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

Geostorm
Starring: Jim Sturgess, Gerard Butler, Abbie Cornish, and Andy Garcia
Synopsis: When it comes to disaster films, you can't really come in with too high of expectations. I mean, it's not like these movies are usually built around high concept stories and well-defined characters. So when you see a movie like "Geostorm" has a 12 percent critical score on Rotten Tomatoes, it's not really a red flag. It's expected. I mean, this isn't art. It's a popcorn movie and and a fun diversion at best. And if you're judging by those metrics, "Geostorm" fits the bill. It casts Butler as the smartest man in the world — a guy who worked with 17 other nations to build Dutchboy, a weather satellite system that keeps big storms from wreaking havoc on the Earth. You know, after we ruined the world through Global Warming. Then his personality got him kicked off the project, and three years later Dutchboy seems to be malfunctioning. So his brother (Sturgess), who happens to be the deputy Secretary of State, gets him back on the ship to investigate. And they quickly learn it's not a malfunction so much as intentional sabotage. "Geostorm" comes from Dean Devlin, who worked on "Independence Day" and "The Day After Tomorrow," so he's a guy who knows big scope disaster films. I thought this was a fun and enjoyable film, and delivered on what you'd expect from this kind of story and genre. It's not an award contender, but it's a fun fall night at the movies where you don't have to think too hard.
Rating: PG-13 for destruction, action and violence.
Verdict: Two stars out of four.

Only The Brave
Starring: Josh Brolin, Miles Teller, Jeff Bridges, James Badge Dale, and Jennifer Connelly
Synopsis: This biopic tells the story of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, a group of wild land firefighters who were the first to become certified after being started by the city of Prescott Arizona. They were a group of heroes that, if you know the true story, you know that it ended tragically. This film shows the training, bonding, and the work the group did — including their final fire together. It also tells the story of their chief Eric Marsh (Brolin), his wife (Connelly), and the new recruit, Brendan (Teller), who helped get everything turned around. I really enjoyed the performances here. I thought Brolin was great in the lead role, and it was a really fun part for Teller and Taylor Kitsch — best known for his work on "Friday Night Lights." It was a moving and engaging story, albeit one with a very sad ending. You should brace yourself for that last part. But the rest of it was great. This film has gotten a lot of positive reviews, and it doesn't take long watching to realize why. It's very well done. It might also be a victim of poor timing given the deadly wild fires ravaging the West Coast. But this is one that could be a factor when it comes to awards season.
Rating: PG-13 for thematic content, some sexual references, language and drug material.
Verdict: Four stars out of four.

Upcoming Releases:
Friday, October 27 — "Jigsaw," "Thank You For Your Service," "Suburbicon"

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