Blackberry

 Another terrific Tech Bio-Pic that joins ever expanding family of content detailing with the tech boom of the late 90's. This one details the meteoric rise of the the Blackberry and it subsequent demise. A well-cast, Canadian production is worth your time if the subject matter interests you. A 7.4 IMDB rating is on-point.

 BMF

This is a lot of fun. It is not without its plot holes and unplausible survivals, but it's set in Detroit in the 1980's and the creators take advantage of that era to create a likeable, nostalgic story with plenty of Cleveland tie-in's. The lead actor who plays Meech, Demetrious Flenory Jr. is the son of the actual man who the story is based on, so there is an authenticity to it and it shows. Highly recommended

 Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget

The creators of Wallace and Gromet will probably never stop throwing up. W&G is top-notch stop-action Claymation from the British and were barley children's movies as they were sophisticated and hilarious. Then they created the original Chicken Run, which still had that W&G magic although it was more focused on American audiences rather than the more refined British audience and it worked fantastically. This has none of that, however, children won't know the difference, so by all means allow them, but I know This is a cash grab and a hard-pass...none of the original creators are involved, they do a decent job of trying to replicate the magic but they fail.

In the Land of Saints and Sinners

 

Not a prototypical Liam Nissen role even though the plot sounds that way. Takes place in Ireland during the Height of the IRA circa 1974 and the story focuses on a conflict between Liam and a female member of the IRA...Not bad, but this isn't action-filled and there are a lot of difficult Irish accents to parse through. 6.2 IMDB rating is about right.. Great supporting cast featuring Colm Meany and Ciaran Hinds

Monsieur Spade 

Humphrey Bogart was cool before cool existed and Clive Owen channels his inner Bogart for his role as Dashell Hammett's Sam Spade in this crime thriller set in Post WWII France. Film Noir made bright in this story with a lot of moving parts. . My guess is Owen studied Bogart extensively for this role and he nails this self-deprecating, wise cracking detective to a tee. Produced by Barry Levinson so no reason not to see it. Two Thumbs up!

 House of Ninjas

This is my Jam. Although, this series is done in the Japanese language, it is highly Americanized. The combining of the two styles is an absolute home run, much like it was with Blue-Eyed Samurai Japanese cinema on its own merits is difficult to access and won't resonate with the average American, but the melding of the two styles is like chocolate and peanut butter for viewers. A few plot holes, but they are easily overlooked and were left with a complex action packed story, that works on a lot of levels. Don't hesitate..PLEASE be a season 2 as the story was just heating up at the end...

Dark Winds

When a series is produced by Robert Redford and George R.R. Martin, you run to see it and this is no exception. Fantastic crime drama set in the SW Navajo nation circa 1971 with some Native American mysticism mixed in. Just finished season one and couldn't be more pleased...Small spot for Rainn WIlson which helps tremendously as I am a fan.

 

Beekeeper

Another Stratham action film and Not a bad movie, but you have seen this one a hundred times before.....if you like this type of action, you could do worse, but it's not worth going out of your way to see.

 

Funny Women

 

1964 London is the setting for this fabulous piece of work. Beauty Queen goes to London to try and make it in comedy...Legit funny and instantly likeable. A Great Soundtrack, crackerjack editing and directing are only some of its virtues...It is a shame that not more people will see this. Its produced by Sky (a British company) and is streamed by PBS, but this is worth seeking out. Shame its only 6 episodes (so far)

Nimona

Done by the creators of Big Hero 6 and a well-deserved Oscar nominee for Best Animated Feature. Moving in ways not often touched by animated features. This is the first animated film that I have seen a homosexual relationship in, but it doesn't detract too much from the story and is tastefully done. Wonderfully animated, well written and has some funny moments. All-Around Fantastic Stuff.
 

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom

More of the same. Movies like this are making this genre as stale as week old bread...it's a snooze fest, but might be ok for children with undiscerning taste. Hard Pass

 

Wonka

 

Not the remake I thought it was and there is a lot of to really love about this picture. It's whimsical, visually striking and well acted, but it's filled with music that is extremely forgettable. There are no "Pure Imaginations" here, so for me that was a huge turn-off, but all the other elements are there for families to enjoy, but for me, it Seemed whenever the narrative picked up steam, they broke out into some mediocre song about chocolate and my attention went elsewhere. A lesson should be learned if you're going to make a musical, be sure the music is good.

Boy Swallows Universe

Magnificent and Wildly Entertaining. Checks all the boxes. One of the best streams of the month of January has a ton of heart along with many other elements. Do Not Hesitate