Grant Minnick's Movie Reviews

“If you wanna get crazy, we can get crazy!” - Gabe Wilson Us is the second motion picture from modern horror master Jordan Peele.  It stars Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke, Shahadi Wright Joseph, and Evan Alex.  The film tells the story of the Wilsons, an African-American family who are on a vacation.  When they are hanging out in their house one night, a family of doppelgangers comes and breaks into their home.  And so begins another fantastic and twisty tale from Jordan Peele. I am a huge fan of Peele’s previous film Get Out .  With Us , he proves himself again.  The direction in this film is masterful, and so is the writing.  Peele can craft a smart, surprisingly funny and socially aware horror flick better than most modern horror directors can today.  The story is deep, complex, and intricate, and makes you really think about the events you just witnessed. There are enough crazy twists in this movie to keep you invested, while also being...

“Don’t worry about being the next me.  Be the first you.” - Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson Fighting With My Family is a comedy-drama based on the real life story of former female WWE wrestler Paige.  The film is written and directed by Stephen Merchant, and stars Florence Pugh, Nick Frost, Lena Headey, Jack Lowden, Vince Vaughn, and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.  The story follows the Knights, an English family consisting of all wrestlers. When 18 year old Saraya “Paige” Knight (Pugh) and her brother Zak “Zodiac” (Lowden) get offered a chance to make it big in the WWE, only Paige gets accepted to the next level, creating conflict between she and Zak.  Enduring grueling trials during her training course, Paige strives to become the next reigning Divas champion. I went into this movie not quite knowing what to expect.  What I got was an inspirational, uplifting, heartwarming, and surprisingly funny film about following your dreams, doing the impossible, and what...

“I do not stand by in the presence of evil.” - Alita Alita: Battle Angel is the new film by director Robert Rodriguez.  It is a cyberpunk sci-fi action movie starring Rosa Salazar as the title character.  Also starring are Christoph Waltz, Mahershala Ali, Ed Skrein, Jennifer Connelly, and Jackie Earle Haley.   The film is about Alita, a young cyborg girl rebuilt by Dr. Dyson Ido (Waltz), who just wants to know more about her past, and where she came from.  Ido is very protective of her, as there is a lot of crime happening in the streets. Nonetheless, the curious Alita goes out exploring every day, and meets a boy named Hugo who she falls in love with.  Meanwhile, there is some villainous activity going on involving a man named Vector, and a mysterious figure called Nova who lives in Zalem, a giant floating city where all the upper-class people live that hovers above the city below that is home to all the lower-class citizens. Alita: Battle Angel is a...