I haven’t seen a film as creative and funny as The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent in a long time. It totally rocks, and is destined to be a classic!

I’m a big fan of Nicholas Cage’s films, ranging from Moonstruck (1987), Wild at Heart (1990), and Leaving Las Vegas(1995), to Matchstick Men (2003) and The Weatherman (2005). But it’s been a while since Cage had a big hit, and I would call The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talenthis epic comeback. Some may view the setup of the film as quirky, but I would call it unique, unpredictable and, again, just very creative.

The best part of The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is that Cage plays himself—sort of. He goes by Nick Cage, a very successful actor who is offered a million dollars to appear at a birthday party for a huge fan, the incredibly wealthy Javi Gutierrez, played by Pedro Pascal. Cage’s agent is Richard Fink, played by Neil Patrick Harris. Cage needs the money, so he agrees to the appearance. But the event takes an unexpected turn when it is revealed that Gutierrez is an arms dealer who is being pursued by the CIA, causing Cage’s family, including his daughter Addy, played by Lily Mo Sheen, to fall into grave danger.

To get himself and his family out of the very dangerous situation they find themselves in, Cage takes on the persona of some of his most well known roles from previous films. This is where the creativity of The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent goes off the charts. The film becomes a journey of Cage revisiting his old acting roles blended with a fictionalized and brilliant plot.

Cage is known for his sporadic outbursts that are whacky, intense, and entertaining, and there is a whole lot of that in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. Simply put, Cage’s performance is superb. His method is stylized and witty, and the film is just incredibly funny. I laughed until my lungs hurt.

Go see The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. It is an unforgettable film that takes its audience on an unparalleled, nostalgic, and extremely entertaining journey. It is one of the best films I have seen this year. Four stars for The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent.

Fans of Alexander Skarsgard love him for his role as Eric Northman from the HBO series True Blood. Take his performance in that series, multiply it by ten, and you have his performance as Amleth in The Northman. A truly epic film, Skarsgard is the key to the The Northman’s triumph.

Beyond Skarsgard as Amleth, the remaining cast of The Northman is unparalleled and grand. Nicole Kidman is Queen Gudrun, Claes Bang is Fjolnir the Brotherless, Ethan Hawke is King Aurvandil War-Raven, Anya Taylor-Joy is Olga of the Birch Forest, Björk is Seeress, and Willem Dafoe is Heimir the Fool.

The Northman follows the Viking era tale of Amleth, whose father, King Aurvandil, is killed by Fjolnir while Amleth is just a boy. Amleth becomes a slave in several different countries, but his life focus remains the same—to avenge his father’s death by killing Fjolnir and by freeing Fjolnir’s slaves. Those slaves include Amleth’s love, Olga. It becomes clear that Amleth is not afraid to die to accomplish these tasks.

The director of The Northman, Robert Eggers, is known for thrillers with unexpected shocking moments that turn into exquisite works of art. The Northman can almost feel overwhelming at times. The faded cinematography of the cold mountains and the dangerous storms, interspersed with moments of terror, make for an immersive and exhilarating cinematic experience.

 The Northman is simply phenomenal. The acting—especially Skarsgard’s—is spellbinding, and Eggers has taken his direction to new heights. It is a virtual Viking era rollercoaster ride that is not to be missed. Four stars for The Northman.

Despite its connection to the immensely popular Harry Potter films, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is barely average, and doesn’t even approach the magical excitement of the Harry Potter films.

This third installment in the Fantastic Beasts franchise continues the journey of Newt Scamander, played by Eddie Redmayne. The evil dark Wizard Gellert Grindelwald, played by Madds Mikkelsen, is doing what he can to take control of the wizarding world. Scamander puts together his team of magic superheroes to overcome the evil that Gellert is advancing on the wizarding world. Jude Law plays the beloved Albus Dumbledore.

The acting in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is decent, and that is its strongest selling point. Director David Yates also has an eye for visual brilliance, and the storyline got marginally better as the film progressed. But structurally it is just a mess. There are too many unexplained, silly moments, and the magical vibe just never materializes. Unfortunately, the previous two Fantastic Beasts films were no better.

Don’t get me wrong—Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is not a terrible movie, and I’m sure some will appreciate or maybe even love it. I just found it, again, only average. It actually left me wondering whether they possibly rushed the filmmaking, which would explain a lot. Just two and a half stars for Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.