Yet another "Terminator" film that we don't really need and yet it actually works pretty well because it's a direct sequel to "Terminator 2 Judgment Day" and ignores all the other sequels that came before it. Set directly after the events of the second Terminator film - and featuring jaw-dropping special effects no less, at least in this sequence - the film follows Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) as she teams up with an enhanced human from the future named "Grace" (Mackenzie Davis) to help protect a young woman named Dani (Natalia Reyes) from another shape-shifting time traveling terminator (a REV-9 to be exact) played by Gabriel Luna. This R-rated action thriller from Tim Miller (who directed "Deadpool") marks the return of James Cameron (and Arnold natch) as a producer and while the film is entertaining and sets up a good-enough story for a third entry, the film mostly feels superfluous. However, the film is progressive as hell considering it stars three women and presents the savior of the human race as an illegal immigrant from Mexico. I can dig it. GRADE: B+
It's never a good time to be a Nazi. As sad as it may be, "Jojo Rabbit" a fascinating satire set during World War II that is actually a biting critique of our modern world. Set in Germany during WWII, a young boy named Jojo (Roman Griffin Davis), enlists in a Hitler youth camp and dreams of growing up to be a Nazi. He has an imaginary friend named Adolf (Taika Waititi) who is a cartoony, buffoonish version of Hitler. Things go awry when he finds out his mother (Scarlett Johansson) is hiding a Jewish girl in their house. This highly stylized film goes from funny to drama in seconds and is successful at both. The incredible cast is filled with the likes of Sam Rockwell, Rebel Wilson, Alfie Allen, Stephen Merchant, and a scene-stealing performance from little Archie Yates who plays Jojo's accident-prone best friend. Taika Waititi's fantastic film is as blistering funny as it is emotionally wrenching and I simply enjoyed every moment of this gorgeous production. GRADE: A
