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Here's a look at the new movies I saw this week.

Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Vanessa Kirby and Idris Elba
Synopsis: We have eight "Fast and Furious" movies already, so it's hard for the franchise to break new ground. With "Hobbs & Shaw," we get our first spin-off focusing on the characters played by Johnson and Statham. This one features a supporting role from Kirby, and Elba as the villain. It's highly stylized and has plenty of action. It's about two hours and 20 minutes, and it's fine, but it hardly adds anything new. More importantly, though it carries the "Fast and Furious" brand, it seems to have gotten away from the central premise of the series. This one is more about slick fight scenes and espionage. I suppose that's fine, but it's also probably the reason this has been below Box Office expectations for its first two weeks. It's hardly memorable.
Rating: PG-13 for prolonged sequences of action and violence, suggestive material and some strong language.
Verdict: Two stars out of four.

The Farewell
Starring: Awkwafina, Tzi Ma, Diana Lin, and Shuzhen Zhao
Synopsis: This original film from writer/director Lulu Wang, and is based on her life. It centers on a young Chinese woman living in New York who learns her grandmother has been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. The family travels back to China under the guise of a family wedding, but it's really to all be together with Nai Nai (Zhao) before she passes. And, of course, they've chosen not to tell her that she's sick. This is something that Billi (Awkwafina) struggles with. In addition, she struggles with identity and loss of culture and family that comes from returning home and thinking of the sacrifices made in moving to America with her parents (Ma and Lin) years prior. It's a beautiful, funny and often moving film. Wang clearly has a feel for the story and the world, which is to be expected when it's something this personal. (In fact, the film ends with a nod to the real life inspiration for Nai Nai.) Her direction and storytelling is effortless and beautiful, and in Awkwafina she finds a great screen partner. Better known for supporting roles in comedy, Awkwafina lays herself bare in this role and it's quite beautiful. The thoughts and ideas are quite beautiful as well. This is one of the best films I've seen this year.
Rating: PG for thematic material, brief language and some smoking.
Verdict: Four stars out of four.

Upcoming Releases:
Wednesday, August 14: "Blinded By the Light," "Angry Birds 2"
Friday, August 16: "Good Boys," "Where'd You Go Bernadette," "47 Meters Down: Uncaged," "Boss Level," "Awake," "The Informer"
Wednesday, August 21: "Ready or Not"
Friday, August 23: "Angel Has Fallen," "Burn," "Overcomer," "Brittany Runs a Marathon"
Friday, August 30: "Playmobil the Movie," "Don't Let Go"

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