Underworld — A good dark vampire versus werewolves action film — 7*/10

• Overall: This is the kind of flick that's easy to like and be entertained by. Lots of good things, few weak ones.
• Who is it for? Anyone looking for some action, vampires or werewolves.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0320691/
• Known actors: Kate Beckinsale, Michael Sheen and Bill Nighy.
• Style: Dark vampire-werewolf action.
• Pacing: Quite fast with a few pauses. Very good.
• Intro: Good. Narrated monologue.
• Story: Lots of action, a nice little intrigue, some betrayals, a few reversals and romance. Everything you need to keep things interesting.
• Ending: Abrupt. Although it had been going on for a little while, the finishing touch kind of comes too easily.
• Epilogue: Short. A few words, a few images. Just right.
• Dialogs: Simple, but interesting.
• Characters: Well built, with nice complexities, but without enough depth.
• Acting: Surprisingly solid, although there are two exceptions. The character of Kraven is overplayed, I think, and the one of Michael Corvin is played too weakly, you can't really feel him.
• Visuals: Love the dark look. Grimy for the werewolves, sleek and chic for the vampires.
• Special Effects: Great, but you can see a few minor imperfections, now. It used to be amazing.
• Costumes: Great.
• Afterthoughts: Although it has a lot of strengths, with the exception of one actor, this film actually feels as good as it could have been and I'm not sure why. I think it's a combination of that actor, the characters and the ending.

The Dark Knight — The best Batman movie ever made to date — 9*/10

• Overall: For its grit and realism, it is definitely great work by Christopher Nolan. There are some genius things and a few weaker things. It's all about the Joker.
• Who is it for? Those looking for a psychotic realistic version of Gotham.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0468569/
• Known actors: Christian Bale, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman.
• Setting: DC Comics universe, in a realistic version.
• Style: Dark action superhero.
• Story: Very detailed and captivating with many successive plots. There are a few good risks that were taken, many action scenes, solid Joker moments. Realistic. Dark.
• Ending: Amazingly good, thanks to the Joker.
• Epilogue: It's not a waste of time and it's short.
• Dialogs: The Joker's are great, the rest, not so much.
• Characters: Here, the Joker is the top dog. The rest lack depth and usually fall into some form of stereotypes or other, especially the bad guys. Batman isn't so bad, but why do they have to make his voice so gravely all the time?
• Acting: My hat goes to the Joker, once again. A royal performance, the best since Nicholson (read my review here), maybe even better. Others are pretty solid too, no complaints here.
• Visuals: Realistic.
• Special Effects: Great.
• Afterthoughts: I saw it multiple times and still see the jewel, although personally, I don't like the stark realistic look and some of the stereotypes.

Iron Man 2 — A very worthy sequel to a solid superhero film — 8*/10

• Overall: It's rare you see a second chapter as good as the first one (read my review here). Another touchdown by director-actor Jon Favreau.
• Who is it for? Anyone who even remotely likes superhero flick. It's great sci-fi too.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1228705/
• Known actors: Gwyneth Paltrow, Robert Downey Jr., Mickey Rourke, Jon Favreau, Don Cheadle, Sam Rockwell, Samuel L. Jackson and Paul Bettany.
• Cameos: Kate Mara, Leslie Bibb, Clark Gregg, John Slattery, DJ AM, Stan Lee and Elon Musk.
• Setting: Marvel universe.
• Style: Superhero action fun.
• Pacing: Intense.
• Story: Here, we can feel the more anti-hero side of Tony Stark. It's still a light action flick, but with a slightly darker edge. The comical part comes more from his business nemesis who pulls us in a different direction giving us a multi-tiered challenged.
• Ending: The final touch is a bit easy.
• Epilogue: The usual.
• Dialogs: Witty, intelligent and well done, except for the Russian bad guy. Personally, I think they made him just a bit too inarticulate.
• Characters: Well developed and with nice depth, especially for a superhero flick. The Russian bad guy again draws the short straw and gets heavily stereotyped.
• Acting: Great.
• Visuals: Nice.
• Special Effects: Great.
• Afterthoughts: Excellent entertainment. Very surprised at the evenness of the quality.

The Avengers — The best superhero movie ever made — 10*/10

• Overall: Incredible action, great story, excellent characters, full of jokes and spectacular special effects. A masterwork by the amazing Joss Whedon.
• Who is it for? Anyone, unless you truly hate the genre.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0848228/
• Known actors: Scarlett Johansson, Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner, Clark Gregg and Samuel L. Jackson.
• Cameos: Gwyneth Paltrow and Paul Bettany.
• Setting: Marvel universe.
• Style: Superhero action fun.
• Pacing: Intense.
• Intro: Action packed.
• Story: Huge action, complex, detailed and highly entertaining.
• Ending: Explosive and very heroic.
• Epilogue: Nice. With Marvel, it always leads to something else.
• Dialogs: Slick, witty and fun.
• Characters: Most of them are interesting and funny, while other are much simpler.
• Acting: Great for most of them. I just love Mark Ruffalo as Banner, the best interpretation yet.
• Visuals: Astounding. Huge.
• Special Effects: Perfect.
• Afterthoughts: I was simply wowed when I saw it.

