Early Man

LANDON **1/2
I've always enjoyed Aardman Studio's animation and style.  Stop-motion animation and British wit are a charming combination.  While "Early Man" isn't quite as good as the likes of "Chicken Run" or Wallace & Gromit," it's still a decent addition to their library.  Like I said, the animation is awesome and fun to watch, it's irresistibly charming and witty, and there's a cast of likable characters here.  My only real gripe with this film is the plot.  What seems like a unique movie about cavemen vs. bronze-men turns out to be a movie about....soccer?  Yes, that's right.  At the end of the day, this is a soccer movie disguised as a caveman film.  It's surprising, and not really in the best way.  It's cliched and rather disappointing in that sense.  Again though, this is still a decent film.  There's plenty to still enjoy about it.  Just don't expect to come out loving it.

LOGAN **1/2

BANGERANG SCORE: **1/2

Black Panther

CHASE ***
In "Captain America: Civil War," we were introduced to two new characters that made me want to see their individual movies.  While I don't think it's as good as "Spiderman: Homecoming," "Black Panther" it pretty solid.  Taking place in the fictional land of Wakanda, T'Challa (the Black Panther) becomes the new king while some villains arise that could potentially tear the country apart and it is up to Black Panther and his crew to stop them.  The best part of the movie is the dichotomy between the main hero and the main villain.  T'Challa is a cool character that has a strong sense of dignity and heroism that make him very likable.  The main villain reminds me of someone that would come out of a Greek tragedy.  He's despicable, but I understand where he's coming from, making him more sympathetic than most villains.  The movie is also one of the more unique superhero films because it is not just about the hero, but features the people of Wakanda in a significant way, which makes it fresh.  However, the movie doesn't have the same kind of polish that other great Marvel movies have had.  Some of the humor is lacking and even some action scenes felt a little clunky.  It also felt a little slow in the beginning, but it did pick up and ultimately became a very enjoyable movie.  This is a cool movie and a good one to watch.

LOGAN ***

BANGERANG SCORE: ***

Maze Runner: The Death Cure

LANDON **1/2
I've enjoyed all of the "Maze Runner" films just fine.  And while this one is still enjoyable, it's the most frustrating film in the series.  On the one hand, all of the great characters are still great here.  The set pieces are terrific.  The overall visual imagery here is very pleasant to watch.  And it's fairly entertaining.  However, it falls pretty flat on the narrative scale.  The whole thing is just one giant climax that refuses to conclude.  It drags on.  It doesn't help that it tends to be a bit over-dramatic at times.  If you like the other "Maze Runner" films, you'll probably like this one as well.  If you've never been a big fan, than you won't be a big fan of this one either.