"We can find you some good guy material."

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has been in a transition. Transitions are OK, but for Marvel this one appears to have lasted several years. There have been more misses than hits. Last I checked we were in the fifth phase of the MCU, and so far the results have been underwhelming. I mean, when even a Captain America movie with Harrison Ford turning into a Red Hulk doesn't capture the box office numbers that were once considered automatic, something is wrong. The fifth phase is now coming to an end with the release of Thunderbolts*. Honestly, my expectations were low, and it appeared that even Marvel was already training us to ignore the last five years and get ready for big things with the launch this summer of The Fantastic Four: First Steps and Robert Downey Jr.'s return as Doom in the next series of Avengers films. I got the feeling that Thunderbolts* was really just filling time until the "real" stuff starts and was quite ready and willing to ignore it. I'll bet there are many of you who have been having that same feeling. Well ... it's time for a reality check. Thunderbolts* is not anything close to a great movie, but I haven't had this much fun at a comics film for literally years (OK, check that; I loved the Deadpool/Wolverine film). They say America loves an underdog, and Thunderbolts* is the Rocky of the MCU.

“If a grudge is self-inflicted poison, then the person who invited you to this wedding is the most poisoned person that I have ever met. She doesn’t let go, and you are the biggest grudge of her life.”

I was a skeptic about this film. I didn’t think lightning could strike twice. A Simple Favor was a unique black comedy mystery film, and I expected that any follow-ups would fall victim to the law of diminishing returns. As it turns out, despite being seven years removed from these characters, for Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively, it is as if no time has passed. Both Kendrick and Lively easily slipped back into their roles as well as their chemistry, which was vital to the success of the first film. I should have known that the film would be something special, given that it is the first sequel of director Paul Feig’s 22-film directorial career. Unlike the first film, Another Simple Favor is not based on a novel but an original story, which makes sense given where the first film left off. Returning alongside Kendrick and Lively is much of the cast from the first film, to include Henry Golding and Andrew Rannells.

"You lost the moment you walked into this restaurant"

Do you know why they serve peanuts on airplanes? Even with all of the allergies out there, it remains an airline staple, and for one very specific reason. Chewing gum is a big deal for the airlines. The little time given to clean a plane between flights makes those of you inclined to put your chewing gum under your seat a bit of a problem. So they serve you peanuts, because peanut oil causes the "sticky" element of gum to completely break down. Try it. Your gum falls apart if you add peanut oil to the equation, and that's exactly what director Christopher Landon has done with his latest Blumhouse thriller, Drop. Someone added a bit of peanut oil to the production, and it kind of never really sticks together. And that's too bad. Because there's a kind of clever and original element here that could have been a lot more interesting. Let's try to separate the gum from the peanut, shall we?

Having never played the game and having no frame of reference for this adaptation, I had to rely heavily on reinforcements to let me know if the movie was true to the game. According to my nephew, there were some deviations, such as the final boss, but for the most part, he said the movie was true to the game. From my perspective, A Minecraft Movie was an entertaining movie that doesn’t take itself seriously at all, which is to be expected with Jack Black cast as Steve, the only original character from the game. Black delivers in the fashion that he is famous for, a bit of overacting and breaking out into song in the oddest moments. Adding to the silliness is Jason Momoa, who fully embraced his goofy side that we usually only get to see when he is doing interviews. Jack Black and Jason Momoa being given free rein to crack jokes and overact; what more can you ask for? Along for the ride are Danielle Brooks (Orange is the New Black), Sebastian Hansen in his second film role, and Emmer Meyer of Wednesday and A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, which explains why I’m still waiting on season two of Wednesday.

Fan of lava chicken? Well, don’t worry, you will see it, which was actually my nephew’s favorite part. Personally, I favored the bromance between Black’s Steve and Momoa’s Garret “The Garbage Man” Garrison. As I mentioned, I don’t usually see Momoa going the comedic route, so when he does, I find myself really enjoying it. Specifically, what I really enjoyed was the role reversal for Black and Momoa, where Black was the brave and selfless hero, while Momoa, despite all his muscle, finds himself having to be rescued rather than the rescuing. However, their dynamic did pull focus from the rest of the cast. At first blush, one would assume that the main focus of the plot would be on Hansen’s Henry and his relationship with his older sister/guardian Meyer’s Natalie. As Henry is misunderstood in his world, it would make sense that he would find comfort in a world where anything is possible. I expected that Black and Momoa would act in mentor-like roles and take a back seat to the dynamic between Hanson and Meyer. However, it turned out to be the other way around. While Black and Momoa both do somewhat mentor Henry, there isn’t a lot of attention dedicated to the relationship between brother and sister. In fact, they spend a great deal of the film apart. While I would have liked to have seen more time dedicated to the brother and sister dynamic, I can’t say that I hated the Black-Momoa bromance, especially when the two rocked out.

“When you can lie about everything, when you can deny everything, how do you tell the truth about anything?”

That is essentially the theme of Black Bag. When intelligence agent Kathryn Woodhouse is suspected of betraying the nation, her husband -- also a legendary agent -- faces the ultimate test of whether to be loyal to his marriage or his country. With a plot like that, you are most definitely going to need some top-shelf actors to convey the nuance and tension of a married couple that can’t fully trust one another. Enter Cate Blanchett and Miachel Fassbender on the heels of his espionage series The Agency. Toss in Steven Soderbergh as the director, and you get yourself a party. Or at least you should; however, the pacing has to be just right. Naturally, a suspense movie such as this needs to build suspense. However, if I’m being perfectly honest, this slow burn burned just a little too long. Outside that little detail, the film hit all its marks. The film was aided in this endeavor by a cast of consummate professionals such as Pierce Brosnan, Rege-Jean Page, Naomi Harris, Tom Burke, and Marisa Abela of Industry fame.