Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness - 3/5

This movie is conflicted. The first half is standard super hero fare, the second half tends more toward Sam Raimi-brand horror. The pacing is very flat, which robs the ending of some of its impact, but the fight scenes are creatively conceived and excellently executed. The character of America Chavez is mostly fine, but some of her trappings and backstory are downright leftist propaganda. The good parts of this movie are pretty great, but there’s enough that doesn’t work to bring the film movie down to mediocre.

Closest comparison: It’s like Doctor Strange (2016) by way of Evil Dead (2013).

Setting: Super Hero
Plot: Mentorship
Tone: Super Hero, then Horror

Spider-Man: No Way Home - 4/5

This movie is attempting to be a love-letter to Spider-Man fans and MCU fans alike, and in many ways it succeeds. There’s much better character development here than in the previous two Spider-Man movies, and the main cast rises to the challenge with superb acting. The fight scenes are much better than Far From Home, both in conception and execution. That being said, the first half hour is pretty painful in its attempts at humor and there are a few throw-away lines that are cringey attempts at being ‘woke’. At this point in the MCU every film is carrying a lot of baggage, and how this one hits any given audience member will only vary more and more, this film very much included.

Closest comparison: It’s like Spider-Man: Far From Home by way of Doctor Strange (2016).

Setting: Super Hero
Plot: Sci-Fi
Tone: Comedy

Gemini Man - 2/5

This movie is a mess. The action is decent, but all of the good parts (with one possible exception) were shown in the trailer and, bafflingly, were better executed in the trailer. The acting ranges from passable to poor, with a few pretty cringe-inducing moments. There are a few times where the cinematography is beautiful, but for the most part everything just looks boring. Even the special effects, while mostly top-notch, have a few scenes that look rough to the point of being unnerving. There are some good ideas buried within the story but the script is never able to do anything with them.

Closest comparison: It’s like Killer Elite (2011) with the art direction of Oblivion (2013).

Setting: Government Thriller
Plot: Sci-Fi
Tone: Action

Sunshine - 5/5

Not only is this movie gorgeous right out of the gate, it also has a top notch slow burn thriller pacing. The musical score is definitely pulling its weight here, bringing both the weight of grandeur and a beautiful framework for the story, all the while digging its spurs into the tension. This movie is solidly character-driven and never loses sight of the mission, but keeps practicality always in the forefront of the story. For solidly tense sci-fi that’s also fun to watch you can’t do much better than this.

Closest comparison: It’s like a cross between U-571, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and parts of The Fountain..

Setting: Sci-fi
Plot: Disaster
Tone: Thriller

Annihilation - 4/5

It starts out like Arrival, so I wasn’t expecting it to turn into a straight-up horror movie about half way through. That being said, I really enjoyed the ride. It’s beautiful to watch and riveting to think about, keeping its slow pace rich with engagement. It’s great an it’s clever, ambiguous in places but becoming more clear the more you think about it. Even the way the story jumps around is part of the narative iteself. The ending is pretty trippy and psychodelic, putting it squarely in the high concept sci-fi category, but if that’s your jam and you’re ok with the horror elements then definitely give it a watch.

Closest comparison: Arrival, then a Quite Place, then The Fountain