My Mid-2019 Movie Rankings

Here is my ranking for all the movies I saw in theaters during the first half of 2019:

1. Apollo 11 (5 Stars)
2. Avengers: Endgame (4 1/2 Stars)
3. If Beale Street Could Talk (4 1/2 Stars)
4. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (4 1/2 Stars)
5. Roma (4 Stars)
6. The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (4 Stars)
7. Us (4 Stars)
8. Cold War (4 Stars)
9. Toy Story 4 (4 Stars)
10. Late Night (4 Stars)
11. Booksmart (3 1/2 Stars)
12. Pokemon: Detective Pikachu (3 1/2 Stars)
13. Captain Marvel (3 1/2 Stars)
14. The Kid Who Would Be King (3 1/2 Stars)
15. Arctic (3 1/2 Stars)
16. Shazam! (3 1/2 Stars)
17. Rocketman (3 1/2 Stars)
18. Long Shot (3 1/2 Stars)
19. Yesterday (3 1/2 Stars)
20. Alita: Battle Angel (3 1/2 Stars)
21. Aladdin (3 1/2 Stars)
22. John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum (3 1/2 Stars)
23. The Mustang (3 1/2 Stars)
24. Pet Sematary (3 1/2 Stars)
25. Capernaum (3 1/2 Stars)
26. Hotel Mumbai (3 1/2 Stars)
27. On the Basis of Sex (3 1/2 Stars)
28. Fighting With My Family (3 Stars)
29. Happy Death Day 2U (3 Stars)
30. Child's Play (3 Stars)
31. Men In Black: International (3 Stars)
32. Gloria Bell (3 Stars)
33. Dark Phoenix (3 Stars)
34. The Dead Don't Die (3 Stars)
35. Missing Link (3 Stars)
36. Greta (3 Stars)
37. Brightburn (3 Stars)
38. Ben is Back (3 Stars)
39. Tolkien (3 Stars)
40. High Life (3 Stars)
41. Glass (2 1/2 Stars)
42. Five Feet Apart (2 1/2 Stars)
43. Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2 1/2 Stars)
44. Dumbo (2 1/2 Stars)
45. The Secret Life of Pets 2 (2 1/2 Stars)
46. The Beach Bum (1 1/2 Stars)
47. Hellboy (1 1/2 Stars)

Predictions for the 2019 Academy Awards

Here are my predictions for the 2019 Academy Awards that take place tonight:

Best Picture: Roma
Best Director: Alfonso Cuaron (Roma)
Best Actor: Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody)
Best Actress: Glenn Close (The Wife)
Best Supporting Actor: Mahershala Ali (Green Book)
Best Supporting Actress: Regina King (If Beale Street Could Talk)
Best Original Screenplay: The Favourite
Best Adapted Screenplay: BlacKkKlansman
Best Film Editing: Vice
Best Cinematography: Roma
Best Original Score: If Beale Street Could Talk
Best Original Song: Shallow (A Star Is Born)
Best Sound Editing: First Man
Best Sound Mixing: Bohemian Rhapsody
Best Visual Effects: First Man
Best Production Design: Black Panther
Best Costume Design: Black Panther
Best Makeup & Hairstyling: Vice
Best Animated Feature: Spider-man: Into The Spiderverse
Best Documentary Feature: Free Solo
Best Foreign Language Film: Roma
Best Live Action Short: Marguerite
Best Animated Short: Bao
Best Documentary Short: Period. End of Sentence

If Beale Street Could Talk Review

Some times when you go to the movies you just watch a movie, other times, you watch a beautiful piece of art that leaves you breathless. If Beale Street Could Talk is one of those pieces of art.

If Beale Street Could Talk is written and directed by Academy Award winner Barry Jenkins and is based on a novel written by James Baldwin. It is a story about a young couple, Tish (KiKi Layne) and Fonny (Stephan James), who are dealing with the harsh reality of Fonny being in jail after being falsely accused of rape and Tish being pregnant with their first child. The movie interweaves the story by showing what happens when Tish and Fonny first start dating along with Tish trying to get Fonny out of jail.

