Watched X-Men: Dark Phoenix and actually liked it. Maybe I'm just not enough of a fanboy to have an issue with whatever continuity issues there may be but I don't quite agree with all the harsh criticism. I thought it was pretty good. Not the best superhero movie I have seen (and it doesn't have to be to be good) and certainly far from being one of the worst.

Yeah...my verdict is not going to be as kind as yours.
Having just watched it myself with no expectations (and also being more of a casual viewer than a hardcore fanboy) I can only say that I'm glad I saw it free courtesy of cinema membership points. Had I paid real money for my session, I actually would have been pissed.
For my part, I enjoyed the opening sequence, the climax on the train and the final battle. Michael Fassbender had easily the best performance and I'll give credit to Sophie Turner for doing her best with the direction she was given.
But the rest was lackluster, flat and at times painfully phoned in, and I felt that across the board. Much of the acting was stilted, the story felt rushed and practically inconsequential, and the direction seemed more interested in showing off visuals than giving anything of what you see depth or weight. My audience and I all had a pretty good laugh at Cyclops's "badass" one-liner, and I'm still not sure if that's the most embarrassing part of the movie.

Spoiler: show

As much as people give Jennifer Lawrence shit for her acting, I generally think she's fine and was great in her first two outings as Mystique. But here she is just plain empty and I felt nothing when her character dies. The only thing more half-assed than her delivery was her makeup.

Still not as bad as X-Men Origins, but I feel nostalgic for Last Stand and even Apocalypse after this one. Not the best way to bow out.

Child's Play remake.
Better than anticipated, even though the story was as I figured; taking influence more from the Simpsons Halloween skit about the Krusty doll set to "evil" mode. There was also a touch of E.T. thrown in that I didn't expect but found amusing. Naturally I still think the original is still the best but the remake is a cut above many of the sequels. I'll confess to having not yet seen either Curse or Cult of Chucky, so I can't rank among those, but otherwise I'd say maybe only the second film compares.
While Chucky's design here isn't as appealing as the classic model, having a deliberately uncanny valley aesthetic, you do get accustomed to it after a while, and it looks good when he's pissed. Mark Hamill is great as the voice of Chucky, being simultaneously menacing and sympathetic. Not gonna lie, I could hear Joker at times, especially in the final act.
The story and characters do have a glossed over 80's or 90's feel to them, with only the central hero Andy, his mother and a neighborhood cop being fleshed out. Everyone else is either a victim or generic player to move the plot forward. I actually found the gory kills to be more subtle than the social commentary that tries to sneak its way in.
With that said, there's no lack of creativity as far as how Chucky dispatches someone, and while it's not as dark as the first film, there are some creepy moments and plenty of laughs to be had. Fun if not exactly essential viewing.

Spider-Man: Far From Home.
A fun and effective follow up not only to Endgame and Spider-Man: Homecoming, but also wraps up Phase 3 while opening the doors wide to an exciting future. I don't want to say much to avoid giving anything away but I'd rate this as on par with Homecoming, having the right balance of action, colorful visuals and amiable characters to keep you invested. Tom Holland had already proven himself as Peter Parker but here that reputation is cemented.
There are also plenty of Marvel tropes thrown in as you'd expect and while not a bad thing, it does feel safer than the big epic(s) that preceded it. Fortunately, there are plenty of real surprises to grab your attention, not to mention one of the best mid-credits and even post-credits sequences of the MCU to date.
Definitely recommended.

[EphelDuath666]

I really need to do a lot of catching up just for the 2 Spider-Man movies alone because I love anything Spider-Man. And 'Far from home' looks pretty awesome.

Problem is I'm just in the mood for old flicks at the moment. Have been for a while.

Parasite.
Korean film about a poor and entirely unemployed family who gradually ingratiate themselves into the lives of a successful but naive rich family, forming plans along the way on how to improve their own lives with their newfound resources.
Darkly funny, quite moving and at times intensely suspenseful, this is one to watch as cold as possible, as there some genuine surprises and fantastic performances to behold. To say it works as a biting commentary on class hierarchy would only cover but one of this movie's many attributes. Seek it out.

Crawl.
A creature feature that was better than anticipated (the trailer did little for me), however I wouldn't call it top-tier horror. It gives you what it promises: nasty alligators, some effective thrills and tense atmosphere, keeping a fairly brisk pace at under 90 minutes.
The two leads, a father and daughter trapped in a flooding house by the gators and a hurricane, are fine but everyone else who shows up is either there for the background or to be eaten. There are definitely elements where you need to suspend disbelief but they don't really hurt the movie. Overall worth watching if you want a fast, gnashing good time.

