November to December 2018 Tomatometer Predictions

Tomatometer Guess: 65%. Adaptations of The Nutcracker have fluctuated in quality, let's see how this one pans out.

Actual Score: 35%. Despite its lavish productions and a star-studded cast, "The Nutcracker and the Four Realms" is a boring, shallow, and tonally uneven mess. The biggest problem with the movie can't decide if it wants to be an adaptation of the book, an adaptation of Tchaikovsky's ballet, or its own unique thing. It tries (and fails) to be all of them, coming off as a cheap rip off of the Narnia films and Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland films. At times, it's too sappy and saccharine for adults, yet too disturbing and weird for kids at times.

Verdict: Skip It.

Tomatometer Guess: 54%.

Actual Score: 62%. While somewhat vapid and predictable, "Bohemian Rhapsody" is absolutely worth watching for Rami Malek's wonderful performance as Freddie Mercury.

Tomatometer Guess: 81%. Produced by J.J. Abrams and directed by newcomer, Julius Avery, this movie is the closest thing we'll get to a live-action Wolfenstein movie.

Actual Score: 80%.

Tomatometer Guess: 41%.

Actual Score: 57%. Like Illumination's previous effort with one of Dr. Seuss' properties, "The Grinch" is occasionally amusing but feels like a 22 minute short padded out to 90 minutes, resulting in a movie that is pretty to look at but is dull and forgettable. Another issue with the film is that it makes the Grinch too likable, and the villagers too annoying. The Grinch is portrayed less as a cruel-hearted miser and more as an annoyed neighbor who likes his dog and has to put up with his noisy neighbors, which misses the point of the original story

Overall, I wouldn't recommend it, but I wouldn't dissuade anyone from seeing it either as it's a very so-so film.

Tomatometer Guess: 62%. Will this belated sequel/reboot be able to match up to the 2011 remake of The Girl With The Dragon Tatoo directed by David Fincher? Probably not, but let's see how it pans out anyway.

Actual Score: 48%. While Claire Foy is very good as Lisbeth Salander and the action sequences are very impressive, "The Girl in the Spider's Web" is a watered-down generic action film that lacks the unflinching bleak tone of the 2011 film or the original Sweedish films.

Tomatometer Guess: 71%. Will the second installment of the Harry Potter spin-off prequel series be successful enough to overcome the worsening bad press that Johnny Depp has been receiving? We'll see...

Actual Score: 40%. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is sadly, a mess. Despite having some solid acting and dazzling visual effects, the story is unfocused. This is the first Harry Potter film written by J.K. Rowling herself rather than Steve Kloves, and it shows in the script. It's just vomiting information, backstory, and references/callbacks to previous films without a coherent story or flow.

Johnny Depp neither adds nor detracts from the movie in anyway. He's a serviceable as Grindelwald, but his performance is not nearly good enough to justify the controversial casting decision.

Overall, "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald" is a disjointed mess that feels like the Harry Potter equivalent of "Attack Of The Clones". I wouldn't recommend it.

Tomatometer Guess: 90%. Director Steve McQueen's latest film looks very promising, and is sure to get him a few Oscar nods.

Actual Score: 91%. Widows is a compelling, emotional drama with great performances and thrilling action sequences.

Tomatometer Guess: 80%. Despite some iffy marketing, and the unavoidable comparisons to The Emoji Movie, I have confidence that Ralph Breaks The Internet will be able to measure up the original.

Actual Score: 86%. Ralph Breaks The Internet is a worthy sequel to Wreck-It Ralph with great meta humor, a litany of references to other movies and properties, emotional heft, and a very deep and well-developed message at the end.

Tomatometer Guess: 91%. This film appears to be taking everything that made the first Creed amazing and cranking it up to 11, for which I'm all in for.

Actual Score: 82%. Much like "Rocky II", Creed II is a super (if slightly less good) sequel to the first film with top-notch acting, excellent drama, and intense fight scenes.

Tomatometer Guess: 92%.

Actual Score: 81%.

Tomatometer Guess: 86%.

Actual Score: 97%. Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse has unique animation, fantastic action scenes, effective humor, and is full of heart.

NOTE: Thanks to Listal being stupid, I was unable to find an image for the 2018 Clint Eastwood film, The Mule. Please ignore this image.

Tomatometer Guess: 91%.

Actual Score: 64%.

Tomatometer Guess: 80%.

Actual Score: 77%.

Tomatometer Guess: 81%. The DCEU might be in shambles, but that doesn't mean that we can't hold out hope for Aquaman to be good, right? Right!?

Actual Score: 65%. Aquaman is unapologetic, unmitigated cheese (in the vein of Flash Gordon), held together by the charm of Jason Momoa and Amber Heard as well as thrilling action sequences. A good time if you go in expecting to be entertained.

Tomatometer Guess: 78%. What's this? A Transformers film that actually looks like it might be a semi-decent film? We'll find out.

Actual Score: 93%. We finally have a solid, entertaining, wholesome, and heartfelt Transformers movie. And all it took was to get a talented director.

Tomatometer Guess: 82%.

Actual Score: 25%. Lower than I was predicting and sadly disappointing as well. Welcome to Marwen has its moments, but it's disjointed and uneven tone severely undermines it.

NOTE: This is meant to be for the 2018 film Vice.

Tomatometer Guess: 80%.

Actual Score: 64%.