ALNM Rating: 5/5
Directed by: Domee Shi
Available to watch: In theaters now ahead of The Incredibles 2​
Review: Forewarning: you will cry during this short. At the very least, you'll come away from it wanting to go find your mother, apologize for daring to grow up and be your own person (or at the very least, for your snotty adolescent years), and then give her a giant hug. I'll be honest, a good 50%  of the reason why I chose to go see the Incredibles 2 was to see this short beforehand. Ok fine, 75%. I love that Domee Shi is the first woman to head up a Pixar short. I love that it's based on her Chinese Canadian childhood. I love that the husband was sitting at the dinner table, watching a Chinese show on in the background, like it was no big deal. I love that I totally did not expect where the story went - don't look at spoilers before you go, trust me. I love the authenticity of it all.  And I love the Bao!

Pro tip; keep an eye out for a subtle reference to how Asian cultures like folks to take their shoes off in the house. C'mon people, your shoes are disgusting. Yes, I work in a hospital so I may be extra biased but the world is pretty gross. Take off your shoes.

*Christina's note: Everyone be nice to Grace, our friend and special guest writer!*

ALNM Rating: 4.5/5
Directed by: Brad Bird
Starring: Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sarah Vowell, Huck Milner, Samuel L. Jackson
Rating: PG 
Available to watch: In theaters now
Review: ​The first Incredibles movie is one of my favorite Pixar movies. It's so unique and came before the huge rise of the Marvel and DC superhero craze you see today. There's something so magical about a story that's, at its core, pretty unrealistic (I mean, hello, super powers) but still draws you in and holds your attention. This second movie literally picks up right after the first movie, storyline-wise, and goes on from there. There's subtle references to the recent rise of female authority (hello, women's marches and "Me Too/Time's up"), while still pulling in jokes from the well worn joke that the dad has no idea how to manage a household on his own. Yes, I still laughed - although I'd like to think men have evolved somewhat. But then again, the Incredibles is supposedly set back in a different time period so, I'll roll with it. Plus, baby Jack-Jack's powers were a fun addition to this second movie. As a new parent, I totally sympathize with Mr. Incredible's inability to figure out how to manage his kid. Although to be fair, my kid doesn't burst into flames, but she can shoot out poop with the ferocity of laser beams. 

All in all, it was an action-packed movie with a good story, with plenty of laughs for both children and adults. Plus, no matter how many times I hear it, I find it hilarious when Frozone's wife is heard in the background asking him where he thinks he's going ASAP. Just like I still find it hilarious in the first movie when she's yelling at him from across their house, asking him why he needs to find his super suit. What can I say, I'm easy to please.

Hard to capture the nostalgia and uniqueness from the first movie, but as always, Pixar did a great job.

ALNM Rating: 5/5
Directed by: Anthony Russo and Joe Russo
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Don Cheadle, Tom Holland, Chadwick Boseman, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Danai Gurira, Letitia Wright, Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana, Josh Brolin, Chris Pratt
Rating: PG-13
Available to watch: In theaters now
Review: I'm going to preface this by saying I'm not sure I would rate this movie as high if I didn't already have ten years of emotional investment in these characters.  But I left this movie pleased, devastated, stunned, and every other emotion you want a good movie to pull out of you.  The team of the Russos, Markus and McFeely were able to pull together nearly the entire Marvel universe without making it feel overcrowded.  The balance of drama and humor walked the fine line the best Marvel movies are able to maintain.  And the biggest compliment I can pay a long movie is that it never felt long.  The concluding action sequences were visually stunning and the final scene will leave you gasping.  Thanos is easily the toughest villain ever to appear on screen in the Marvel films.  Chris Hemsworth finally lived up to all the potential he has shown as a leading man with the advantage of a strong storyline for Thor.  I'll stop now before I give anything away, but be sure to tune into our podcast episode next week for our full review.

