Brief thoughts on Mission: Impossible - Fallout.

My mission - now I choose to accept it - is to dissect and lay out the fabric of my thoughts on Fallout, the sixth entry in the Mission: Impossible franchise. After starting very badly with two films, the series made a significant recovery under J.J. Abrams and the Bad Robot label, with Ghost Protocol and Rogue Nation becoming standout action flicks. Both prior films were very successful in balancing out lean characterization, tightly staged action set-pieces, and amazing feats of daredevilry accomplished by star Tom Cruise. Following Rogue Nation, we now get its direct follow-up, helmed again by writer/director Christopher McQuarrie, to deliver what many are now calling one of the best action films ever made...

...Is it really?

Eighth Grade movie review.

We've seen the coming of age teen drama go through a bit of a resurgence recently, building from the blueprints laid out from Boyhood several years back. But more specifically, we've seen the resurgence of coming of age films from the perspective of young women. It's a trend that was bolstered by the release of The Edge of Seventeen in 2016, but really seems to have cemented its grand return with Greta Gerwig's Lady Bird.

And not only has the sub-genre begun to rise, but now with new storytellers coming to offer a more mature sense of observation, they make for modest, natural, and sometimes brutally honest portraits of the turbulence and mundaneness of adolescence. And the trend continues with the release of writer/director Bo Burnham's Eighth Grade, of which I'm lucky enough to see before its wide release.

Sorry to Bother You, but what do I even say?

It's not often you come across a film that's as singularly odd and mad as Sorry to Bother You. Maybe it's because of the times we live in, but we've grown accustomed to the surreal and the macabre. Nowadays, shock value (with actual merit) is harder to come by because of that contentedness. But then you get a film like this, the debut of writer/director Boots Riley, that is so off the walls insane, blending high concept commentary with relentlessly dark humor, I'm at a loss. I somehow have a lot to say about it, but I'm also at a loss for words on it. That's shock value that feels unheard of anymore.

Brief thoughts on Sicario: Day of the Soldado.

Having seen Won't You Be My Neighbor? a couple weeks ago, it was easy enough to *say* that spreading more positivity would go a long way. In the back of your mind, however, you know it can never be that easy again, since we as a people live in fear of terrorism and within a world of conflict. And what conflict is more timely than the issue of immigration control, and the ongoing cartel wars of Mexico. Three years ago, we were plunged headfirst into that war with Sicario, a brutal and sweat-inducing thriller of the so-called "good guys" resorting to the violence of their enemies, that made us question if there were any real heroes and villains anymore. And that's a fear that gets further explored in Day of the Soldado, that drops any pretense of heroic duty as its leads are let loose like ravenous wolves tearing coyotes to shreds.

Ant-Man and the Wasp movie review.

While the immediate Avengers were still raking in money through their second crossover Age of Ultron, one of Marvel's lesser known, quirkier characters made a surprise entrance onto the scene. That being Ant-Man, the man donning a suit allowing him to shrink at will, giving him added agility and strength as he took on smaller targets in the criminal world. Despite its seemingly filler appearance, it was a fun change of pace for the MCU, veering it closer to a heist film full of inventive visual enjoyment, and was lifted by Paul Rudd's spot on lead performance.

But one detail that excited many was the tease for future films featuring the Wasp, Ant-Man's longtime partner, being able to dominate the scene right alongside her charming teammate. Three years later, you have many of the original team, including director Peyton Reed, to finally deliver on that potential with Ant-Man and the Wasp, which comes to cap off Marvel's mega-successful 2018 (not counting the peripheral Venom spin-off). Of course, one wouldn't expect it to reach the heights of Black Panther or Infinity War, so it's best to take it as a nice, inoffensive cleanser. And that's precisely what it is, ending Marvel's year with neither a bang nor whimper, but a pleasing growl.

(Not so) Brief thoughts on Won't You Be My Neighbor?

It seems only customary and normal anymore that we as a people should be cynical, seeing much before us with jaded eyes, and expecting the worst. Because it works; cynicism sells, in business, in media, so often clouding our judgment and suppressing our happiness. In today's day and age, that a soul as patient and as warm-hearted as Fred Rogers, an ordained minister who spearheaded the popular Mister Roger's Neighborhood for PBS, would exist is unheard of, living by a philosophy of a little kindness going a long way, a kindness carried over into Won't You Be My Neighbor?, encapsulating his life and his spirit.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom movie review.

Celebrating it's 25th anniversary this year, Jurassic Park has had its up and downs in bringing John Hammond's vision of a world where dinosaurs co-exist with humans to life. After the disaster of his initial first vision, his dream finally came to glorious life through the Masrani Corp. with Jurassic World, that corrected those mistakes while simultaneously making new ones. And yet, we can't seem to imagine a world where these dinosaurs aren't in our lives, destined to fade into extinction as the once proud Isla Nublar meets its end.

And like its screen counterparts, the Jurassic Park series has had its own ups and downs. Many know of my adoration of Steven Spielberg's original masterpiece, and Colin Trevorrow's highly enjoyable update three years ago, even if it couldn't live up its standards. But all good things must come to an end, as we now must wave goodbye to those memories on Isla Nublar, as the dinosaurs take a greater step into a more expansive future. Embrace it, dread it, it can't be stopped. And I know this for sure, as there's plenty within Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom that I dread AND embrace.