Emma Thompson is an actress who can portray all types of characters. She can play a dark book author (like she did in Stranger Than Fiction in 2016) or a quirky, magical nanny (like she did in Nanny McPhee in 2006). Thompson can also play someone seeking true desire as she does in Good Luck to You, Leo Grand where her performance is audacious and grand. In this movie, she is delicate with emotions and fierce with what she wants. The most vibrant part of this role allows her to display her mellow-toned and quiet attitude like she has done in a variety of her other roles. Good Luck to You, Leo Grande is different for Thompson, and she delivers a knockout performance like no other. Prepare to be wowed in the twisted scenarios that transpire in Good Luck to You, Leo Grande.

Director Sophie Hyde sets Good Luck to You, Leo Grande like it is a series of episodes. The setup reminded me of the HBO series In Treatment in which there are different sessions with different clients on different days of the week. There are different sessions in Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, however, each of them involves meeting up with an escort. It is intriguing that the sessions include moments of confusion and feelings of inadequacy, but it is not all that disturbing or raunchy. The subject matter is quite risqué, and Thompson is brave to open her risqué side in this film. Viewers will ponder many questions during her journey as the sessions continue throughout the film.

Thompson is Nancy Stokes, a lady getting close to sixty who is in the mid-life crisis stage of her life. She feels she wants to experience some wild fun in her life and what comes to mind is sex. The main difference, however, is that she is really seeking more connection over sex. She hires a young escort, and his name is Leo Grande, played by Daryl McCormack. Leo works as an escort, and through sessions with Nancy, it turns out to be more than just the usual meetups.  In fact, Nancy starts to see through his eyes the individual Leo himself could be outside his shady career. Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, is a journey of lust, disconnect, and awareness which grow as Leo and Nancy engage in their risqué behaviors.

The shy side of Thompson is where her performance is stellar, and the eccentric side of McCormack is where he shines. Leo wants the scenarios to include communication. For Nancy, she wants Leo to be more open about other positives things in his life. The problem is that in the beginning she hired Leo only for sex which leads to the emotions between Nancy and Leo to weave between dramatic scenes. In the end, there is light for both Nancy and Leo.

The shift in the behavior patterns is where Good Luck to You, Leo Grande can sometimes have fragments of disconnection. Thompson’s role transitioned during the movie to the heartfelt side that I know from her other performances. This side of her performance allows the film to be an empathetic journey of figuring out the right path forward. Not only does Nancy move forward with her life, but also helps Leo move forward from the misdirection in his life. The film is witty, funny, touching, and a hard R dark comedy. Despite the risqué scenarios in the film, Good Luck to You, Leo Grande is an instant classic that is almost spectacular. Three and a half stars.

As the sun rises and the planes start to rev their engines, the opening salvo of summer blockbuster entertainment is launched with Top Gun Maverick. I felt I had to fasten my seatbelt as soon as the opening sequence began.

Thirty-six years in the making, Tom Cruise is back as Captain Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell. Cruise’s performance is reminiscent of the first film, and the game of planes and dog fights in the sky are taken to new horizons. Top Gun Maverick is nostalgic and carries on the legacy of that first film.

Tom Cruise is definitely one of the main draw making Top Gun Maverick spellbinding, but it has a lot more going for it. The Kenny Loggins theme song, “Danger Zone”, always sets my mindset for an exciting Top Gunexperience. The music in the film fades in and out in smooth transitions, cuing the audience as the action moments begin. Director Joseph Kosinski knows how to continue the traits of what Tony Scott created, bringing the important pieces to mesmerizing new levels. The continued franchise has similar lighting and cinematography, so fans will feel they are back in the 80s with all the unforgettable moments of what makes Top Gun exciting.

The plot starts with Cruise as Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell in his own world, doing his own types of flying and working with his own planes. But his skills are still needed, and he is recruited by Adm. Beau ‘Cyclone’ Simpson to train new pilots that are stepping into the game. Among the pilots there are many new faces, including Lt. Natasha ‘Phoenix’ Trace, played by Monica Barbaro, Lt. Robert ‘Bob’ Floyd, played by Lewis Pullman, Lt. Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin, played by Glen Powell, and more.

But the rookie who poses the biggest challenge for Maverick is Lt. Bradley ‘Rooster’ Bradshaw, played by Miles Teller. Rooster is the son of ‘Goose’, played by Anthony Edwards, who died in the first film. The last thing Maverick wants to do is put ‘Rooster’ in danger, but there is the quote in the film that, “It’s not the plane, it’s the pilot,”. Rooster is determined to be the man he saw his father to be, and to continue the legacy that Maverick and the others created back in the day. The heat of competition rises and it becomes the adventure of a lifetime, an epic ride of trial and terror.

But Top Gun Maverick is not all life and death. Cruise also starts a relationship with Penny Benjamin, played by Jennifer Connolly.

It was the adventures in Top Gun Maverick that left me breathless, though, especially with seeing it in the premium format of Dolby Atmos, a high-end technology that allows you feel the sound and fully experience the heat of the moments. The mission is complex, the skies are ready, and Top Gun Maverick is the opening excitement of summer blockbuster entertainment. The film is triumphant, mesmerizing, and daring. Top Gun Maverick is simply a knockout cinematic experience. Four stars for Top Gun Maverick.

When there is a long-standing television series with a big fan base, it often gets a movie adaptation just to bring in the die-hard fans. The Bob’s Burgers Movie is a sort of refresher to the series, almost like three TV episodes turned into one movie, and it will no doubt appeal to those fans. I’m not a die hard fan, and although I’ve watched the series on and off for years, I found the film to be just alright.

The setup to The Bob’s Burgers Movie is that the Belcher family finds themselves in a bankruptcy crisis, and there is also an enormous hole right in front of the restaurant’s entrance. Bob and Linda Belcher, voiced by H. Jon Benjamin and John Roberts, are running out of time to help keep their business running. As the crisis gets even more brutal with other catastrophes, their children, Tina, Louise, and Gene, voiced by Dan Mintz, Kristen Schaal, and Eugene Mirman, try to find ways to save their parents’ restaurant. All the humor and voices the fans love is in one film and, again, I’m sure they will find the movie full of laughs. But I found it to be relatively uneventful.

Throughout the film, there are one-liners and hidden gems that fans will relate to and remember right away. That is, again, why they make a film based on a TV show into a full-feature film—and to of course try to grow the fan base. The Bob’s Burgers Movie has some irreverent and witty tangents, and I admit I laughed periodically. But I was just not really sold on this one.

Don’t get me wrong, The Bob’s Burgers Movie is not ridiculous, and it is not horrible. I will just say that my experience was basically neutral—and that’s not what I want when I go to the movie theater. Some may find it a fun ride, harmless joyful entertainment, or something to lighten the mood. I feel that, for this film, I could have enjoyed it more at home than the cinema. I may decide to give it another shot and see if it strikes me better the second time around, but probably not. Two and a half stars for The Bob’s Burgers Movie.