Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle

Hello fellow movie goers, and welcome back to another edition of Phil Goes to the Movies. Today, we get to go back, and revisit a classic movie, by watching this sequel, created 20 years later. Was this movie worth the time to revisit it, or should it have stayed buried back in time? Lets start the review:

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle- I remember watching this film for the first time, and the special effects blew my mind away. The idea was very original, with a magical board game that made your worst fears, literally, come to life, and try to kill you until you finish the game. It starred the late, Robin Williams, and up and comer (at the time) a young, Kirsten Dunst.

Plot- It shows a man finding a strange board game on the beach, and brought it home for his son. The young mocks the board game stating, "Who plays board games anymore?" That night Jumanji the board game up grades itself into a video game. Years later, we find four students, each representing the stereotypes of the children of today. The popular, pretty girl with her head up her ass, the jock, the outcast girl, and the skinny nerd. Each getting detention, they find an old video game system, but they find out it much, much more. They are sucked into the gaming system, and they must complete the game to escape before their lives run out.

The chemistry is there with the cast, and the majority of the jokes really work well. One running gag, is the pretty, popular is transformed into Jack Black, and she is discovering her "things" on her new body. It was done tastefully, and well enough it would go over younger viewer's heads. I liked how they mocked Karen Gillan's video game avatar, wearing practically nothing in the middle of the jungle. It was not only a different spin on the original film, but it was more of a self discovery for the teenagers.

Final Verdict- 8/10, this movie was enjoyable for the family. Honestly, you can wait to see this movie, or go see it in theaters, either way is good.

Thats it for now, this is Phil Goes to the Movies, so you don't have to!

Star Wars Episode 8: The Last Jedi

Well, its that time of year, where people are shopping, sugar plums are dancing in people's minds, and its also MOVIE TIME! This Christmas season we are taking the holidays to outer space, to a galaxy far, far away. The two questions are was this movie everything we all wanted, or should it be dumped into a black hole far, far away? Lets dive in shall we....

Star Wars Episode 8: The Last Jedi- Who knew something created by George Lucas over 30 years ago would still being this strong. I mean, the fan base for this genre take things very seriously. Hell, Disney bought this franchise for 4.3 billions dollars, and they are going to make 10 times that back in just a few years. Mainly, because they knew this is something that would live on forever. I would be lying if I didn't say get swept up in the seduction of the light saber and being a jedi as a child. I know, when I have children, I am going to introduce them to this iconic franchise.

Plot- Supreme Leader Snoke has pinned down the Rebels, and is slowly wiping them out each encounter. The remaining Rebels are trying to escape as they are being chased throughout the galaxy by the Empire. Rey tries to convince Legendary Jedi Master Luke Skywalker to train her in the ways of the force. This way she can find her place in the world.

Honestly, It is incredibly hard to truly review this movie without giving spoilers, so this might come off vague. The movie had some very intense action scenes, and I was completely captivated by each one. The story is line is where it began to lose me. What is it with the Jedi, putting themselves into exile whenever they experience a huge failure? First it was Yoda and now it is Luke. I hate how Luke became such an emo type of character. I guess, it is hard to see a character I loved as a child appearing so broken. There is another confrontation with the Sith and Jedi, which was so anti-climatic, and I was very disappointed with that entire part of the movie.

The visuals and sound effects are good enough to for me to tell everyone to see this movie in theaters, but the story line doesn't really move that far froward.

Final Verdict-  7/10. It was a good movie, and worth seeing in theaters. I was expecting a lil more i guess.

This is it for now, This is Phil Goes to the Movies, so you don't have to!

IT (2017)

Hey everyone, how are we today? I'm back with another review on the increasingly improving genre, horror. More and more of these films have abandoned the cliches, and no longer insult our intelligence, which I really am happy to see. Did this movie keep this new trend? Let find out:

IT- This has been called one of Stephen King's best stories of all time. During my generation we had a TV mini series adaptation starring Tim Curry as the infamous Pennywise. Tim Curry did the clown justice, but since it was made for TV there were restrictions on the intensity of gore and violence.


Plot- The small town, Derry, is plagued by missing persons, mostly children for many years now. This plague comes in the form of your worst fears, yet IT's favorite form is a mischievous clown to lore children. The story takes place with a young boy encountering the clown during a storm and is taken by the beast. The older brother believes his younger brother is still out there. Meanwhile, he and his friends are being frightened by the same clown, and they decide to do something about it.

