MF - MON
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Michael Clayton [2007] Middle Man [2016] The Midnight Sky [2020]
Midnighters [2017] Midsommar [2019] Mile 22 [2018]
Mind, Body & Soul [1992] MindGamers [2015] Mine [2016]
Mine Games [2012] Minions [2015] Mission: Impossible [1996]
Mission: Impossible II [2000] Mission: Impossible III [2006] Mission: Impossible 4 - Ghost Protocol [2011]
Mission: Impossible 5 - Rogue Nation [2015] Mission: Impossible 6 - Fallout [2018] The Mist [2007]
The Mitchells vs the Machines [2021] Moka [2016] Molly's Game [2017]
Mom and Dad [2017] Monster Man [2003] Monster Party [2018]
Monsters [2010] Monsters vs. Aliens [2009] Monsterz [2014]
Monty Python and the Holy Grail [1975] The Monuments Men [2014]
Michael Clayton [2007]

            

A Consultant (Fixer) for a prestigious law firm finds himself at the center of a class action law suit that could cost the firm $3 billion ...and someone wants him dead. Superbly written and directed by Tony Gilroy (the 3 main Bourne films) and showcasing some outstanding performances - especially George Clooney, Tilda Swenton and Tom Wilkinson - with sharp dialogue and an intensity that grabs your attention and doesn't let go. I normally don't care for the 'show the ending and then jump back to the beginning' technique but for this film, it's perfect. Nice!
Monsters vs. Aliens [2009]

            

Susan is struck my a meteorite on her wedding day making her 50' tall. She's secreted away by the military with other monsters. They're finally let loose when they have to save the world from aliens. This movie is seriously funny with some incredibly imaginative gags and hilarious dialogue and personalities. Animation is great, the varied monsters and aliens were a delight, especially BOB the blob who was hysterical. They managed an excellent balance between serious and humor to establish a good sense of danger among the chuckles. My wife and I loved it.
The Mitchells vs the Machines [2021]

            

On a road trip to take their daughter to film school, the Mitchells unwittingly find themselves the hope for humanity against the rise of the machines. First the negative... it's way too long. Beyond that, this was an extremely fun and exciting adventure with awesome animation, incredibly detailed and hilarious characters, including a dog that's super funny, a well-crafted story that moved along at an excellent pace, and some excellent heartfelt and inspirational moments, all presented with enormous imagination. Great entertainment for the whole family.
Minions [2015]

            

This Despicable Me prequel details the origin of the minions and their need to serve a super villain. A very entertaining film mostly centered around Stuart, Kevin and Bob and their experiences with the evil Scarlet Overkill. Each having a distinct personality, the clueless humor and shenanigans are constant and ofttimes LOL hilarious with plenty of laughs for both kids and adults. The animation is spot-on and highly imaginative. We watch movies with sub-titles and I was constantly amused seeing [Speaking Minionese] every time they started babbling. Good fun!
Mission: Impossible [1996]

         

My wife and I have been traveling through the M:I universe and we've made it to the movies. They managed to maintain that TV Series aesthetic while giving it a far more modern look for a film 3 decades old. I don't think turning the series' favorite character into a villain was a wise choice and I'll just overlook the fact that the biggest heist in the film would have been foiled with a simple $19.95 motion detector. Otherwise, the story was complex and compelling, the acting was fine, the action was over-the-top but exciting and we're looking forward to the sequels.
Mission: Impossible II [2000]

         

Ethan Hunt must stop a deadly new virus from falling into the wrong hands. The directing styles from Brian De Palma (1st film) to John Woo is pretty stark making this far less an M:I movie and far more a James Bond action flick. Not a lot of time is spent on the depth of the characters focusing almost exclusively on Ethan and the villain and the romantic scenes just felt awkward. But the film is loaded with Woo's trademark car & motorcycle chases and stunts, shootouts galore and non-stop, superbly choreographed fights making it all a very fun popcorn matinee.
Mission: Impossible III [2006]

            

Ethan is pulled out of retirement, despite a pending marriage, to rescue a fellow agent and stop an arms dealer. This was an exciting and intense action piece moving along at a very brisk pace making the 2+ hour run time feel a lot shorter. Philip Seymour Hoffman was outstanding as the ruthless, sociopathic villain and everyone else did a fine job. The action sequences were incredible and far more grounded than previous efforts ...the rescue and bridge sequences were fantastic rendering the final confrontation sorta anti-climactic. Nevertheless, thrilling stuff.
Mission: Impossible 4 - Ghost Protocol [2011]

            

The IMF is disbanded when they're accused of blowing up the Kremlin and must work on their own to hunt down a madman who wants to start WWIII. I give credit to the film for feeling more like the original series than the other films, utilizing a few excellent gimmicks and cons ...in fact, those were the best parts. But, except for a few choice moments, the action sequences in this were pretty rote and not particularly compelling or thrilling. Everyone did a good job, loved seeing Jeremy Renner, the story was fine and I enjoyed it. I just wasn't all that impressed with it.
Mission: Impossible 5 - Rogue Nation [2015]

