The Underdoggs

Snoop Dogg is the retired NFL franchise player with an ego the size of Texas. In his attempt to stay in the limelight after his career, he makes a few bad choices and ends up with community service back in his hometown of Long Beach. Which leads him to coach the local Pop Warner football team. All the stereotypical fish-out-of-water interactions take place, and the F-bomb count rivals a John Wick body count. But somehow appropriate for a Snoop Dogg vehicle. At its roots, this is a classic underdog sports film and I am a sucker for them. 

3 stars (out of 5)

The Man from Toronto

Kevin Hart is a hapless entrepreneur who never gets it right. He gets mistaken for a master assassin (the titular Woody Harrelson) and then entwined in the plot to kill and simultaneously a sting operation by the feds. His bumbling self makes him unwittingly remarkably good at both. And the net effect is a remarkably mediocre action comedy.

3 stars (out of 5)

Astrid (serial)

Season 3

Astrid is well ensconced in the Crime Squad and becomes essential to their every case. The only way she can continue to work with them is to attend the police academy courses for forensic analysis. So that thread wanders the entire season. Otherwise, it is the same genius show that the prior seasons showed. 

5 stars (out of 5)

Reacher (serial)

Season 2

Similar to the books, this installment is completely detached from Season 1 with only small connective threads. This season we get lots of backstory as the plot pulls the old Special Investigators team from the 110th together. This is fun to see Reacher history. I will be curious how future seasons continue to follow the books and whether they are able to capture the solitary nature of Reacher. This season was definitely an ensemble piece (and unusual for it). 

3 stars (out of 5)

Echo (serial)

A new short series in the Marvel Universe, shortly after Hawkeye. In this case, Maya Lopez is the protégé of Kingpin, only to feel betrayed by him and bring a war home to her Choctaw Nation lands in Oklahoma. I like the character of Echo (new to me), but I am not really sure what Marvel is doing here. Clearly she is the protagonist, but I like my superheroes to have cleaner intent. By that I mean I want to know whether I am rooting for a tortured bad guy or a tortured good guy. Here, I am never sure which way she will go. I suppose that is part of the "plot drama", but I don't really watch Marvel for plot drama, so...

3 stars (out of 5)

Lift

Kevin Hart is the brains and glue that holds together a team of international thieves. We open with a high stakes auction theft stealing an NFT (I know...). When they are sort of caught, they are pulled into an Interpol scheme to steal 500 million worth of gold from a really bad guy to prevent terrorism. A pretty solid effort, if you accept ridiculous technology and after the fact explanations that completely change the heist shown. 

3 stars (out of 5)

Role Play

Kaley Cuoco plays a mom/wife in her public life, but is secretly a top notch assassin for hire. Her family finds out, they are in danger, she wants out. 

I recently saw a commentary about the slew of these types of movies coming out and they were referred to as "stereotypical B-movies". I hadn't thought of that, but ... yes. So, with the B-movie lens on, this gets

3 stars (out of 5) 

Greater

The story of Brandon Burlsworth, a walk-on turned all american for Arkansas football. Told in real-time at his funeral alternating with flashbacks of his razorback career. Heartfelt. Inspirational. Heartbreaking. 

4 stars (out of 5)

The Equalizer 3

Denzel Washington reprises his role helping out those who can't help themselves. This time its in Sicily where chasing down a drug ring mixes him up with the Mafia. Exactly what you expect. 

3 stars (out of 5)