Wonder what he's been smoking.”

When it comes to Cheech and Chong, you hardly have to wonder. What better way to celebrate 420 today than by revisiting Cheech and Chong's Up in Smoke, the OG stoner comedy? The film is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, which Paramount has commemorated with this new edition. But how well does this high-larious comedy classic hold up in 2018?

You know what the greatest thing about kids is? Their imaginations. That is something that tends to diminish as we get older. If you are lucky, some vestiges remain as an adult, but nothing in comparison to when you were a kid, right? I mean, when you are a kid, your imagination allows to be believe that anything is possible. For example, the idea that two puppies can not only fly to Hawaii in back in the span of time that it takes their owner to make it home from work, but they can do it without being in a doggie carrier. That was my struggle while watching Puppy Dog Pals; I kept bring reality into it. However, my daughter Nalyce does not have that problem.

So, when it comes to animated kids’ movies, I defer to the expertise of my six-year-old daughter, Nalyce. I’ve been reviewing for several years now and I like to think that I am capable of being firm and fair, but my daughter is a harder judge of the quality kids content. She actually walked out on Finding Dory. Yeah, she is that tough. Fortunately for Tad Stone the Lost Explorer and the Secret of King Midas, it received her golden seal of approval, pun intended. A continuation of the franchise, the story functions well enough as a standalone that you don’t have to be concerned that you won’t be about to keep up with the premise.

Captivating, creepy, and chilling, the supernatural thriller Truth or Dare takes you on a never-ending journey of death.  Much like other horror films that have perfected the formula for surprise and contagious emotional terror, this film has it all bundled tightly and calculating to transfix the audience into believing. If you saw the films It Follows, The Ring, and the Final Destination series, you’ll relive the sensations those films made way beyond leaving the theater.

Offbeat, heavy-handed characters, bleak outcast situations, and moody, it’s a marvelous adventure for those who like Wes Anderson movies.  This one, however, shows his range with an animated film that’s worthy of most Japanese greats. From the opening drum introduction of Isle of Dogs to the heartfelt finale, Anderson captures a cold, disturbing environment from which his characters can rise up.  If you like offbeat stories produced in stop-motion animation in the vein of Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride and Frankenweenie, then this film should not be missed.

Brad Anderson is a television actor who has puttered around that industry going back to David Simon's Homicide: Life On The Streets and The Wire. This is pretty much his first feature film opportunity in the director's chair, and Beirut certainly shows that he has a lot of talent... as a television director. No question the chops are there, but the framing and pacing of Beirut suffers from a kind of small thinking that fails to keep one's attention for very long. He hasn't learned how to take advantage of large set pieces and exotic locations to expand the experience for his audience. Some will believe I'm talking about action or the kind of cheap thrills that sell tickets, but that's not exactly my point.

Bold and incredibly compelling, the movie Chappaquiddick is a “tell all” with a lot of authority.  Much like last year’s The Post, it tells its story pulling no punches, playing out the characters and holding nothing back.  Although I’m familiar with the incident, many of the facts were clouded, squashed, or lost due to current events at the time.  If you liked The Post, then here’s a film that will enlighten you and make you cringe. In 1969 about one year after the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy while he was touring for votes to be nominated for President, his brother Ted Kennedy (Jason Clarke) was already thinking about his chance at the highest position in America. On the fateful night of July 18, however, things ran amok, taking him out of any chance for the Presidency. 

When David Ayer's Suicide Squad film was released a couple of years ago, the reviews were certainly mixed. One of the biggest complaints from the diehard fans was that Warner opted for a PG-13 version of the film, which took away much of the edge of the material. One only need look at the success of Deadpool to understand that there is a place for a comic film that pushes envelopes and doesn't shy away from an R rating. It almost appears that the new Warner/DC animated feature film Suicide Squad: Hell To Pay would attempt to make up for that decision. This may very well be an animated "cartoon" film, but it's a hard-edged R-rated experience that doesn't shy away from brutality, blood, and violence.

- “We’ll get another chance…to go home. It wasn’t the right time.”

- “What’s the right time?”

When The Americans received a two-season renewal back in 2016, the news was met with unanimous enthusiasm. Fans of FX’s acclaimed (but low-rated) spy drama were guaranteed two more years’ worth of stories, while TV critics applauded the fact that creator Joe Weisberg and Co. could carefully plot out their show’s endgame. That’s why it was a bit shocking — and more than a bit disappointing — to find that much of this fifth season felt like The Americans was saving all the good stuff for the end.

Lin Oeding has been involved with stunt work in film and TV for nearly two decades; it should come as no surprise that his first feature film would showcase some excellent stunt work throughout.  Before Braven, I knew Jason Momoa had done work on Game of Thrones and had his bit as Aquaman in Justice League, but I had never gotten the chance to see him genuinely flex those acting muscles of his till now.  I’m not about to say Momoa delivers a tour-de-force performance here, but it’s nice to see that he’s attempting to show a little range while beating up on the bad guys in the process. One would think the pairing of Oeding and Momoa would equal a surefire action hit, but instead we get an action film that unfortunately lacks any substance beyond some of its unique kills.