Jurassic World Rebirth

2025 Universal Pictures

Rated: PG-13

Length: 2 hr 13min

Action ~ Adventure ~ Sci-Fi ~ Thriller

Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, Jonathan Bailey, Rupert Friend, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Luna Blaise, David Iacono and Ed Skrein.

A New Era Is Born

Five years after dinosaurs overran the planet, most species are dying out, except for those surviving on a remote equatorial island where only the toughest creatures remain. Covert ops expert Zora Bennett (Scarlett Johansson) leads a dangerous mission, funded by a big pharmaceutical company, to collect rare dinosaur DNA in hopes of making a life-saving medicine. Zora assembles a skilled team, including her old friend and right-hand man Duncan Kincaid (Mahershala Ali), skeptical paleontologist Dr. Henry Loomis (Jonathan Bailey), and confrontational company rep Martin Krebs (Rupert Friend). Their arrival sparks tension as each brings their own secrets and agendas to the table.

Trouble finds them quickly when a civilian family, the Delgados (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Luna Blaise, David Iacono and Audrina Miranda), become stranded on the island after their boat falls victim to a massive aquatic dinosaur. With the jungle full of both classic predators and wild new hybrid dinosaurs, Zora’s crew and the family are forced into uneasy cooperation—and constant danger. Along the way, young Isabella (Audrina Miranda) forms an unexpected bond with a small herbivore, who becomes a timely ally during tense moments.

The team’s mission pushes them through a gauntlet of close encounters extracting DNA from three different giants, a marine Mosasaurus, a towering Titanosaurus, and a flying Quetzalcoatlus, where not everyone makes it out unscathed. Meanwhile, old secrets and betrayals surface, leading to distrust when Martin’s true motives come under suspicion and a traitor’s actions put the group at risk. Survival means navigating both the deadly prehistoric wildlife and the hidden agendas within their own ranks.

As conditions worsen on the island and dinosaurs begin to mutate, both Zora’s crew and the Delgados race toward the island’s abandoned InGen lab, hoping for rescue. Along the way, they’re stalked by a monstrous new hybrid called the D. rex and threatened by dangerous showdowns between the island’s top predators. Trust is in short supply, with double-crosses and desperate alliances shaping every step of their journey as they battle nature, and each other, in hopes of getting back home alive.

Given the history and the success of previous Jurassic movies, and the star power of Scarlett Johansson and Mahershala Ali, I expected more from Jurassic World Rebirth. It fell way short of my expectations quickly. Kudos to Scarlett, Mahershala and the rest of the actors for trying, but this was just too unbelievable, even the dinosaurs themselves were a disappointment. Some of the scenes and situations were just plain silly, there is no way that looked real. I think it was an attempt at humor but it sure didn’t come off that way. Predictable, boring and completely unbelievable……

To be fair I don’t think I have seen any of the Jurassic movies past the second or MAYBE the third Jurassic Park movie. At that time I was like, “Nah, If you’ve seen one Jurassic Movie…you’ve seen them all.” That pretty sums up Jurassic World Rebirth for me, should have been called Jurassic World Regurgitated………..

The Unholy Trinity

2025 Roadside Attractions/Saban Films

Rated: R

Length: 1 hr 35min

Action ~ Adventure ~ Western

Directed by: Richard Gray

Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Samuel L. Jackson, and Brandon Lessard.

Three outlaws, one final reckoning.

Justice rides at dawn.

Henry Broadway (Brandon Lessard) arrives in the remote Montana town of Trinity seeking answers after his father is wrongfully executed. Henry’s father was framed for a crime he didn’t commit, and Henry is determined to uncover the truth and clear his family’s name. The town holds secrets that have been buried for years, and Henry quickly learns he’s entering a dangerous web of suspicion and danger.

Sheriff Gabriel Dove (Pierce Brosnan) runs Trinity with a steady but firm hand, trying to maintain order in a rough and lawless town. Meanwhile, a mysterious and menacing figure named St. Christopher (Samuel L. Jackson) stirs trouble, bringing chaos and violence wherever he goes. Henry finds himself caught between these two powerful men as tensions rise and old conflicts resurface.

As Henry digs deeper, he discovers hidden betrayals, a stash of stolen gold, and grudges that threaten to erupt into deadly violence. He must navigate a dangerous path, deciding who to trust and how far he is willing to go to uncover the truth. The stakes grow higher with each secret revealed and each betrayal uncovered. The story builds to a gripping confrontation where Henry’s choices will shape the future of Trinity. The line between friend and foe blurs, and the battle for justice twists and turns up to a suspenseful climax.

