​When a madman sets about to unleash a plague, only one man can stop it. I’m giving Inferno a B.
In this third installment of the books by Dan Brown, Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) wakes up in a hospital with a head wound and amnesia, he enlists the help of his doctor, Sienna Brooks (Felicity Jones), to recover his memories and stop someone from trying to kill him. Along the way, they find out that a crazy billionaire has unleashed a plague which will wipe out half of the world’s population. 

Nothing is as it seems in Inferno. Dr. Langdon can’t trust his own memories or his friends. Everyone is suspect, even the woman he used to be in love with. From the clues embedded in the puzzle, to finding the plague, the World Health Organization is also out to stop the release of the deadly virus but are they also out to stop Dr. Langdon? As they all race toward reaching the plague, others are setting about to make sure the plague happens, any way possible.

​You have to turn your brain off when you leave the theater to really enjoy this movie. While sitting there involved in the movie, you are so caught up that you miss the errors but it’s after when you are thinking about the movie, that you realize the mistakes. Mistake #1- The plague is a liquid in a bag, waiting to be unleashed. However, they spend a lot of time talking about how it’s spread through the air. How does that happen? No one really says. Mistake #2- The movie also changed the book ending. The virus in the book was only going to make people sterile while in the movie, it would kill them. Mistake #3- During the ending scenes where they are trying to stop the plague, the rest of the people in the area don’t appear to be concerned about the hazmat suits or armed gunmen milling about through the concert. If it was me, I’d be hightailing it out of there. And there’s more…

​If you are big fan of the series, then I recommend you see it at the cheap show, but for those who are looking for a great Tom Hanks’ movie… see Sully or if you want a movie that keeps you guessing… go see the Accountant.

​When Jack Reacher agrees to a dinner date, he doesn’t let a little thing like military prison get in the way. I give Jack Reacher a B-.

​In this sequel, Jack (played by Tom Cruise) has left the military behind but still works for them freelance. He goes where he wants, when he wants. His contact at the military police office, Major Susan Turner (played by Cobie Smulders) is put in prison on trumped up charges and targeted for elimination. Jack takes it upon himself to break her out and help her find out why everyone involved in this mission to Afghanistan is being killed. To complicate matters, a young woman is listed as Jack’s daughter and becomes another target for the killers. Now Jack and Susan must keep her safe while finding out the truth.

​While I hadn’t seen the first Jack Reacher movie, I didn’t feel it was needed for this one. Although it’s hard to tell when Tom is being Jack and when he’s his Mission Impossible character, Ethan Hunt. Tom plays them both with a deadpan stare and physical action. Yet in this Jack Reacher movie, the action doesn’t really ramp up until the last fifteen minutes of the movie, and then I had to wonder why Susan didn’t shoot the bad guy but let Jack beat him up and take a beating too. Too many inconsistencies to keep straight in this movie.

​Cobie Smulders does a wonderful job as Major Turner. She keeps up with Jack as far as hits and isn’t afraid to get right in his face. Although at times, you had to wonder if she was just visiting from the Avenger’s set. The characters of Susan and Agent Maria Hill are very similar. But I liked her better than Tom Cruise because I felt she had a vested interest in finding out who killed her men overseas whereas Jack was only trying to keep Susan safe.

​Tom Cruise served as one of the executive producers and put his own money on the line which is a good thing, because I think it’s important to put your own money where your mouth is…and with Jack Reacher, I believe this movie should have been sent directly to the television so we could save our own $$.

​When you need someone to take care of your books or maybe kill someone, you call The Accountant. I’m giving it an A-.

​Christian Wolff (played by Ben Affleck) has high-functioning Asperger’s. Growing up as the oldest son of a military man and his wife, Christian’s only friend was his brother, Brax. His father was determined to not allow his handicap to dictate his life and trained him to fight back. As an adult, Christian helps drug cartels and foreign governments launder their money and protect their assets. He’s a genius with numbers but when one of his clients goes against his moral code, he is forced to set things right. And now the Treasury department is after him.

​With an amazing cast including, Jean Smart, JK Simmons, John Lithgow and Jeffrey Tambor, The Accountant sizzles. From the first frame we learn more and more about Christian, leading us through his past and to the climactic ending. It was nice to see so many well-known 80’s stars in this movie!

​Ben Affleck isn’t a favorite of mine but his ability to get inside the character of Christian is astounding. The awkward pauses, miscues of other people’s comments, his inability to meet other people’s gazes, and the strange routines demonstrate the aspects of Asperger’s. Ben shows all these in a way that still respects the people who really live it. The quirks and deep stares, which he is known for with his characters like Batman, deepen the understanding of Christian’s disability. 

​For such a dark movie…seriously there was a high body count and I learned how to fight with just a belt, the movie has its moments of humor. The times you laugh out loud will surprise you. I made many guesses throughout the movie as how things connected. Sometimes, I was right and others…I wasn’t. The flashback scenes only enhance the understanding rather than detract. It’s obvious when done right, flashbacks can give vital information.

My only gripe about the movie was the preachiness of Asperger’s and children with disabilities. The director could have used the strong images to show rather than repeating the mantra about how children shouldn’t all be measured against the same outcomes. One of the tenants of writing is to show not tell and I believe without the extra comments, the director does show it. The movie could be just as powerful without the preachiness.
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This is a movie to see. A wonderful who-done-it, with a high body count, you’ll enjoy the surprises in The Accountant.

​Another based on real life movie, Deepwater Horizon is filled with action and drama. I give it a B.
When general operational supervisor, Mr, Jimmy (played by Kurt Russel), and his Chief Electrical Engineer, Mike Williams (played by Mark Wahlberg), arrive on Deepwater Horizon, they find BP has decided to push through the tests for safety and set out to bring the rig online, despite cocerns. When everything blows up, a few good men and women set out to save the rest of their crew and bring everyone home safely.

​In 2010, the worst oil spill in US history was a result of problems with the drilling platform at Deepwater Horizon. In the news, we heard more about the spill and less about the actions leading to this disaster including the loss of lives as the platform explodes into flames. BP comes off as the bad guy as they cut corners due to being over their due date. And in the end, BP ended up being fined, but that doesn’t change the loss of life. 

​Mark Wahlberg is snarky and stoic as he sets out to keep the platform running among many issues, but he really stands out when the well blows. Williams steps up as a leader, searching for other survivors even with his own injuries. Kate Hudson appears as Mike Williams’ wife. Her part was limited and only impacts the movie as it shows Mike’s reasons for fighting for life. 

​While the movie kept me on the edge of my seat and provides a unique look at the worst oil spill, I probably wouldn’t have seen it until it was on cable or on demand. It didn’t sound exciting. However, the movie was well written and provides more details on what really happened in 2010. Certainly a movie to watch but do it when you don’t have to pay full price.