DATE: 5/19/17
TITLE: ALIEN: COVENANT
DIRECTOR: RIDLEY SCOTT
STARRING: MICHAEL FASSBENDER, KATHERINE WATERSTON, BILLY CRUDUP, DANNY MCBRIDE

I think I am officially done. I have a feeling Ridley Scott, just wants to make a series of films, that explore existential and philosophical questions. However, no studio will let him make those movies. The compromise is what we have now, which is throw some Xenomorphs and Alien references into them. These last two films, not only fool the audience into thinking we are walking into an Alien movie, they also barely pass as entertainment. Covenant, is painfully slow. I thought Prometheus had pacing issues. However, Covenant, is far worse. Things. Things don't happen in this movie. The human characters, are all but a waste here. Michael Fassbender, is the only one really even trying. McBride, does occasionally pitch in from time-to-time. The David/Walter stuff, can be interesting at certain points, but in the end it amounts squat because Scott, has to throw in those studio promised Xenomorphs. A high point in Alien: Covenant, is in its gorgeous cinematography. Prometheus, had that going for it as well. In the end, Covenant is another bait and switch by the filmmakers. This time though, they blatantly lied about this being an Alien movie. It's barely even a movie at all in fact. It's nothing more than a 2 hour expressionist painting that we are forced to stare at. 

DATE: 5/5/17
TITLE: GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY: VOL. 2
DIRECTOR: JAMES GUNN
​STARRING: CHRIS PRATT, ZOE SALDANA, DAVE BAUTISTA, BRADLEY COOPER, VIN DIESEL, MICHAEL ROOKER, KURT RUSSELL, KAREN GILLAN

As someone who was not on the full Guardians of the Galaxy train the first time, I am still not the second time. What made the first Guardians entertaining, despite its faults, were the characters. Thankfully, Vol. 2, still has that going for it. Sort of. Where Vol. 2 suffers, is in its story and these characters standing on the precipice of getting annoying, and repetitive. Still, as the film tries to force a more sentimental character study on us, the characters still drive the film's entertainment value. However, as the film rolls on, the novelty of these characters, tend to wear thin. By the end of the film these characters are mere caricatures, and have very little humanity for us to care. For a film that IS posing as a character study for these guys, it barely works. The cast is doing everything they can, to make it work. And they are all solid for the most part. Karen Gillan, is still the weak link here. Vol. 2, offers some dazzling effects, set-pieces, and eye-candy as well. However, there are quite a few segments, where one has to question how in the world certain effects were given final approval. In the end, Vol. 2 is passable entertainment in the MCU, despite its bumpy ride. Forgettable, but passable.