A Quiet Place

Overall: 17 (Love It - Must See)
This movie was unique. I have not seen anything like it, and I loved it. 

Entertainment: 6 (Love It - Must See)
I was totally engaged with this movie from the moment it started though the end. It is not necessarily a happy story, but it manages to be optimistic and enjoyable to watch despite that.

Writing: 6 (Love It - Must See)
More a thriller than a horror movie, it is amazingly written and edited. Everything in the movie had a reason and a place. There was no fluff or waste, which made watching it feel fantastic. The only scene that really bothered me was where the kids were sinking into the grain as if it were quicksand. Having been raised on a 600-acre farm with a grain silo, I can tell you that people do not sink into grain like that.

Presentation: 5 (Strongly Like)

The visuals in the film were good. The acting was really good, particularly Emily Blunt who manages to make you really believe she is about to die--while delivering a baby and fighting off a monster.

Avengers: Infinity War

Overall: 15 (Strongly Like)
It is impressive that a movie with this many stars, moving pieces, and backstories can be so good. This would have been an easy movie to mess up, but Marvel managed to pull off another great movie.

Entertainment: 5 (Strongly Like)
Typical MCU, and that's a good thing. I feel like the MCU has become to this generation the equivalent of the Star Wars universe to my generation.

Writing: 5 (Strongly Like)
With so many characters, there were several that were completely non-essential. Despite that, the writing manages to weave everyone in without ruining them, while focusing down to a couple of key plots/sub-plots. There were some throw away lines and scenes that didn't add much, but they were probably necessary to keep the movie from getting too heavy.

Presentation: 5 (Strongly Like)

The visuals in the film were good. I was particularly impressed with how real Thanos looked. A big purple alien is another one of those things that is easily made to look silly, but they didn't mess that up either.

Black Panther (2018)

Overall: 14
Another solid addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

Entertainment: 5 (Strongly Like)
Better than the 76% rotten tomato user rating. It felt like a Marvel Superhero version of the Lion King a couple of times, but it was entertaining. I like the Lion King.

Writing: 4 (Like)
The writing was decent, with a well thought through and delivered backstory. That said, I didn't see a major character arc happen for T'Challa or anyone else, leaving the overall story feeling a little soft. Also, the primary antagonist (though really well acted [see below]) felt a little one dimensional with unclear reasoning for his motivations.

Presentation: 5 (Strongly Like)

The visuals in the film were good--consistent with previous MCU films. As in previous movies, Boseman brings T'Challa to life. Also, Jordan was so good at Killmonger it seemed like he must actually be a bad person. He brought that character to life for me, even though there was limited depth and explanation of the character's thought process.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)

Overall: 12
This is another retread of the same old Star Wars story, but I enjoyed myself. It is worth watching, but does not have the magic that made me love the originals.

Entertainment: 4 (Like)
This is not the original trilogy, but it is not as bad as the 56% rotten tomato user rating either. I think the initial inflated critics reviews of 93% got people's hopes too high. I enjoyed this one as much as The Force Awakens, but I went in expecting a 56%.

Writing: 3 (Neutral)
The writing had problems, and is almost in my dislike category. It only avoids that because the overall story hung together well enough. Like The Force Awakens, the writing felt derivative. You will not see anything new. Some characters had character development, but others had a fair amount of screen time with character development that seemed stilted. A lot of the comedy fell completely flat.

Presentation: 5 (Strongly Like)

The visuals in the film were really beautiful, EXCEPT some digital effects that looked like a video game. If it weren't for the digital effects and some weird space physics items I found distracting, I may have leaned toward a 6 (Love) on this. As for the acting, it was decent and in line with The Force Awakens.

Godzilla (2014)

Overall: 6

Entertainment: 2
I know. How could I enjoy Pacific Rim (it got an 11 on my review rubric) and dislike Godzilla? In a nutshell, Godzilla had an inferior plot, less engaging main character, less attractive visuals, and it made the mistake of taking itself too seriously.

That last point is important. Like a comic movie, a monster movie needs to balance how it presents itself versus how seriously it takes itself. Godzilla's failure to be truly scary (really...there was not a seriously scary/suspenseful moment in two hours) made taking itself seriously kind of silly. As a result, I couldn't suspend my disbelief, and was fairly bored during most of the movie.

Writing: 1
Since I assume you are not going to watch this monstrosity of a movie (see what I did there  :) after reading this highly credible review, I'm going to pitch a few spoilers out there for this section only. Just FYI.

One of the primary flaws in the writing is the use of impersonal villains (giant monsters "MUTOs" that don't really care whether or not they harm civilization). Godzilla was no different. He lumbered around hunting the MUTOs and was kind of the hero...sorta...but also the villain. The truth is that monsters only work as villains when people are the real prey--think of the velociraptors and people in Jurassic Park. It turns out when the monsters don't care about eating the characters in the monster movie, they aren't that interesting and the show isn't fun.

There is plenty more I could tear into, like a limited plot, a main character who was dull, logical flaws designed only to forward the plot, etc., but I think you have the idea.

Presentation: 3
Many will say the visuals were very good, and they were to some extent. However, I did not enjoy the overly-cluttered, almost 70s flair of the movie. The destruction looked pretty good, but destruction is only good in a movie where you care if characters get hurt; and, as I mentioned previously, you don't care about anyone in this movie despite usable acting.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Overall: 17

Entertainment: 6
Stronger than the first installment of Captain America, with better writing, better visuals, and more heart. The real aspect that sets this movie apart, however, is it's story. It stays true to Steve Rogers (Capt. America) personality, and does a great job of giving him a moral dilemma without changing him into a flawed hero (yes I am tired of that cliche at this moment). It is also nice that this movie stays as pro-America as it's hero--it gets tiring to only be reminded of our defects as a country--despite recognition of some individual and governmental failings. You don't have to be a comic movie fan to enjoy watching this upbeat action-thriller; it is definitely worth your time!

Writing: 6
The Winter Soldier easily handles being a stand-alone movie for those who have not seen the first installment (or any of the other Marvel movies for that matter), while having tons of tie-ins to the overall Marvel world in a way that doesn't feel forced or contrived. The other aspect that I really enjoy is that this film is as much thriller as action (read: it actually has a captivating story between punches, or maybe it has some great punches within the story  :).

Presentation: 5
Overall good visually, but movie does not get too creative or out there with what it displays. It fits right with the rest of the Marvel films, and the action is acrobatic and attractive. The strong writing is well delivered, especially by Chris Evans (Capt. America) who does a great job of making an honorable character more than a caricature.

Divergent (2014)

Overall: 13

Entertainment: 5
Divergent is one of those movies critics love to hate--I am often a rough critic myself--but this film surprised me by being a really enjoyable watch. There is some items that involved real suspension of disbelief, but I think those were holdovers from the book that did not translate well onto the big screen (read jumping off moving trains as standard practice, etc.). Still, I had a good time watching this one.

Writing: 4
I can see where the critics complain that this story is like all other teen movies right now. The movie is set in a dystopian future, the teen protagonist (Tris) is angsting about who she is and who she should be, and there is an obligatory love story element. However, I agree with the argument that there are really no new stories anymore. Most are about the same age-old problems involved in the human condition. The differences are largely setting, timing, and stylistic in nature.

Again, don't listen to the critics. Divergent is both a decent love story and an interesting coming of age story as well.

Presentation: 4
Mixed bag here. The visuals look fairly decent, but don't always add up (e.g. future Chicago with turbines all over the buildings?).

The acting and look of Shailene Woodley (Tris) and Theo James (Four), however, come across very well on screen. They sold their characters well, and I found myself rooting for them throughout the movie.