There is a lot to love about If Beale Street Could Talk. The first thing is the relationship between Tish and Fonny. The chemistry between them is electric and when they are on screen you can't help but be blown away by what you are watching. At first Tish seems a little timid, but as the movie moves along you start to see her fall more and more in love with Fonny and you can just feel your own heart warming up. The scenes where Tish visits Fonny in prison will just break your heart. The look on Fonny's face is filled with so much hope that he may soon get out of prison, but you know that that is probably not going to happen. And you can tell that his love for Tish is why he has that hope. The look on Tish's face shows that she can tell Fonny is having a rough time in prison. You can't help but want that glass wall that is separating them to be taken away so they can at least hug each other.

 Another fantastic aspect of If Beale Street Could Talk is the score by Nicholas Britell. The musical score just adds to the emotion of each scene. Some of the musical cues will fill you with hope and love while others will make you feel despair and sadness.

If Beale Street Could Talk is also beautifully shot. Pretty much every scene of the movie could be framed and hung on your wall. Right from the very first scene you could tell this movie would be special visually. From the way Tish and Fonny's clothes are color coordinated to the way scene is framed with them walking down a stair well, you could see that director Barry Jenkins knows how to shoot a movie.

Because the chemistry between Tish and Fonny was so strong, when they weren't on screen, I got a little impatient and wanted to see them back on screen. There were a couple of moments throughout the movie that involved Tish's parents and while they were good moments, I wanted the movie to go back to focusing on Tish and Fonny. There were also a couple of side stories that never seemed to wrap up. One involved Fonny's friend, Daniel, being a key witness and how the prosecutors were probably going to try and get him to flip and it ended up not really going anywhere. Another dealt with Fonny's mom. When she first finds out that Tish is pregnant, she becomes angry since the child will be born out of wedlock. You never find out if she ends up caring for the baby or just stays angry. These are really two minor gripes and do not take away from the overall quality of the movie.

If Beale Street Could Talk is a beautiful movie that will break your heart and make you fall in love multiple times throughout. The score is fantastic and each scene is absolutely stunning. I highly recommend everyone goes to see this movie. If Beale Street Could Talk is one of those rare movies that isn't just a movie, but a beautiful piece of art.

My 2018 Movie Rankings

Here is my ranking for all the movies I saw in theaters in 2018:

1. Annihilation (5 Stars)
2. First Man (5 Stars)
3. Anna and The Apocalypse (4 1/2 Stars)
4. Phantom Thread (4 1/2 Stars)
5. Searching (4 1/2 Stars)
6. A Star is Born (4 1/2 Stars)
7. Black Panther (4 1/2 Stars)
8. I, Tonya (4 1/2 Stars)
9. Mission: Impossible - Fallout (4 1/2 Stars)
10. Ready Player One (4 1/2 Stars) * 2
11. Creed II (4 1/2 Stars)
12. Eighth Grade (4 1/2 Stars)
13. Free Solo (4 1/2 Stars)
14. Widows (4 1/2 Stars)
15. Crazy Rich Asians (4 Stars)
16. Molly's Game (4 Stars)
17. The Shape of Water (4 Stars) * 2
18. Paddington 2 (4 Stars)
19. Hearts Beat Loud (4 Stars)
20. Ralph Breaks The Internet (4 Stars)
21. Spider-man: Into the Spider-Verse (4 Stars) * 2
22. Hostiles (4 Stars)
23. You Were Never Really Here (4 Stars)
24. American Animals (4 Stars)
25. Lean on Pete (4 Stars)
26. Leave No Trace (4 Stars)
27. Tully (4 Stars)
28. Won't You Be My Neighbor (4 Stars)
29. The Hate U Give (4 Stars)
30. Wildlife (4 Stars)
31. First Reformed (4 Stars)
32. The Post (4 Stars)
33. A Quiet Place (4 Stars)
34. Incredibles 2 (4 Stars) 
35. Game Night (3 1/2 Stars)
36. A Simple Favor (3 1/2 Stars)
37. Aquaman (3 1/2 Stars)
38. Blackkklansman (3 1/2 Stars)
39. The Sisters Brothers (3 1/2 Stars)
40. Assassination Nation (3 1/2 Stars)
41. Tag (3 1/2 Stars)
42. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (3 1/2 Stars) * 2
43. Solo: A Star Wars Story (3 1/2 Stars)
44. Ant-man & the Wasp (3 1/2 Stars)
45. Deadpool 2 (3 1/2 Stars)
46. Can You Ever Forgive Me? (3 1/2 Stars)
47. Hereditary (3 1/2 Stars)
48. Avengers: Infinity War (3 1/2 Stars) * 2
49. The Old Man & The Gun (3 1/2 Stars)
50. Isle of Dogs (3 1/2 Stars)
51. Tomb Raider (3 1/2 Stars)
52. Love, Simon (3 1/2 Stars)
53. The Meg (3 1/2 Stars)
54. The Favourite (3 1/2 Stars)
55. Blockers (3 1/2 Stars)
56. Upgrade (3 1/2 Stars)
57. Bumblebee (3 1/2 Stars)
58. Juliet, Naked (3 1/2 Stars)
59. Green Book (3 1/2 Stars)
60. Christopher Robin (3 1/2 Stars)
61. Overlord (3 1/2 Stars)
62. Mary Queen of Scots (3 1/2 Stars)
63. Mary Poppins Returns (3 1/2 Stars)
64. Adrift (3 1/2 Stars)
65. Operation Finale (3 1/2 Stars)
66. Vice (3 Stars)
67. The Wife (3 Stars)
68. Sorry to Bother You (3 Stars)
69. Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot (3 Stars)
70. Colette (3 Stars)
71. Mid90s (3 Stars)
72. Vox Lux (3 Stars)
73. Halloween (3 Stars)
74. Sicario: Day of the Soldado (3 Stars)
75. A Wrinkle in Time (3 Stars)
76. Chappaquiddick (3 Stars)
77. Unsane (3 Stars)
78. Ocean's 8 (3 Stars)
79. The Spy Who Dumped Me (3 Stars)
80. Boy Erased (3 Stars)
81. Papillon (3 Stars)
82. Puzzle (3 Stars)
83. The Front Runner (3 Stars)
84. The Equalizer 2 (3 Stars)
85. Uncle Drew (3 Stars)
86. Rampage (3 Stars)
87. 12 Strong (3 Stars)
88. Early Man (3 Stars)
89. Bohemian Rhapsody (3 Stars)
90. Thoroughbreds (2 1/2 Stars)
91. White Boy Rick (2 1/2 Stars)
92. Beirut (2 1/2 Stars)
93. Red Sparrow (2 1/2 Stars)
94. Skyscraper (2 1/2 Stars)
95. Alpha (2 1/2 Stars)
96. Beautiful Boy (2 1/2 Stars)
97. The Girl in the Spider's Web (2 1/2 Stars)
98. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2 1/2 Stars)
99. Robin Hood (2 1/2 Stars)
100. Pacific Rim: Uprising (2 1/2 Stars)
101. The Predator (2 Stars)
102. The Death of Stalin (1 1/2 Stars)

My Mid-2018 Movie Rankings

Here is the ranking of all the movies I have seen so far in 2018 in theaters:

1. Annihilation (5 Stars)
2. Phantom Thread (4 1/2 Stars)
3. Black Panther (4 1/2 Stars)
4. I, Tonya (4 1/2 Stars)
5. Ready Player One (4 1/2 Stars) * 2
6. Molly's Game (4 Stars)
7. The Shape of Water (4 Stars) * 2
8. Paddington 2 (4 Stars)
9. Hostiles (4 Stars)
10. You Were Never Really Here (4 Stars)
11. American Animals (4 Stars)
12. Lean on Pete (4 Stars)
13. Tully (4 Stars)
14. Won't You Be My Neighbor (4 Stars)
15. First Reformed (4 Stars)
16. The Post (4 Stars)
17. A Quiet Place (4 Stars)
18. Incredibles 2 (4 Stars) 
19. Game Night (3 1/2 Stars)
20. Tag (3 1/2 Stars)
21. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (3 1/2 Stars)
22. Solo: A Star Wars Story (3 1/2 Stars)
23. Deadpool 2 (3 1/2 Stars)
24. Hereditary (3 1/2 Stars)
25. Avengers: Infinity War (3 1/2 Stars) * 2
26. Isle of Dogs (3 1/2 Stars)
27. Tomb Raider (3 1/2 Stars)
28. Love, Simon (3 1/2 Stars)
29. Blockers (3 1/2 Stars)
30. Upgrade (3 1/2 Stars)
31. Adrift (3 1/2 Stars)
32. A Wrinkle in Time (3 1/2 Stars)
33. Chappaquiddick (3 Stars)
34. Unsane (3 Stars)
35. Ocean's 8 (3 Stars)
36. Rampage (3 Stars)
37. 12 Strong (3 Stars)
38. Early Man (3 Stars)
39. Thoroughbreds (2 1/2 Stars)
40. Beirut (2 1/2 Stars)
41. Red Sparrow (2 1/2 Stars)
42. Pacific Rim: Uprising (2 1/2 Stars)
43. The Death of Stalin (1 1/2 Stars)

