2019 JULY MOVIE RANKINGS

We’re blowing through Summer like it’s nothing, as we have reached yet another monthly ranking. I’ll save you the simple hemming and hawing I usually give around this time (having stuff in the can, being busy, yadda yadda), and jump straight to the point. I’ve enjoyed this month for viewing. I got to see a Tarantino flick in theaters for the first time (albeit it being his supposedly second-to-last picture), analyze the first feature of “The X-Files,” and dive into a foreign movie. All in all, I’d say it’s been a productive month. Now let’s see where everything stands:

#7- “Missing Link” (2019)
65%= Burnt Popcorn
Pros: Beautiful stop-motion animation, good voice acting, and has some solid moments.
Cons: Rather bland story, holding predictable plot devices, few laughs, and little character development.

#6- “Savages” (2007)
81%= Juicy Popcorn
Pros: Fantastic performances, a raw and realistic experience, strong chemistry amongst leads, and entertaining story.
Cons: Disappointing ending in regards to Wendy Savage’s character arc, little attention paid to the father character, and I walked away having not gained much from the movie as a whole.

#5- “Spider-Man: Far From Home”
82%= Juicy Popcorn
Pros: Great acting, fun, humorous, beautiful landscapes, solid action sequences, and awesome direction when it came to the trippy scenes.
Cons: The character direction of Mysterio was a bit of a let down and there wasn’t a lot of meat to chew on when it came to the story itself.

#4- “The X-Files” (1998)
83%= Juicy Popcorn
Pros: Wonderful chemistry between Mulder and Scully, solid direction/cinematography, engaging journey, and good performances all around.
Cons: Some elements of the story can seem repetitive to avid fans of the series, and the movie can be aloof when it comes to certain aspects of the series (Chris Carter attempted to make an experience both fans and non-fans of the show could enjoy).

#3- “Aloys”
86%= Juicy Popcorn
Pros: Fresh, interesting, solid acting, and holds a story that leaves you thinking.
Cons: The movie seems to be split in half, feeling like two separate directions; the flow can be all over the place and certain characters that are brought up are instantly dropped without development/purpose.

#2- “Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood”
90%= Juicy Popcorn
Pros: Rich history and setting, terrific performances, insane ending, engaging, killer music, and has a lot to smile about.
Cons: Hardly any character development or story drive, as the plot seems to meander throughout its duration.

#1- “A Few Good Men”
94%= Juicy Popcorn
Pros: Fantastic dialogue, great acting, entertaining story, amazing score, and an all-around enjoyable experience.
Cons: The ending can come off as fairly Hollywoodish, creating for itself an quick way out of its dilemma.

And that’s the way the cookie crumbles. “A Few Good Men” will move on to face “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” “Green Book,” “First Man,” “The Pilgrim’s Progress,” “Avengers: Endgame,” “Toy Story 4,” and the rest of the month winners to decide who will claim the throne of Movie of the Year.