Passengers — An awesome sci-fi with a great story — 9*/10

• Overall: Amazing. The preview doesn't do it justice, but at least, it doesn't sell any of the punches.
• Who is it for? Everyone, unless you really hate sci-fi.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1355644/
• Known actors: Jennifer Lawrence, Chris Pratt, Michael Sheen and Laurence Fishburne.
• Cameos: Andy Garcia.
• Setting: Outer space.
• Style: Slick sci-fi about space travel with some romantic development.
• Pacing: Perfect.
• Intro: Slow. It gets you right in so smoothly you're not even aware of it. Then you forget you're watching a movie.
• Story: Although there are some tense action moments, this is about the chain of events, even more than about the characters themselves. This is about their life and their predicament. A solid little intrigue. The only real negative point would be the apparition of the "lie". Fortunately this doesn't take over the whole scenario, which is as it should be.
• Ending: Quite amazing if somewhat predictable.
• Epilogue: Short, fun and unexpected. Great.
• Dialogs: Well structured and very interesting. This is the engine of the film.
• Characters: Solidly built with nice depth and realistic attitude.
• Acting: Amazing.
• Visuals: Fucking superb. Intensely beautiful on the big screen.
• Special Effects: Perfect.
• Afterthoughts: I couldn't have asked for more. It's a must see.

Back to the Future — A still enjoyable classic that marked a generation — 8*/10

• Overall: Fun, full of great details, funky sci-fi and a captivating story.
• Who is it for? Anyone who doesn't looking back.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088763/
• Known actors: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd and Crispin Glover.
• Style: A cool underdog adventure where sci-fi and time traveling play a background role to entertainment even though they're the main subjects.
• Pacing: Quick.
• Intro: Standard setup of places, characters and events.
• Story: A great adventure that has little moral value and a lot of exciting things happening. You can't help but be pulled in.
• Ending: Easy.
• Epilogue: The consequence of fudging with the past explained with a setup for the next chapter.
• Dialogs: Quick, fun, slick. Some are showing age a bit while still sounding good.
• Characters: This is a character-driven story, it's all about them, their quirks, motivations and actions, but they're stereotyped. Few of them have any depths, but they are all very interesting and well portrayed.
• Acting: Very good.
• Visuals: Great attention to details.
• Special Effects: Very few and only one showing its age.
• Costumes: A bit on the clean side, but that's 1985 for you.
• Music: Very entertaining.
• Score: Extremely lively and well set.
• Afterthoughts: 30 years later and I still enjoyed watching it. It might have lost some of its luster, we don't do things the same way anymore, but it still shines.

Why Him? — You're average romantic comedy with nice sensibilities — 6*/10

• Overall: Funny, if uninventive, with heart and good sensible feminist values although it doesn't look like it at first and it is about the two guys.
• Who is it for? Anyone looking for a good laugh.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4501244/
• Known actors: James Franco, Bryan Cranston and Megan Mullally.
• Cameos: Cedric the Entertainer, Steve Aoki, Elon Musk, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley.
• Setting: Mostly .COM rich California.
• Style: Romantic comedy, on the juvenile side.
• Intro: Pathetic, awkward and bad.
• Story: Lots of funny moments derived from clashing styles. There are some very juvenile jokes, but the flick also mostly avoided the easy plot elements like the lies, the mistaken identities, and the I-will-not-forgive-you.
• Ending: This is where there's some feminism sensibility. If they had cut it just before the elevator pitch, it would have been pretty good. Now, it's just too much.
• Epilogue: As bad as they come.
• Dialogs: Funny.
• Characters: Funny, with a good sense of depth, even though there are a few stereotypes involved. This is probably the movie's strongest aspect.
• Acting: Good.
• Afterthoughts: Had some good fun, pretty much what I expected, minus the horribly long epilogue.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story — A worthy member of the saga — 7*/10