Predictions for the 2018 Academy Awards

Here are my predictions for the 2018 Academy Awards that take place tonight:

Best Picture: The Shape of Water
Best Director: Guillermo del Toro (The Shape of Water)
Best Actor: Gary Oldman (Darkest Hour)
Best Actress: Frances McDormand (Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri)
Best Supporting Actor: Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri)
Best Supporting Actress: Allison Janney (I, Tonya)
Best Original Screenplay: Get Out
Best Adapted Screenplay: Call Me By Your Name
Best Film Editing: Dunkirk
Best Cinematography: Blade Runner 2049
Best Original Score: Alexandre Desplat (The Shape of Water)
Best Original Song: This Is Me (The Greatest Showman)
Best Sound Editing: Dunkirk
Best Sound Mixing: Dunkirk
Best Visual Effects: War For The Planet Of The Apes
Best Production Design: The Shape of Water
Best Costume Design: Phantom Thread
Best Makeup & Hairstyling: Darkest Hour
Best Animated Feature: Coco
Best Documentary Feature: Faces Places
Best Foreign Language Film: A Fantastic Woman
Best Live Action Short: DeKalb Elementary
Best Animated Short: Dear Basketball
Best Documentary Short: Edith+Eddie

Film Independent Spirit Awards Ballot and Predictions

This year I decided to join Film Independent which allowed me to get screeners and vote in the Independent Spirit Awards. It was a lot of fun to get to watch the nominated films that I had yet to see at home and some before they were even released in theaters. Below you will find the nominees and who I voted for and who I think will win each category.

Best International Film
-BPM
-A Fantastic Woman
-I Am Not A Witch
-Lady Macbeth
-Loveless

My Vote: I didn’t vote in this category since I wasn’t able to watch I Am Not A Witch

My Predicition: BPM

Best Documentary
-The Departure
-Face Places
-Laste Men in Aleppo
-Motherland
-Quest

My Vote: I didn’t vote in this category since I wasn’t able to watch Faces Places

My Predicition: Faces Places

Best Supporting Male
-Nnamdi Asomugha (Crown Heights)
-Armie Hammer (Call Me By Your Name)
-Barry Keoghan (The Killing of a Sacred Deer)
-Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri)
-Benny Safdie (Good Time)

My Vote: Barry Keoghan (The Killing of a Sacred Deer)

My Prediction: Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri)

Best Supporting Female
-Holly Hunter (The Big Sick)
-Allison Janney (I, Tonya)
-Laurie Metcalf (Lady Bird)
-Lois Smith (Marjorie Prime)
-Taliah Lennice Webster (Good Time)

My Vote: Allison Janney (I,Tonya)

My Prediction: Allison Janney (I, Tonya)

Best Female Lead
-Salma Hayek (Beatriz at Dinner)
-Frances McDormand (Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri)
-Margot Robbie (I, Tonya)
-Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird)
-Shinobu Terajima (Oh Lucy!)
-Regina Williams (Life and nothing more)

My Vote: Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird)

My Prediction: Frances McDormand (Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri)

Best Male Lead
-Timothee Chalamet (Call Me By Your Name)
-Harris Dickinson (Beach Rats)
-James Franco (The Disaster Artist)
-Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out)
-Robert Pattinson (Good Time)

My Vote: Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out)

My Prediction: Timothee Chalamet (Call Me By Your Name)

Best Cinematography
-The Killing of a Sacred Deer
-Columbus
-Beach Rats
-Call Me By Your Name
-The Rider