[EphelDuath666]

Parasite.
Korean film about a poor and entirely unemployed family who gradually ingratiate themselves into the lives of a successful but naive rich family, forming plans along the way on how to improve their own lives with their newfound resources.
Darkly funny, quite moving and at times intensely suspenseful, this is one to watch as cold as possible, as there some genuine surprises and fantastic performances to behold. To say it works as a biting commentary on class hierarchy would only cover but one of this movie's many attributes. Seek it out.

Crawl.
A creature feature that was better than anticipated (the trailer did little for me), however I wouldn't call it top-tier horror. It gives you what it promises: nasty alligators, some effective thrills and tense atmosphere, keeping a fairly brisk pace at under 90 minutes.
The two leads, a father and daughter trapped in a flooding house by the gators and a hurricane, are fine but everyone else who shows up is either there for the background or to be eaten. There are definitely elements where you need to suspend disbelief but they don't really hurt the movie. Overall worth watching if you want a fast, gnashing good time.

I wanna see Crawl. Really enjoyed that director's other movies. Well, the ones I saw anyways. Looks like a fun movie though!

IT CHAPTER TWO

Nearly as good as predecessor and thankfully much more interesting than the mini-series equivalent, going further the horror and giving us drama with more effective weight than the 90's version. Bill Skarsgård can now be said to be just as great as Tim Curry, if not more so, though I do concede that such comparisons ultimately comes down to one's tastes. As Pennywise in this film, he's still creepy and shows off more of a sadistic streak, with an oddly sympathetic touch for good measure.

The adults are impeccably cast, with a few actors genuinely looking like their child equivalents grown up. The chemistry between them suits the story fine, and while the bond between the kids seems stronger, that does play into the intent of this part of the story. Nice to see some flashbacks with new and repurposed material. Apparently some of the children needed to be de-aged but I barely noticed; as far as I could tell, it was like they had all their footage shot and ready from 2017. Quite a lot of it too, which contributes to the running length, but it allows for our heroes to receive the full story they deserve.

That being said, there was quite a bit of character development and attributes that I was expecting but did not see, or it was glossed over. The material that worked outweighs this flaw but it would have strengthened the story to have more cohesion as anticipated.

The CG in this movie was also a little too heavy for my liking, with some visuals looking downright ridiculous. Not all of them, and the practical and gore effects look great, but the visuals do get more distracting here than in Chapter One.

Nevertheless, there was a lot to enjoy, some great references and easter eggs, as well as a cameo that had me smiling the whole scene. There was even a call back to the mini-series that at first I rolled my eyes at but given the direction taken, I shrugged it off and liked it for what it was.

Overall an imperfect but still worthy follow up, rounding out the story with some good twists and welcome changes. I'll be watching it again.

Frozen 2 - hubby took the big kiddo on Sunday and thankfully, between baby friendly screening on Tuesday and an unashamed act of bribery to buy silence, I made it spoiler free. A slightly complex plot for a kid’s movie, and a few bits that were inevitably formulaic, but otherwise, I LOVED it!

Here's a bunch from the last few months.
Joker - I saw this five times, three of which were 70mm film prints that gave its early 80's setting an even greater depth. This was less a comic book movie than a statement, and I am glad something like this exists. Besides having a great script and a powerhouse performance by Phoenix, I saw a story of systemic failure of those afflicted by mental health and poverty, and it brought to mind things I had witnessed growing up in the 80's and 90's where such austerity was reality. Obviously I don't know of anyone who became a symbolic antichrist but definitely people who needed help lest they turned to more desperate and troubling ways of life. This might be the film that has resonated with me the most this year.

Doctor Sleep - A very good, and very underseen, follow up to The Shining that tells its own story without getting too Kubrickian, at least until the final act. It works as an adaptation of the book and as a sequel to film that you'd never guess would have one.
Being two and half hours long, it's a slow burner, and not every scene packs a punch. Recast characters might also be jarring at first but I prefer that to CGI face. It gets the balance between King and Kubrick just right, and for that I recommend it.

