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A young and emotionally tortured woman living in Ireland, Mina (Dakota Fanning), finds herself traveling across the small country to make delivery for her day job. On her way to Belfast, a car breakdown leaves her sidetracked and stranded in a strange and uncharted forest, now, getting home may be nothing but a dream, especially if the mysterious inhabitants of the woods have anything to say about it, but who are they, and what do they want?Written by Ishana Shyamalan based on the short story by A.M. Shine and Directed by Shyamalan this serves as the Freshman attempt at directing for Shyamalan, the daughter of famed Director M. Night Shyamalan. And, like a chip off the old block, this mystical adventure with a mild twist serves as a great jumping off point for the young Director. Visually and auditorily Shyamalan has achieved what few can do right out of the gates, although, some CGI work in act three comes up a bit shy, the end result is a very watchable Teen/Young Adult style film that can be appreciated by older audiences just the same. And, save for some pacing issues in the final act, the overall story arc and is well played out, although the cardinal sin of narration to setup the mystery does kick the film off, grumble grumble. Regardless, at a brisk one hour and forty two minutes of runtime, the film makes sure it does not overstay its welcome, mostly…The Watchers is rated PG-13.

Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are back as officers Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett called to action to clear the name of their beloved former captain. As it turns out multiple branches of the Miami law enforcement are inundated with rats and ne’er-do-wells, it’s time to clean house, may the hijinks ensue. Directed by the Belgian duo Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, this formulaic buddy cop adventure packs in plenty of call backs and cameos from the last 29 years, and, manages to bring the fun and adventure just as audiences have come to expect. While no real stretches in screenwriting and action sequencing have been made, Adil and Bilall have definitely been taking solid notes from previous Bad Boys (1995) Director, Michael Bay, with a few modernized twists to boot, nice. As for Smith and Lawrence, the chemistry and magic is still present, they’re entertainers through and through, solid. It should also be noted, near the top of the list of producers in this franchise remains, of course, the blockbuster maker, Jerry Bruckheimer, say what you will but his formula for cinematic hits works. Running just shy of two hours this romp is rated R for ridiculous, it’s fun, enjoy the show.

In the post apocalyptic wasteland a fierce warrior, Furiosa (Anya Taylor-Joy), is forged by the impossible sink or swim circumstances she’s forced into by two warlords of the desert, Dr. Dementus (Chris Hemsworth) and Immortan Joe (Lachy Hulme). Now, trained by the best defensive driver known, Praetorian Jack (Tom Burke), Furiosa is further armed with the skills and tools necessary to seek vengeance for family lost. Written by George Miller and Nick Lathouris and Directed by Miller this well equipped prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) brings fans of the franchise back to dirty and dustier times where the wrestlings between Gas Town, Bullet Town, and the Citadel dominate the wasteland casting civility to the side, familiar themes and concepts. To that end Miller isn’t exactly mining new ore in this latest exercise, but rather, offering an examination to Furiosa’s origin; which Taylor-Joy triumphantly receives and delivers, the steely, shiny, and chrome gaze is strong in this one. So, it’s big, it’s loud, and it’s brash, but it’s also long with a runtime of two hours and twenty eight minutes, but Miller just has to have one more car chase, one more explosion, and one more conversation that seemingly was already punctuated. And, sadly, for a director who historically has embraced the chaos and splendor of practical effects, Miller’s opting for CGI and digital artistry this go round seems diminished by comparison. No doubt budget, safety, and wilder imagination top the list of rationales for this move, but the change is definitely noticeable as end credits roll and practical scenes from Fury Road are played back, a fun but unfortunate juxtaposition reminding the viewer what could have been. Regardless, blockbuster season is officially in effect this weekend. Boom. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is rated R.