My Vote: The Killing of a Sacred Deer

My Prediction: Call Me By Your Name

Best Editing
-Good Time
-Call Me By Your Name
-The Rider
-Get Out
-I, Tonya

My Vote: I, Tonya

My Prediction: Get Out

Best First Screenplay
-Ingrid Jungermann (Women Who Kill)
-Kumail Nanjiani, Emily V. Gordon (The Big Sick)
-Matt Spicer, David Branson Smith (Ingrid Goes West)
-Kogonada (Columbus)
-Kris Avedisian, Kyle Espeleta, Jesse Wakeman (Donald Cried)

My Vote: Matt Spicer, David Branson Smith (Ingrid Goes West)

My Prediction: Kumail Nanjiani, Emily V. Gordon (The Big Sick)

Best Screenplay
-Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird)
-Azazel Jacobs (The Lovers)
-Martin McDonagh (Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri)
-Jordan Peele (Get Out)
-Mike White (Beatriz at Dinner)

My Vote: Jordan Peele (Get Out)

My Prediction: Jordan Peele (Get Out)

Best Director
-Sean Baker (The Florida Project)
-Jonas Carpignano (A Ciambra)
-Luca Guadagnano (Call Me By Your Name)
-Jordan Peele (Get Out)
-Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie (Good Time)
-Chloe Zhao (The Rider)

My Vote: Jordan Peele (Get Out)

My Prediction: Jordan Peele (Get Out)

Best First Feature
-Columbus
-Ingrid Goes West
-Menashe
-Oh Lucy!
- Patti Cake$

My Vote: Ingrid Goes West

My Prediction: Columbus

Best Feature
-Call Me By Your Name
-The Florida Project
-Get Out
-Lady Bird
-The Rider

My Vote: Lady Bird

My Prediction: Get Out

My 2017 Movie Rankings

Here is my ranking for all the movies I saw in theaters in 2017:

