The Space Between Us — A very nice semi sci-fi semi-romantic story — 7*/10

The relationship between the boy and the girl is very well done, but the rest is spotty at best and the science fiction a mere background, often faulty. It is easy to enjoy, and it's good light entertainment.

Asa Butterfield, Britt Robertson, Carla Gugino and Gary Oldman.

Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3922818/

Julieta — Strong and extremely well done drama, but not for everyone — 8*/10

This is a technically strong movie by director Pedro Almodóvar with only one real drawback, it takes a long time to get into it. The mood is so involved, it is emotionally complex to connect to and difficult to relate to the characters.

Once you're in, though, you completely forget about the rest and just want to know the depth of it all.

Excellent. I highly recommend it to those with the patience to afford it.

Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4326444/

The Comedian — Big names, good jokes, but little else — 6*/10

It falls flat, even though the comedy bits are good. It doesn't get any steam. The romance isn't engaging beyond the initial few minutes. The life intricacies aren't significant and barely register.

Robert De Niro, Leslie Mann, Danny DeVito, Harvey Keitel, Charles Grodin, Cloris Leachman and Lucy DeVito.

Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1967614/

Hunt for the Wilderpeople — Simple yet very surprising — 8*/10

This is about life, about defining family, about freedom, but all done in a very light yet realistic tone. Follow their adventure and all the surprises that come before during and after it. This movie's most compelling points are the fact that it takes unexpected turns and how it can still be fun even considering everything that's happening.

It's a must try, even if it's not a blockbuster. You'll probably love it.

Sam Neill and Rhys Darby.

Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4698684/

Horns — A fantasy flick that's all about a murder mystery — 8*/10

This might not be a blockbuster, but it's a very good flick. It's a lot fun, not in a comedy sense, but in a satisfactory sense. Nice fantasy stuff, nice intrigue, nice music and a captivating story.

Daniel Radcliffe, Juno Temple and Heather Graham.

Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1528071/

The Founder — A fascinating story lead by a single person — 8*/10

It's all about Michael Keaton and his great performance. I mean the story is very interesting and well put together, but what really makes it come alive and make it this captivating is his performance. I highly recommend seeing it.

Michael Keaton, Nick Offerman, John Carroll Lynch, Laura Dern and Patrick Wilson.

Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4276820/

iBoy — A simple yet really entertaining sci-fi flick — 8*/10

This is the kind of movie where most of the characters don't act according to the usual mold. That's refreshing and it makes for an entertaining story eve if it's a simple one. I also love the basic background idea, even though it's totally nonsensical.

If you're looking for some good and easy to enjoy, this is it.

A Netflix original.

Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3171832/

20th Century Women — A powerful and uplifting movie about the reality of women — 9*/10

Slow and so well constructed. Extremely interesting. You can't help but smile and root for those women and that boy. Excellent feminist view port. It's emotionally complex, but it's not a downward drag. On the contrary, it's kind of inspiring.

Annette Bening, Elle Fanning and Greta Gerwig.

Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4385888/


You can hear the 98 sec of Jimmy Carter's speech about consumerism that's in the movie here (there's more too after): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-c4WSd2d9M

Monster Trucks — Nice little sci-fi for the whole family — 6*/10

Funny, light, entertaining and better than expected. Still, it's a bit more for the children. I liked the creature design, but that pink stuff, really? Great ideas, just too young.

Danny Glover (small role).

Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3095734/

Sing — Great animation film fun for all — 8*/10

It's easy to love this flick. As adults, there are a myriad of great little jokes and some awesome music. It's even touching. As a kid, it's full of silly stuff and bright colors, although some might shed a tear or two. No worries, though, it's very positive. A must for the family.

Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Seth MacFarlane, Scarlett Johansson and John C. Reilly.

Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3470600/

Focus — A nice little romantic comedy about con artists — 7*/10

Being a movie about con, you expect con everywhere. The thing is, it's never where you think it is. That's good. However, as a script, it doesn't take any risk, although the cons are nice. If you don't look for them too much, you'll see them. That being, it's entertaining and has a nice little fun romance thrown in the mix.

Will Smith, Margot Robbie and Adrian Martinez.

Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2381941/

A Monster Calls — A beautiful fantasy tale about a hard emotional time — 9*/10

Not an easy tale. Very touching and emotional. However, it is not a damaging tale, it will not drag you down into darkness and leave you there. It is compelling, captivating and extremely well told with great visuals, especially those side stories.

Lewis MacDougall, Sigourney Weaver, Felicity Jones and Liam Neeson.

Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3416532/

Hidden Figures — An inspiring historic film about black women in technology — 9*/10

Crisp, well-told story with a good dose of entertainment, especially through the humor, but also through character development and a bit of tension. Highly recommended.

Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monáe, Kevin Costner, Kirsten Dunst, Jim Parsons and Mahershala Ali.

Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4846340/

Silence — Only for the Christians and the religious-minded — 6*/10

Long and heavy. I generally recognize the genius of Martin Scorsese, but this movie wasn't for me. I just could not connect.

Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0490215/

Assassin's Creed — There's very little good to say about it — 5*/10

• Overall: Action, special effects, interesting ideas, but nothing else. It seems more like a setup for what follows than a real movie.
• Who is it for? Those who really feel like they should see it.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2094766/
• Known actors: Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard, Jeremy Irons and Michael Kenneth Williams.
• Cameos: Brendan Gleeson.
• Style: Action flick that can't really pick a style.
• Pacing: Crap.
• Intro: Interesting, probably the best part since the background idea is the best part of this flick.
• Story: It would have been much better if they had simply chosen a time period to tell the story in. As they did it, you don't get attached to anything and it feels like an intro to the next chapter.
• Ending: Not really an ending. Almost boring.
• Epilogue: They had to show it kept on going or else this movie would have been a complete waste of time.
• Dialogs: Weak, at best.
• Characters: Really, really simple.
• Acting: Solid. Probably one of its saving grace.
• Visuals: Solid.
• Special Effects: Perfect.
• Afterthoughts: I wasn't expecting much, but I was still disappointed.

Underworld: Blood Wars — Good, but like some others it isn't very innovative — 6*/10

• Overall: After the first Underworld (read my review here), the others were really redundant. They keep talking about the same thing over and over again. It gets even a bit boring, but it's full of action.
• Who is it for? Those looking for more of the same are in luck.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3717252/
• Known actors: Kate Beckinsale.
• Style: Dark vampire-werewolf action.
• Pacing: Too quick. Too many of the things you need to assimilate are over in the blink of an eye. You have no time to really feel them.
• Intro: Being a follow-up chapter in a long list, you really need the background to understand the situation. Beyond that, it's dull.
• Story: Simple and very linear, but it does have a lot of content. Too much to be well processed given the editing. Loved the Northern coven idea, a definite high point.
• Ending: Well, it is what it is. On par with the story.
• Epilogue: Well, they had to open the door to the next chapter, hadn't they?
• Dialogs: Simple.
• Characters: Simple.
• Acting: Good, actually this is one of the two best aspects of this flick.
• Visuals: Pretty.
• Special Effects: This is the second thing that's any good.
• Costumes: Great.
• Afterthoughts: Could have been better. Could have been worst (and some of the other movies of the franchise have been). I wasn't too disappointed and I was entertained.

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.