Midnight Sun

Here comes a little movie that on the surface looks like a silly Nicolas Sparks story, and in some aspects, it is.  And it is another movie that chronicles a young woman housebound by a terrible illness, and yearning for love, and it is. But after seeing this, I liked it far more than the above mentioned. Even though the national critics are hammering it.  Is this perfect? Heck no, but please quit showing your pompousness.

This is the story of Katy, who has a disease called XP.  She cannot go in the sun at all, as it would be life ending.  So, she goes out at night, and lives a life in reverse, which is no life at all.  She falls in love with Charlie and risks it all to live a life of love, as best she can.  Yes, this is predictable, and melodramatic, and a bit far fetched at times. But so what?  Can't we make a movie that is easy to digest, and have a good cry, or a few awww moments without critics being too far above it?  

This flick shows a few new faces, and does its best to be an escape from the rest of the nonsense that can be out there this time of year.  Granted, it's not fighting robots, or superheros saving the world, but there is room for this.  This is for young people who want a love story for spring break. Period.  And that's fine with me.

Midnight Sun.  It's fine. They can't all win Oscars, and this won't. But at 90 minutes, this is a fair rainy afternoon flick.

Pacific Rim: Uprising

There is the obvious question here, why?  Do we really need more of this series?  Well the answer is probably yes,... for some.  Here we go again, gigantic robots defending the world against alien forces and this time - even ourselves.  Put a ton of great effects together with a bunch of noise and a large screen and you seemingly have the right formula. 

The big problem with this is, Transformers.  I'm not going to sit here and say those are way better movies, but they were here first and that means PR looks like a poor mans rip off.  And it is.  This is about 2 hours of animated robots fighting with a touch of a story mixed in.  Honestly, if you are about 12, this is really cool.  Good for your kids, grand kids and the dudes in general.  This is not recommended for a first date.

Pacific Rim:Uprising.  Can we just stop...Please?

Unsane

Wow!  There are some movies that take us to places that we have never been, and this is one of them.  This is the story of a young, troubled woman that seeks professional counseling to deal with some of her everyday problems.  And when she admits during a session she has had thoughts of suicide in the past, her life takes a horrible turn.

Actually, beyond horrible.  This movie will scare the heck out of anyone who may seek counseling, and that is an honest observation, even though this is a fictional movie. This also morphs into a "stalker" movie, as if the original premise isn't disturbing enough.  This movie is well written, compelling and thought provoking all at the same time.  Although there a remnants that are similar to other "mental ward" movies, this is another level and stands on its own just fine.

In the end, this is unsettling and tough to watch at times, as it dares to look deeply at problems that everyday people can possibly face, and the willingness to share these problems with those who are charged with trying to help you sort them out.  I am sure the healthcare companies are not thrilled with this.

Unsane.  Good, well done, creepy.

I Can Only Imagine

This movie for some reason is wearing the "Christian" movie label, and I can't really understand that. Granted there are elements that are, but they are very subtle.  This is the true and brave story told of the origins of the biggest Christian hit song ever, I Can Only Imagine and its writer, Bart Millard and band, Mercy Me.

This is a powerful flick with a great performance from J. Micheal Finley as Millard.  This is the first time I can remember a movie being made about a song as well.  Finley is terrific as Millard and is a fresh face on screen that was central to its success. The music is done very well and some of the filming of this is great, especially in pivotal scenes when it really matters.  There is an underlying Christian element throughout, but it's not preachy, or judgmental.  The writing here was a challenge, and they pulled it off walking a fine line.

In short, this is a nice little movie that is destined for some big success. This will attract people to the theaters that seldom go, and that's a good thing.  It's good for anyone, including the whole family.  Is this perfect?  Well, no.  But it's a great example that Hollywood can make movies for everyone and can make it work.

I Can Only Imagine.  Good, solid movie.

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