1. Dunkirk (5 Stars) * 2
2. Lady Bird (5 Stars)
3. It Comes At Night (4 1/2 Stars)
4. Your Name (4 1/2 Stars)
5. Brigsby Bear (4 1/2 Stars)
6. Baby Driver (4 1/2 Stars) * 2
7. The Big Sick (4 1/2 Stars) * 2
8. War for the Planet of the Apes (4 1/2 Stars) * 2
9. Land of Mine (4 1/2 Stars)
10. Blade Runner 2049 (4 Stars)
11. A Monster Calls (4 Stars)
12. The Lego Batman Movie (4 Stars)
13. The Killing of a Sacred Deer (4 Stars)
14. Thelma (4 Stars)
15. Logan (4 Stars)
16. Get Out (4 Stars)
17. Jackie (4 Stars)
18. Wonder Woman (4 Stars) * 2
19. Spider-man: Homecoming (4 Stars)
20. Battle of the Sexes (4 Stars)
21. Wind River (4 Stars)
22. Detroit (4 Stars)
23. Darkest Hour (4 Stars)
24. Patriots Day (4 Stars)
25. Silence (4 Stars)
26. The Beguiled (4 Stars)
27. Professor Marston and The Wonder Women (4 Stars)
28. Lady Macbeth (4 Stars)
29. Star Wars: The Last Jedi (4 Stars) * 2
30. IT (3 1/2 Stars)
31. Hidden Figures (3 1/2 Stars)
32. Split (3 1/2 Stars)
33. The Lost City of Z (3 1/2 Stars)
34. Wonder (3 1/2 Stars)
35. The Disaster Artist (3 1/2 Stars)
36. Coco (3 1/2 Stars)
37. Stronger (3 1/2 Stars)
38. mother! (3 1/2 Stars)
39. Novitiate (3 1/2 Stars)
40. Only the Brave (3 1/2 Stars)
41. The Florida Project (3 1/2 Stars)
42. Thor: Ragnorok (3 1/2 Stars)
43. All The Money in the World (3 1/2 Stars)
44. John Wick: Chapter 2 (3 1/2 Stars)
45. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (3 1/2 Stars)
46. Kong: Skull Islands (3 1/2 Stars)
47. Logan Lucky (3 1/2 Stars)
48. Ingrid Goes West (3 1/2 Stars)
49. Free Fire (3 1/2 Stars)
50. Life (3 1/2 Stars)
51. Colossal (3 1/2 Stars)
52. Marshall (3 1/2 Stars)
53. Beatriz at Dinner (3 1/2 Stars)
54. 20th Century Women (3 1/2 Stars)
55. A Ghost Story (3 1/2 Stars)
56. Three Billboards outside Ebbing Missouri (3 1/2 Stars)
57. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (3 1/2 Stars)
58. Thank You For Your Service (3 1/2 Stars)
59. Patti Cake$ (3 1/2 Stars)
60. The Fate of the Furious (3 1/2 Stars)
61. Their Finest (3 1/2 Stars)
62. A Quiet Passion (3 1/2 Stars)
63. The Greatest Showman (3 1/2 Stars)
64. The Zookeeper's Wife (3 1/2 Stars)
65. The Hero (3 1/2 Stars)
66. The Lovers (3 1/2 Stars)
67. Victoria & Abdul (3 1/2 Stars)
68. The Hitman's Bodyguard (3 1/2 Stars)
69. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (3 Stars)
70. King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (3 Stars)
71. American Made (3 Stars)
72. Happy Death Day (3 Stars)
73. The Dark Tower (3 Stars)
74. Gifted (3 Stars)
75. Megan Leavey (3 Stars)
76. Goodbye Christopher Robin (3 Stars)
77. Justice League (3 Stars)
78. Pitch Perfect 3 (3 Stars)
79. A Bad Moms Christmas (3 Stars)
80. The Glass Castle (3 Stars)
81. Ghost in the Shell (3 Stars)
82. The Belko Experiment (3 Stars)
83. Rough Night (3 Stars)
84. Power Rangers (3 Stars)
85. Alien: Covenant (3 Stars)
86. Good Time (3 Stars)
87. xXx: Return of Xander Cage (3 Stars)
88. The Founder (3 Stars)
89. Roman J. Israel, ESQ (3 Stars)
90. Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie (3 Stars)
91. Elle (3 Stars)
92. Kingsman: The Golden Circle (3 Stars)
93. The Mountain Between Us (3 Stars)
94. The House (2 1/2 Stars)
95. Before I Fall (2 1/2 Stars)
96. Downsizing (2 1/2 Stars)
97. Beauty and the Beast (2 1/2 Stars)
98. American Assassin (2 1/2 Stars)
99. Atomic Blonde (2 1/2 Stars)
100. The Foreigner (2 1/2 Stars)
101. Despicable Me 3 (2 1/2 Stars)
102. The Mummy (2 1/2 Stars)
103. Live by Night (2 1/2 Stars)
104. 47 Meters Down (2 1/2 Stars)
105. Suburbicon (2 1/2 Stars)
106. The Wall (2 1/2 Stars)
107. Baywatch (2 1/2 Stars)
108. A Cure for Wellness (2 Stars)
109. Brad's Status (2 Stars)
110. Murder on the Orient Express (2 Stars)
111. Tulip Fever (2 Stars)
112. The Book of Henry (2 Stars)
113. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2 Stars)
114. Cars 3 (2 Stars)
115. Table 19 (1 1/2 Stars)
116. Transformers: The Last Knight (1 1/2 Stars)
117. The Great Wall (1 1/2 Stars)
118. Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (1 1/2 Stars)
119. Daddy's Home Two (1 1/2 Stars)
120. The Snowman (1 1/2 Stars)
121. The Circle (1 Star)
122. Toni Erdmann (1 Star)

Atomic Blonde Review

Well that was disappointing. I went into Atomic Blonde looking forward to an ass kicking good time and instead I got a movie that had all its ass kicking shown in the trailers and a spy story that I didn't care about.

Atomic Blonde takes place in 1989 right around the time of the fall of the Berlin Wall and tells the story of a MI6 spy named Lorraine Broughton, played by Charlize Theron. With the help of David Percival (James McAvoy) and Delphine Lasalle (Sofia Boutella), Lorraine must find a list of names that was lost when fellow spy is killed.

