This is one of those rare weekends where all the big movies are really good ones. And all three take you on some sort of adventure.
Jungle Cruise
Dwayne Johnson & Emily Blunt lead the way on this fun Disney adventure. Most people know, when it comes to Dwayne Johnson flicks you’re gonna get some big action moments. However, in Jungle Cruise, those big moments are scaled down to Disney size action. What’s good about that is, they’re fun action sequences that also carry funny dialogue. So both young and older audiences can remain engaged in this one the whole way thru. The story could have been a little better, but the thing that really saves this film is the loveable Jungle Cruise jokes, that we all know and love… along with some pretty good special effects. Even though it’s enjoyable, unlike the ride, that you get on over and over again. I think it’s gonna be a one-and-done film. See it once and you’re good.
Stillwater
I’ve never been a big fan of Matt Damon movies, but I will admit, this is probably now my third favorite film of his. Behind Good Will Hunting & The Martian. Damon is solid as a roughneck from Oklahoma who travels to visit his daughter, Allison (Abigail Breslin), in a French jail, where she is serving a sentence for a murder she claims she didn’t commit. This story seems to always have something happening, so I never found myself wanting them to hurry it up to get to something else. I think, as a father myself, it really shows what lengths a parent would go to to help their child out of any bad situation. Even if all the things they do to do it aren’t the best or even legal. This film has an all-around great cast and a pretty damn good plot twist that makes Stillwater one of the best films I’ve seen this year so far.
The Green Knight
From the trailer, I was thinking this was gonna be some really awesome mid-evil action-adventure. But not long into it, I had to switch gears because it wasn’t that kind of movie at all. So watching it for what it is and not what I thought, made this a very enjoyable film. Dev Patel, in any role he takes, is very good. And so are the visuals of this fantasy film. At times I hoped they would pick up the pace, but what kept me from getting frustrated is the cinematography. Every new scene is a sight to behold. Then you mix in a little romance, a little horror, and a great supporting cast and you’ve got one great film. The only downside to this one, for me, was at times it seemed a little too dark to see what was happening. Also, in some cases, it appeared to have a hazy tint to its look, which I kept wondering if it was my eyes. Nope, it wasn’t. Still, it didn’t detour me from enjoying this well-done and creative sci-fi adventure.