This movie really did the book justice. Bill Skarsgard does an incredible job as IT. He acts so goofy, yet you can see in his eyes theres something far sinister planned for your fate. All of the children in this movie really did an excellent job with the acting. The banter between the boys really sold me they have been friends for years. This version to me felt more like a Goonies meets horror.

The pop scares were minimal, it was more a creepy fact to get inside your head. Extremely well done.

Final Verdict- 9.5/10 definitely go see this movie in theaters. I can see myself owning this film when it comes out on blue ray.


Thats all for now, This is Phil Goes to the Movies, so you don't have to!

Annabella: Creation

My fiance and i absolutely love horror films, which is funny because when i was young scary movies would destroy me, and now I embrace and prefer them. I guess, its a conqueror of fear kinda thing, but its extremely difficult to find a horror film that DOESN"T INSULT YOUR INTELLIGENCE! You know the usual, "Lets split up." or tripping and falling right when the villain is on your tail. Well, this is the newest installment of the "The Conjuring" universe. Did it suck as badly as the designers of that doll, or was it a masterpiece in the horror genre? Lets find out:

Annabella: Creation- The second movie to spin off from the "The Conjuring", and this was a prequel to the first "Annabella" movie. This movie was already in hot water due to the previous film sucking something awful. The writers and directors of these films really know how to build anxiety in some of these scenes. To the point, my fiance damn near broke my arm, from an intense scary moment. There are more movies to follow, and I noticed they are making all the films some how become connected in some way.

Plot- A doll maker (Anthony Lapagila) and his wife (Miranada Otto), unfortunately, lose their little girl to a terrible and unforeseen accident. Years later, they open their home to a religious, all girl orphanage. 6 girls ranging in different ages, and their caretaker nun (Stephanie Sigman) move into this large home with hopes of finding homes for themselves. One little girl recovering from the effects of polio is being targeted by some unknown demonic force surrounding the doll, Annabella.

This movie was way better then the first one, and it really played on your psychological senses. Plus, it didn't insult your intelligence, which is why these movies work so well. Because sometimes in the film I would acted the same way the people did, and that places you in the disbelief more, scaring the crap out of you. 

Final Verdict-  7.5/10, the movie is done well, and really has some intense moments to scare the crap out of you.

This summer has gone by so freaking fast and I feel all the movies worth seeing came out before the summer even began. It is like the movie studios are putting movies out earlier, and then we have nothing to see during the summer.... oh well, this is Phil Goes to the Movies, so you don't have to!

Spider-Man Home Coming

Newest superhero movie and your favorite movie reviewer is here to tell you save that cash or spend it freely. Plus, this is one of my favorite super heroes of all time, so i really judge harshly when it comes to Spider-Man. Let the review begin!

Spider-Man: Homecoming- This character is now being played by a third actor and a third attempt to make the web slinger apart of the infamous MCU. I remember seeing the first Spider-Man movie back in 2001. My most favorite parts of that movie was when Peter Parker was in high school. This entire film stays in that part of Peter's career as a hero.

Plot- A band of desperate men have been salvaging the alien technology, from the big battle on New York City. The man in charge is played by Michael Keaton, known as the Vulture. They are taking the advanced technology, and selling it for big bucks on the streets. Meanwhile, Peter Parker is trying to stop them to show Tony Stark he's worthy of becoming an Avenger, yet trying to balance his life as a high school student at the age of 14.

Tom Holland is charming as the character, just like he was "Captain America: Civil War". It was really interesting watching him grow in this film. He is still learning his true powers, so he has a way to go. A new character, Peter's best friend, played by Jacob Batalon, though not in the comics, he really was a welcomed addition. The chemistry between all of the characters really just worked, especially the big brother Tony Stark for Peter. Plus, there was so many references to how hot Aunt May is in these versions!

The action sequences were extremely well done, and holy crap were there alot of them... nothing felt forced or redundant. It just flowed nicely!


Final Verdict- 9/10- Highly recommend for everyone to go see this in theaters!


A few movies coming out this summer, but nothing really grabbing me to go and see... I'm sure ill see a few more before the summer comes to an end. For now, this Phil Goes to the Movies, so you don't have to!

