The Current War

Originally meant to be released in 2017 but delayed until now due to the original distributor, The Weinstein Company, going bankrupt amid Harvey Weinstein's allegations, The Current War is a historical drama focusing on the professional rivalry between Thomas Edison, played by Benedict Cumberbatch, and George Westinghouse, played by Michael Shannon, as they competed over their different electric systems throughout the late 1800a. During the whole thing, Nicholas Hoult portrays Nikola Tesla as he starts out working for Edison, then forming his own company that is then taken away from him, and then teaming up with Westinghouse. While the writing is pretty basic and some scenes just occurring one after another without much relevance, it does have great dialogue and very accurate to the real history. The directing by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon is superb at making the moments an invention we take for granted today seem epic. Besides the three actors playing the well known pioneers, the rest of the cast perfectly nail their roles. What truly makes this film standout and amazing is the combination of the cinematography and production design that helps The Current War not only really look like it's all set in the late 1800s with its right use of lighting and what was used and worn at the time but also so beautiful. What could have been just a run of the mill biopic is a lot more thanks to a new distributor and executive producer Martin Scorsese not only pushing for the film to be released, but for the director to also be given final cut privilege to improve it after its initial festival showing. Over all: 100%
2019 top list so far:

1. Judy

2. Avengers: Endgame

3. Ready or Not

4. Joker

5. Toy Story 4

6. Hustlers

7. Shazam!

8. Spider-Man: Far From Home

9. Villains

10. Zombieland: Double Tap

11. Rocketman

12. The Current War

13. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

14. John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum

15. Ad Astra

16. It Chapter 2

17. Godzilla: King of the Monsters

18. Once Upon a Time In Hollywood

19. Hobbs & Shaw

20. The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part

21. Us

22. Aladdin 2019

23. Pokemon Detective Pikachu

24. Captain Marvel

25. The Lion King 2019

26. Yesterday

27. Pet Sematary 2019

28. The Upside

29. Dark Phoenix

30. Cold Pursuit

31. Glass

Zombieland: Double Tap

Made, released, and set ten years after the original film, Zombieland: Double Tap is a sequel that's just as funny and self aware as the first movie. Being together for ten years as they survive the zombie apocalypse, the characters from the 2009 film have now seen themselves as a family even when they face their own personal problems. Woody Harrelson's Tallahassee is still the gun toting badass, Jesse Eisenberg's Columbus continues his rules of survival while also identifying the many types of zombies, Emma Stone's Wichita is still distrustful and ready to run away when Columbus proposes, and Abigail Breslin's Little Rock has grown up and wants more out of life. Compared to the first film, Double Tap gives us a lot more people with their own specialties and forms of survival. Since the director and writers from the first film have also come back this helps in expanding the world that they set ups earlier. Sure not all of the jokes land, especially ones that tend to drag on a while, but the ones that do really make it worthwhile. The new characters and their actors do a fantastic job, especially with Rosario Dawson's Nevada, that you wouldn't mind seeing them in their own spinoffs. While Zoey Deutch's Madison is an interesting addition as a dumb blonde with lucky moments, the persona she gives and a moment in the middle of the film goes a bit over the top. The new ways they kill the zombies, including at one point using a monster truck, is one of the most innovative the genre has done. Zombieland: Double Tap is a worthy sequel that may not hit notes as big as the first, but is still strong especially with such a hilarious post credit scene you never would have expected. Over all: 100%
2019 top list so far:

1. Judy

2. Avengers: Endgame

3. Ready or Not

4. Joker

5. Toy Story 4

6. Hustlers

7. Shazam!

8. Spider-Man: Far From Home

9. Villains

10. Zombieland: Double Tap

11. Rocketman

12. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

13. John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum

14. Ad Astra

15. It Chapter 2

16. Godzilla: King of the Monsters

17. Once Upon a Time In Hollywood

18. Hobbs & Shaw

19. The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part

20. Us

21. Aladdin 2019

22. Pokemon Detective Pikachu

23. Captain Marvel

24. The Lion King 2019

25. Yesterday

26. Pet Sematary 2019

27. The Upside

28. Dark Phoenix

29. Cold Pursuit

30. Glass

Judy

Judy is a biographical drama with Renee Zellweger portraying Judy Garland in the last year of her life in 1969. Mainly focusing on Garland's struggles with addiction and her fading career as she is offered to appear in Britain as her popularity there is still strong, there are small flashbacks to when she was younger in the late 30s and early 40s and how she was mistreated by the studios and kept from having a normal life. The movie is a tragic look at the life of one of Hollywood's most famous and loved stars and how the strictness of it all affected her later life. Zellweger is phenomenal as Garland, with special mention towards Darci Shaw as the younger version. The direction by Rupert Goold captures the very emotions and fragile mindset that Garland goes through by always staying very close to her. Gabriel Yared, the composer of Judy, makes a really beautiful score and the recreations of Garland's famous songs, especially her final performance at the end, makes you wish she had a better life and career so we could have gotten more from her. Zellweger's performance, Goold's direction, and Yared's music are just one of many reasons Judy is not only a great film, but one of the best of 2019. Over all: 100%
2019 top list so far:

1. Judy

2. Avengers: Endgame

3. Ready or Not

4. Joker

5. Toy Story 4

6. Hustlers

7. Shazam!

8. Spider-Man: Far From Home

9. Villains

10. Rocketman

11. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

12. John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum

13. Ad Astra

14. It Chapter 2

15. Godzilla: King of the Monsters

16. Once Upon a Time In Hollywood

17. Hobbs & Shaw

18. The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part

19. Us

20. Aladdin 2019

21. Pokemon Detective Pikachu

22. Captain Marvel

23. The Lion King 2019

24. Yesterday

25. Pet Sematary 2019

26. The Upside

27. Dark Phoenix

28. Cold Pursuit

29. Glass

Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Crisis in a Half Shell #6

Concluding not only this miniseries, but the entire crossover trilogy as a whole, Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Crisis in a Half Shell #6 is powerful ending to one of the most fun crossovers of all time. As Shredder, his soldiers, and Casey fight Joker and his robot army, the Turtles and the Bat Family take on Krang as he prepares to remake the multiverse in his own image. As Krang is losing, the two earths begin to separate, but those on the ground have to remain in certain parts that only exist in either or they'll cease to exist. With the separation under way, the Mirage Turtles and the other Batman are sent to their own home. Krang tries to use the remainder of his powers to merge his Turtles and Batman together, but their determination and strength separates them and the remainder of their universes and leads to Krang's defeat. The issue ends with Batman saying goodbye to the Turtles and Splinter, unknown if they'll ever see each other again but having the memories of the alternate life they had, before they go back and him and the rest of the Bat Family getting back home for pizza. A powerful ending with great writing and awesome artwork, Half Shell #6 is fun, full of drama, and well crafted emotional moments. While not answering how Krang got the Anti-Monitor's armor or which version of Batman he had already captured, the questions it did answer were enough to satisfy anyone who reads this. James Tynion IV's dialogue was fresh, quick, and filled with great weight that you long for more once it finishes. Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Crisis in a Half Shell #6 is a noteworthy conclusion to a fun and well made series. Over all: 100%
Top list so far for 2nd set of comics:
1. Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Crisis in a Half Shell #6
2. Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Crisis in a Half Shell #5
3. Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Crisis in a Half Shell #4
4. Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Crisis in a Half Shell #3
5. Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Crisis in a Half Shell #1
6. Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Crisis in a Half Shell #2
7. Deadpool Kills Deadpool
8. Marvel Zombies vs. The Army of Darkness
9. Wonder Woman: Rebirth (2016) #1
10. The Tick: Free Comic Book Day 2018
11. Free Comic Book Day 2018: James Bond 007-VARGR
12. Free Comic Book Day 2018 Invader Zim: Floopsy Bloops Shmoopsy
13. The Legend of Wonder Woman (2015-2016) #1
14. Free Comic Book Day: The Legend of Korra & Nintendo ARMS 2018
15. Ant-Man (2015) Vol. 1 #1: Second-Chance Man Part 1
16. Batman/The Flash: The Button
17. The Adventures of Superman Vol. 1 #500
18. The Unworthy Thor (2016-2017) #1
19. Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II #5
20. Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II #6
21. Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II #4
22. Thor: God of Thunder Vol. 1 #1
23. Wonder Woman Free Comic Book Day 2017 Special Edition (2017-) issue #1
24. Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II #2
25. Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II #1
26. Incredible Hulk (1999-2007) #92: Planet Hulk Part One
27. Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II #3
28. Wonder Woman (2006-2011) #1
29. The Astonishing Ant-Man (2015-2016) #1
30. Star Wars: Rogue One Adaptation #1
31. Tate's Not At Comic Con Local Indy Anthology #8

