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

Bad Boys For Life
Starring: Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Joe Pantoliano, and Kate del Castillo
Synopsis: It's been 17 years since Smith and Lawrence rode as Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett, but seeing them together it was as if no time had passed at all. "Bad Boys," released in 1995 and one of Michael Bay's first big action films. It spawned a sequel in 2003, and there was long talk of a third installment. But it didn't happen. Until it finally did. This new film features an aging duo, as it's been 25 years since their first outing, contemplating the future. Marcus (Lawrence) becomes a grandfather and seriously considers retiring. Mike (Smith) faces a life-altering incident and considers his own mortality. This new film, while it features a fun cameo from Bay, is not directed by him. Instead the team of Adil and Bilal take the reigns, and they do a nice job. As always, this is a blend of comedy, drama and action, and it works for what it is. This isn't the kind of film that's going to be Best Picture material, but it's still plenty of fun. Smith and Lawrence do a nice job together and the action and plot here works well. If you enjoyed the previous films, then this will
Rating: R for strong bloody violence, language throughout, sexual references and brief drug use.
Verdict: Three stars out of four.

Parasite
Starring: Kang-ho Song, Sun-kyun Lee, Yeo-jeong Jo, Woo-sik Choi, and So-dam Park
Synopsis: This is the foreign film that has taken the world by storm. It's a South Korean story of a family lacking in funds, but not ambition. They find a way to work themselves into cush jobs with a wealthy family when things go horribly wrong. The film was a winner at the Cannes Film Festival, and has been a winner ever since. Now it's nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture. And writer/director Bong Joon Ho does a beautiful job crafting this story and getting the most out of his perfomers. This is one of the most interesting and engaging films of the year, and one that will be a seriously player at the Academy Awards. While many people seem to have an aversion to films with subtitles—and I get it as it can be tough sometimes to read for a couple hours when you just want to kick back and relax—but this is a film to go out and see. I enjoyed it and it was completely different than I thought it would be, and quite engaging.
Rating: R for language, some violence and sexual content.
Verdict: Four stars out of four.

Now Playing:Friday, January 24: "The Gentleman," "The Turning," "The Last Full Measure"
Friday, January 31: "The Rhythm Section," "Gretel and Hansel"


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