Wonder Woman

Well, ticket prices being what they are, plus my ability to smell out a stinker movie based on the preview. I am very selective on the movies I see in theaters, and here we go again with the super hero genre. Is this movie the mega hit DC comics needed, or was it another super let down? Let find out:

Wonder Woman- Wonder Woman was created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston, and artist Harry G. Peter. Marston and his wife Elizabeth's cohabitant, Olive Byrne, is credited as being his inspiration for the character's appearance. Marston drew a great deal of inspiration from early feminists, and especially from birth control pioneer Margaret Sanger. The character first appeared in All Star Comics #8 in October 1941 and first cover-dated on Sensation Comics #1, January 1942. The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986.

Plot- You live through the origin story of Diana, Princess of Themyscira (Gal Gadot), home to the Amazons. The amazons were created by Zeus to help guide man through love and strength. Unfortunately, men's hearts were corrupted by Zues' son, Ares, and Ares wants to destroy the world of man through war. During World War I, a pilot named Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) crashes on Themyscira, and this is when Diana learns about man and the outside world. She vows to help him to stop the war, because she knows Ares is the cause of it.

This movie had some serious charm to it, especially when Wonder Woman enters our world, and she's so naive to how women were treated in those times. Her reactions to those men are priceless. Gal Gadot, even though, this poor lady received so much hatred after being casted as Wonder Woman. She owns this part! The fight scenes were top notch, watching her kick nazis butt on the war front. There was quite a bit of CGI, but it was forgivable. Chris Pine's and Gal Gadot's chemistry was perfect, and much of the charm in this film came from their interactions.

Final Verdict- 9.5/10, this is the smash hit for the summer. Highly recommend to see this theaters! Its got action, humor, the total package.

Next time ill be back with some more reviews for those of you that love going to the movies. For now, this is Phil Goes to the Movies, so you don't have to!                                                                                                                                                                               

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man Tell No Tales

oh man, the movies are starting to ramp up for this summer season, and your favorite reviewer is here to help you out. Disney definitely a juggernaut nowadays for movie blockbusters. Can this franchise still it hold up to fans' standards, or is it a sinking ship after this installment? Lets find out:

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales-  I remember when the first movie hit theaters. The sound track, plus, the sword fights, and other action scenes made me want to be a pirate. Johnny Depp was nominated for his portrayal as Captain Jack Sparrow, and the movie seemed near flawless. The next two sequels hit theaters, with new threats and adventures. These movies wrapped up nicely, but when something goes well there has to be more and more movies.

Plot- Will Turner's son, now the age of 9, swears to his father he will set him free of the curse of the "Flying Dutchmen". Then at the age of 18, he discovers to set his father free he needs the power of the Trident of Poseidon, and the only man that can help him is Captain Jack Sparrow.

The newer characters could have been replaced with common household plants, and you wouldn't have noticed at all. They are all bland with no personalities at all. This is when the movie should be carried by the veteran characters (Johnny Depp and Gregory Rush), but they appeared to be watered down compared to their original versions. This causes a problem during, say the action sequences, hard to get into it when you can give two shits about the main characters.

Final Verdict- 6/10, it was a pretty good film, but not worth the full price of a theater ticket.

Thats all for now. Ill return to review "Wonder Woman", so until then, this is Phil Goes to the Movies, so you don't have to!

The Fate of the Furious

Another summer movie i had the chance to see, and yes, it has been out for weeks now. So what! I wasn't going to see it, but the people I was with, talked me into it... Did this movie blow it's engine of suck, or did i enjoy the furious ride? Lets find out:

The Fate of the Furious- Ah yes, the infamous franchise that keeps making billions of dollars world wide, which is the reason why this freaking thing is still going, and is rumored to continue to a tenth installment. It went from a street racers, using over the top methods to rob trucks to, where they are literally international spies... i shit you not!

Plot- Dominic Toretto (Disel) and Letty  (Rodriguez) are living their lives out in the streets of Cuba, where a mysterious woman (Charlize Theron) approaches Dominic, and she has something from his past and holds it over him. He is forced to work for her becoming an international terrorist, so its up to the crew to take him down.

Ok, so many things bugged the hell out of me...here are just a few of them:

First, all of these freaking people have become superheroes with powers, not yet revealed to the audience. I say this, because, how the hell do these people NEVER get hurt? Either jumping out of cars going 90 mph, punching AND DENTING steel, and the freaking Rock takes rubber bullets from a shotgun close range. I don't care what kind butterfly curls you're doing in the gym. No, it doesn't work that way....sigh.

