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

Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile
Starring: Zac Efron, Lily Collins, Haley Joel Osment, and John Malkovich
Synopsis: By now everyone is pretty familiar with Ted Bundy and his various horrible crimes. And yet Netflix's new drama, "Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile" seeks to explore new ground by focusing on Bundy (Efron) and his relationship with Seattle single mom Liz (Collins). They are in love and engaged and then Bundy is arrested and charged with a heinous crime. He pleads his innocence, and Liz wants to believe him, and yet he's convicted. And as the evidence mounts, Bundy continues to plead his innocence, but he becomes harder to believe as his monstrous acts become clear. The film winds up with his trial in Florida, where Bundy drew applause from the gallery, and yet was convicted of more crimes and sentenced to death. It's during that sentencing that the film draws its title from a statement read by the judge (Malkovich). But the movie doesn't focus so much on Bundy, his crimes and timeline, but really on the relationship between Bundy and Liz, which makes sense as the film is based on her book. For me, that meant a film that was mostly banal, especially in compared to the outlandish title. What Bundy did was terrible, but absent seeing anything approaching that in the film, he's presented as a charming liar and Liz comes off as kind of a pathetic character. The performances are fairly blah, as is the movie. There's an interesting idea here, but the execution felt off to me.
Rating: R for disturbing/violent content, some sexuality, nudity and language.
Verdict: One Star out of four.

John Wick: Chapter 3-Parabellum
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Halle Berry, Ian McShane, Lance Reddick, Laurence Fishburne, and Asia Kate Dillon
Synopsis: Sometimes in summer you just need a good action film. Not one with a complex plot, but one that you can just sit back and enjoy the ride. And "John Wick: Chapter 3" certainly provides that. The original film bowed in 2014 and developed a cult following. By the time the sequel came out in 2017, it had a legion of fans. And that's only grown as it moved toward a mid-May release for the third installment, which picks up just after the events of the second film. John Wick (Reeves) is now being hunted by the group he used to serve and has to go a ways to clear his name. So, too, do his close associates (Fishburne, McShane and Reddick), as they have to deal with a new adjudicator (Dillon) who seeks to punish them for helping Wick break the rules. But, of course, Wick makes time to protect his dog first. He heads overseas to find the head of their group, getting help from an old friend (Berry) along the way. Soon he's faced with a choice to give his life in service of his former employer, or engage in all out way. Reeves is great in this role, bringing the perfect essence to the character of John Wick. There were a lot of good action sequences as well, and the film is left open to continue this world. Judging on how much it made at the Box Office, I'm sure there will be another one. It felt a touch long at 130 minutes, but that's a minor quibble. This isn't a deep or complicated movie, but if you're just looking for some solid action with a few cool characters and some laughs, "John Wick: Chapter 3" fits the bill.
Rating: R for pervasive strong violence, and some language.
Verdict: Three stars out of four.

Wine Country
Starring: Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Rachel Dratch, Anya Gasteyer, Emily Spivey, Paula Pell, Tina Fey, Cherry Jones, and Jason Schwartzman
Synopsis: This new comedy from Spivey and Liz Cackowski, former "Saturday Night Live" and "Last Man on Earth" writers, features a cast full of women from "Saturday Night Live" and directed by Poehler. It's a big get for Netflix, bringing some higher profile project to the streaming site, and a comedy in the midst of summer that they hope will bring them some eyeballs. And this is a lot of funny women. There are moments here that work, but by in large I thought it was a bit dry. The point is sound, and it is certainly a showcase for this cast. But the funniest character for me was Fey, who appears only in spurts as a supporting character. A lot of it was predictable, but it was entertaining at times and some fun. This doesn't feel like the home run Netflix was hoping for, but it offers a bit of original programming for fans of the stars and the genre.
Rating: R for crude sexual content, language and some drug material.
Verdict: Two stars out of four.

Upcoming Releases:
Friday, May 24: "Aladdin," "Brightburn," "Booksmart"
Friday, May 31: "Godzilla: King of the Monsters," "Rocketman," "Ma"