The Umbrella Academy (Netflix) - 4/5

This show is primarily about family drama, which I don’t usually appreciate, but here all the characters are not only vivid but intriguing. Their idiosyncrasies relate directly to the plot in crystal clear ways so their actions are always believable, even when completely inadvisable. Any political messages are toned down to the particulars and come naturally out of the characters and situations, where a lesser show would generalize. Netflix flexes its wallet by getting top-tier music in every episode and excellent tv-quality special effects when needed. The ending was good but not great, and even though it left me wanting another season it could have wrapped some things up better. Disclaimer: It’s a weird show, but watch the second episode before deciding whether to continue; that’s where things really kick off.

Closest Comparison: It’s like Heroes Season 1 (2006) by way of Watchmen (2009)

Setting: Family Drama
Plot: Sci-Fi
Tone: Drama/Action

Incredibles 2 - 3/5

First the good, then the bad. The action is a lot of fun, the overall color palate and many of the costumes and gadgets are spot on. The fight scenes are creative again, and one in particular is particularly stunning. Unfortunately, this movie is clumsily trying to say about 6 different things and not saying any of them well. The feminists got to the script, apparently, so the most consistent message is that women are good at everything and men have a hard enough time doing relatively simple asks. Even that message is muddled, though not enough to subvert it, and it ends up not really saying anything, though it's clearly trying to. The visuals are mostly good, but the costumes on the other superheroes are bizarre and many are downright ugly. I wanted this to be better, at least a 4/5, but it's not quite there.

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.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children - 3/5

Don't get me wrong, it's good-ish, and if you like this sort of thing then definitely go see it. But it's less Tim Burton-y and more Horror than I was expecting. Also, it goes a bit wonky when they get to the carnival. It's a shame, too, because it starts off as a 5/5, then slowly declines to somewhere around a 2/5. The concept and some aspects of the execution are better than the overall execution.