In the Shadow of the Moon (Netflix) - 3/5

The audience reception of this movie is going to vary wildly by political affiliation, as to whether the heroes or the villains win in the end, though the film certainly portrays them as heroes. The setup is clever and the core ideas intriguing, but unfortunately it ties its resolution too closely with preconceived notions of social issues that aren’t addressed within the film, only taken as a given. There are distinct similarities both visually and thematically to other high-concept sci-fi films, but the film falls victim to some huge sci-fi plot holes in the process. For all that, though, it still has a compelling story, very solid acting, and a high level of overall polish.

Content warnings: blood, some language.

Closest comparison: It’s like Mr. Nobody or Predestination by way of The Place Beyond The Pines.

Setting: Police Drama
Plot: Social Sci-fi
Tone: CSI Drama

The Predator (2018) - 3/5

To begin with this could have been a 4/5. It has a solid setup and a few interesting turns initially, but it quickly turns into just another action movie. It has better effects than some of the other installments in this franchise but used to less effect; it’s gorier but not more interesting. It adds a little to the Predator mythos and it’s always fun to see military guys running around trying to fight a powerful alien. The humor is ultimately what carries it this high, with well-paced jokes to keep the audience interested. Unless you’re already a fan of the other movies there’s no reason to watch this over any number of other summer popcorn action flicks.

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Logan - 5/5

First off: it's ultraviolent, it's sometimes depressing, there one 2-second "gentlemen, avert your eyes" blip, and there's lots of swearing. But it's the best movie I've seen in a while, and it's certainly the best X-men movie to date. And the little girl is awesome!
It's a very emotional and emotionally mature movie that takes its subject matter seriously and delivers on the payoff in heart-pounding, tear-jerking realism.