California. Wife and mother Adelaide had traumatic life altering experience in a funhouse on the beach when she was a child, and soon troubling events occur that stir up her past memories and turns into real life terror when a family of killers dressed in red shows up in their driveway in the middle of the night wielding sharp scissors as weapons. Once they see them up close, they find that they are exact duplicates of all four of them, as they listen to Red (Adelaide's doppelgänger) spew out their troubling history and evil plans for the future. It's a life a death struggle to survive as these doppelgängers dressed in red are popping up all over the area and killing everyone is sight. Excellent story and one of the better horror flicks I've seen. The ending pays off with a great twist. Lupita Nyong'o delivered a fantastic lead performances, with Winston Duke, Shahadi Wright Joseph, and Evan Alex also delivering great starring roles. Elisabeth Moss, Tim Heidecker, Madison Curry, and many others also had great supporting roles.

Excellent comedy/drama/thriller that examines the relationship between the the wealthy Park family and the poverty-stricken Kim household. One day the educated Ki-woo (Kim) comes across an opportunity to be an English tutor for the teenage daughter of the rich Park family, while the rest of his family gets involved in scamming the Parks out of everything they can while Ki-woo runs the show. Tension build throughout the picture, and has a thrilling and unexpected plot-twisting ending that was perfect for the story. While I do watch my fair share of non-English language films, the subtitles were a bit challenging to follow with how quick and snappy their dialogue was. Other than that, I thought all the actors were excellent, and the story was unique and well done. Choi Woo-sik, Cho Yeo-jeong, Song Kang-ho, Lee Sun-kyun, Park So-dam, Lee Jeong-eun, Jang Hye-jin, Jung Ji-so, and many others had excellent performances throughout.

Excellent music drama/tragedy from Darius Marder that follows a heavy metal drummer and former heroin addict named Ruben who travels the country with his girlfriend and lead singer Lou playing small concerts and living out of an RV. Life is good until Ruben's hearing starts to go out during a live show, which quickly results in him becoming completely deaf. With no money or resources to pay for surgery, Lou is forced to leave, while Ruben checks himself into a community for deaf recovering addicts to help him cope with his new disability and way of life. While Ruben strives in the community, he longs to get his old life back with Lou, and makes extreme sacrifices to do so. Unique and fantastic story all around, which definitely earned its Oscars for film editing and sound. Riz Ahmed delivered the best (Oscar-nominated) lead performance I've seen from him yet. Olivia Cooke and Paul Raci also had excellent starring roles. Lauren Ridloff, Mathieu Amalric, Chelsea Lee, Shaheem Sanchez, and many others also had great supporting roles.

Fascinating and powerful biopic about a 13-year-old boy named William Kamkwamba from a very poor farming village in Malawi (Africa) who has a passion for physics and science. When a horrific drought hits in 2001 and they are left to starve by their government, the boy invents a on-of-a-kind windmill to power a water pump and save his family's crops, and their lives from hunger. Maxwell Simba delivered a fantastic lead performance as William. Chiwetel Ejiofor directed, wrote, and starred in the film—and he was also excellent throughout. Aïssa Maïga, Lily Banda, Felix Lemburo, and Robert Agengo all had a great supporting roles, among many others.

Excellent crime drama and biography from Cory Finley set in 2006, and follows the highly regarded New York Roslyn school district superintendent Frank Tassone and his assistant Pam Gluckin, who were involved in embezzling $11.2 million from the school district, which became the all-time largest theft of taxpayer dollars in the educational system. The case was all cracked by a Roslyn student and school paper journalist named Rachel Bhargava, who digs deep into public records to uncover the scandal. Fantastic story with a great cast and excellent acting. Hugh Jackman delivered one of his best performances in my book. He was fantastic. Allison Janney also delivered one of her finest starring roles. Ray Romano, Geraldine Viswanathan, Rafael Casal, Welker White, Annaleigh Ashford, Stephanie Kurtzuba, Hari Dhillon, Ray Abruzzo, Alex Wolff, and others also had great supporting roles.

