Ready or Not

“Ready or Not” is a modern horror/black comedy movie with a bunch of twists. A young woman marries into a rich, eccentric family. As part of their tradition, the newlywed must play a game with them. One of the games is hide and seek with the in-laws ultimately killing the newlywed. A lot of the action is played for laughs. The biggest star in it is Andie MacDowell, but Samara Weaving as the bride is wonderful. Lots of blood and gore, but kind of witty and lots of surprises. An enjoyable “B” movie. If you don’t see it in the theaters it can be a good diversion on a rainy afternoon.

The Secret Life of Pets 2

“The Secret Life of Pets” was a cute computer animated film from a few years ago. It was unique and clever, telling a story from pets’ in New York City point of view. The sequel tells another story with many of the same characters. Again there are some clever and funny parts of the plot, but overall it didn’t seem necessary. A few of the plot twists seem contrived. This is a film for the kids. If you’re looking for the wit of the original, it isn’t there.

Avengers: Endgame

Congratulations to Marvel and Disney for putting over “Avengers: Endgame”. The public is going nuts over this film. As a Marvel fan I had to see it so I would know what happened after Infinity Wars, which was a far superior movie. The first hour was very episodic, switching from place to place as the remaining Avengers brought their team together. Making Chris Evans the lead was a big mistake. Describing his performance as wooden would be insulting to wood. And I am over Robert Downey, Jr.’s flippant performance as Tony Stark. Scarlett Johansson’s teeth must be rotting because she didn’t smile once. On the positive side Chris Hemsworth’s body transformation was a highlight and Bruce Banner embracing the Hulk’s anger was quite amusing. Tom Holland as Spiderman once again steals every scene he’s in. figured out what was going to happen with their time travel, but I thought the individual stories. could have been better. The special effects were excellent (expected), but there were some giant holes in the plot. If you’re a fan and want to see this over-long finale go, but it is a letdown from last year’s Infinity Wars.

Venom

“Venom” is the latest from the Marvel library. The character was introduced on film in the Tobey Maguire “Spiderman 3”. This time we get the back story of how the parasite from another world came to share a human’s body. Setting up the story takes a while, but it is entertaining. Tom Hardy plays the hero and his character really comes to life when the alien enters his body. Lots of action and a great motorcycle/car chase scene takes place. This is one of the lesser Marvel films; good, but not great. Michelle Williams is the love interest and Riz Ahmed is very good as the villain. If you are a true fan of this type of movie, then see it, but it’s on par with the Avengers of Dead Pool movies.