Us:

Written and directed by Jordan Peele, who did the Oscar-nominated horror-thriller Get Out!, this movie once again visits the horror genre.  I don't believe that I have seen a film so rife with symbolism and complex plotting since maybe 2001: A Space Odyssey.  My first thought, about 15 minutes into the movie, was that the trailer had given away far too much.  We are introduced to the Wilson family, mom, dad, and two children, a teenage girl and a ten year-old boy.  They are on vacation in Santa Cruz, CA, at the family summer home when an apparent home invasion occurs ... and the invaders are versions of each family member ... says son Jason, in response to his father's rhetorical question as to who these people are, "Us ... they are us."  And they were.  The trailer showed us that much.  So ... home invasion by pseudo-horror versions of each family member in their house in the country, near the beach.  But that's not where the story goes next.  To explain where it goes would be to offer major spoilers, so should you choose to see this film, and should you come out of the theatre somewhat mystified, and like I did, turn to Google to find your way, it falls into place mostly, and much of what you thought, will likely be the actual goings on.  Lupita Nyong'o is the mother, Adelaide, who seems to have a better understanding on what is happening, although that information comes slowly, and often too late.  The invaders are armed with fierce looking scissors, and aim to do a number on the entire family.  Who they are, and what they want, an oft-asked question throughout the film, does become somewhat clear, but this is a challenging, complicated movie that is not your normal slasher-thriller ... it's a thinking person's horror film ... and I am still thinking about it!  Rated 14A. 

Wonder Park:

The challenge in reviewing an animated film such as this, geared to the age 7 and up set, is that its colour, its action, and its characters will be embraced by its target audience, which will likely forget all about it 10 minutes after leaving the theatre ... but there is nothing in the world wrong with that.  Looking at is as an adult shows many pitfalls - it's predictable, it's loud, and it's characters don't really have much to do - but for the children viewing the movie, it will, as the title suggests, be filled with wonder.  June (voice of newcomer Brianna Denski) had an amazing childhood building an amazing wonder park with her mother (voice of Jennifer Garner)   full of imagination and mystery.  When her mother became seriously ill, that was all set aside, until June found a place in the woods where her imagination could go back to work picking up where the original little idea left off.  She is the perfect person to bring Wonder Park to life, filled with screaming children and hybrid animals, come-to-life from her plush to collection.  Don't sell it short - it's great if you're 8, and it helps if you're a girl.  Rated PG.

Hotel Mumbai:

Based on the actual events that occurred in 2008 when more than 170 people were killed and some 800 wounded in India's financial centre of Mumbai, the bulk of the action here is focused on the staff and guests of the grand Taj Mahal hotel, besieged by terrorists who went floor to floor and door to door shooting anyone they found.  An Australian movie with only one American in the cast (Armie Hammer), the true events spin out in graphic horror that makes us feel the terror in the pits of our stomachs as we watch heavily armed young jihadists methodically shooting everyone that they can, and, according to reports from survivors afterwards, apparently enjoying every moment.  They communicated with their handlers in Pakistan by cell phone and satellite phone.  All of those calls were tracked after the fact, and the back-and-forth giving of orders and the following through of those orders uses the exact words of the terrorists.  Dev Patel is exceptional as a hotel employee in the kitchen who, if there is to be a hero representing the hotel staff, helps many guests survive the carnage.  Also outstanding is Anupam Kher who plays the hotel's head chef ... Ker is best known to television viewers as Dr. Kapoor on the series New Amsterdam, and he also played the father of Russell Peter's character on CTV's The Indian Detective.    A gripping portrayal of four tragic days in Mumbai.  Rated 14A. 

The 3rd Eye (2017):

This horror-thriller from Indonesia is a Netflix original that tells the story of two sisters, Alia and Abel.  Having lost their parents in a tragic event, they return to their home city of Jakarta and move back into the family home, but Abel is very uncomfortable there, saying that it is now too strange and too dangerous.  As Alia’s boyfriend tries to belittle Abel’s feelings, it becomes clear that something strange is going on, and we learn that Abel has had the ability to see the dead since she was a very little girl … and her mission now is to get her older sister to see what she sees so they can survive.  Rated 14A.

Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018):

Six years after the action in Wreck It Ralph from 2012, this animated Disney feature does something that few films can boast ... it's a sequel that is actually better than the original.  Wreck-It Ralph (again voiced by John C. Reilly) was a villain in a videogame, residing in an arcade, and living his life.  When he met up with Vanellope in the first movie (voice of Sarah Silverman), they were in competition with one another, but ended as friends.  When the action picks up in this wonderfully animated story, they are very good friends, and they need a replacement part for the videogame of which they are a part, which leads them to a router, and then onto the internet, opening a whole new world. The story is complex and exciting for any ages, the ending will make you tear up just a bit.  Rated PG.