            

Finally, an M:I film that embraces the original TV series concept as the now disbanded IMF force is pitted against an Anti-IMF, if you will, who's behind a series of global political disasters and assassinations. With a full understanding of what M:I should be, writer / director Christopher McQuarrie has taken charge and presents us with a perfect mix of high action / stunts, drama, intrigue, humor, and twists that leaves the viewer exhausted as to what will happen next. Sean Harris (villain) & Rebecca Ferguson (triple agent) and everyone else were awesome. Wow!
Mission: Impossible 6 - Fallout [2018]

            

The IMF is out to stop the sale of three plutonium cores that will be used in nuclear bombs. Taking place 2 years after the last film, with some of the same characters, this is much more an action piece focusing on the chase with not as much trademark subterfuge and gimmicks. And, although incredibly exciting, the action if basically responsible for its 147 min run time with some sequences going on way too long and not really adding anything to the story except a lot of adrenaline and eye candy. Despite being overwhelmed at times, incredibly exciting fun.
Monster Party [2018]

            
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Three young thieves, with the intent to rob a rich family, pose as temp servers for a party ...a serial killer anonymous party. Almost turned it off as the first 40 mins are pretty obnoxious with nothing happening. But, when things finally did kick in, holy cow! Hang on to your seats. Extra points for never letting the viewer know what's going to happen from one second to the next right up to the totally unexpected ending. Soundtrack by Felix Erskine & Nao Sato is awesome ...and no soundtrack album. What a pity! A load of fun if you can get through the first half.
Monster Man [2003]

            
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I'm surpised this film got as good ratings as it did. This is a ridiculous movie about a psycho who uses a monster truck to terrorize a couple of totally unlikable and unwatchable morons who wouldn't know a good line or an intelligent thought if it slapped them in the face. The guy on a slab near the end of the movie gave me a couple chuckles and it's the only thing that saved this film from being tagged with a Hall of Shame placard.
Molly's Game [2017]

            

True story of the prosecution of Molly Bloom, the woman who ran one of the most elite poker rooms in the world. I'm usually not that interested in biopics but I saw this one for a number of reasons. I didn't know how the story would turn out, I like poker, I like the people in the film, and it had a good trailer. Was it worth it? Damn, straight! The characters and motivations were sincere, well fleshed out and totally engrossing. A very fine balance of tension, danger, excitement, and people we enjoy watching and care about.
The Mist [2007]

            
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A really good monster movie that got wrapped up in it's own narrative, i.e., too long and I wanted nothing more than for that woman preaching hellfire and brimstone to just SHUT UP!! Regardless, it fully maintained it's level of intensity, the monsters were cool and it was loaded with startling moments. The ending is incredibly ironic and sad. Not a bad ending ...just be prepared for it. It hurts.
Mile 22 [2018]

            

A local policeman, who defects to the US Embassy, holds the secret to where stashes of Cesium-129 are hidden but will only reveal them if they get him out of the country. Holy cow, what an adrenaline rush! Reminiscent of The Raid and BuyBust, once things get going, it's a non-stop roller coaster ride of action that is superbly choreographed and intensely realistic at the same time. Although his character got a bit much sometimes, Mark Wahlberg is excellent as the nearly psychotic group leader who thrives in chaos.
Middle Man [2016]

         
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A guy, who isn't very funny, is traveling to Las Vegas to be a stand-up comedian. He runs into some trouble and the bodies start piling up. I was ready to shut off this dark comedy after about 30 mins but I stuck with it. It did get better but the humor is very, very dry. I would imagine it would suit the Better Call Saul crowd more than a general audience. I also thought the situations were becoming increasingly ridiculous ...albeit humorous. Overall, it had its funny moments, but I was expecting something far more laugh worthy.
Monsterz [2014]

         

A man, who can mentally control anyone his can see, meets his nemesis in a man who is immune to his control. This film started strong and had a great premise. Unfortunately, the longer the film ran, the worse it got. The filmmakers insisted on turning this into a philosophical dilemma wrapped in guilt and redemption to the point where any momentum the film had was tossed by the wayside. The ending was an overly-extended exercise in sappy sentimentalism and I couldn't wait for it to get over with.
Mine Games [2012]
aka The Evil Within
         

I apparently liked this far more than most, probably because I enjoy movies with parallel time lines overlapping each other. Is there really a time loop going on? ...or is Michael hallucinating the whole thing because he went off his meds? Did the ambiguous ending mean the cycle is broken? You'll have to decide for yourself. Not even close to being as good as Triangle but better than Timecrimes, imo, and it's fun to try and spot all the clues on a second viewing.
Monsters [2010]

            
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When NASA discovered life in our solar system, they sent a ship up to get samples. The ship crashed on the return trip dumping monsters in Mexico. 6 years later, two Americans are trying to get back to the US through the infected zone ...and that's it. Nothing else happens. Calling the film "Monsters" and establishing this major premise around them is incredibly misleading as the monsters only have about 5 mins of screen time. The film is mainly about tagging along with a pair of folks who are generally likable but rather dull and uninteresting.
MindGamers [2015]

            

A group of students experiment with connecting people together into a singular consciousness through quantum communication. Quite a lofty premise, indeed ...and I'm sure the filmmakers had a clear picture in their mind as to how the whole story works. Unfortunately, the film, albeit stylish and intriguing to watch, ended up being utterly and completely incomprehensible. I really would like to understand the scientific and philosophical ideas they tried to present but in the end, I'm just baffled beyond measure.
The Monuments Men [2014]

            

The true story about a group of men heading into Europe during WWII in an attempt to find, preserve, and return artwork that is quickly being collected and hidden by the Germans. The all-star cast makes for some nice performances and it was quite interesting from a historical perspective but overall, I found it rather dull. I think I would have enjoyed it more as a straight forward documentary as I wouldn't have been expecting so much.
Mind, Body & Soul [1992]

            
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A man takes his girlfriend to a satanic cult sacrifice and now they want to kill her. This is basic filmmaking 101. The acting and dialogue were so inane, I'd have guessed it was done by a middle school class except for all the boobs and softcore sex. People just don't act like that and the actors were simply doing what was necessary in a scene to get to the next scene ...many of which don't make much sense. Yet, oddly, at no time did I want to turn it off. How the hell does that work?
Midnighters [2017]

         

Coming home from a New Years Eve celebration, a couple hits a man on a woodlands road. While looking for ID, they discover their address in the man's wallet. Thus begins a twisted thriller full of hidden agendas, differing motives, and bad decisions among a varied assortment of characters including a psychopath that's so freakin' creepy, he was making my skin crawl ...and that's hard to do. This film never once let's you know where it's going as it drags you along for the ride. I was totally absorbed right up to the satisfying ending.
Moka [2016]

         
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A woman pursues the people who killed her son in a hit-and-run ...and that's it. If you have a choice between watching this or watching grass grow, the grass may provide more excitement. A slightly different course of action and this woman would have had things wrapped up in 20 minutes but they had to drag this out so that we can get totally absorbed in her misery and pain. If you're into this sort of film, the acting was excellent and it was all very dramatic and artsy. As for me, it's time for some Bugs Bunny cartoons.
Mom and Dad [2017]

            

A very black comedy where parents everywhere inexplicably begin murdering their children as it's the absolute right thing to do with the film centering around one family where a teenage girl, her boyfriend and her little brother are trying to survive an assault from Mom and Dad. Overall, it was a very violent and entertaining film with an unusual wit that made you smile despite the premise. My only real complaint is the need to throw flashbacks right in the middle of highly intense scenes, like I was being cut to commercial. Really diffused many of the best parts.
Midsommar [2019]

            
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A group of friends go to a secluded village in Sweden to experience the Midsommer festival. Little did they know... Chopping out about 45 mins of film may have given it some much needed energy. Despite the long-winded nature of belaboring a few points beyond their need, this was an immersive and mesmerizing clash of cultures and how it affects the newcomers who're completely out of their depth. This is not a horror film, per se, but there's no denying the ever present insidious tension and anxiety in an apparent Utopian paradise. Gorgeous photography.
The Midnight Sky [2020]

            

During an unexplained global catastrophe, the last man on Earth is trying to contact a returning space mission ...and take care of a little girl who happens to be there. Beyond that, this is simply one survival scenario after another interrupted by incredibly long sequences of jerking on our heartstrings to the point of numerous cadences of heavy sighs and cries of 'enough is enough' making this twice as long as needed. By the time we got to the end of this 2 hour snooze fest, I didn't care what the characters did just as long as they ended it. Nice visuals, though.
Monty Python and the Holy Grail [1975]

            
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The Knights of the Round Table encounter one calamity after another in their search for the Holy Grail. I was never a huge fan of Monty Python but this film still stands as a classic comedy. Filled with silly, goofball humor, including clacking coconut shells together to simulate riding horses, a killer rabbit, a holy hand grenade, the Knights who say, "Ni", who insist on a shrubbery, a limbless black night that threatens to bite you to death, among other chuckle inducing buffoonery. But it's all done very well and still holds up after nearly 50 years. Popcorn required.
Mine [2016]

         
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A sniper and his spotter are stuck in the desert after a failed mission and their GPS is broken. Heading to a village, they inadvertently step into a mine field that kills one and leaves the other standing on a mine ...for 52 hours. Basically an endurance film similar to Gerald's Game or Buried, this one is exceptionally tense, emotional, and frustrating. The real prize, however, was the local man who would come by to help, taunt, encourage, and wax philosophical about what it is to be a free man. I'm normally not a fan of endurance films but I thought this one was really good.
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