
Tron: Ares review
Back in the day when only the wealthy had home computers, came a revolutionary movie called “Tron” from Disney in 1982. The computer generated visual effects in it were so out of this world that the Oscars refused to nominate “Tron” because they thought using computers for visual effects was cheating. Fast forward to 2025, when a stance like that by the Oscars is blatantly moronic and we get the third movie in the “Tron” series, “Tron Ares.” As you would imagine, the visual effects are more than a little better than in 1982, but is the story, are the characters, is the plot pacing? Our main character is Ares, a soldier program, created by the Dillinger Corporation, to be created and used repeatedly by the military and also used to infiltrate the computer systems of rival companies. One of those rival companies is ENCOM, the company introduced in the original “Tron”, and the CEO of ENCOM is looking for something that’ll give them the edge over the Dillinger Corporation. Ares is dispatched by Julian Dillinger, the CEO of the Dillinger Corporation to find out what ENCOM is up to but becomes confused about following his orders the deeper he gets. Is it worth going to the theater to find out what happens next? Check out this episode to find out! “Tron Ares” stars Jared Leto, Greta Lee, Jeff Bridges, Evan Peters, Jodie Turner-Smith, Gillian Anderson, Hasan Minhaj, Arturo Castro, Cameron Monaghan and Sarah Desjardins.

The Smashing Machine review
UFC, or the Ultimate Fighting Championship, the mixed martial arts league, started out small like any new sporting endeavor. However one of the great fighters of that early period was Mark Kerr, played by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. The need, the craving, is to win no matter what and Kerr took that seriously. The new movie “The Smashing Machine” shows what happened to Mark Kerr because of that. Also, the UFC was very disorganized and a lot of the fighters suffered because of it. Mark did too and he had his girlfriend, Dawn Staples (played by Emily Blunt), there alongside him as he suffered through emotional torment and drug use. Is this a feel-good story in the end and there’s a happy ending for Mark and Dawn? Is it worth going to the theater to find out? Watch this episode to find out. “The Smashing Machine” also stars Ryan Bader, Bas Rutten, Kenny Rice, Jerin Valel, Andre Tricoteux, James McSweeney and Jonathan Corbblah.

One Battle After Another review
Hey! Feel like the topic of political violence doesn’t come up near enough nowadays? Have you ever been doom scrolling and thought, “This is cool and totally not rotting my brain, but ya know what would be cool? Putting this up on a movie screen for 2 hours and 41 minutes!” If this is a current and accurate description of you, dear reader, get ready to be happy because boy! Is “One Battle After Another” for you! Leonardo DiCaprio plays Bob who for most of the movie is a broken down, always behind, drugged out criminal who was part of an anti-America militia. Just picture Antifa. They bomb buildings, they rob banks, they break into illegal alien holding facilities and free the illegal aliens. Fast forward and he’s hiding from the authorities with his high school-aged daughter. All along an immigration enforcement figure, named Colonel Steven J. Lockjaw and played by Sean Penn, is after him and his daughter. Will they elude the authorities and continue to break the law consequence free? Is it worth finding out at the theater? Check out this Movies Merica episode to find out! “One Battle After Another” also stars Benicio Del Toro, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, Wood Harris, Alana Haim, Chase Infiniti, Shayna McHayle, Paul Grimstad, Dijon Duenas and Brooklyn Demme.

The Long Walk review
You may think the American economy stinks now but it’s still not bad enough to warrant the twisted walk that’s portrayed in the movie “The Long Walk.” This movie takes place in a alternative history that resembles the 1950s. There was a great war and most people are in poverty. However there is an annual event called The Long Walk that’s meant to inspire every state in America to work harder to make the country prosper again. A man from each state is chosen to participate in The Long Walk from a pool of men from each state who signed up. If you are the last man remaining at the end, you’re rich and you are granted one wish for whatever you want. The rules? Very simple. If you stop walking long enough, you get shot dead. So lace up your Nikes and try not to have too much fun! The Long Walk is run by a character called The Major who is portrayed to be a malevolent, heartless blowhard so it makes sense he’s played by Mark Hamill. Is it worth checking this movie out at the theater? Check out this episode to find out. “The Long Walk” also stars Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Garrett Wareing, Tut Nyuot, Charlie Plummer, Ben Wang, Jordan Gonzalez, Joshua Odjick, Roman Griffin Davis and Judy Greer.