• Overall: Great entertainment with strong special effects and lots of action. Epic adventure with an epic ending.
• Who is it for? Anyone who like sci-fi even a little bit, and, of course, the fans.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3748528/
• Known actors: Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Alan Tudyk, Forest Whitaker and Mads Mikkelsen.
• Cameos: James Earl Jones.
• Setting: A long time ago in a galaxy far far away...
• Style: Epic sci-fi adventure.
• Pacing: Fast. Even a bit too fast.
• Intro: One of the weak spots. We jump from place to place without having a good feel of where we are or where we're going. Some emotions are also lost. Beyond that, it's pretty interesting.
• Story: Lots of things happening, but all in a very linear fashion. Still, it's difficult not to get into it and be transported. It made the rebellion and the socio-political framework a lot more real than Episode IV ever could.
• Ending: It's strongest part to be sure. The choices are epic. Extremely satisfying.
• Epilogue: None. Yeah!
• Dialogs: Solid. Nothing imaginative. Loved the new android, although not giving percentages felt wrong for his character.
• Characters: They steered away from the archetypical stereotypes, for the most part. That felt really good. Although it's difficult at first, by the end of the film, you have a great feel for them.
• Acting: I'm not sure if it's due to the fact that things were so compressed that almost no scene, to a few exceptions, really did not allow the actors to show their natural emotional depth, but it gave me the impression that they underperformed. Even though they were satisfactory, I've seen them do better in other movies. It was great to hear James Earl Jones once again, but he seemed to have lost some of this aplomb. His lines were delivered a little more mushily. All of that being said, best Star Wars acting ever, better than Episode VII (read my short review here).
• Visuals: Well done, sometimes breathtaking. The best was the tropical battle.
• Special Effects: Great, to the very notable exception of the animation of Tarkin. The other characters they brought back from Episode IV fared much better. They were more simply cut and pasted.
• Score: Loved the old parts. Not so sure about the newest ones. Hated the new title score, awkward at best.
• Afterthoughts: My initial slight disappointment turned into delighted entertainment and I do not regret paying full price.

Collateral Beauty — Beautiful sentimental piece that could have been more — 6*/10

• Overall: You'll be touched, you'll be captivated, but you might be disappointed if you’re expecting something different.
• Who is it for? Anyone looking for something emotional, but simple and slick.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4682786/
• Known actors: Will Smith, Edward Norton, Kate Winslet, Helen Mirren, Keira Knightley and Michael Peña.
• Setting: New York middle upper class.
• Style: Emotional story designed to give you a sad smile.
• Intro: It's not bad, per se, it's just straight from the standard mold and it's that particular trick woefully unnecessary.
• Story: Extremely interesting ideas, full of nice details and even a few side stories that are well built. Touching.
• Ending: Weak. Not because it's not good or uninteresting, but really, why? That was a good idea, but not nearly imaginative enough to be as good as the core of the story.
• Epilogue: Could have done without that. It was already pretty clear without it.
• Dialogs: Solid. Intelligent. Sometimes witty or funny.
• Characters: Well developed. Nice depth, even if a few of them are archetypes.
• Acting: Excellent, although Will Smith looks like he has been there and has done that and I think the little girl's father-hating phase sublimated too quickly, but I blame the director for that. Loved Edward Norton and Helen Mirren.
• Visuals: Beautiful, on the too-slick side.
• Afterthoughts: I loved it, but I was still disappointed because the ending just wasn't up to the quality of the rest of the flick.

Office Christmas Party — The kind of crazy thing that's perfect to pick you up — 6*/10

• Overall: Turn your brain off and enjoy this fun ride. You won't be able to help yourself, you'll laugh. 
• Who is it for? Anyone in the mood for some Holiday cheers.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1711525/
• Known actors: Jason Bateman, Olivia Munn, T.J. Miller, Jennifer Aniston, Rob Corddry, Vanessa Bayer and Abbey Lee.
• Story: Extremely simple, silly, wacky, crazy, oft time impossible, but always funny. There's some action, a lot of booze, many naked people and urinal jokes, literally. 
• Ending: Of course, it's a Christmas story, so you can imagine. 
• Dialogs: Witty, funny, stupid.
• Characters: Simple, but very funny. Lots of crazy people.
• Acting: This is where the movie shines, this is how all the silliness and craziness get sold, and how!
• Afterthoughts: Great entertainment, I absolutely had the best of time.

Miss Sloane — A powerful piece about a powerful woman — 9*/10

• Overall: Great psychological tension and superb intellectual puzzles that features a strong female model.
• Who is it for? Everyone. 
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4540710/
• Known actors: Jessica Chastain and John Lithgow.
• Cameos: 
• Setting: The high power political arena.
• Style: An intrigue or suspense, but quite either and a mostly both. It's great. Very intellectual.
• Pacing: Perfect. You lose yourself in it.
• Intro: Even though it uses an old trick, it does it with great impact. 
• Story: Captivating, full of details, suspenseful, powerful, a great intellectual battle with amazing plots and counter plots. The mood is amazing and enveloping. 
• Ending: Excellent. If you're quick enough, you'll see it coming a little while beforehand, just long enough to appreciate the stratagem.
• Epilogue: Short, to the point. Even though it doesn't serve any purpose, it does settle us back down, which should be the only goal of any good epilogue. 
• Dialogs: Powerful.
• Characters: Strong female lead, powerful women's voices, lots of depth to them all, well developed and very realistic. 
• Acting: Amazing.
• Visuals: Powerful.
• Camera Work: Some really superb work here.
• Costumes: Slick, chic and perfect.
• Afterthoughts: I was stunned, even if I anticipated something good. What surprised me the most was the way it passed its ethical stances without sounding preachy.

