Folks I don’t want to get too controversial on this site. I’m a movie guy, not a politics guy. Yes I am majoring in political science and yes political science often deals with politics. But I like to think I’m majoring in movies, which makes me wonder if a school has that major. Turns out the best you can do is major in film study, which sounds terrible. I’ll stick to business and political science and accounting and philosophy like I am right now. With that being said, this is a controversial movie. I’m going to try and stay away from that as much as possible and get into the nuts and bolts of this movie. Let’s get to my review of Unplanned.

The Rundown

R

1 hr 50 min

Rotton Tomatoes: 50%

IMDb: 6.7

“One of the youngest Planned Parenthood clinic directors in the United States, Abby Johnson has worked at a clinic in Texas for eight years and has become a community outreach director and media spokeswoman for the organization, even winning the Planned Parenthood Employee of the Year Award. One day she is asked to assist in an ultrasound-guided abortion at thirteen weeks gestation, which she finds to be gruesome and disturbing. As a result, Johnson becomes a pro-life activist and founds a ministry to assist former Planned Parenthood employees who turned against abortion after similar experiences” – Wikipedia

Cast

First or all I want to mention that I walked into the theater at 1 pm on a Tuesday and what I saw surprised me. The theater was packed. There were like 4 seats left in an 80 seat theater. Even worse, I was the only person under 60 years old. I felt so out of place and yet oddly felt at home. Anyway this movie obviously gets after the debate of abortion. Whether you are pro-life or pro-choice, I would recommend you go to this movie just for the content. Its super heavy stuff, just watching the process that these women go through. It is a pro-life movie but even if you are pro-choice it gives you a chance to the opposite side of the spectrum. Looking at the actual movie, there were a couple things that stuck out. The action wasn’t great, and the dialogue was cringe-worth at times. These are two characteristics of lower budget “Christian” films. Like I said before, the content was good and the movie was still interesting, but the acting, the dialogue, and the filming itself were subpar.

5 Things

Heavy

Predictable

Raw

Visual (Hard to see visual scenes)

Controversial

Review

6.6

Boom. You’re welcome. See it or don’t see it. Idc.

Folk, gotta tell ya. There is something about being in front of the big screen in a big theater. It’s another thing to be in front of a big screen in a big theater that is empty during a horror film. Theater #8 at New Visions in Mounds View seats about 10,000 people and this afternoon it felt like me and a couple of pals were the only ones in the theater. You could have heard a pin drop the entire movie. That’s the vibe of this theater and that’s why I love New Visions in Mounds View. It might not have the fancy recliners and all the bells and whistles, but it is filled with great people and an even better experience. Oh and it has Diet Coke. Go to New Visions in Mounds View. (free ad). With that being said, lets get to the review of Us.

The Rundown

R

2 hr 1 min

Rotton Tomatoes: 95%

IMDb: 7.5/10

“Accompanied by her husband, son and daughter, Adelaide Wilson returns to the beachfront home where she grew up as a child. Haunted by a traumatic experience from the past, Adelaide grows increasingly concerned that something bad is going to happen. Her worst fears soon become a reality when four masked strangers descend upon the house, forcing the Wilsons into a fight for survival. When the masks come off, the family is horrified to learn that each attacker takes the appearance of one of them” – Wikipedia

Cast

Before we get too deep into things, I have to explain this is more of a thriller and less of a horror movie. Yes there are scary parts and I’m not saying you won’t jump out of your seat once or twice, but there are many more wtf moments than there are scares. Jordan Peele is a mastermind of manipulating the plot to not only be good on the surface level, but get at issues that go deeper and must be uncovered. This was the case in his first movie “Get Out” and is no different in this one. Couple things I liked. First is the fact that it got to the deeper issues if you really do some thinking. What is Jordan Peele trying to portray? Movies that make you think are typically good movies. Second, the score of this movie is as good as you’ll get in a horror film. The music not only set the mood, but it heightened it. Masterfully done. Also, the acting was phenomenal. They were able to mix the genres of horror/thriller and comedy, which is Jordan Peele’s specialty. Not easy to do. Couple things I didn’t like. Some of the wtf moments were too frequent and too out there. By that I mean they were so random and weird that they made the movie worse. There are certain things that were included in the movie that weren’t needed, and that can bring the overall experience of a movie much further down. That being said, it is still a great movie and it really makes you think.

5 Things

Suspenseful

Funny

Thought-Provoking

Unpredictable

Grotesque

Review

8.5

Boom. You’re welcome. See it or don’t see it. Idc.