Knives Out - What a delight this was! A genuinely good mystery, character study and black comedy that hits all the right marks and keeps you guessing, even when you're sure you know what's happening. Chris Evans and Daniel Craig steal the show with ease and watching them work off each other was enthralling, to say nothing of the rest of the cast who were all excellent as a family of bickering, entitled jerks (and the people they happily walk over to get their way). Check this one out.

The Irishman - I managed to see this one in a cinema and not burst my bladder, since it's over three hours and there's no intermission. Wonderfully acted with a captivating story, told by a real-life narrator who may or may not have been reliable, it leaves you with plenty of thought to chew. At the very least, the dynamics between De Niro, Pacino and Pesci are something to behold.

Ready or Not - Probably the most fun I've had with a horror movie this year (outside of Us), another film with an eccentric family and a heinous agenda, but against the new bride of one of their own. I cannot get the Hide and Seek song out of my head, and may have laughed inappropriately loud during the finale. Go into this one as cold as possible.

The Dead Don't Die - A zombie movie that pretends to be fun but is mostly lackluster. The witty banter, chomping scenes and meta jokes do their work, but the plodding story (which occasionally goes nowhere) and repetition of certain gags and lines take their toll. It's not a long movie but it drags more than certain films that go over 2 hours. Might be worth watching if you have nothing better to do.

Terminator: Dark Fate - Not gonna lie, I thought this was a better Terminator 3 than Rise of the Machines, and while no sequel will meet the standard set by the first two movies, I'd rather watch this one than any of the prior sequels after Judgment Day. Maybe it's because I like that they play with themes of predestination and aren't just churning out the same damn stories as before (well, in a manner of speaking). That said, I'm in no hurry to see this again. The action was hit and miss, as were the characters, and only Sarah, the T-800 and the Rev-9 made a real impression. No Terminator movie after T2 is essential, this one being no exception, but it tries.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Or as I like to call it, The Rise of Fan Service. Every asshole with an opinion (or vice versa) is flooding the Internet right now with their verdict, and this is no exception.
There are plenty of things about this film I enjoyed, even loved, and I believe it gave us a satisfying arc for Kylo Ren and Rey. I like the visuals, the space battles and the good feelings stirred by a mix of nostalgia and a few new things to keep it interesting. At no point was I bored with what I saw.
*takes deep breath* But I didn't like that JJ ultimately caved into fan demands and gave them what they wanted to appease them after the ridiculous backlash over The Last Jedi. And considering some of those fans are being just as pissy about this film, despite getting what they begged for, I feel like we need footage of him yelling into the camera "ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?!"

Spoiler: show

Rey is a Palpatine. This was theorized back when TFA was fresh in cinemas and of course, people were shitty when TLJ indicated she was gifted without lineage. That means nothing now and although you can say this cements the fact that she was never a "Mary Sue" that won't stop people from whining that it was too easy. Which, in this case, it actually was.
How Luke's lightsabre appearing in TFA is never resolved, and it feels like the one thing they forgot to pay off. But sure, give Chewbacca his medal 42 years later, we really clamored for that.
And did we really need that slash-fic kiss at the end? I don't think so but whatever.

In the grand scheme of things, this is a messy finale to a messy trilogy, and although I wouldn't call this one as safe as The Force Awakens, I would have preferred a more progressive story than one that tries too hard to please everyone to close out the saga. It is what it is and at this point, I prefer it to Force Awakens (barely) but don't hold it in as high regard as Last Jedi. Still better than the prequels and that pointless Solo movie, whatever that's worth.

Godzilla vs Kong.
For those who care to know my verdict, it's an entertaining popcorn film with big monsters, trashed cities and pretty visuals. Even daytime fighting, which looks rather good.
Better than King of the Monsters but without as solid a story as the first Godzilla and Kong: Skull Island. The human characters were hit and miss, with some being thin and others being fine.
Worth watching for the monster brawls and beautiful devastation, which is what one comes to these films to see.

Spoiler: show

The actual plot however is basically a cross between Batman v Superman, Pacific Rim, Jurassic World and the arch-villian twist of King of the Monsters only inverted. These aspects are largely evident in the second and third act, where Mechagodzilla is introduced a la Doomsday (being powered by the last remains of Ghidorah).
He's controlled by the son of Serizawa, who is given so little character depth that you aren't sure nor care why he's acting like the polar opposite of his father. Despite the awesome fight scene, it's this lack of motivation that is for me the movie's biggest flaw and missed opportunity.