I loved the fact that male sex work for female clients was so simply presented without drama or judgment. The male escort is kind of an incompetent and invasive, but at least it turned out alright.

I can't believe this is rated so low. Patriarchy at its worst again?

Manchester by the Sea — For those in need of an emotional flick — 8*/10

• Overall: Very emotional drama with interesting ideas and unusual choices. Great, but for a single detail.
• Who is it for? Anyone wanting to feel something powerful.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4034228/
• Known actors: Casey Affleck.
• Setting: Low-middle class small town America.
• Style: Emotional drama.
• Pacing: Slow.
• Story: Well told, with strong emotional ties between the characters. However, there's barely any change in them as the story progresses. It kills the possibility of a story, it turns the film more into an anecdote than a movie.
• Ending: It ends too realistically. I rarely say that, but it made me think too much of a biography, because there is no real ending. It sort of just stops. Even historical movies do better. It might be courageous to do so, but you still need to be able, as an audience, to be left with something or else you have no attachment and you just forget about it.
• Dialogs: Very realistic. Powerful.
• Characters: Impressive emotional depth and solid realism.
• Acting: Perfect. Very realistic. Casey Affleck's best performance to date.
• Score: Very classical with great effect, but sometimes, it can take you by surprise or be a bit repetitive.
• Afterthoughts: As I watched, I could sense a great movie in the making, with only a few weak spots, but the ending, just... I won't say it ruined it, but it did diminish its accomplishment.

Bad Santa 2 — So much better than I would have ever thought — 7*/10

• Overall: If you can get through the first 30 minutes, then you'll discover a twisted crass comedy.
• Who is it for? Anyone that's not too easily offended. You'll have a lot of fun.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1798603/
• Known actors: Billy Bob Thornton, Kathy Bates, Tony Cox and Christina Hendricks.
• Cameos: Mike Starr.
• Setting: Low-life criminals.
• Style: Irreverent crass criminal comedy.
• Intro: Very bad. You can think of all the worst clichés about a sequel you can imagine and they've all been put there.  The first 30 minutes is awful and pathetic.
• Story: Once you get over the boring big hump in the beginning, then you get to the juicy funny part. It's a riot, it doesn't care what it's doing, it's very much sex-positive, very empowering for women and there's plenty of surprises.
• Ending: I liked the final twists. They're fun.
• Epilogue: Loved it. There's the predictable stuff, then there's the hilarious bit, although I would have left out the pillow grabbing that's just a stupid awkwardly done misdirection.
• Dialogs: Very funny.
• Characters: Stupid, simple and very interesting. By the end, you finally understand the kid, but at first, it's totally dumbfounding. I especially loved the female roles.
• Acting: Solid for the most part.
• Afterthoughts: I only saw it because I like the irreverence of the first one (read my review here). I'm glad I did, it surprised me a lot and I laughed aplenty. An excellent surprise.

Hacksaw Ridge — An amazingly well-told story of World War II — 9*/10

• Overall: Much better than the previews let on. A captivating story from end to end. A superb work by director Mel Gibson.
• Who is it for? Anyone not afraid of violence.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2119532/
• Known actors: Andrew Garfield, Hugo Weaving, Vince Vaughn and Sam Worthington.
• Setting: Working class America and one World War II Pacific island battle.
• Style: An inspiring war movie and biography.
• Pacing: Nice and smooth transition from one event to the other, slowly cranking up the heat.
• Intro: It's probably its most grievous weakness. The initial scene is an overused stratagem that is not used to its best here.
• Story: I was riveted. I forgot I was in a theater. Let me be clear, though, all the elements of a cheesy story are there, but they're deconstructed, or maybe I should simply say they were put back together for the benefit of the preview. In a way it's a good thing, because by watching the it, you're not spoiled the really delicious elements. No single things follow the usual script, they're always a wild card or . It's touching, it's gut wrenching, it will make you spill a few tears. It's inspiring.
• Ending: Solid. Worthy of fiction.
• Epilogue: One of the rare occasions where I didn't mind the comparison with the real people.
• Dialogs: Great.
• Characters: Amazing. Great depth and well rendered. Even though the main character is religious, it doesn't turn into a preachy flick. More than that, even though those are American troops, it doesn't turn into a USA rally. It's a personal story. The story of one man dedicated to his principles and the battalion he's in with.
• Acting: Can't ask for more. Near perfect.
• Visuals: Excellent.
• Special Effects: They're good, but there are a number of occasions that you do feel that you are in a studio. Hugo Weaving’s best performance to date. Probably not Vince Vaughn's most convincing, but pretty good.
• Afterthoughts: I wasn't going to see it because it looked preachy and full of clichés. I would have missed a gem.

