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

6 Underground
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Corey Hawkins, Dave Franco, Mélanie Laurent, Ben Hardy, Adria Arjona, and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo
Synopsis: It's been a big year for Netflix films. Not only do they have a number of prestige pictures in the award contention, they've continued to recruit big stars and directors for popular culture projects, too. Michael Bay is a premier name in action films, and having him come to Netflix to make a big spectacle film is a big get. Even bigger when Reynolds takes the starring role. That's the case in "6 Underground," which you could easily see spawning something of a franchise. The film is about a tech billionaire who fakes his own death and recruits a team to try and make the world a better place. And that leads to plenty of action sequences, shoot outs, car chases and explosions. This isn't a deep or meaningful film. If you want to be moved, watch "Marriage Story." But if you're looking for some entertainment and, say, are a closet Bay enthusiast like me, this works pretty well. Reynolds is good in the lead role and the rest of the cast works well, too. The story isn't incredible, but there's plenty of action and humor. A lot of the director's trademarks are here, and it works. Netflix has to be pleased to fill out its original content with this kind of film.
Rating: R for strong violence and language throughout, bloody images and some sexual content.
Verdict: Two stars out of four.

Jumanji: The Next Level
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Karen Gillan, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, Awkwafina, Nick Jonas, Danny DeVito, Rory McCann and Danny Glover
Synopsis: When "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" debuted in 2017, it was one of the biggest surprises. It was a sequel to the Robin Williams film, one that changed the premise, plot and cast entirely. And no one knew what to expect. But what we got was a heck of a lot of fun. But it didn't feel like a movie that needed to be made again. And yet, when you have success these days, it leads to another film. Whether it's needed or not. So for this sequel, we get a return to the basic formula, but with a new mission, new worlds and new characters. DeVito and Glover star as former business partners trying to heal a rift who get sucked into the game with our heroes. This allows Johnson and Hart, and later Awkwafina, to channel their inner old man. That adds a new wrinkle and some laughs. And Hart, Black, Johnson and Gillan are all still great in these roles. Gillan, in particular, takes more of a lead role in this film and it works well. This one is a bit slow to start and feels a bit forced as the premise jumps off, but once it gets going there is more of that fun and charm that drew people to the first film. That being said, this stretches the premise even thinner, which makes it a tough bet for future installments.
Rating: PG-13 for adventure action, suggestive content and some language.
Verdict: Two stars out of four.

Upcoming Releases:
Friday, December 20: "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker," "Cats," "Bombshell"
Wednesday, December 25: "Spies in Disguise," "Little Women," "A Hidden Life," "Just Mercy"