A Big Bold Beautiful Journey (2025)

A whimsical romantic fantasy about two beautiful people who can't find love (that old chestnut). Through the help of a car rental agency and a magical GPS, they go on an uncharted journey filled with doorways to the past where they revisit past traumas and other pivotal moments of life that prevent them from moving on. It's predictable and not all as fun as it could be given the concept, but worth watching if you want to get out of your own head for awhile. If life is this difficult for the privileged, then what chance do the rest of us have?

3 fast food cheeseburgers out of 5

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)

With his past adventures behind him, Indy grapples with his destiny as an older man on the verge of retirement, when adventure comes calling once more...

Nostalgia goggles on. Indiana Jones is my favorite film franchise of all time, so I'm clearly biased, but this is still a solid action-adventure flick. The only thing this movie has going against it is its bloated runtime, but since this is purported to be the last in the series (Ford is 81 and claims the character will die with him), I will give it a pass. With its ruminations on life and death, this is the kind of movie that will age well as you revisit it again later in life and realize: Yes, I know exactly what they were trying to say about getting older. Life ain't all sunshine and roses, even when you're the world's greatest hero. It doesn't diminish the legacy of the character at all, despite the heavy subject matter. Harrison can still kick my ass up and down the block.

4 Tuk-Tuks out of 5

Note: For the sake of completion, I would give the first three films 5 out of 5, and the fourth would get 3 out of 5. This one is still not quite as divisive as the previous entry.

IF (2024)

Bea is a 12-year-old girl going through a rough time in life who begins to see the imaginary friends (IFs) of the kids who have outgrown them and left them behind. I thought this movie was adorable. Made me sad for many reasons, but it was very sweet and had its heart in the right place. Reminded me a bit of Spirited (also with Ryan Reynolds), mixed with Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and of course, Harvey. I feel like Cailey Fleming is going to be a huge fucking star one day. She's been great in everything I've seen her in.

There's a bit of a credit cookie at the very end for Louis Gossett Jr. (RIP), who plays Lewis, the old bear. I kept wondering the whole movie, whose IF was he?

3 invisible IFs (played by Brad Pitt) out of 5