Nocturnal Animals — A psychological movie you should open your mind to — 10*/10

• Overall: A masterfully brooding, riveting, yet beautiful film by Tom Ford.
• Who is it for? Anyone who likes a good moody movie.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4550098/
• Known actors: Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Shannon and Isla Fisher.
• Cameos: Laura Linney, Andrea Riseborough and Michael Sheen.
• Setting: The very successful. Way above the masses.
• Style: Brooding, psychological near suspense.
• Pacing: An incredible almost continuous stop-and-go. It feels slow, really slow, like being stuck in thick molasse, because what happens is so tense and it doesn't happen all at once. Nonetheless, things proceed at a steady pace, inescapably, sometimes against our will.
• Intro: The credits are difficult to watch, because we don't like that kind of harsh reality, but also because movies usually convey only beauty even when it's ugly.
• Story: It takes you to the edge, tensed, and suspends you there for what seems like a long time. You can't help, but be on this edge... and finally jump. Then, it takes you down slowly into reality, making you see that not everything is as you'd like it to be. I love the way the stories are mixed and paralleled. The mood is masterful. Some scenes are difficult, gut wrenching. You would want to do anything but what happened. Still it is riveting.
• Ending: Absolutely perfect.
• Epilogue: None, whatsoever. Love it!
• Dialogs: Powerful, simple, to the point.
• Characters: Great, realistic, extremely deep and well developed. 
• Acting: Amazingly strong.
• Visuals: Incredibly beautiful in a very pure manner,  but also in a realistic way.
• Costumes: Beautiful.
• Score: Very moody. Perfect.
• Afterthoughts: I was blown away by this production and absolutely loved it. Only two little things bothered me. Unfortunately, it panders to two ideas we too often circulate in society that are completely false and make a lot of people miserable. First that we always turn into our parents. Second, that if we love someone we should try everything to make it work. Beyond that, I think it's perfect.

Moana — Colorful animation full of laughs that could have been much better — 6*/10

• Overall: The setting is interesting, beautiful and captivating, but its story is simple. 
• Who is it for? The kids will love it, but adults will be able to appreciate it.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3521164/
• Known actors: Dwayne Johnson.
• Cameos: Alan Tudyk.
• Setting: This is where the strength of this film resides, great presentation of the Pacific island culture.
• Style: Colorful adventure animation for kids.
• Intro: Nicely done.
• Story: Rather simple, too many songs. Funny, though.
• Ending: Interesting resolution, if simple.
• Epilogue: Interesting. There's even a little thing after the credits, which is not really necessary to see, it's just a nice joke.
• Dialogs: Very funny.
• Characters: Strong female lead as heroin. Extremely funny sidekick and companion, even the companion's sidekick idea is great.
• Acting: Good.
• Visuals: Colorful. Very strong. Full of details. 
• Special Effects: I saw only one mistake.
• Afterthoughts: I liked it and was pleasantly entertained, but I was also disappointed that the story, including the ending, felt so light.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them — A sure thing when it comes to entertainment — 8*/10

Disclaimer: I only saw the first Harry Potter and it wasn't to my taste. Never read any of the books. Not interested, even though I'm a huge fantasy reader.

• Overall: Great movie with lots of details and beautiful things.
• Who is it for? Anyone, even kids, unless you don't like fantasy.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3183660/
• Known actors: Eddie Redmayne, Colin Farrell and Zoë Kravitz.
• Cameos: Jon Voight, Ron Perlman and Johnny Depp.
• Setting: A parallel and fantastic 1926 New York City.
• Style: Lots of magic fantasy film.
• Intro: Quickly captivates.
• Story: Captivating, on two fronts. The first, and most immediate, immerses you completely in the world and makes you fall for the four main good guys/gals. It's full of details and nice developments thanks to J. K. Rowling's imagination. In conjunction with the second one, you get a very full movie full of action and great character moments, even some romance and a few touching moments. It easily fills the 2h15.
• Ending: Nicely done.
• Epilogue: There's more than one and each is done well, that is giving us some news without feeling like they have to make everything all pretty and stupid, avoiding some major script traps.
• Dialogs: Lots. Full of nice details. A bit of wit, a bit of fun, all solidly done.
• Characters: The four main ones are very well developed with lots of details and you can't help but be captivated by them. The rest, with the exception of Credence, are rather simple, but the movie isn't about them, so it's not so bad, even though it is its biggest weakness.
• Acting: Major props to Eddie Redmayne. Excellent body acting and emotional relevance. His other three compatriots, as well as Ezra Miller, are to me commended for their work, but the rest have such simple roles that it's difficult to say anything about them.
• Visuals: Beautiful, imaginative and well rendered.
• Special Effects: A few mistakes, but acceptable.
• Camera Work: Do not see it in 3D. There's a few traveling shots that were mediocre in 2D that could probably be very bad in 3D.
• Costumes: Great.
• Afterthoughts: An easy movie to enjoy and really worth it.

