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Growing up on Long Island without a father present might have had detrimental impacts for Jr (Daniel Renieri/Tye Sheridan); but with his Uncle Charlie (Ben Affleck) and the barflies that frequent the Dickens Pub imparting their wisdom, with a little luck and a lot of hope Jr might just turn out okay. Based on the book written by J.R. Moehringer and screenplay by William Monahan, Directed by George Clooney this measured pace homecoming/coming of age tale rolls out slowly, avoiding extremes and staying safely in the shallower end of the pool. And, while the story itself does show the traditional hero’s quest, an attainment of knowledge or the “golden fleece” as it were, the overall journey doesn’t push forward in a memorable and meaningful way. End result, all parties get an A for effort, but an “eh?” for entertainment value. The Tender bar is rated R.

It’s been many years since Neo/Mr. Anderson (Keanu Reeves) broke out of life in the matrix and became “the one” who could bring down the system, challenge the man and free humanity from its enslavement to the machine. Now, questioning his memory and experiences with his analyst (Neil Patrick Harris) and his Boss (Jonathan Groff), it would seem Neo may be on the brink of another schism. Written and Directed by Lana Wachowski, this superfluous and boring dive down the rabbit hole of what once was makes for a narratively stale and regurgitated storyline, to the point the film actually acknowledges its own re-treading mid-script– eye rolling. Add in noticeably poor editing and distracting cinematography and you’re off to the races with two broken feet; drag that on for nearly two and a half hours and you’ve got yourself this latest installment in the Matrix, which unfortunately leaves too much ground to be made up with nostalgia and hot/cold acting from the ensemble. No apologies, this F graded flick does not meet the requirements for graduation. The Matrix Resurrections is rated R.

Nearing his 30th birthday, playwriter and composer Jonathan Larson (Andrew Garfield) recounts his life experiences living in New York, chasing the fickle fame monster, trying to write a hit, and, balance a social life all the while. This is his story. Written by Jonathan Larson and Directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda, this look into the life of an artist who’s time was ultimately cut short serves as a bittersweet memorial and features some of Broadway’s biggest stars in tribute. And, serious nods go to Garfield and company proving strong acting, dancing, and singing chops along the way by all. Worth your time and just shy of two hours, streaming on Netflix, tick, tick…BOOM! is rated PG-13.