Joker

The first movie based on comic book superhero property that doesn't focus on the usual tropes one expects from past films with similar sources or previous entries with the title character, Joker is a psychological thriller in the vain of 70s and 80s Martin Scorsese films like Taxi Driver. Joaquin Phoenix plays Arthur Fleck, a down on his luck clown-for-hire who lives in an early 1980s Gotham filled with economic and sociological issues that makes the disenfranchised turn against the rich. Fleck lives with his ill mother as he suffers from many psychological problems, including having uncontrollable fits of laughter. After he kills three rich young businessmen, while still in his clown costume, Arthur unintentionally starts a protest movement with the downtrodden using clown masks as their symbol. Despite being set in 1981, there are a lot of events that parallel the problems that are going on today with how the rich treat the lower class and the massive protests going on. Director and cowriter Todd Phillips manages to have us sympathize with Arthur because of his problems and slowly and methodically transition to be disgusted by him through what he does and how he uses the protest for his own agenda. The film is very accurate at portraying how mental illness can affect someone not just by who they are but what they go through and how they are treated by others. Instead of focusing on large scale fight scenes and heavy use of effects, this is a more personal film that is designed to make you feel uneasy at how someone so meek and unassuming can turn into someone so dangerous that they have no problem with chaos. There are also a few scenes and moments wherein you realize weren't exactly what you saw because of his broken mind. If there are a few flaws I would say there are some scenes showing Arthur's state of mind that drag on too long that could have been cut out or shortened. Joker is a film that may start a new series for DC and Warner Bros. wherein they will focus on similar issues with other famous characters, and I do hope it's just as good as this. Over all: 100%
2019 top list so far:

1. Avengers: Endgame

2. Ready or Not

3. Joker

4. Toy Story 4

5. Hustlers

6. Shazam!

7. Spider-Man: Far From Home

8. Villains

9. Rocketman

10. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

11. John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum

12. Ad Astra

13. It Chapter 2

14. Godzilla: King of the Monsters

15. Once Upon a Time In Hollywood

16. Hobbs & Shaw

17. The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part

18. Us

19. Aladdin 2019

20. Pokemon Detective Pikachu

21. Captain Marvel

22. The Lion King 2019

23. Yesterday

24. Pet Sematary 2019

25. The Upside

26. Dark Phoenix

27. Cold Pursuit

28. Glass

Villains

At just 88 minutes, Villains manages to tell such an engaging and fun story that proves you can do such a thing with a movie that's less than an hour and a half. The thriller comedy starts with a pair of thieves, played by Bill Skarsgard and Maika Monroe, on the run after robbing a gas station. When their car runs out of gas, they break into a nearby house and discover a couple with a dark and strange secret, played by Jeffrey Donovan and Kyra Sedgwick. The chemistry between both the thieves and the married couple are both really strong, with the performances of the actors really helping in the strange scenarios that occur. Villains's writing is on point and does a fine job at telling a story mostly set in a small house. There are small details that aren't always elaborated on, but small bits of dialogue and certain shots do help at giving the viewer some bigger pictures. With such a short running time, Villains is such an original and fun film with some great reveals. Over all: 100%
2019 top list so far:

1. Avengers: Endgame

2. Ready or Not

3. Toy Story 4

4. Hustlers

5. Shazam!

6. Spider-Man: Far From Home

7. Villains

8. Rocketman

9. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

10. John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum

11. Ad Astra

12. It Chapter 2

13. Godzilla: King of the Monsters

14. Once Upon a Time In Hollywood

15. Hobbs & Shaw

16. The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part

17. Us

18. Aladdin 2019

19. Pokemon Detective Pikachu

20. Captain Marvel

21. The Lion King 2019

22. Yesterday

23. Pet Sematary 2019

24. The Upside

25. Dark Phoenix

26. Cold Pursuit

27. Glass