The Edge of Seventeen — A silly comedy that doesn't shy away from realism — 8*/10

• Overall: Fun and quite taking. It feels very real and yet it has a totally silly impossible vibe to it. A great mix.
• Who is it for? Anyone looking for some fun mixed in with some serious stuff.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1878870/
• Known actors: Hailee Steinfeld and Woody Harrelson.
• Setting: Well-off suburbia.
• Style: Silly comedy with realistic settings.
• Intro: The usual childhood recap. Well done, quite funny, with really nice details.
• Story: It's full of great details that make you really pay attention as well as really serious subjects that are taken in a silly manner yet treated with respect.
• Ending: You could see it coming, but there's a nice funny twist on it.
• Dialogs: Witty, sometimes a bit dramatic or over the top. You're never sure what you're going to get at any given time and it makes the whole experience that much more interesting.
• Characters: Great characters, even though they're not that complex they have a certain emotional depth and some surprising realism to them. That really makes them come really close to the perfection (in terms of silly-serious comedy).
• Acting: Solid. My hat to them.
• Visuals: A bit too clean, but it makes for a good escape from reality.
• Afterthoughts: I was really surprised and I totally enjoyed myself. Everyone should see it.

Arrival — The must-see of the year, even if you don't really like sci-fi — 10*/10

• Overall: Perfect. Very novel. A masterpiece by Denis Villeneuve.
• Who is it for? A must see. It's a sci-fi like you've never seen.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2543164/
• Known actors: Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner and Forest Whitaker.
• Style: Introspective realistic sci-fi, but it's so much more.
• Pacing: Amazing. This is one of its greatest strengths.
• Intro: Great, especially once you understand the ending.
• Story: Mostly tense with unreal or introspective moments incredibly done. It transports you somewhere completely different. The real world fades to something barely known and you live again. Plus, it has a very strong sentimental dimension to it. And the mood... the mood is incredible, thick enough to hack at with a machete and sharp enough to shave.
• Ending: Things get into focus and the film bloom. It's as if a beautiful butterfly would morph into something even more beautiful.
• Dialogs: Always full of meaning.
• Characters: This is not a character movie, so they barely have any importance. Except for the main one, the others are rather simple, but you don't get to spend enough time with any of them to notice, so everything is fine.
• Acting: Excellent. Can't ask for more.
• Visuals: Astounding. Masterful.
• Special Effects: Perfect.
• Camera Work: Riveting choices. Lots of thought went into it and it shows.
• Score: Very reminiscent of 2001. Not so much the score itself, I find it much better, but the way it is built and used.
• Afterthoughts: It's one of those movies that you never forget.

Trolls — Colors for the kids witty silliness for the adults — 7*/10

• Overall: Extremely entertaining piece that easily transport you to that special world where few things make sense in our boring world.
• Who is it for? Kids will love it for all the colors and crazy stuff, the adults will appreciate it for the really complex silliness involved.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1679335/
• Known actors: Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, Zooey Deschanel, Christine Baranski and Jeffrey Tambor.
• Cameos: Russell Brand, Gwen Stefani and John Cleese.
• Setting: Silly colorful fantasy world.
• Style: Silly fantasy adventure animation.
• Intro: Great, gives you all the background information and it's superb.
• Story: It's not very complex, but it's done with panache and many interesting details. If you think about it a little bit, the silliness is just a crazy way to do wittiness. I wish there wasn't so much singing. At least, it's nice and funny at times.
• Ending: Well done.
• Epilogue: Nice, but it's very predictable.
• Dialogs: Funny. Unstoppable. 
• Characters: Very interesting if simple. They're so sparkly you can't help but laugh.
• Visuals: Extremely colorful and in a great style.
• Afterthoughts: Thoroughly entertained. Well worth it.

Mr. Right — An action comedy full of crazy surprises — 8*/10

• Overall: This is not a big production, but the entertainment value is super high, especially if you like things done differently.
• Who is it for? Anyone looking for a bit of action and some fun.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2091935/
• Known actors: Anna Kendrick, Sam Rockwell and Tim Roth.
• Style: Crazy action comedy.
• Intro: Really fun.
• Story: It goes in bold directions that are really novel and refreshing. The action is tight and short. The silliness is nicely funny. Nice little intrigue. The tone is light, yet there are lessons hidden in there. If the story is rather simple, the rest is anything but.
• Ending: Well done.
• Epilogue: Unnecessary, but funny.
• Dialogs: Funny, crazy and witty.
• Characters: I love them all. Heavy dose of crazy in there.
• Acting: Just right.
• Afterthoughts: Total surprise, thoroughly entertained.

