Mercy review
Chris Pratt’s new movie takes us into a time where if you’ve been accused of a violent crime, no lawyer and no jury for you! “Mercy” is about a new AI criminal justice system that uses its super-duper AI powers to play judge, jury and executioner to those accused of violent crime. The accused are locked into a chair and sit face to face with the Mercy AI system which appears in the form of Rebecca Ferguson who looks better than most judges you’ll deal with. The accused then has 90 minutes to prove their innocence, and has the AI power of Mercy at their fingertips to do so. It’s a cinematic interpretation of the saying “Someone who is their own lawyer has a fool for a client.” In this movie’s case, Pratt is a detective so he’s got a bit of criminal investigation experience and he puts it to use after he’s the one in the Mercy chair, accused of killing his wife. He gets to look through all the evidence. Call anyone in the law enforcement community and they’ll go anywhere you need them to in order to find clues, leads, etc. As Pratt leads this investigation to clear himself, he uncovers a sinister plot. Is it worth finding out more in the theater? Watch this episode to find out! “Mercy” also stars Annabelle Wallis, Chris Sullivan, Kali Reis, Kylie Rogers, Jeff Pierre, Rafi Gavron, Kenneth Choi, Jamie McBride and Ross Gosla.
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple review
The Rage Virus was unleashed upon the world by some environmentalist terrorists, turning people into bloodthirsty zombies, and now it’s 28 years later. In “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple”, people have begin to adapt to this savage, murderous, bloody world. Bad news is, so have the bloodthirsty zombies. Since this world is changing, only the most aware, the most intelligent and/or the strongest will survive. Enter Dr. Kelson, played by Ralph Fiennes, who takes innovative steps in his fight against those with the Rage Virus, like coating himself in iodine, which he says prevents being infected by the virus. In the previous “28 Years Later” movie, he had to protect a young boy, Spike, and his mother, Isla. Now a new threat emerges. Is this world ready to deal with them? Is it worth finding out in the theater? Watch this episode to find out! “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple” also stars Jack O’Connell, Alfie Williams, Connor Newall, Erin Kellyman, Maura Bird, Ghazi Al Ruffai, Robert Rhodes, Emma Laird, Sam Locke and Chi Lewis-Parry.
Greenland 2: Migration review
In the first Greenland movie, Greenland turned out to be more than just possibly the future 51st state of the United State Of America. It was a refuge for those who survived the trip, and got there before a planet-killing meteor hits Earth. Now with “Greenland 2: Migration”, it’s been 5 years since that meteor, named Clarke, hit. The refuge seems to be getting much closer to its expiration date, and fast. Our protagonists, the Garrity family, led by John Garrity, played by Gerard Butler, are suddenly thrust into a cross-country trip to find another refuge. Kinda sounds like the first movie. Is it worth going to the theater to check it out? Find out in this episode of Movies Merica! “Greenland 2: Migration” also stars Morena Baccarin, Tommie Earl Jenkins, Trond Fausa, Amber Rose Revah, Gina Gangar, Antonio De Lima, Peter Polycarpou, Beruce Khan, Roman Griffin Davis and Gordon Alexander.
Avatar: Fire And Ash review
There are some that laugh at James Cameron’s Avatar movies but Cameron, so far, has always got the last laugh on them all the way to the bank. The first two Avatar movies are the first and third highest grossing movies of all times, not accounting for inflation. Take that internet trolls! Now Cameron is looking to laugh again with his third Avatar movie, “Avatar: Fire And Ash.” Our main characters, Jake Sully, and his Na’vi wife, Neytiri return to pick up the pieces on Pandora after the chaos from the last movie. They have to deal with an unspeakable tragedy in their family, all the while, trying to evade capture, or worse, by the evil Colonel Quaritch and the “sky people.” They desperately want Jake for what they see as treason, and also to be able to exploit the planet Pandora for all its resources. Now a potentially game-changing development, involving human breathing on Pandora, creates an even bigger potential threat to the Na’vi. Commonly referred to Dances With Smurfs or Ferngully In Space, the Avatar movies are Cameron’s environmentalist afterschool specials wrapped up in a CGI extravaganza. Is it worth seeing at the theater? Check out this episode to find out! “Avatar: Fire And Ash” stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Oona Chaplin, Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Edie Falco, Brendan Cowell, Jemaine Clement, Giovanni Ribisi, David Thewlis and Jack Champion.
The Long Kiss Goodnight review
I continue my reviews of unconventional Christmas movies with the yuletide classic, “The Long Kiss Goodnight”, in which you get scenes that mix automatic weapons, Christmas lights, yummy treats, bad beats, pies in the face, mistletoe and bombs that blow. Geena Davis plays Samantha Caine who can’t remember most anything past 8 years ago but steadily is getting memories back. Meanwhile, the covert American government agency she, unbeknownst to her, was an assassin for, thought she was dead but now they know she’s alive and they want to reverse that. Samuel L. Jackson plays Mitch Hennessey, a low-rent private eye, trying to help Samantha remember who she was. He gets caught in the crossfire as naughty government elves come to take Samantha’s Christmas spirit away AKA put her in the ground. All the while, in the background, this movie drops the needle on some great Christmas tunes, which just makes this a bullet-riddled Christmas classic all the more. “The Long Kiss Goodnight” also stars Craig Bierko, David Morse, Brian Cox, Yvonne Zima, Patrick Malahide, Tom Amandes, Melina Kanakaredes, Joseph McKenna, Dan Warry-Smith, Rex Linn and Edwin Hodge.
Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair review
Usually when you stuff too many genres into a movie, you come out with a bloated, overstuffed, pretentious turkey of a movie, but not with “Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair.” In it we get westerns, anime/manga, Kung-Fu action, exploitation movie and a pulpy bloody mess but it all fits into a 4 hour 35 minute mammoth movie, In 2003, “Kill Bill: Vol 1” was released followed by “Kill Bill: Vol. 2” in 2004 as Quentin Tarantino’s 4th and 5th movies. “Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair” combines those two movies together along with some extra footage. A simple plot explanation is The Bride must kill her ex-boss and lover Bill who betrayed her at her wedding rehearsal, shot her in the head and took away her unborn daughter. But first, she must make the other four members of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad suffer. Is it worth going to the theater to see this for the extra footage, or if you haven’t seen it, to see everything in this? Check out this episode to find out. “Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair” stars Uma Thurman, David Carradine, Lucy Liu, Vivica A. Fox, Michael Madsen, Daryl Hannah, Julie Dreyfus, Chiaki Kuriyama, Sonny Chiba, Gordon Liu, Michael Parks, Michael Bowen, Jun Kunimura, Kenji Oba, Yuki Kazamatsuri, James Parks, Sakichi Sato and Jonathan Loughran.
Lethal Weapon review
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas and can you hear what I hear? I hear it’s after Thanksgiving now and I need to fit in some retro review of movies that could really be Christmas movies, just in an action movie’s clothing. In this episode, we find “Lethal Weapon” first under the Christmas tree. I mean, the movie has a Christmas song playing over its opening credits for God sakes! “Lethal Weapon” was a surprise action hit in 1987 that paired Mel Gibson with Danny Glover as L.A. detectives Riggs and Murtaugh. The movie started a trend of hundreds of copycat buddy-cop movies faster than Santa deliver presents on Christmas. The “fun” starts in the movie when the daughter of an old Vietnam buddy of Murtaugh’s is found dead. As Riggs and Murtaugh investigate into the death further, they uncover a network of bad little elves delivering drugs from overseas for all the bad little boys and girls. All this happening while Murtaugh has to deal with Riggs’ reckless, death wish behavior over the death of his wife. Have a Holly Jolly Christmas with this movie! Is this a Christmas movie? Find out on this episode of Movies Merica! “Lethal Weapon” also stars Gary Busey, Mitchell Ryan, Tom Atkins, Darlene Love, Traci Wolfe, Jackie Swanson, Damon Hines, Ebonie Smith, Mary Ellen Trainor, Steve Kahan, Jack Thibeau, Grand L. Bush and Ed O’Ross.
The Running Man review
The year 2025 is the year of adapting Stephen King books, where in one it’s people walking, “The Long Walk” and in another they’re running, this episode’s movie, “The Running Man.” If this movie sounds familiar, Arnold Schwarzenegger was in the first movie, “The Running Man”, made in 1988. In this remake, it’s Glen Powell taking the lead role of Ben Richards. A man who finds himself thrust into a game, called “The Running Man”, where people are hunted down to the death, but if you survive for 30 days you get to live a life of luxury. Of course you have to survive being hunted down by professional killers with endless technology and weapons on their side. Also, any citizen who recognizes you can record and report you or just plain kill you on the spot. Is the game rigged? Can Ben survive? Is it worth a trip to the theater to find out? Check out this episode of Movies Merica to find out! “The Running Man” also stars Jayme Lawson, William H. Macy, Michael Cera, Colman Domingo, Katy O’Brian, David Zayas, Lee Pace, Emilia Jones and Sean Hayes.
Predator Badlands review
The first “Predator” movie in 1987 with Arnold Schwarzenegger was a hit, and gave us all our fav Arnold impersonation line, “GET TO THE CHOPPA!” Now we get a new Predator movie, 38 years after that original, called “Predator Badlands.” Is it good enough to “GET TO THE THEATER?!!!” That remains to be seen. The Predator franchise was a Fox product, but now Disney owns Fox and Disney will put its fingerprints on any new Predator entry, including this one. “Predator Badlands” stars Elle Fanning as Thia, who is a synthetic or robot, who is found by Dek, the main predator, played by Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi. Dek is seen as the weakest by his predator clan, especially his father, and is ferociously driven to take down a big trophy and return with it to show he is a hunter, a killer worthy of the clan. He ends up on a planet to take down that trophy and Thia ends up helping him on his journey. Is it worth a trip to the theater to find out what happens? Check out this episode to find out! “Predator Badlands” also stars Reuben De Jong, Cameron Brown, Ross Duffer, Matt Duffer, Michael Homik, Stefan Grube and Rohinal Nayaran.
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.
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.
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.