Excellent biography and political crime drama from Scott Z. Burns that follows an ambitious staffer named Daniel Jones and the US Senate Intelligence Committee as they work to investigate CIA's methods of torture used against suspected al-Qaeda terrorists following the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City. He dedicated his life to the investigation for 7 years, and uncovers appalling secrets that have plagued American history to this day, and follows the fight for the information to be released to the public. Adam Driver delivers another fantastic lead performance. Annette Bening was also fantastic. Maura Tierney, Michael C. Hall, Sarah Goldberg, Linda Powell, Jon Hamm, Corey Stoll, Scott Shepherd, and many others had great supporting roles.

Excellent historical biography from Jay Roach that's set in 2016, and follows the women who took down Fox News founder Roger Ailes following several lawsuits alleging sexual harassment and a toxic work environment. The chain of events was initiated by Fox broadcast journalist Gretchen Carlson's bold moves to expose him after being sexually harassed, which encouraged many other women at Fox to come froward about their experiences being harassed by Ailes. Powerful and well-done film all around, with strong female lead performances. Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, Margot Robbie were all excellent among the starring cast, and John Lithgow played the creepy Roger Ailes perfectly. Kate McKinnon, Allison Janney, Malcolm McDowell, Connie Britton, Liv Hewson, Brigette Lundy-Paine, Rob Delaney, Mark Duplass, Stephen Root, and many others had excellent supporting roles.

Excellent biopic about the legendary 1970s comedy and Blaxploitation film star Rudy Ray Moore. Great story stemming from early life and financial struggles, to creating his massively popular crazed alter-ego "Dolemite", to his grassroots production of his 1975 crime comedy "Dolemite" and it's hard and road to success. Eddie Murphy delivered one of his all-time best lead performances as Rudy Ray Moore. He was fantastic. Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Wesley Snipes, Keegan-Michael Key, Mike Epps, Craig Robinson, Tituss Burgess, Snoop Dogg, Barry Shabaka Henley, Luenell, and many others had very nice supporting roles.

Intense and underrated crime drama/thriller about a first-rate NYPD detective who leads a citywide manhunt for a couple of criminals who stole 50 kilos of cocaine and killed 7 cops in the process. Things get more complicated when he uncovers police corruption surrounding the incident. The story doesn't break any new ground, but it's very well done, and easily holds your attention throughout. I specifically watched this film to see another lead performance from Chadwick Boseman, and he was superb throughout. It's definitely a character he could have reprised had cancer not taken him so early (R.I.P.). Sienna Miller, J.K. Simmons, Stephan James, and Taylor Kitsch also had great roles among a solid supporting cast.

Excellent music biopic on the American heavy metal band Mötley Crüe. While they have never been one of my favorite bands, I found them wildly entertaining as a pre-teen. And that proves to be evident in this crazy wild ride of drugs, sex, and rock 'n' roll. Band leader Nikki Sixx narrates the story and adds a lot of personal touches, making it a great in-depth biography to be enjoyed by all. Douglas Booth (Nikki Sixx), Machine Gun Kelly (Tommy Lee), and Daniel Webber (Vince Neil), and Iwan Rheon (Mick Mars) all deliver excellent lead performances. Katherine Neff, Kathryn Morris, Vince Mattis, Mark Ashworth, Joe Chrest, Elena Evangelo, and plenty others have nice supporting roles. One of Netflix's best original films.

Epic sequel to conclude the story arc from Avengers: Infinity War (2018). This time we get even more Avengers joining forces and traveling through time to reverse Thanos' actions after he obtained the 6 Infinity stones in Infinity War (2018). Since I haven't seen most of the Marvel movies, there were a lot more past storylines and relationships that were a bit confusing to me; but it was overall an easy story to follow, and was very entertaining throughout. I'd have to say Infinity War (2018) was better to me, as the story was much more focused. Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man), Chris Evans (Captain America), Mark Ruffalo (Hulk), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Karen Gillan (Nebula), Josh Brolin (Thanos), and Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye) all look to have the biggest storylines this time, and they all had great performances. Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow), Brie Larson (Captain Marvel), Paul Rudd (Ant-Man), Zoe Saldana (Gamora), Chris Pratt (Star-Lord), Dave Bautista (Drax), Don Cheadle (War Machine), Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange), Chadwick Boseman (Black Panther), Tom Holland (Spider-Man), Elizabeth Olsen (Scarlet Witch), Anthony Mackie (Falcon), Tilda Swinton (The Ancient One), and many others had excellent roles.

