Allied

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I thought this was a good story about World War II and two spies who fall in love during a deadly mission in Casablanca.  The action scenes are great and full of tension.  The love story is a little lacking however, with a surprisingly poor performance by Brad Pitt.  Marion Cotillard was wonderful throughout the film.  The ending, which I won’t divulge, was excellent.  I say go see it if you are a fan of movies like this.

“You were different with me last night.”

The Revenant

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Revenant – one that returns after death or a long absence.

This movie is full of wonder.  It is about war, wildlife, luck – both good and bad, elements, nature, survival, and revenge.  Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy were excellent.  Heed the warnings concerning the R rating, and if you can deal with a movie like this, you will be rewarded.

The Edge of Seventeen

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This movie nails both the unbearable awkwardness and the youthful fun of being a teenager in high school.  If you hold on until near the end of the film, you will probably be rewarded.  Until then, weirdness reigns.

“I don’t want to take up a ton of your time, but I’m gonna kill myself. I just thought that an adult should know.”

Arrival

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I had hopes for this movie.  It had many pieces, but for me they didn’t fit once on screen.  The lead actors are good, but there is a chemistry missing here.  The aliens are cool, but these days a few CGI aliens don’t make a movie.  A good movie takes you somewhere magical, but this one takes you to a pop-up army camp in a field in Montana.  And lastly, this movie makes you think, but the more I pondered the circumstances, the more I frowned on the decision making taking place.  If you see this film, I hope you enjoy it more than I did.

War Dogs

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Miami, Jordan, Iraq, Vegas, and Albania are some of the locations involved in this tale.  Of these, Miami takes center stage with its beautiful coastline scenes and city views.  This is a pretty good movie based upon a true story.  If nothing else, read the article from Rolling Stone Magazine (but maybe wait until you have seen the film if you intend on watching this one so you don’t spoil it).  The film will make you consider the business of war in today’s global economy.

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Kubo and the Two Strings

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The animation was magnificent!  I thought the story started out great, especially the part where there is wonderful storytelling in the streets of the village using inventive music and magical origami characters.  Then, for me, things fell flat.  I lost interest in the characters, and the animation and score were not enough to keep this film afloat.  I did enjoy the end credits, however.

“If you must blink, do it now.”

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