Bonus Review

“Great movie I thought it was well thought out with a few plot holes but that didn’t take away from any of what the movie was trying to convey. I like the sprinkles of humor thrown in the movies as well as the many Easter eggs put in the movie. A very solid horror movie while still being intriguing. 9.1. – John Carlson

First of all folks I need to apologize for being so late with this review. I call myself the man of the people and I can’t even get a review out on time. That’s on me. Won’t happen again. Also the IRS has contacted me telling me that my popcorn and Diet Coke are still taxed because they are not necessary business expenses. I told them to try watching a movie without the popcorn and the Diet Coke. Once you have them you’ll never go back. Really needed them for this movie because it was a tear jerker. If you’re wondering I did cry. With that being said let’s get to the review of the movie I saw this Tuesday, Five Feet Apart.

The Rundown

PG-13

2 hr 15 min

Rotton Tomatoes: 53%

IMDb: 7.1/10

“Seventeen-year-old Stella spends most of her time in the hospital as a cystic fibrosis patient. Her life is full of routines, boundaries and self-control — all of which get put to the test when she meets Will, an impossibly charming teen who has the same illness. There’s an instant flirtation, though restrictions dictate that they must maintain a safe distance between them. As their connection intensifies, so does the temptation to throw the rules out the window and embrace that attraction” – Wikipedia

Cast

Cole Sprouse is so back. Disney Channel is so back. 2007 is so back. I saw this cast and thought I was back in elementary school and rushing back to the TV after school to watch some Suite Life of Zack and Cody. Make no mistakes, however, as this movie is no sweet life. Pretty dark and heavy stuff throughout the whole movie, as the two main characters have a pretty big spark but are not allowed to touch each other due to their disease. Couple aspects I really liked were the actors. They obviously did their research and played the role of 17 year old kids with cystic fibrosis well, so the acting was phenomenal. The movie did a great job of capturing raw emotion. The storyline was strong, but I thought it was stretched a little long. There is medical jargon is thrown in and its hard to understand and keep up with it. Also there were numerous parts that didn’t need to be in the movie. There is one scene that when you watch it your jaw will drop in how awkward and unneeded you think it is at the time. But after reflecting on it last night it was absolutely needed. I thought the movie did a great job portraying what a life is like with this disease, and captured a love story with it. It’s very Fault in Our Stars like, in fact, it may be better. Good chance you’ll cry if you see this movie.

5 Things

Emotional

Heartwarming

Raw

Thought-Provoking

Humerous

Review

8.2

Boom. You’re welcome. See it or don’t see it. Idc.

Predator: 6.1
White Boy Rick: 5.4
A Simple Favor: 8.3
Bad Times at the El Royale: 8.5
Venom: 6.8
Halloween: 7.6
Bohemian Rhapsody: 8.2
Overlord: 6.7
Fantastic Beasts: 8.2
Robin Hood: 6.7
Widows: 8.6
Can You Ever Forgive Me?: 7.1
Ralph Breaks the Internet: 6.7
Second Act: 8.1
Aquaman: 6.2
Escape Room: 8.4
Vice: 7.9
The Upside: 8.6
A Star is Born: 9.0
The Favourite: 8.6
Glass: 6.8
Alita Battle Angel: 6.7
Green Book: 9.6
Fighting With My Family: 7.0 

Captain Marvel: 7.3

Five Feet Apart: 8.2

Folks, before you get all hot and bothered I wanna explain something by throwing some facts out there. Captain Marvel was the highest grossing film this weekend and it wasn’t even close. $153 million on the weekend and the next closest was $14 mil. Captain Marvel accounted for almost 75% of movie sales this weekend. So for those of you complaining that I’m reviewing a superhero movie can go take a long look in the mirror and ask themselves what’s wrong with them. Also was just informed that starting this blog is going to pay dividends come tax season. Movies are a business expense, so I’m just lowering my taxable income by starting this blog. $15 for a movie and popcorn x 25 movies this school year equals $375 for business expenses. That’s not including my discounts I receive from the good people at New Visions in Mounds View, but let’s not tell the government about those. Also shoutout to me, this is my 25th straight week going to a movie and what a ride it has been. Enough chatter and lets get to the review of Captain Marvel.

The Rundown

PG-13

2 hr 5 min

Rotton Tomatoes: 79%

IMDb: 7.1/10

“Captain Marvel is an extraterrestrial Kree warrior who finds herself caught in the middle of an intergalactic battle between her people and the Skrulls. Living on Earth in 1995, she keeps having recurring memories of another life as U.S. Air Force pilot Carol Danvers. With help from Nick Fury, Captain Marvel tries to uncover the secrets of her past while harnessing her special superpowers to end the war with the evil Skrulls” -Wikipedia

This is a tough movie to review because there are Marvel diehards and there are regular movie joes. These reviews are written for a common man so that is the angle I will be taking. The good news: you don’t have to watch other Marvel movies to be able to watch this one. However, it makes it a heck of a lot more confusing and interesting if you keep up to date with Marvel movies. The acting, the confusing plot, and the predictability make this movie average. However, the special effects and one twist they do throw into the movie make things interesting and keep you on your toes. All superhero movies are predictable and this one is no exception. But it is one of those movies that you don’t wanna go to the bathroom even though I did three times because I had a few too many Diet Cokes. I always appreciate those types of movies.