The Conjuring Last Rites review
In “The Conjuring: Last Rites”, Ed and Lorraine Warren have worked over a thousand cases as spiritually guided paranormal investigators, helping save people from demonic forces. That doesn’t mean they’ve seen everything and this latest case might be the one that breaks them. This is the real-life Smurl case in suburban Pittsburgh, where the introduction of a possessed mirror into their home, also introduces evil spirits. In addition to that, the evil spirit within the possessed doll, Annabelle, continues to haunt Ed and Lorraine’s daughter. Is it worth going to the theater to find out what happens next? Watch this episode to find out! “The Conjuring: Last Rites” stars Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Mia Tomlinson, Ben Hardy, Rebecca Calder, Elliott Cowan, Kila Lord Cassidy, Beau Gadsdon and Molly Cartwright.

Backdraft review
Fighter pilots have “Top Gun.” Race car drivers have “F1” and “Days Of Thunder.” What movie did firefighters have up until 1991 to put their heroics on full display? Nothing. Absolutely nothing, until a director, mostly known for making comedies, decided that firefighters finally get their day in the sun. That director was Ron Howard and the movie that helped the aura of firefighters burn so bright is the movie I’m reviewing in this episode of Movies Merica. That movie is “Backdraft.” Kurt Russell and William Baldwin play Stephen and Brian McCaffrey, two brothers who grew up in a family of firefighters in Chicago. To put it mildly, they don’t like each other very much. Stephen is a veteran firefighter and Brian is his younger brother still trying to carve out his niche in life. Brian decides his latest venture is to go into the family biz and fight fire too. Add to the family friction, a series of mysterious deaths due to fires, that may or may not be murder. Many of you have seen this classic, but for you of those who haven’t, is it worth checking out? Watch this episode of Movies Merica to find out! “Backdraft” also stars Robert De Niro, Donald Sutherland, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Scott Glenn, Rebecca De Mornay, Jason Gedrick, J.T. Walsh, Tony Mockus Sr., Cedric Young, Juan Ramirez, Kevin Casey, Jack McGee and Mark Wheeler.

Eden review
In the new Ron Howard movie, “Eden”, a group of disillusioned Europeans settles on a remote, uninhabited island in the Galápagos. They’re inspired by a man, played by Jude Law, who came to the island and supposedly found happiness. They soon discover that their greatest threat isn't the brutal climate or deadly wildlife, but one another. Human nature is what it is after all. Sinful. As tensions spiral and desperation takes hold, a twisted power struggle unfolds, leading to betrayal, violence and death. Is it worth a trip to the theater to find out all that happens? Check out this episode of Movies Merica to find out! “Eden” also stars Ana De Armas, Vanessa Kirby, Daniel Bruhl, Sydney Sweeney, Jonathan Tittel, Felix Kammerer, Toby Wallace, Ignacio Gasparini, Richard Roxburgh and Paul Gleeson.

Nobody 2 review
The star of “Nobody 2”, Bob Oedenkirk, typically plays sleazy, cowardly, funny characters, like in “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul.” However, in the “Nobody” movies, he gets to stretch his acting chops by playing an unassuming, middle-aged, ass-kicking secret agent, named Hutch Mansell, balancing life with a wife and two kids. In this sequel, since he’s always gone dishing out pain, his family is under strain. He’s a neglecting husband and an absent Dad. It’s time for urgent action to remedy the situation. It’s serious time for a family vacation. As you find out, Hutch kinda sucks at planning a vacation and he ends up taking his family to an old, dilapidated vacation resort called Plummerville. They try to make the best of it until trouble finds them and some bad guys make Hutch turn the vacation into a slaycation. Is it worth going to the theater to find out what happens next? Find out in this episode of Movies Merica! “Nobody 2” also stars Connie Nielsen, Christopher Lloyd, John Ortiz, RZA, Sharon Stone, Colin Hanks, Gage Munroe, Paisley Cadorath, Colin Salmon, Jacob Blair and Daniel Bernhardt.

