Aquaman:

If you are a comic book aficionado, this movie Aquaman doesn't share a lot of history with what the various permutations of comics portrayed, beginning in the 1940s, and running sporadically through to the 2000s, with every new iteration seeming to bring with it a new origins story.  This version is its own origins story, and it plays out very well, aptly directed by James Wan (The Conjuring movies, Insidious series, and the Saw movies to name a few).  Wan uses Patrick Wilson as his lead bad guy (Wilson appeared in the Insidious and Conjuring films), and there are small references to his Annabelle movies in the background of the Aquaman movie too.  We start out with a lighthouse keeper named Tom Curry finding a strange woman on his remote island, who has been hurt.  He nurses her back to health, and learns that she is Atlanna, queen of Atlantis.  They fall in love, have a child, and because of the challenges in the undersea world that could endanger her husband and son, she leaves, promising to return.  The child, a boy, grows up to be Jason Momoa, taunted by the undersea legions as a half-breed, and teased by those on the surface.  What happens next, as he pursues his rightful seat on the throne of Atlantis, is an overly long series of events as the overarching quest for right and all that is holy propels Arthur, to his ultimate destiny.  At 2:29, it's too long by a half-hour and it takes us well into the third act for us to see Arthur Curry appearing to actually BE Aquaman.  I liked the movie well enough - it was entertaining, the special effects showing us the society under the sea were excellent, and everything that should have happened along the way occurred in just the right fashion.  Don't shut down when the credits start to roll, as there is one more scene that finishes the movie, and sets up the next one.  Rated 14A.

Second Act:

Jennifer Lopez is a 40 year-old woman stuck in a low-end job with no real prospects until she creates a fake facebook page that gets the attention of a high-end finance company which feels that the fake "her" is the ideal person to take on a major consulting project for them.  You can see most of what occurs coming as this innocent and entertaining rom-com wends its way through the expected excitement of getting the big job, through the fear of getting caught, and into the meeting of someone who just might be Mr. Right. A second star of the show is New York City itself, as much of the action was filmed in the streets and in the businesses of the city that never sleeps, and those businesses were allowed to stay open and serve customers, so if it all seems real to you, that’s because it is!  As always, JLo works hard, she is believable, and she offers up a good reason to sit down and enjoy some mind candy. Also stars Vanessa Hudgens, Leah Remini, and Milo Ventimiglia from "This Is Us."  Rated 14A.

If Beale Street Could Talk:

This film is got a lot of Oscar buzz, when it played in theatres, and it picked up a Best Supporting Actress award for Regina King.  It’s a relationship story set in Harlem in which a young pregnant woman is challenged by the fact that her fiancé Alonzo is not guilty of a crime for which he is charged.  Male lead playing Alonzo is Stephen James, a Toronto native ... the movie played to good reviews at the Toronto International Film Festival, but I have to say that, despite its excellent performances and fine direction, it was not something that I really enjoyed ... the payoff, for me, just wasn't there.  PG rating in most of Canada, R for sexually charged scenes, nudity, and coarse language in the U.S.

The Highwaymen (2019):

This Netflix original film has an excellent cast and is another that is being released in theatres at the same time as its streaming release.  Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelson star as retired police officers Frank Hamer and Maney Gault respectively.   Set in 1934, Hamer and Gault are pulled out of retirement to use their skills to track down and capture the notorious bank robbers, Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow.  Oscar winner Kathy Bates also stars.  Rated 14A. 

Osmosis (TV series 2019):

A Netflix original series composed of four episodes tackles the standard response to problems in this near-future Parisian setting:  "There's an  app for that!."  In this case, it's an app for love, and it's keyed into the personal memories of the person's device.  But what if those memories can be manipulated?  Rated M for mature.