True Memoirs of an International Assassin — Solid light action comedy — 7*/10

• Overall: Very exciting and funny.
• Who is it for? Anyone wanting to have a good time.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1542768/
• Known actors: Kevin James, Zulay Henao, Andy Garcia and Rob Riggle.
• Cameos: Ron Rifkin and Katie Couric.
• Style: Action spy comedy.
• Pacing: Fast.
• Intro: Really funny. A great innovative way to put us into context.
• Story: Full action, lots of plots, counter plots and silly situations.
• Ending: It's cool, but it's gotta a major shoulder flaw.
• Epilogue: Kinda nice, funny, but I'd change the last sentence.
• Dialogs: Funny, borderline witty.
• Characters: Great, but simple. Love the CIA guys, great main character, strong leading lady even though she falls a bit too much into a stereotype if counter gender one. The Russian is over done, but this is a silly movie after all, although they could have come up with something like the president who is hilarious.
• Acting: Loved Kevin James, great role for him.
• Afterthoughts: Had a lot of fun watching. Great production by Netflix.

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest — Great ending to this series — 8*/10

• Overall: This third and final installment is great and it helps validate the existence of the second chapter (read my review here) which felt too light, but still cannot best the first one (read my review here) which had an incredible mood and is a must see for everyone.
• Who is it for? Those who wants to know how it all ends. A must for the fans of the series.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1343097/
• Known actors: Noomi Rapace.
• Style: Intrigue, criminal investigation, court case.
• Pacing: Slow and measured.
• Story: Great detective work and nice deep background. Excellent setup. Loved it all.
• Ending: Immensely satisfying, almost orgasmic. Finally.
• Epilogue: Necessary, if a bit weak or anticlimactic.
• Dialogs: Solid. Again, though, it's difficult to say with the subtitles.
• Characters: Well developed. The bad guys finally overcome the simplicity of the second chapter.
• Acting: Great.
• Visuals: More harmonious than the second chapter, but not as much as captivating as the original.
• Afterthoughts: Absolutely loved it, even on subsequent viewing.

Doctor Strange — A very good super hero flick well worth seeing — 8*/10

• Overall: Extremely entertaining with gorgeous special effects.
• Who is it for? Anyone looking for sci-fi/fantasy or super heroes.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1211837/
• Known actors: Benedict Cumberbatch, Tilda Swinton, Rachel McAdams and Chiwetel Ejiofor.
• Cameos: Benjamin Bratt.
• Style: Super heroes or fantasy.
• Pacing: Fast, maybe a bit too quick when it comes to a few things. The waiting at the door goes by a bit too quickly, we can't really feel it.
• Intro: Nicely done, we get everything we need to know in a very short time.
• Story: It's always difficult to do a good first movie with a new super hero. You need the background story and an adventure story at the same time. Usually, like here, the adventure story is rather simple. That being said, the action is amazing and there are a number of good gags.
• Ending: Very interesting culmination. Solid logic.
• Epilogue: Simple and to the point.
• Dialogs: Well done. Funny at times.
• Characters: What you'd expect from a super hero flick. Simple and entertaining.
• Acting: Nice. Nothing complex.
• Visuals: Often gorgeous.
• Special Effects: Excellent, near perfect.
• Afterthoughts: I had a lot of fun. Very well done.

The Girl Who Played with Fire — A much more personal tale — 8*/10

• Overall: Another great intrigue on a more personal level. Not as polished as the original (read my review here), but still amazing entertainment.
• Who is it for? A must for those who liked the first chapter. The others should start there, not here.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1216487/
• Known actors: Noomi Rapace.
• Setting: A weird mix where you can't get hang on things, probably a good reflection of average Sweden. Lacks the polished and more holistic design of the first chapter.
• Style: Police intrigue.
• Pacing: A bit hectic, lacking the genius of the original.
• Story: The intrigue is fascinating, riveting, it is all you can ask of one. However, the rest is not as powerful as its predecessor.
• Ending: Painful and masterful.
• Dialogs: Interesting and well made, although it's always difficult to evaluate with subtitles.
• Characters: The bad guys are too simple.
• Acting: Great.
• Afterthoughts: I was riveted the first time I saw it, but even now it is still great.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo — An intrigue of an impressive perfection — 10*/10

• Overall: A brain warper. It will transport you in its world with disarming ease.
• Who is it for? An absolute must for anyone who isn't too emotionally sensitive.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1132620/
• Known actors: Noomi Rapace.
• Setting: Sweden.
• Style: Intrigue and investigation with strong psychological drama.
• Pacing: Slow, a perfect stew, right until its culmination.
• Intro: The setup is quick, everything is put into place right away.
• Story: Full of details and very psychological. The perfection of this film is in the way the intrigue develops. Each discovery is natural, realistic and very organic. It doesn't feel forced and each time it draws you in more until you're unable to move away, transfixed by the easy flow of events. The mood is absolutely entrancing. Perfect.
• Ending: Surprising, strong. Perfect.
• Epilogue: I normally hate epilogues, this one is so well done that it absolutely needs to be there.
• Dialogs: Great, although, with subtitles, it can be difficult to judge.
• Characters: Awe inspiring. Incredible depth, extremely well detailed and full of life, or the lack of it.
• Acting: Powerful. Hypnotic. Perfect.
• Visuals: Strong, slick, simple, perfect.
• Special Effects: 
• Camera Work: 
• Afterthoughts: Even knowing the intrigue, it's still amazing to watch. It's that good. Thoroughly entertained, especially on an intellectual level.