Second, I've driven over black before, and nearly died. These freaking people are able to drive on top of an entire frozen lake or whatever, going fast enough to travel back in time, and they are good to go.

Third, Tyrese Gibson's only purpose in these films is to scream the narrative for the other characters. "There's a tank on my ass!" "It's cold as hell here!" "They SHOOTING rockets at us!"

Lastly, so Dominic goes rogue...they hire street racers, a cop, and an ex-terrorist to hunt him down??? Do we not have any trained agents in the government for this kind of shit?

Final Verdict- 5/10- They are getting worse and worse with this series.It is a guilty pleasure, but on cable or Netflix, not spending 13 dollars on a movie ticket.

More movies to see this summer, until then this is Phil Goes to the Movies, so you don't have to!

The Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Hey, its that time again! It's summer blockbuster season, and this season seems to have some whoppers coming for us! Well, I'm here to conqueror a sequel following a surprise Marvel hit. Did it remain as good as the first, or fall into that usual "meh" sequel? Let find out:

The Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2- Oh, man. i remember seeing the first movie, not knowing what to expect, and I couldn't stop laughing from the casts' chemistry and one liners. Plus, all the mind numbing action sequences being thrown at me. The first film appeared to have it all for everyone to enjoy. Now, Marvel seems to still be going strong with their movies as they enter what they refer to as "Phrase 3".

Plot- Well, the Guardians are doing their thing by taking jobs from other worlds to be paid for their services. One mission they finish, Rocket decides to steal from them, which leads to a chase through space, and takes them to meet Ego (Kurt Russel). Here Peter (Chris Pratt) finds out about his heritage, while the team shows they have grown closer together.

Honestly, I love this cast, their chemistry and humor works on every level, and the action sequences were top notch. The only thing really lacking in this movie was a strong main plot. It felt more like if this was a series on Netflix, and this was just a random episode. The villain is completely forgettable, and these types of movies ONLY strive when you have a great villain. NOT HERE! It was worth seeing in theaters, but it was lacking something from the original.

Final Verdict- 8.4/10, great cast and humor, but really needed something more for this film to stand on its own.

That's it for now, see you guys for more reviews. This is Phil Goes to the Movies, so you don't have to!

Logan

Dear lord, who knew saving for Disney for the holidays and now planning a wedding would drain all your fun time funds...Well, now you know why I have been away for so long, but I am back baby, here give you the reviews you desire... you need! Enough about me, lets get to the review shall we:

Logan- Well, another movie starring Hugh Jackman, playing Marvel's most iconic character of all time. Unfortunately, for us fans, this is Hugh Jackman's and Patrick Stewart's final performance as their mutant characters, since 2001, and we have to say good bye, as they pass the mantles. Going to be extremely hard to imagine anyone else playing these two characters in the future.

Plot- Logan has aged, and appears to be in constant pain all the time. He takes care of Charles Xavier, due to his old age is having trouble controlling his powers of telepathy. They live out in the middle of no where in New Mexico, but a mechanical hand man, named Pierce (played by Boyd Holbrook) is snooping around asking if Logan has been in contact with a woman, named Gabriela, lately. The woman surfaces asking Logan to take this young girl to North Dakota for a price, but Pierce and other men are chasing our heroes for the girl.

I really liked this movie. The heart was there, and the banter between the cast seemed so natural, making it easier to connect with the audience. The movie is a R rating, so it wasted no time in dropping "F" bombs and slicing people up brutally. It is the true way Wolverine fans have wanted to see the character since 2001. Dear god, the amount of henchmen sliced and diced in this film...whew! The young actress, Dafne Keen, plays a great part, and when she goes into berserker mode, RUN!

The one thing I did notice about the film was, you needed to do your homework on the premise of the story before going into it. Explaining things like, why Logan's healing factor is crapping out? why most of the mutants aren't around anymore? I could see that being distracting to people going into the film because, those things are NEVER addressed in the movie, other than Logan is old now.

Final Verdict- 8.5/10, Loved interaction with the characters, and the movie really had heart to it. Plus, you get to see Wolverine and X-23 really rip things up together. recommend highly to see in theaters.