There were a couple of things that I did like about Atomic Blonde. The first, and most obvious, was Charlize Theron and her fight scenes. Charlize totally kicks ass as Lorraine. When it came to her fight scenes, I liked that they showed she was vulnerable. In a lot of action movies today, the hero will get into these brutal fights and walk away like they were invincible. In Atomic Blonde, Lorraine gets bruised and bloody and near the end of fights is out of breathe and barely standing. I also enjoyed how the fight scenes were shot. The camera was close to the action and I never felt lost about what was going on and where the punches were landing.

Another aspect I liked about Atomic Blonde was the way certain scenes looked. Actually, they weren't really scenes, but more like one shots. These one shots would consist of Charlize mainly just sitting in a chair in her hotel room. I loved the way these shots were framed with her in the center and the lighting around her. In fact, I actually enjoyed these moments more than when she was fighting and kicking someones ass.

The big negative for me with Atomic Blonde was the story. I found the journey to be uninteresting. I was never on the edge of my seat wondering who was this mystery person Lorraine was looking for and if she would ever find him/her. I was expecting non-stop action and instead they tried to give me a spy thriller that didn't add anything new to the genre. I found myself often wanting the story to hurry up and move on to the next action scene. Unfortunately, when it did move on to the next action scene, it was a scene that I saw in the trailer, only just extended by a tiny bit.

Atomic Blonde provided solid action scenes with Charlize Theron, unfortunately, if you have seen the trailers, you have seen all the action. The story is below average and never keeps you engaged in the movie. If you are interested in Atomic Blonde, see it at a matinee price or wait until you can rent it or it's on Netflix/Amazon Prime.

2 1/2 out of 5 Stars

My Mid-2017 Movie Rankings

Here is the ranking of all the movies I have seen so far in 2017 in theaters:

1. It Comes At Night (4 1/2 Stars)
2. Your Name (4 1/2 Stars)
3. Baby Driver (4 1/2 Stars)
4. Land of Mine (4 1/2 Stars)
5. A Monster Calls (4 Stars)
6. The Lego Batman Movie (4 Stars)
7. Logan (4 Stars)
8. Get Out (4 Stars)
9. Jackie (4 Stars)
10. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (4 Stars)
11. Wonder Woman (4 Stars) * 2
12. Kong: Skull Islands (4 Stars)
13. Patriots Day (4 Stars)
14. Silence (4 Stars)
15. The Beguiled (4 Stars)
16. Hidden Figures (3 1/2 Stars)
17. Split (3 1/2 Stars)
18. The Lost City of Z (3 1/2 Stars)
19. John Wick: Chapter 2 (3 1/2 Stars)
20. Free Fire (3 1/2 Stars)
21. Life (3 1/2 Stars)
22. Colossal (3 1/2 Stars)
23. 20th Century Women (3 1/2 Stars)
24. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (3 1/2 Stars)
25. The Fate of the Furious (3 1/2 Stars)
26. Their Finest (3 1/2 Stars)
27. A Quiet Passion (3 1/2 Stars)
28. The Zookeeper's Wife (3 1/2 Stars)
29. The Lovers (3 1/2 Stars)
30. King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (3 Stars)
31. Gifted (3 Stars)
32. Megan Leavey (3 Stars)
33. Ghost in the Shell (3 Stars)
34. The Belko Experiment (3 Stars)
35. Rough Night (3 Stars)
36. Power Rangers (3 Stars)
37. Alien: Covenant (3 Stars)
38. xXx: Return of Xander Cage (3 Stars)
39. The Founder (3 Stars)
40. Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie (3 Stars)
41. The Mummy (3 Stars)
42. Elle (3 Stars)
43. Before I Fall (2 1/2 Stars)
44. Beauty and the Beast (2 1/2 Stars)
45. Live by Night (2 1/2 Stars)
46. 47 Meters Down (2 1/2 Stars)
47. The Wall (2 1/2 Stars)
48. Baywatch (2 1/2 Stars)
49. A Cure for Wellness (2 Stars)
50. The Book of Henry (2 Stars)
51. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2 Stars)
52. Cars 3 (2 Starts
53. Table 19 (1 1/2 Stars)
54. Transformers: The Last Knight (1 1/2 Stars)
55. The Great Wall (1 1/2 Stars)
56. The Circle (1 Star)
57. Toni Erdmann (1 Star)