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

Fatherhood (Netflix)
Starring: Kevin Hart, Alfre Woodard, Lil Rel Howery and Frankie Faison
Synopsis: This new film for Netflix was released in time for Father's Day weekend. It centers on a man, Matt (Hart), whose wife dies shortly after giving birth to their daughter. Suddenly, Matt is left to raise he on his own, which often sets him at odds with his mother-in-law (Woodard), who wonders if he can really do it. The first part of the film is about those challenges, Matt learning to balance work, home and the demands of being a single father. Then it jump ahead a few years to see how that process has evolved and how Matt can find a way to resume living his own life as well. This is a more dramatic role for Hart. There are a few amusing moments for him, but mostly this is a serious story for him while Howery provides the comic relief. There are some powerful moments in the film, which I thought was well done. This is an engaging story and I was impressed with the work Hart in the lead role.
Rating: PG-13 for some strong language, and suggestive material.
Verdict: Three stars out of four

Good on Paper (Netflix)
Starring: Iliza Shlesinger, Ryan Hansen, and Margaret Cho
Synopsis: This new Netflix film seems like a romantic comedy. It centers on a stand up comic, Andrea (Shlesinger), who meets a nerdy hedge fund manager, Dennis (Hansen), on a plane. The two strike up a friendship that, eventually, morphs into a romance. That's where things go off the rails as Andrea begins to realize Dennis isn't quite who he appears to be. Schlesigner does a solid job in the lead role, having written the script for the film as well. She and Cho, who plays her best friend in the film, have a good chemistry together and provide most of the humor. Hansen is fine, playing against his usual type, but there is little special about this story, which falls flat. I was interested for a bit, and I like Schlesinger in the lead role, but ultimately this one flames out quickly.
Rating: R for language throughout, sexual references, and brief drug use and nudity.
Verdict: One star out of four

Luca (Disney+)
Starring: Jacob Tremblay, Jack Dylan Grazer, Jim Gaffigan, and Maya Rudolph
Synopsis: This latest Pixar film, which debuted exclusively on Disney+, centers on a young sea monster, Luca (Tremblay), who is enticed to explore the surface world by a new friend, Alberto (Grazer). His parents (Gaffigan and Rudolph) go to seek him out, afraid the truth of who he is will come out and cause him to be hunted by the residents of the small Italian village where they've surfaced. This one has a neat story about friendship and acceptance, and it features some beautiful and stunning visuals. Director  Enrico Casarosa, who worked on the story, crafts a wonderful and beautiful film to look at. Pixar has made some delightful and engaging stories in the past, but Luca feels a bit flat to me. Despite a reasonable run time, it feels a bit dry. It's a middle of the pack offering that doesn't land with the emotional heft of the best the studio has turned out. Despite a stunning look, the rest of the production doesn't match, so this one ends up being just OK.
Rating: PG for rude humor, language, some thematic elements and brief violence.
Verdict: Two stars out of four

Monster Hunter (Starz)
Starring: Milla Jovovich, Tony Jaa, and Ron Perlman
Synopsis: Jovovich has teamed with her husband, director Paul W.S. Anderson, on a number of projects, most notably the Resident Evil franchise. Here, they tackle another action-oriented video game adaptation that finds Jovovich as Capt. Artemis, a soldier pulled through a porthole to a hidden world filled with monsters. There she teams with a hunter (Jaa) and his leader, The Admiral (Perlman), to defeat the monsters that plague that world and escape back into Aretmis' reality. Jovovich is a great action star, and this film has some nice effects and graphics, but the story and characters are beyond flat. This pales in comparison to the best of the Resident Evil franchise, becoming a tepid action film. This one was likely meant to kick off its own franchise, but it's hard to imagine anyone wanting to see more of this.
Rating: PG-13 for sequences of creature action and violence throughout.
Verdict: One star out of four

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