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

Cats (VOD)
Starring: Rebel Wilson, James Corden, Taylor Swift, Judi Dench, Idris Elba, and Jennifer Hudson
Synopsis: The wonder of late 2019 is now available for rental on video on demand. I decided to wade in and see for myself and what I saw was a horror that I wasn't prepared for. People said the film was bad, and it is. But what was disappointing to me is that it was strange and almost unwatchable. It didn't provide the unintentional comedy I hoped for, it was just a limp exercise in how a big film can go off the rails despite a strong cast and director Tom Hooper. The man who once gave us "The King's Speech" and won Best Picture has now come full circle. This is best avoided.
Rating: PG for some rude and suggestive humor.
Verdict: Zero stars out of four.

Code 8 (Netflix)
Starring: Robbie Amell, Stephen Amell, and Kari Matchett
Synopsis: This action drama is one I was curious about because Stephen Amell was the Green Arrow for eight years on the CW. In this one, he's a supporting player for his real life brother, Robbie, in an alternate world where people have powers, and are oppressed because of it. So often they have to turn to a life of crime. In this case the protagonist is Connor Reed (Robbie Amell), a powered man whose mother (Matchett) is dying. He can't get a fair shake, or enough money, so he turns to using his power to pull jobs for a local crew. Soon he turns informant, of sorts, and gets in way over his head. This one was finally released on Netflix this week, so I checked it out. I was drawn to the actors and the idea seemed solid, but the film didn't really work for me. It felt a bit like a B-Movie in terms of production, and that made it a bit of a slog to watch.
Rating: TVMA
Verdict: One star out of four.

Love. Wedding. Repeat. (Netflix)
Starring: Olivia Munn, Sam Claflin, Freida Pinto, and Joel Fry
Synopsis: This latest film from Netflix is billed as a romantic comedy version of "Groundhog Day," and it is, sort of. It centers on a wedding where a pair of star-crossed potential lovers (Munn and Claflin) can't seem to connect. Then it all goes awry and the wedding appears to be ruined, until the clock resets and they all get a do-over. Can they get it right this time? Will you actually care? The answer to one of those questions seems to be a yes, but the answer to the other will very much depend on how into the film you are. I wasn't that into it as the characters, story and comedy didn't really pop. I liked the lead actors, and I thought there was potential here, but ultimately it just didn't really work for me. It was OK, but hardly compelling.
Rating: TVMA
Verdict: Two stars out of four.

The Main Event (Netflix)
Starring: Seth Carr, Tichina Arnold, and Adam Pally
Synopsis: Netflix continue to churn out plenty of options each week, many aimed at different audiences. This one is set in the world of professional wrestling, and will likely draw fans of that world, especially younger fans. And for them, it should work OK. The film centers on a young boy (Carr) dealing with his mother leaving when he finds an old wrestling mask that gives him magical powers. He enters a professional tournament and wins, but the real win is learning to be himself and finally making some friends. This movie is cute at times, not overly long and it works OK. For the right audience this will likely be a hit. I just thought it was OK.
Rating: N/A
Verdict: Two stars out of four.

Tigertail (Netflix)
Starring: Tzi Ma and Christine Ko
Synopsis: This latest Netflix drama comes from writer/director Alan Yang, and is the story of a Taiwanese man who leaves his country to build a life in America, but can't quite build himself into someone who is open and able to love. It begins with flashbacks of his life as a boy, then as a young man and, finally, as an older adult who has trouble connecting with his daughter (Ko). Much of this stems from the poverty and trauma of his early life, and the love he left behind. When he reconnects with that lost love later, he realizes that it's something inside him that keeps him from moving forward and that if he wants to have a real relationship with his daughter, he'll have to learn to open up. This film is buoyed by a fine performance from Ma, and works in telling the quiet story of these two people. Though much of the film is told through subtitles, it is still effecting and engaging. It's a different kind of story, and one that works to expose a bit of this culture and the stories of these characters.
Rating: PG for some thematic elements, language, smoking and brief sensuality.
Verdict: Three stars out of four.

Trolls World Tour (VOD)
Starring: Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, Rachel Bloom, James Corden, and Sam Rockwell
Synopsis: This is the first big release of 2020 to bypass the theater completely for a home release. It's considered a possible experiment, but given all that's going on it was really nice to be able to watch "Trolls" at home. Our family really enjoyed it, and I wager others will as well. It's not a deep or complicated film, but it is bright, colorful and uplifiting, much as the first one was. And given all that we're dealing with as a nation and a world, that might be just what we all need. Poppy (Kendrick) is a ray of sunshine. The music here is good, as it was with the first one, and the story is easy to follow and light. I was really looking forward to this movie being released when it was aiming for theaters, and I'm grateful that it was released on time in this way. This is well worth checking out.
Rating: PG for some mild rude humor.
Verdict: Three stars out of four.