Weapons review
If you like a horror movie that will keep you guessing and constantly exclaiming “OMIGAWD WHAT AM I WATCHING!!!?”, then the movie “Weapons” just might be that movie for you. This movie is brought to us by the director of the surprise horror hit from 2022, “Barbarian.” That would be one Zach Cregger and we’ll see if he goes two for two with this latest offering from him. “Weapons” starts off with the plot point that suddenly 17 elementary school kids, all from the same class, suddenly run out of their houses at 2:17am, and never return. Naturally suspicions are pointed at their teacher, Ms. Gandy, played by Julia Garner. One of the sources of suspicion is a father of one of the missing kids played by Josh Brolin, who’s questioning of Ms. Gandy leads them both into a path of darkness. Is it worth going to the theater to find out what happens next? Check out this episode to find out. “Weapons” also stars Alden Ehrenreich, Cary Christopher, Benedict Wong, Austin Abrams, Scarlett Sher, Jason Turner and Amy Madigan.

The Naked Gun (2025) review
In 1998, we got the sequel to the movie “The Fully-Clothed Gun”, known as “The Naked Gun.” Leslie Nielsen played ace detective Frank Drebin who showed everyone the wrong way to be a cop. Now, in 2025, we’re getting the inevitable. A remake of “The Naked Gun” starring Liam Neeson as Frank Drebin Jr. who now has to carry on his father’s legacy of being a cautionary tale with a badge who shoots first, asks questions much later, sometimes never. This reboot is brought to us by the same guys who brought us “Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping” and countless SNL skits, the Lonely Island boys. They get some help from Seth McFarlane from the “Ted” movies and “Family Guy.” Pamela Anderson, who never saw a boat she didn’t have fun on, plays Frank’s love interest. Sorry, no boat scene in this movie. They go up against the evil tech billionaire that I’m sure wasn’t at all modeled after Elon Musk. He’s played by Danny Huston who slimes his way across the screen. The original “Naked Gun” movies at hilarious quips and sight gags galore, and they landed most of the time. How many land in this reboot and is it worth going to the theater to see? Find out in this episode of “Movies Merica Live” with special guest star Adam from “Vets Talkin!” “The Naked Gun” also stars Paul Walter Houser, CCH Pounder, Kevin Durand, Liza Koshy, Eddy Yu and Michael Beasley.

Superman review
In this episode we talk about what is no doubt the most anticipated movie of 2025, James Gunn’s “Superman.” Gunn is more known for his quirky movies with unusual characters engaged in constant frenetic action. This time he takes on the most well-known superhero, the first son of Krypton. No small feat. Can he make everyone with their own idea of who they think Superman should be happy? In this latest Superman movie, Superman (David Corenswet) has been protecting Earth for a few years along with working at the Daily Planet with Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan.) In the meantime, his arch nemesis Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) is hatching plans with the government to rationalize taking Superman out. Superman just might need all the help he can get and he might get that from the Justice Gang with Green Lantern, Mr. Terrific and Hawk Girl. Also, we can’t forget Superman’s furry friend, Krypto. Can Superman survive what Lex and the government got coming for him? Is it worth going to the theater to find out? All will be revealed in this episode of Movies Merica. “Superman” also stars Frank Grillo, Alan Tudyk, Maria Gabriela de Faria, Sara Sampaio, Dinesh Thyagarajan, Wendell Pierce, Michael Ian Black, Beck Bennett, Skyler Gisondo and Mikaela Hoover.

Jurassic World: Rebirth review
We learned about dino DNA for the first time in 1993 with the first Jurassic Park movie. That DNA must have staying power but they’re still churning out Jurassic movies 32 years later. This time, in “Jurassic World: Rebirth”, it’s Scarlett Johanssen, post-Black Widow, taking the lead. She plays Zora, a merc hired by a questionable pharmaceutical rep to help a dinosaur expert get access to a forbidden area where dinosaurs still roam free. This is all to get some dino DNA to help cure heart disease. Is it worth going to the theater to find out what happens next? Check out this episode to find out! “Jurassic World: Rebirth” also stars Mahershala Ali, Jonathan Bailey, Rupert Friend, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Luna Blaise, David Iacano and Ed Skrein.

F1 review
In 2022, director Joseph Kosinski wowed us with amazing sights from inside fighter jets in “Top Gun: Maverick.” In 2025, he’s dropping our jaws to the floor with awesome sights from inside F1 race cars in the summer blockbuster “F1” starring Brad Pitt. PItt plays veteran driver Sonny Hayes who is asked by his friend, who owns a team, to help them win and maybe mentor their young driver too. Hayes soon finds that today’s racing is fraught with betrayal, nasty media, corrupt F1 officials and that’s before he gets in the missile with tires going 200+ mph. Is it worth finding out how it all goes down at the theater? Check out this episode to find out. “F1” also stars Javier Bardem, Kerry Condon, Damson Idris, Tobias Menzies, Kim Bodnia, Sarah Niles, Will Merrick and Callie Cooke.