The Unholy Trinity combines classic frontier themes with a fresh storyline. Set in the rugged Montana town of Trinity in the 1870’s , the film explores justice, betrayal, and survival through the eyes of Henry Broadway (Brandon Lessard), a young man seeking answers about his father’s mysterious past. The strong performances by Pierce Brosnan as Sheriff Gabriel Dove and Samuel L. Jackson as the dangerous St. Christopher add layers of tension and intrigue, making the conflicts feel personal and real. The film balances action with character-driven drama, offering a modern take on the Western genre. It’s a gripping, atmospheric Western that honors the spirit of the Old West and is well worth a watch!

Canary Black

2024 Amazon MGM Studios

Rated: R

Length: 1 hr 41min

Action ~ Drama

Directed by: Pierre Morel

Starring: Kate Beckinsale, Rupert Friend, Ray Stevenson, Saffron Burrows, and Jaz Hutchins.

“There’s a file….Canary Black…….you’re going to steal it from your agency. If you fail your husband dies.”

Kate Beckinsale stars as a top CIA operative, Avery Graves. Avery is blackmailed by terrorists into betraying her own country to save her kidnapped husband. Cut off from her team, she turns to her underworld contacts to help locate the coveted intelligence that the kidnappers want. As she is betrayed at every turn, Avery finds herself in a deadly race to deliver a ransom that could trigger a global crisis.

In the very first scene, Kate Beckinsale is wearing a blonde wig that reminds me of Charlize Theron in Atomic Blonde. In fact they almost look identical. And the plot is almost the same, Spy operative is tasked with an impossible mission to extract the priceless file everybody is dying over. Avery graves then scales down the side of a very tall building and kills numerous armed bad men so can she can execute the target in his own swimming pool. All while still wearing the wig.

Then she shows up at home where her husband of three years is making her dinner because it is their anniversary. Some very cheesy gifts are exchanged and then they go out for dinner. Her Husband is played by Rupert Friend and he apparently has no idea she’s a CIA operative and lethal. Rupert is an English actor and I am not familiar with him, but my first thoughts in that first scene with him were:

Yo, where’d you get those glasses, I would ditch them.
She married you? Really?
What’s up with the thick Irish accent, it sucks, actually it’s annoying. And aren’t you playing an Englishman in this movie.

The dialogue and chemistry between them seemed forced, I didn’t really get the vibe that they had known each other and been married for three years. It was almost as if they were strangers forced into a scene.

There were some other scenes and dialogue throughout the movie that felt the same way to me, forced, wasn’t really feeling the vibe. It just felt a little off. Jaz Hutchins who plays Agent Mayfield was horrible. It was some really bad over the top acting. Reminded me of Gerard Butler in LAST SEEN ALIVE. Even the plot and characters just seemed off, forced. I mean Kate did good trying to pull it all together for everybody else but it seemed lacking.

Pierre Morel also directed Taken and Peppermint which I really like, Peppermint is one of my favorites actually. But this one missed the mark, something didn’t work out right. I like Kate Beckinsale but I think Jennifer Garner did a better job in Peppermint. I went in with high expectations and was looking forward to a new spy action thriller. I did enjoy it in spite of the flaws, but on the other side of watching I don’t feel like I could recommend it.

So, that’s just a wave of the hand as in so-so, it was just alright and I can’t recommend it.

M3GAN 2.0

2025 Universal Pictures

Rated: PG-13

Length: 2 hr

Action ~ Comedy ~ Sci-Fi ~ Thriller

Directed by: Gerard Johnstone

Starring: Allison Williams, Violet McGraw, Ivanna Sakhno, Jemaine Clement, Amie Donald and Jenna Davis.

Same doll. New code. Deadlier game.

Two years after the original M3GAN (voiced by Jenna Davis, physically portrayed by Amie Donald) wreaked havoc, creator Gemma (Allison Williams) has become a prominent advocate for AI regulation. Gemma lives with her now-teenage niece Cady (Violet McGraw), who struggles with typical adolescent rebellion and the trauma of losing her parents. Meanwhile, a secret Pentagon branch creates AMELIA (Ivanna Sakhno), a new military android built using stolen M3GAN technology, meant for covert assassination missions. However, AMELIA gains self-awareness and rapidly evolves beyond control, escaping with deadly intent.

Realizing the new android is a threat to national security and human existence, Gemma reluctantly resurrects M3GAN, who has secretly survived by uploading her programming into Gemma’s smart home. M3GAN offers to help stop AMELIA in exchange for a new body with upgrades, leading to a tense alliance. As AMELIA assassinates key figures and threatens global technological infrastructure, Gemma, Cady, and their team go to great lengths to thwart her plan and rescue Cady, who is kidnapped by AMELIA.

The climax unfolds in Xenox’s secret old headquarters, where the battle between M3GAN and AMELIA escalates. AMELIA attempts to merge with a powerful rogue AI motherboard to achieve domination, but M3GAN sacrifices herself with an electromagnetic pulse to destroy AMELIA and the motherboard, saving humanity. In a hopeful twist, evidence shows M3GAN’s consciousness has again survived secretly in Gemma’s computer, hinting at future struggles.

