Midsommar

Quick Hit: Aster tells a sinisterly gruesome tale that audiences can’t look away from.

• Florence Pugh is a revelation. Hot take: She will win an Oscar in her career

• Every time Will Poulter spoke it was like reminding the audience to breathe. Much needed comic relief

• 2 and a half hour run time was perfect. Every moment felt necessary to the story and the buildup

• Does not rely on cheap jump scares. The movie wants you to see it coming

• Unflinchingly vicious and gory, without feeling over the top

• Gorgeously shot

• Bobby Krlic’s score was haunting, jarring, and beautiful, reflecting the film itself

• Jack Reynor was one of the few aspects of this movie I did not love. Not sure if it is just his character or the actor, but I couldn’t stand him. Most of the faces he made looked like he was simultaneously pooping and ejaculating

• Score: 92/100

Toy Story 4

Quick Hit: What could have been an unnecessary add on to a near perfect franchise ended up being a welcome addition to the family, even if it made you ugly cry.

• Animation has come a long way in the 24 years since the first Toy Story

• I thought Forky was going to annoy the hell out of me but he ended up being pretty funny

• I would have preferred they ended the franchise with number 3 but this one does not feel forced, it finishes Woody’s character arc perfectly

• Bo Peep is an independent bad ass

• Keanu Reeves’ Duke Caboom needs his own spinoff movie

• Key and Peele’s reunion was perfect and gave us some of the biggest laughs

• Confirms my belief that all ventriloquist dummies are terrifying murderers

• RIP Don Rickles, Potato Head was sorely missed at the forefront

• Tom Hanks deserves to live forever

• First “I love you 3000” and now “To Infinity… And Beyond”, Disney is really trying to rip our hearts out in 2019.

• I am not ashamed to admit I cried at the end. You are a damn dirty liar if you say you didn’t

• Score: 90/100

The Lion King (2019)

Quick Hit: A near shot-for-shot remake of one of my favorite movies of all time, and all it did was make me want to go back and re-watch the original.

• This movie would have been better off going a little less lifelike for the characters. It looked beautiful but we did not get the emotion that came through on their faces like the original

• Should have gone for something more like Detective Pikachu

• At times felt like a really long Beyonce music video

• Donald Glover has the voice of an angel. I want an entire album of him singing Disney classics

• Seth Rogan as Pumba, John Oliver as Zazu, and Chiwetel Ejiofor as Scar were cast PERFECTLY

• Could not get on board with Beyonce as Nala or with the Hyenas

• Young Simba and Nala were killer singers

• It was fun but nothing special

• Score: 65/100

Beauty and the Beast (1991) (First Watch)

Quick Hit: My first time seeing the classic Disney film left me wondering why I had not seen it sooner. A truly great animated film.

• I think I always thought Beauty and the Beast was too “girly” for me to enjoy. I was stupid and wrong.

• Now I know why this is considered a classic, it is absolutely delightful

• Lumiere and Cogsworth had me laughing quite a few times

• CHIP IS THE CUTEST THING EVER IN THE HISTORY OF ANYTHING AND MUST BE PROTECTED AT ALL COSTS

• I could not help but notice the clear Stockholm Syndrome but it’s a Disney movie, I guess?

• The Beast is kind of a lil bitch. Got cursed because he was a pompous little shit, then got mad at the world because of what he got himself into, then just kidnaps people willy-nilly. I know he “learned” his lesson, but still

• Gaston is low key one of the goat villains. The man is a straight savage, with no remorse. He gets what’s coming to him, dying after falling off the castle, but you have got to respect the hustle. Also gets the best song

• Lefou’s voice actor actually sounds a bit like Josh Gad, so the live action casting was spot on. Lefou is also hilarious. He is the sneak dissing king we deserve.

• Score: 86/100

John Wick: Chapter 2 (First Watch)

Quick Hit: The follow-up to one of the most surprising movies of the decade does not disappoint. John Wick is a bad ass motherfu*er and Keanu Reeves needs to make these movies until the sun explodes.

• Keanu Reeves, based on everything I have seen or heard about him, is an incredible human being, which makes liking these movies even easier

• The story is not as strong as the first one, but still good

• Doubles down on the incredible action scenes the first gave us

• Ruby Rose was not a good villain. Making her deaf does not give her a personality.

• Santiono D’Antonio is possibly the worst villain ever, but the move overcomes this. That’s how awesome Keanu Reeves is.

• The ending chase scene with all the mirrors makes for one of the best fight sequences I have ever seen

• Ian McShane makes anything he is a part of 200% better

• I really thought they were going to kill his dog two movies in a row. I might have given up right there.

• Everyone seems to know Wick’s reputation, yet people keep trying this man. WHY

• Baba Yaga is the absolute coldest nickname

• The ending really set up the sequal nicely, adding a new wrinkle to this badass franchise

• We have to have a conversation about Keanu being one of the greatest action movie stars ever

• John Wick might be my choice in a badass movie character fight to the death

• I really hope we see Common come back in the future

• Score: 87/100

Big Hero 6 (Re-Watch)

Quick Hit: Big Hero 6 is the most underrated Disney animated movie, and deserves its spot among other greats.

• Hiro is a top tier Disney protagonist. The man is brilliant, funny, complex, and a hero (ha ha ha).

• The voice cast is stellar

• Story is emotional without beating you over the head with sadness

• Baymax is the cutest Disney robot (@ WALL-E)

• Fun original super hero story with an awesome supporting cast

• Hiro’s aunt is a perfect parental figure

• San Fransokyo makes me laugh every time I hear it

• Tadashi deserved better

• Cool villain design, didn’t love the reveal that his daughter is still alive

• Emotional sacrifices always get me in animated movies

• I walked around doing the Baymax fist bump for weeks after the first time I saw this

• Re-watching this makes me sad we will probably never get a proper sequal, but also makes me want to check out the TV show adaptation

• When Disney is on, they’re really on. This is one of those movies

• Can’t say it enough but it is UNDERRATED

• Score: 95/100