28 Years Later review
First there was “28 Days Later.” Then “28 Weeks Later.” This week we got “28 Years Later.” We better appreciate this one big time because the next one has to be “28 Decades Later”, and none of us will be around. For now, let’s focus on “28 Years Later”, which is the latest in this series of movies centered around an outbreak of what’s called the Rage Virus. People are infected with the Rage Virus and then infect others by biting them or getting their infected blood into a person somehow. In 2007, “28 Weeks Later” was released, so this new movie takes place 28 years after that, hence the title. In this installment, there are people living on an island in the UK, including Jamie, his wife Isla and their son Spike. Jamie and Spike go venture into mainland UK to forage for supplies so Spike can get his first kill of the infected. Things go sideways though and it changes Spike, as does a betrayal that Spike witnesses. He soon takes his Mom back to mainland UK in search of a doctor since she has severe medical symptoms and they realize the infected have evolved which isn’t good news for them. Is it worth going to the theater to find out what happens next? Check out this episode to find out! “28 Years Later” stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Comer, Ralph Fiennes, Alfie Williams, Christopher Fulford, Sandy Batchelor, Kim Allan, Sienna Giblin and Amy Cameron.

Ballerina review
You know the John Wick movies are successful when they’re making spin-off TV series and movies off of that franchise. This week we get the first, and most assuredly, not the last John Wick spin-off movie, “Ballerina.” Ana De Armas takes the starring role in this as another assassin who, like John Wick, was trained to kill by the Ruska Roma criminal organization. Perhaps she’s even more lethal than Wick because no one expects her to be an assassin. We saw a preview of De Armas kicking butt as an agent in the Bond film “No Time To Die.” Here she gets a whole movie to showcase her killer talents. In this, her main objective is to use her particular set of skills to find her parent’s killers and no one better get in her way. Is it worth checking out this action at the theater? Check out this episode to find out. “Ballerina” also stars Keanu Reeves, Ian McShane, Angelica Huston, Gabriel Byrne, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Ava Joyce McCarthy, Juliet Doherty, Norman Reedus, Lance Reddick, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, David Castaneda, Victoria Comte and Robert Maaser.

Bring Her Back review
Did you just watch a feel good movie and need to rid yourself of the good feelings? Then the movie “Bring Her Back”, from the directors of “Talk To Me”, just might be what the doctor ordered. There’s nothing sunny and bright about this movie, but it is a horror movie, so that tracks. Piper and Andy are step-siblings who are placed with a foster mom, Laura, after tragedy strikes. Laura is a bit “off”, to say the least. Plus she has a clearly troubled young boy living with her. The longer Piper and Andy live there, the scarier and bloodier it gets. Plus, it becomes apparent that Laura is up to something sinister, involving her recently deceased daughter. Is it worth going to the theater to find out what happens? Check out this episode to find out. “Bring Her Back” stars Sally Hawkins, Billy Barratt, Mischa Heywood, Jonah Wren Phillips, Sora Wong, Stephen Phillips and Sally-Anne Upton.

Mission:Impossible The Final Reckoning review
The Mission:Impossible movies started in 1996 with Tom Cruise playing Ethan Hunt for the first time. Now 29 years later, we might be getting the last Mission:Impossible movie with “Mission:Impossible The Final Reckoning.” We were left with a cliffhanger in the last Mission:Impossible movie, so we’ll perhaps get the conclusion we’re looking for. Is it worth going to the theater to see if we do? Check out this episode to find out! “Mission:Impossible The Final Reckoning” also stars Ving Rhames, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg, Esai Morales, Pom Klementieff, Henry Czerny, Holt McAllany, Janet McTeer, Angela Bassett and Nick Offerman.