Excellent crime drama and biopic set in 1934 that follows the infamous pair of ruthless killers know as Bonnie and Clyde after getting away with two years of cold-blooded murders. Texas Governor "Ma" Ferguson decides to enlist help of two former legendary Texas Rangers to catch the publicly adored and bloodthirsty duo. Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelson both delivered excellent lead performances. Kathy Bates, John Carroll Lynch, Thomas Mann, Kim Dickens, and William Sadler were also great among a solid supporting cast.

Great comedy drama set in 1977 Georgia that follows a sweet young girl with a very animated personality and an affinity for astronomy, who decides she wants to start a Birdie Scouts troop when she learns her voice could be recorded on NASA's Golden Record if they win a talent contest. With the help of her widowed father and his business assistant, they help make dreams come through for these young girls. Very nicely done film with plenty of humor and drama adults will like as well. The young Mckenna Grace delivers and excellent lead performance along Jim Gaffigan and Allison Janney; but my character was definitely Viola Davis—she really helped the movie shine. Charlie Shotwell, Milan, Johanna Colón, and Bella Higginbotham were all great among the supporting cast.

Another excellent sequel in the Toy Story franchise. This time we follow Woody and the gang as they embark on a road trip with a handmade toy-spork she aptly names "Forky". Forky is an anxious character that doesn't understand his role in the world, and is convinced he belongs in the garbage where most of his parts came from. Their journey also reunites Bo Peep with the crew, as they reflect on their past and futures. The star-studded cast got even bigger, and the story was excellent all around. Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Annie Potts, Tony Hale, Keegan-Michael Key, Madeleine McGraw, Christina Hendricks, Jordan Peele, Keanu Reeves, Ally Maki, Joan Cusack, Bonnie Hunt, Kristen Schaal, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger, Blake Clark, Don Rickles, Jeff Garlin, Betty White, and many others had excellent voice performances.

Excellent retro-styled Marvel action adventure and the first to feature a lead female character. Great story that follows an air force pilot named Carol Danvers who crashes an experimental aircraft and is rescued by the Kree and trained as a member of the elite Starforce Military after the power of the ship gives her special powers. 6 years later when fighting in battle with the Skrulls, she escapes to Earth circa 1995, and sees visions of a previous life she couldn't remember before. With help from S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Nick Fury, they work to unravel the mystery as they get caught in the middle of a war between the Kree and Skrulls. Brie Larson (Carol Danvers), Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury), Jude Law (Yon-Rogg) all deliver excellent lead performances. Ben Mendelsohn, Annette Bening, Djimon Hounsou, Lee Pace, and many others had great supporting roles.

I loved "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" (2017), so I was thrilled to see them back with a sequel. The story is set 1 year after the events of the first film, with the main players splitting up after graduating high school. Spencer is having the roughest time of all in college, and dreams of being Dr. Smolder Bravestone in the Jumanji video game once again. So he brings together the broken pieces of the old Jumanji gaming system, and gets sucked back into the game once again. But now he's starting on the "next level" of the game, which will prove to be much more difficult to beat after the rest of the team dives back into the game to save Spencer. Meanwhile, there is is some mysterious and comical body-swapping going on between the main characters, Spencer's grandfather Eddie, and his estranged friend Milo. All in all, it was an extremely solid sequel. Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Karen Gillan, Awkwafina, Nick Jonas, Alex Wolff, Morgan Turner, Madison Iseman, Ser'Darius Blain, Danny DeVito, Danny Glover, Rhys Darby, Rory McCann, and many others had great performances.

Excellent crime drama and biopic from Martin Scorsese set in the 1950s, and looks at the true story of a hitman named Frank "The Irishman" Sheeran, and looks back at the killing that defined his career working with the Bufalino crime family; especially the former Teamsters president Jimmy Hoffa, who went missing in July 1975. Very nicely done film that fits in nicely with other Scorsese favorites like "Goodfellas" (1990). I must say that it was a bit long at 3.5 hours in length. Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci all deliver excellent lead performances. Ray Romano, Harvey Keitel, Bobby Cannavale, Anna Paquin, Stephen Graham, Stephanie Kurtzuba, Kathrine Narducci, Jesse Plemons, Domenick Lombardozzi, and many others had excellent supporting roles.