Dolemite Is My Name (2019)

Moore’s exuberance, creativity, and determination as a true and crude man of the people carried his career through any and all obstacles–and through Murphy’s excellent portrayal it carries this film too, with its biggest obstacle being the script’s failure to dwell on any of the obstacles in Moore’s trajectory to the top. So the journey’s a little too light and breezy, but like Moore’s crew you just can’t help but get caught up in the scandalous and silly fun of it all (see the sex scene shoot).

6

The Predator (2018)

When a young boy accidentally triggers the universe’s most lethal hunters’ return to Earth, only a ragtag crew of ex-soldiers and a disgruntled science teacher can prevent the end of the human race. (IMDb)

The opening music and spaceship crash give a classic action/sci-fi vibe but it’s inconsistent at best in the first act. The second act with its ragtag crew shows both comedic (see the motel bed arranging) and dramatic (see the ex-soldiers’ haunting pasts) potential but then the comedy gets distasteful and the drama’s dismissed. Then the third act’s just a glut of suspense-less action (Casey’s chair move was cool though) and a poor plot. An unlikable lead and confusing villain never help matters.

5.5/10 (Poor)