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

Dolemite is My Name
Starring: Eddie Murphy, Keegan Michael Key, Mike Epps, Craig Robinson, Titus Burgess, Wesley Snipes, and Da'Vine Joy Randolph
Synopsis: Rudy Ray Moore was a comedian that fought for everything he got. He found a hook and created an act for himself. When he couldn't get any traction to star in a movie and widen his audience, he found a way to fund his own. And while that movie wasn't great, it resonated with audiences, as Rudy's comedy had, giving him a strong cult following and a career. Murphy pays tribute to Rudy Ray Moore, and his alter-ego Dolemite, with this new biopic on Netflix. It boasts a strong cast and a great performance from Murphy in the lead. Rudy Ray Moore had a unique style that was profane, wild and unexpected, and all those things come to life in this film. But it's the story of his struggle and his dedication to his friends and his craft that makes this biopic most endearing. It's the performance in the lead role that has drawn the most praise, and talk of award season buzz for Murphy, which is well deserved. The past few years Netflix has made solid forays into film, and "Dolemite is My Name" is part of a strong crop of works in 2019. It's not for everyone because of the style and content, but for those that want to check it out, Murphy does a great job bringing this story to life.
Rating: R for pervasive language, crude sexual content, and graphic nudity.
Verdict: Three stars out of four.

El Camino
Starring: Aaron Paul, Matt Jones, Jesse Plemmons, and Robert Forester
Synopsis: This movie is set in the world of "Breaking Bad" and provide some resolution for Jesse (Paul). If Walter White (Bryan Cranston) was really the focus of "Breaking Bad" the series, this movie puts the focus on his partner in crime. It takes places in a few different timelines, flashing back to Jesse's interactions with the famous faces of the series, who didn't survive the finale, filling in some of the brutal gaps of his time in confinement leading up to the finale, and then finally showing what happened after Walt set him free. It's about two hours, and was written and directed by showrunner Vince Gilligan. Did we need this closure for Jesse's story? I don't know. But at the same time, this felt like a fitting coda to the series, and one that gives Paul and chance to showcase his talent and range in the part that he's best known for. He does a good job in the lead role, and this is an engaging and interesting movie. For fans of the show, this is a must watch. For those who didn't follow the series, this will likely be a bit tough to follow, but it still features some good sequences and interesting performances. This one is now streaming on Netflix, as is the back catalog of the show.
Rating: TVMA
Verdict: Three stars out of four.

Frozen 2
Starring: Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Josh Gad, Jonathan Groff, and Sterling K. Brown
Synopsis: Back in 2013, when the original was released, it became a phenomenon. You heard the music everywhere and it saw the costumes. The six years between films has done little to dampen the enthusiasm for the franchise, but sequels are always tricky ground to trod, even for animated tales. And that's not different for "Frozen 2," which is a solid movie that builds on the characters and story world but won't match some of the pop culture heights of the original. This is particularly true in the music. Don't get me wrong, the songs of "Frozen 2" are good, and fit with the story, which they help drive forward. But none of them will be "Let it Go," or even "Want to Build a Snowman." However, the comedy is good, the characters are delightful as ever and the story works. It moves the characters along and gives them a new happy ending. It's entertaining and, at times, moving. It's one of the better animated films of 2019 in a year that has been remarkably strong for the craft. This isn't likely the phenomenon the first film was, but it's a worthy follow up and a film well worth checking out.
Rating: PG for action/peril and some thematic elements.
Verdict: Three stars out of four.

The Irishman
Starring: Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, Harvey Keitel, and Ray Romano
Synopsis: Martin Scorsese has had a long and decorated career, much of it telling difficult tales with De Niro as his leading man. The same is true of "The Irishman," based on the book from Charles Brandt that chronicles the story of Frank Sheeran (De Niro), known as the Irishman, who was a hitter for the mob and got entangled with Jimmy Hoffa (Pacino). This film, which has a limited theatrical run and is now on Netflix, tells Sheeran's story, including his partnership with mob boss Russell Bufalino (Pesci), his friendship with Hoffa and how everything played out. It is not a short commitment, running about three and a half hours. But it covers a large swath of time and uses some CGI de-aging to allow the actors to portray the part over the full run of the film. Scorsese has previously given us films like "Casino" and "Goodfellas," and while I think "Goodfellas" is a bit better overall (and probably an all-timer), this is quite a good film. The actors here are all strong, and they give a lot to these roles. It is great to see De Niro, Pacino and Pesci together, and giving these kind of performances in this kind of a story. I wouldn't be surprised to see this in the running come awards season.
Rating: R for pervasive language and strong violence.
Verdict: Four stars out of four.

Knives Out
Starring: Chris Evans, Don Johnson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Daniel Craig, Toni Collette, LaKeith Stanfield, Christopher Plummer, Katherine Langford, and Ana de Armas
Synopsis: In 2017, Rian Johnson delivered the best "Star Wars" film, and one of the best of the decade, in "The Last Jedi." Two years later, he's back with an all-star cast and delivers one of the best films of 2019 with "Knives Out," a fantastic whodunit that is funny, dramatic, engaging and clever. It was an incredible thrill ride and a great film. I loved the performances, as everyone played their parts well. Craig is great as the lead investigator, while Evans, better known as Captain America, seems to relish playing the cad. But a lot of this comes down to de Armas, who is a central focus of the film and has to do a lot of the heavy lifting. And she's great. This was a really enjoyable film and one that should be a strong contender for best of 2019, both with fans and with the Academy.
Rating: PG-13 for thematic elements including brief violence, some strong language, sexual references, and drug material.
Verdict: Four stars out of four.

Let it Snow
Starring: Isabela Merced, Shameik Moore, Liv Hewson, Kiernan Shipka, Mitchell Hope,  Jacob Batalon, and Joan Cusack
Synopsis: This Netflix holiday original is based on a novel and features a strong group of recognizable young stars. It's set in a small town besieged by snow on Christmas Eve. And most of these young folks are just looking to party for Christmas, and of course looking for a little love. Cusack plays a tow truck driver who bounces from spot-to-spot, and of course is the all-knowing narrator. The idea here is sound, and there's some good talent. This makes sense as the kind of film Netflix would make to help build its content library. However, I thought it was just OK. In fact, despite being about 90 minutes, it felt slow at times as it traveled through typical tropes and cliches to arrive at the inevitable conclusion. But if you're looking for light holiday entertainment and, better yet, if you're a teen, this will likely hold some strong appeal.
Rating: PG-13 for crude sexual material, strong language, and teen partying.
Verdict: One star out of four.