I recommend watching the second chapter too (read my review here).

Inferno — For the fans of the series only — 6*/10

• Overall: This third installment is the least interesting chapter (read my review of the first one here and the second one here). Director Ron Howard can do much better.
• Who is it for? Those who really need to see more of The Da Vinci Code world.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3062096/
• Known actors: Tom Hanks, Felicity Jones, Omar Sy, Irrfan Khan and Ben Foster.
• Setting: History rich Europe.
• Style: Intrigue, with some suspense and a bit of action.
• Pacing: Awkward.
• Story: There is an intrigue which is interesting, some action, but what made the original so good, the historical background and the puzzles, just isn't really good.
• Ending: Mostly action based, which is weird for the type of flick.
• Dialogs: Interesting. Well made.
• Characters: Not that interesting or well built. It is the movie's biggest weakness.
• Acting: Beside Tom Hanks, the rest of the cast is adequate, but not more.
• Visuals: Nice.
• Special Effects: Adequate.
• Afterthoughts: I wasn't expecting much and I didn't get much. I had been disappointed by the second chapter and unfortunately this latest one isn't better, it's a notch down. Still, it is entertaining and I was happy to see Langdon once again. I'm just glad I didn't pay the full price.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon — Not too bad for a third chapter — 6*/10

• Overall: Some broken logic steps make it a lesser cousin in the series (read my view of the first one here and the second one here). Still, it's good entertainment.
• Who is it for? Only the fans of the series or those in need of a sci-fi action fix.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1399103/
• Known actors: Shia LaBeouf, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Frances McDormand, John Malkovich, Patrick Dempsey, John Turturro, Alan Tudyk, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson.
• Cameos: Julie White, Kevin Dunn, Ken Jeong and Buzz Aldrin.
• Style: Sci-fi action.
• Intro: I hate it when they rewrite history. I hated it in the second one, too, but here, they rewrite their own story. Annoying.
• Story: Simple. Lots of action with some humor.
• Dialogs: Funny, but simple.
• Characters: Same as usual. This time, they did give a more involved role to the main female lead which had been a problem in the second chapter.
• Visuals: Great.
• Special Effects: Near perfect.
• Afterthoughts: You have to love Transformers to really appreciate this one, else, it's gonna be a lot stuff without much meat.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen — On a much larger scale — 7*/10

• Overall: It's on par with the first chapter (read my review here) quality-wise, but there's a lot more action.
• Who is it for? Those looking for an ass-kicking action sci-fi and the fans of the series.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1055369/
• Known actors: Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, John Turturro, Julie White, Kevin Dunn, Josh Duhamel and Tyrese Gibson.
• Style: Action sci-fi.
• Pacing: Fast.
• Intro: I don't like the basis for the movie, but that just me.
• Story: Lots of action, much more than the first chapter. A bit more involved than before, but still simple. Much greater deployment.
• Ending: Action oriented.
• Epilogue: Short and forgettable.
• Dialogs: Very simple.
• Characters: Very simple. The female lead has a much smaller role even though she's onscreen a lot. It's really disappointing. The soldiers suffer the same fate. This is not a character movie, much less than the original and very few character interactions that are good, especially what passes for a romance.
• Acting: Okay, I guess.
• Visuals: Awesome.
• Special Effects: Perfect, or near enough.
• Camera Work: A true Michael Bay treatment.
• Score: Very engaging.
• Afterthoughts: Great entertainment, but you can't ask for much more.

Keeping Up with the Joneses — Going for silly with nice character ideas — 6*/10

• Overall: Interesting and silly with nice character developments. Better than the previews.
• Who is it for? Anyone looking for some fun and a bit of action.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2387499/
• Known actors: Zach Galifianakis, Isla Fisher, Jon Hamm and Gal Gadot.
• Cameos: Patton Oswalt and Kevin Dunn.
• Setting: Mostly American suburbia.
• Style: Silly action comedy.
• Intro: Should have cut the initial action, overdone stratagem. Go straight to the boring funny stuff.
• Story: Very silly, a tiny intrigue, some nice action, but lots of character moments that really make it better than its peers.
• Ending: Meh. It's okay. Funny, I guess.
• Epilogue: Not sure what to think of it.
• Dialogs: Funny. Silly. There are a few gems in there.
• Characters: Nicely done. Some very interesting ideas. Well developed. Daringly tries to escape the archetypes.
• Afterthoughts: Pleasantly entertained.