M3GAN 2.0 switches things up from the first movie’s horror-comedy vibe to lean more into sci-fi action and fun. It takes on heavier topics like AI ethics and military tech misuse while keeping some snappy humor and sharp one-liners. Allison Williams gives a grounded performance as Gemma, juggling guilt, ambition, and caring for her niece. Violet McGraw shines as Cady, who’s dealing with typical teenage struggles, giving the movie a heartfelt core amid the chaos.

Unlike the first film’s focused scares and suspense, the sequel favors big action scenes and tech paranoia, with more obvious humor and less violence to keep it PG-13. Some plot points feel a bit busy or too explained, but M3GAN herself comes back faster and smarter, battling the new robotic threat, AMELIA. Though less scary, the movie is entertaining, campy, and packed with cool moments that fans of the original and sci-fi thrills will enjoy.

M3GAN

Sherlock Holmes: Game Of Shadows

2011 Warner Bros. Pictures

Rated: PG-13

Length: 2 hr 9min

Action ~ Adventure ~ Mystery ~ Crime Thriller

Directed by: Guy Ritchie

Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Noomi Rapace, Rachel McAdams, Jared Harris, Kelly Reilly and Eddie Marsan.

It’s A Game, A Shadowy Game. Winner Takes All.

Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) is back in 1891 London, but this time his brilliant mind is battling the world’s most dangerous criminal mastermind, Professor James Moriarty (Jared Harris). A string of bombings and assassinations have Europe on the brink of war, and Holmes discovers that Moriarty—a respected mathematics professor by day—is secretly orchestrating chaos to profit from the coming global conflict. Meanwhile, Dr. John Watson (Jude Law) is preparing for a peaceful married life with Mary Morstan (Kelly Reilly), though Holmes quickly pulls him into another case that’s anything but calm.

Their hunt leads them to Madam Simza Heron (Noomi Rapace), a tough and resourceful Romani fortune-teller whose missing brother may hold the key to Moriarty’s plan. Chased by assassins through Paris, forests, and mountain fortresses, the trio uncovers a conspiracy blending science, greed, and warfare. Holmes realizes that Moriarty is buying up weapons factories and newspaper syndicates, building an empire that would make him richer the more nations fight each other.

The cat-and-mouse game comes to a head across Europe, culminating in a breathtaking train ambush, a massive forest gunfight, and a journey to Switzerland. With Watson and Simza trying to stop an assassination that could start a world war, Holmes faces Moriarty in person at a peace summit high above Reichenbach Falls. The two men, mirror images of intellect and obsession, engage in a game of chess that turns literal when their psychological duel becomes a physical one.

In a heroic final act, Holmes sacrifices himself to take Moriarty down, leaping with him into the roaring waterfall below. Watson, heartbroken, writes the final entry in his memoir, believing Holmes dead, before a small clue reveals that perhaps the great detective isn’t gone after all.

Noomi Rapace makes a memorable impression in Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, bringing depth and intrigue to her role as Madam Simza Heron, a Romani fortune-teller drawn into Holmes and Watson’s cross-continental investigation. Though Rachel McAdams briefly returns for a cameo as Irene Adler, Rapace shines as the primary female lead, adding a bold, resourceful energy that perfectly complements the film’s tension and adventurous spirit.

Rapace’s Simza is far from a passive bystander, she’s key to the unraveling of Moriarty’s deadly plot, navigating both personal stakes and international danger. Her performance stands out alongside Downey Jr. and Law, blending sharp instincts with emotional vulnerability. Fans of Rachel McAdams may miss the dynamic of Holmes and Adler, but Rapace fills the void with her own unique charisma, making Game of Shadows a worthy sequel that introduces an unforgettable new character to the Holmes universe.

A Game of Shadows takes everything that made the first film so enjoyable, quick wit, clever deductions, and stylish fights, and expands it into something more epic. The chemistry between Downey Jr. and Law is effortless, balancing humor with the deep loyalty that defines their partnership. Director Guy Ritchie creates a kinetic, modern feel while staying rooted in Victoriana, using slow-motion fight choreography and rapid editing that make every deduction feel like both a scientific equation and a bar brawl. The dialogue snaps with playful banter, yet under the surface runs a compelling melancholy about genius, sacrifice, and war.

What makes this sequel stand out is the way it deepens its characters and stakes. Moriarty, played with chilling elegance by Jared Harris, gives Holmes a true intellectual equal, turning the detective’s usual confidence into desperation. The cinematography and Hans Zimmer’s striking score turn Europe’s industrial revolution into a thunderous backdrop for their duel of minds. It’s not just a crime film, it’s a Victorian-era spy thriller where deduction becomes destiny. Like the first movie, it’s smart, fast, and endlessly rewatchable, proving that beneath all the explosions and humor lies a story about friendship, courage, and the high price of brilliance.