by Kelly Lee

ALNM Rating: 5/5
Directed by: Ryan Coogler
Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker, and Andy Serkis.
Rating: PG-13
Available to watch: In theaters now
Review: I’m going to be straight forward. This is one of the best movies Marvel has ever come out with and one of the best movies I have seen in a while. I’m sure we will be talking about this on the podcast in the near future, and I’ll try to be spoiler free, but this film was able to successfully combine a strong self-contained story, charismatic characters, and (finally) a complex memorable villain in a way Marvel often isn’t able to do. I could devote an entire episode of the podcast to Michael B. Jordan, his portrayal of Erik Killmonger, and how he and Chadwick Boseman stand shoulder to shoulder as compelling leading men. The women of the film are complicated and badass and deserve all the movies, short films, and comics Marvel can devote to them. What really drew me in was the way this fantasy film was able to tie itself into our real world and its real issues in order to make it feel grounded and to make us feel emotionally invested. On a superficial level, the movie is gorgeous. The special effects, hair, makeup, costumes, and sets all deserve praise for their depth and beauty. We could go on for days about how this is a movement beyond just another superhero movie. But we can’t forget that this is also on its own a great movie. This helps upend the misguided Hollywood belief that a film needs a straight white cis male protagonist in order to be successful. This is a movie you have to see.

​ALNM Rating: 4.5/5
Directed by: Wes Ball
Starring: Dylan O'Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Dexter Darden, Nathalie Emmanuel, Giancarlo Esposito, Aidan Gillen, Walton Goggins, Ki Hong Lee, Jacob Lofland, Katherine McNamara, Barry Pepper, [redacted], Rosa Salazar
Rating: PG-13
Available to watch: In theaters now
Review: Maze Runner: The Death Cure is exactly the movie fans of the series have been waiting for for over two years.  I'm not going to delve into too much detail here, because we'll be devoting an episode of the podcast to this, but rest assured it is worth the price of admission.  The action sequences have taken a serious step up from the previous two films starting from the very first scenes of the movie.  The growth of Dylan O'Brien's range as an actor is on full display, and it is clear that Rosa Salazar is a star in the making.  As always, Thomas Brodie-Sangster brings a special kind of heart to the film with his seemingly effortless transformation into Newt while Ki Hong Lee brings the kind of intensity you want in an action hero.  Some of my favorite comedic beats involve a certain surprise character I won't mention here.  All in all, the movie was thrilling from beginning to end.  But head into the movie prepared, because there were several significant moments I found myself wishing I had brought some tissues.

ALNM Rating: 5/5
Directed by: Patty Jenkins
Starring: Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Robin Wright, Danny Huston, David Thewlis, and Connie Nielsen
Rating: PG-13
Available to watch: Anywhere you can purchase or rent movies

Review: In this movie that inspires ladies of all ages, Gal Gadot steps into the Wonder Woman boots as Diana of Themyscira who courageously protects her people and travels with stranded American soldier Steve Trevor onto the battlefront of World War I to find Ares, the God of War.  Prior to its release, this film received much hype and definitely delivered an epic superhero movie filled with great acting and female empowerment.  Diana’s termination, drive, and bravery are shown through Gadot in a role that she was born to play.  Diana learns much about the world around her and the people she had never encountered before.  This film is not to be missed.  If you didn’t get a chance to see it in cinemas, I highly recommend renting, buying, or watching it in any way that you can!

P.S. You’re welcome, Christina.  I *finally* did that Wonder Woman review you’ve been asking for since last summer.

by Kelly Lee

ALNM Rating: 4.5/5
Directed by: Christopher Nolan
Starring: Fionn Whitehead, Tom Glynn-Carney, Jack Lowden, Harry Styles, Aneurin Barnard, James D'Arcy, Barry Keoghan, Kenneth Branagh, Cillian Murphy, Mark Rylance, Tom Hardy
Rating: PG-13
Available to watch: At home
Review: Dunkirk is an incredible feat of visual storytelling.  I'm sure it was even more of a masterpiece in theaters.  I understand why some people considered it on the slow side, but this was a war movie built on small moments of humanity rather than action and explosions.  This is the type of movie you hold up as an example when you want to talk about well-crafted films.  There was not a weak performance in a cast of award winning veterans, like Kenneth Branagh and Mark Rylance, and promising newcomers, like Fionn Whitehead.  Definitely a must watch.