Sinners review
Have you ever been watching a classic vampire movie like “Fright Night” or “The Lost Boys” and thought, “This is good, but this could be great with two of the guy who played Apollo Creed’s kid in those ‘Creed’ movies as well as some blues music and a dash of racial commentary!”? Well, put up your black square on Instagram and clutch your George Floyd bobblehead in celebration because a celebration is a comin’! Your reason for celebrating is the movie “Sinners” from director Ryan Coogler. He directed the Black Panther movies and the first two Creed movies and sinks his teeth into the vampire genre with his latest movie. No “Wakanda Forever” in this. More like “Live Forever” in this southern-fried take on vampire movies. Coogler’s favorite leading man, Michael B. Jordan plays both Smoke and Stacks (Get it. Smokestack!), identical twins who’ve made a name and some money in the criminal game. Now they’re coming home back down south from Chicago to open up their own juke joint for dancing, drinking and gambling. Their own little taste of Vegas in the Deep South. Along the way they pick up their younger cousin, Preacher Boy Sammie, who is very talented with a guitar and a blues voice from the heavens. He’s played by the impressive Miles Caton. Before long, some vampires show up to try to make the good times last forever but in a blood-sucking evil way and the movie goes from bluesy crime drama to stakes in the heart and burning vampires. Is it worth your time at the theater? Check out this episode to find out! “Sinners” also stars Delroy Lindo, Jack O’Connell, Hailee Steinfeld, Yao, Saul Williams and Omar Miller.

Warfare review
“War is hell” is a common phrase, but as we live our peacetime lives, it can be hard to visualize what that phrase really means. The movie “Warfare” provides a way to see and comprehend that phrase. The movie is directed by “Civil War” and “Ex Machina” director Alex Garland and Iraq War veteran Ray Mendoza. Mendoza was one of the soldiers in the middle of the real-life battle that this movie shows. Garland and Mendoza don’t hold back on showing the shocking, brutal and bloody side of war. If you know someone with PTSD and you want to understand, at least a little bit better what would cause something like that, this movie is for you. In this movie, Navy SEALs are sent out into Ramadi, Iraq where they gather in a multi-story home to surveil insurgents. The team settles in and goes through the tedium of just sitting and observing. Their sniper starts noticing a build-up of men getting closer to their position and soon that quiet tedium is over as the explosions start and the bullets start flying. The team does all they can to fight off the insurgents and call in to get evacuated out but what happens next just ratchets things up to a whole other level. Is it worth finding out what that is in theaters? Check out this episode to find out! “Warfare” stars Will Poulter, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Cosmo Jarvis, Joseph Quinn, Aaron Mackenzie, Alex Brockdorff, Finn Bennett, Evan Holtzman, Michael Gandolfini, Joe Macaulay, Laurie Duncan, Noah Centineo, Taylor John Smith and Charles Melton.

The Salton Sea review
Val Kilmer was one of the most eclectic and enthralling actors of his generation and one of the movies that heavily showcased this is this week’s movie, “The Salton Sea.” Kilmer showed he could be wacky, like in “Top Secret!” and “Real Genius” or deadly serious like in “Spartan” and “The Doors.” In “The Salton Sea” he sort of combines those two and it makes for an entertaining and captivating performance. If you want a movie that leads you down one path, en route to setting an expectation, just to subvert it, and does it multiple times, “The Salton Sea” just might be for you. Kilmer plays Danny Parker, a trumpet player, who has a faithful marriage to a beautiful wife until that all comes to an end. Afterwards, his life becomes a drug-filled downward spiral as he joins the perpetual night party of the tweaker to cope, or is that why he’s really doing it? We don’t know. He’s also a confidential informant for a couple of L.A. detectives who want him to set up a maniacally, murderous drug dealer named Pooh Bear. This is a drug dealer known for killing people suddenly just because he doesn’t like the tone of their voice. Also, Danny is told that he’s been marked for death for something he didn’t do, so things went from beautiful and romantic to pitiful and manic really quick. Is Danny Parker for real, or is he someone else? Will he survive the vortex of violence he finds himself in? Is it worth finding out in this lesser known Val Kilmer movie? Check out my spoiler-free review on this episode to find out! “The Salton Sea” also stars Vincent D’Onofrio, Adam Goldberg, Luiz Guzman, Doug Hutchison, Anthony LaPaglia, Glenn Plummer, Peter Sarsgaard, Deborah Kara Unger, Chandra West, BD Wong, R. Lee Ermey, Shalom Harlow, Sherry Knight, Meat Loaf, Azura Skye, Josh Todd and Danny Trejo.