5 Things

Exciting

Predictable

Humorous

Original

Mysterious

Review

7.3

Boom. You’re welcome. See it or don’t see it. Idc.

Past Reviews

Predator: 6.1
White Boy Rick: 5.4
A Simple Favor: 8.3
Bad Times at the El Royale: 8.5
Venom: 6.8
Halloween: 7.6
Bohemian Rhapsody: 8.2
Overlord: 6.7
Fantastic Beasts: 8.2
Robin Hood: 6.7
Widows: 8.6
Can You Ever Forgive Me?: 7.1
Ralph Breaks the Internet: 6.7
Second Act: 8.1
Aquaman: 6.2
Escape Room: 8.4
Vice: 7.9
The Upside: 8.6
A Star is Born: 9.0
The Favourite: 8.6
Glass: 6.8
Alita Battle Angel: 6.7
Green Book: 9.6
Fighting With My Family: 7.0

Captain Marvel: 7.3

Well folks, it happened. I started a blog. It took me about six months of being at Bethel to create one, which I must say is longer than most. Nevertheless, here I am. I think it’s no surprise that the basis of my blog will be something I am most passionate about. Which narrows it down to three topics. 1) Soccer 2) Movies and 3) cowbell. As much as I would love to talk about soccer tactics or discuss why the cowbell is an essential part to 80s music, I’m going to stick to movies. For those of you who don’t follow my Instagram, I am currently on a 24 week movie streak. That’s right, for the past 24 Tuesday’s I have gone to a movie at a movie theater. This includes Christmas, New Years, and later in April, the day after Tax Day, which might be the most relaxing day of the year. Not for me. I’m in the trenches reviewing movies. I’ve gone in a snowstorm, a thunderstorm, a hailstorm, and everything in between. People always ask me why. Why do you go to so many movies Jaran? The answer is…I go for you. The people. You deserve to know if a movie is good or not. We all have been not a movie that the so called “experts” at Rotten Tomato or IMBd say it good but turns out to be terrible, and vice versa. I provide the unbiased opinion that you deserve. With that being said, this week I saw Fighting With My Family.

The Rundown

PG-13

1h 48 min

Rotton Tomatoes: 91%

IMBd: 7.7/10

“Born into a tight-knit wrestling family, Paige and her brother Zak are ecstatic when they get the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to try out for the WWE. But when only Paige earns a spot in the competitive training program, she must leave her loved ones behind and face this new cutthroat world alone. Paige’s journey pushes her to dig deep and ultimately prove to the world that what makes her different is the very thing that can make her a star” – Wikipedia

So when I first took a look at this cast, I was very confused. The Rock, obviously, is in plenty of blockbuster movies, but he’s not playing Hobbs from Fast and Furious in this film. What I’m saying is if you are going to this movie to watch The Rock, I am telling you not to go. He doesn’t play a huge role in this film, and is only in a few scenes. As for the rest of the actors and actresses, I would say they are what brings this film’s score down. That and the fact that WWE is not the most attractive sport or activity the movie could be about. The WWE in this movie looks very fake and the action is not well put together. If you plan on seeing this movie to watch cool wrestling, DONT. However, there are some great parts to this movie, especially the lessons you can learn. Staying true to yourself, not generalizing or judging people you don’t know, and others come up often in this movie.

5 Things

Predictable

Heart-Warming

Funny

Different

New

Review

7.0/10

Boom. You’re welcome. See it or don’t see it. Idc.

Past Reviews

Predator: 6.1
White Boy Rick: 5.4
A Simple Favor: 8.3
Bad Times at the El Royale: 8.5
Vebom: 6.8
Halloween: 7.6
Bohemian Rhapsody: 8.2
Overlord: 6.7
Fantastic Beasts: 8.2
Robin Hood: 6.7
Widows: 8.6
Can You Ever Forgive Me?: 7.1
Ralph Breaks the Internet: 6.7
Second Act: 8.1
Aquaman: 6.2
Escape Room: 8.4
Vice: 7.9
The Upside: 8.6
A Star is Born: 9.0
The Favourite: 8.6
Glass: 6.8
Alita Battle Angel: 6.7
Green Book: 9.6
Fighting With My Family: 7.0

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton