March 2023 Movies Ranked

March was a jammed packed month for movies. I manages to see 9 movies and even then, there were several that I missed out on. As with last month, I managed to see at least one movie a week. This was probably the best month so far in terms of quality as I would go positive on most of these films. With that being said, here are my thoughts and ranking of the 9 new releases that I saw this month.

9. 65

While 65 was the worst film of this month, I still found it entertaining enough. The film was very simple and fast-moving. This movie wastes no time getting the characters to prehistoric Earth and setting up the general premise of the story. The movie also delivers some fun dinosaur action sequences as well as having some very tense moments. I also enjoyed the chemistry between Adam Driver's character and the young girl. Even though there was a language barrier, it was still fun to see them interacting. However, there is a lot about this movie that just does not work. I felt that it was a bit too short and spent no time establishing the characters and why we should care about them. While it did have some dinosaur action, the amount and level of action were ultimately very underwhelming. I also was not a big fan of the direction they took the daughter character. Finally, I think the movie wasted a lot of potential by not being about a time traveler going back in time on Earth. It is literally just about an alien that looks like a human that just happens to come across Earth. While this movie did have some fun aspects, it is ultimately pretty forgettable.

Score: 6/10 Grade: C+

8. Murder Mystery 2

Murder Mystery 2 was a new film released by Netflix at the end of March. It follows husband and wife, Nick and Audrey as they attempt to solve a new murder. I had fun with this movie. Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston are both very funny and made this movie quite entertaining to watch. I thought that this movie had quite a few funny moments that made me laugh out loud. I also really enjoyed the mystery aspect of the story. It is set up as a whodunit-type mystery which are always my favorite type of mystery to watch. The movie also has a lot of side characters that are fun to watch and add some humor to the film. The main thing that keeps this movie from being high is that it is really not that memorable. Even after only a couple of days, I was struggling to remember much of anything about this film. I also felt that the film goes a bit too over the top in some of the action sequences which kind of detracted from the charm of the original film. Finally, I got somewhat annoyed with the constant bickering between Nick and Audrey. The film kept using that to supply funny moments and it just got old after a while. Overall, this movie was good enough. It kept me entertained but in the end, was really not that memorable.

Score: 6.2/10 Grade: C+

7. Champions

Champions was a fun heartwarming sports movie. Woody Harrelson gives such a fun performance. He has such great interactions with the other players and really plays off of them well. The movie is also quite funny, delivering a lot of moments that made us laugh out loud. I also enjoyed how heartwarming it was. The movie manages to give a lot of sweet moments and makes you feel good when it is over. The way the movie balanced the sports aspect was also really well done. The movie is about a basketball team, but it is more focused on the relationships than on the games themselves which I felt was a great way to handle the story. While I did enjoy this movie, some things were keeping it from the top of this list. The main thing is that the movie is pretty generic. It sticks to the typical underdog story formula pretty hard. I also felt that there wasn't much character growth throughout the story. Things happen to certain characters, but it doesn't really change them or impact the story. Finally, I felt that some of the humor was a bit too crass for this kind of movie. It would have a sweet moment and then shoehorn in a random crude joke. Overall, I had a good time was this movie. It is pretty formulaic but plays the formula well.

Score: 7/10 Grade: B

6. Jesus Revolution

This was the second feel-good movie that I saw this month. Technically, it came out at the end of February, but I saw it in the theaters in March so I am counting it here. I was initially skeptical of this film as most Christian films are not very good but this is actually a pretty solid film. The film's focus was on the Christian revolution of the 1960s and 70s instead of trying to preach a mention which I think made for a better story. I thought most of the characters were very likable and easy to remember. The movie also does a great job of making you feel the right emotions. You feel good at the end of the movie but also can feel the emotional moments throughout the film. I also thought the acting was well done in the film. These people are not big-name actors but they still managed to deliver solid performances. I also liked how the story was structured, focusing at first on the growth of the movement and the shifting to how people are reacting to the movement at its peak. The main issue I had with the film is that it was rather unclear who the main character was supposed to be. The movie opens with a focus on Pastor Chuck, but as the story goes on it shifts to being about Greg and Pastor Chuck pretty much fades into the background. Overall, this was an effective movie that did exactly what it set out to do, it just felt a little unsure about who the main character should be.

Score: 7/10 Grade: B

5. Shazam! Fury of the Gods

Shazam! Fury of the Gods is the newest addition to the DCEU and the sequel to the original Shazam! film. This movie was a lot of fun. Just like the first Shazam movie, you get the humor of kids in adults' bodies trying to be superheroes. This aspect of the film gives several laugh-out-loud moments. The action is on a much larger scale than the first film and is so much fun to watch. I also really enjoyed the fantasy aspect of the show where we get to see these Greek Gods as well as all of these mythical monsters. I also thought the villains were better in this film than in the first. The Daughters of Atlas have a much clearer motivation and you can actually get what they trying to do and why. This movie also gives Freddy a bit more time to shine as he basically gets his own subplot and more of an opportunity to shine as a character. The main thing keeping this film back is that I thought it was a bit generic. It doesn't have the charm of the original film and feels more like a big generic superhero blockbuster. It doesn't have the focus on family like the first film does which I think hurts the movie a bit. I also wasn't a fan of the direction the film took the Daughters of Atlas at the end of the film. In the end, this was a fun entertaining movie but was just a bit too generic and missed capturing the charm of the original film.

Score: 7.5/10 Grade: B

4. Dungeons & Dragons Honor Among Thieves

Dungeons & Dragons Honor Among Thieves was a surprisingly fun fantasy adventure movie. It combines all of the things I like, fantasy, action, adventure, humor, and Chris Pine, and puts it all into one movie. I particularly enjoyed the fantasy aspect of the film with all of the world-building and fun creatures. The characters in this film were also a lot of fun. They each have their own skills that they bring to the team and have their own unique take on adding humor. The movie itself was actually really fun and does a great job of creating a balance between action, drama, and humor. It also does a great job with its tone with not really any vast tonal shifts. The action sequences are all really fun to watch with each having our heroes fight some new magical creature. Finally, I thought that the movie had a good amount of heart to it and delivered some emotional moments. The main thing that keeps this out of the top 3 is that the film just doesn't really do anything original. It feels kind of like a generic fantasy blockbuster. Granted it is a good generic blockbuster but it just doesn't have that extra punch to it. Overall, this was a very fun movie, it just lacked a bit of freshness to make it feel like something new.

Score: 7.5/10 Grade: B

3. Creed III

Creed III is the newest film in the Creed/Rocky franchise and is the directorial debut of Michael B. Jordan. I think this movie does a great job of showing Creed in the next phase of his life. Instead of Adonis growing as a boxer, this movie focuses more on him as a person and his role as a husband, father, and friend. I think the film puts him in a place that makes sense for his character to be in after the events of the last two films. The stand out of the movie is Jonathan Majors and Dame. Dame is such a compelling character and plays a great antagonist in the film. You are really able to understand why Dame does what he does and actually feels bad for him at times. The fights in this movie are also really well done with the final fight being a lot more personal for Adonis. This fight and the movie as a whole really manage to deliver some great emotional moments. There are a couple of things that keep this from being an A-film. The first issue is that the daughter subplot seems a bit unnecessary. It is introduced at the beginning of the movie but then is just kind of forgotten about. I also felt that the pacing was a bit uneven. The first half runs a bit slow at times while the second half is really high in intensity. Overall, this was a very well-done film and a solid addition to the Creed story with just a few issues that keep it from being a top-tier film.

Score: 8/10 Grade: B+

2. Scream VI

Scream VI is the newest entry in the Scream franchise and one of my favorites in the series. I really enjoyed the story they told here and how they had the killers tied to all of the previous killers in the franchise. I really enjoyed all of the characters in the film, especially the "core 4". They have a great dynamic together and are a lot of fun on screen. I really enjoyed the direction they took Sam and Tara's character. It was different than in previous films as we really get to see how the last film had an impact not only on their mental states but also on how everyone sees them as well as their relationship with each other. I felt that this film has the best kills in the franchise with Ghostface getting some really gnarly action in. Finally, I really liked how they decided to distance themselves from Woodsboro and Sidney as they move the story to NYC. I thought this was a great direction to go and really allowed the story to go in new directions. There are only a couple of issues that keep this from number one. The first issue is that the characters are just too invincible. You see multiple characters get serious injuries but still manage to walk away like it's nothing. I also felt that having the movie set in NYC wasn't used to its fullest potential. There aren't any scenes that really show you that they are in the city. Overall, aside from those issues, this is a great film and one of my favorite horror movies.

Score: 8.5/10 Grade: A-

1. John Wick: Chapter 4

John Wick: Chapter 4 is the new entry into the John Wick franchise and is by far the largest in scale and most epic. The way the story is told along with the run time causes the movie to feel more like an action epic than just a traditional action movie and it totally works. All of the action sequences are so well done with some of them being super high scale and really cool to see. This movie does a great job of building on the characters from the previous films and shows how John's actions have impacted everyone he knows. The movie also introduces quite a few new characters that are really fun to see such as Cain and Mr. Nobody as John's opponents/friends and The Marquis as the villain. The movie also does a great job of efficiently using the run time. When I first heard that it was almost 3 hours long, I was a bit skeptical. However, the movie manages to use the longer runtime purposefully and actually build out a compelling story with every minute. Finally, I liked how the movie had a sense of finality to it. I felt it gave a proper send-off to John's character and would be a great way to end the franchise. This movie has become not only one of my favorite John Wick films but is also my current favorite film of the year.

Score: 8.9/10 Grade: A-