Finally, THE movie post you’ve all been waiting for. Well, at least the one Joel has been desperately waiting for. 😉

When I came to see the last time I did a big movie update I was shocked it had been since my Fifteen Movies We Watched in 2015 back in December! How did that happen?

Since then, we’ve watched about 15 or so. What can I say, my husband and I love watching movies together. Since there are so many, I’m only going to list them (in no particular order really) and say a few things about them. If they’re good enough, they’ll get more than a few sentences and maybe even a whole post to themselves in the future.

1. Inside Out

We splurged and went to watch this in the theater with all four children! Everyone loved it and sat through the whole thing, even the squirmy two-year-old. The five-year-old would occasionally get distracted with his surroundings and the magic of the projector lights but at least he didn’t make me take him to the bathroom.

This movie will probably get a post of it’s own but for now I’ll say that we all really liked it, I didn’t really have any regrets about taking the kids to see it and I think most families would also really enjoy it. I want to say more about it but for now, go read Joel’s review about it, it’s pretty much what I would say anyway.

2. Jupiter Ascending

Ok, I know I totally made fun of this movie when I saw the trailer but secretly I was a little intrigued. We were given the chance to watch it and turns out it’s actually pretty good. It wasn’t nearly as corny as I thought it would be and more action-y and suspenseful than I expected. The sexual content was mostly clean so all in all, I was able to enjoy a sci-fi movie that didn’t make me gag or think too hard or have to “shield my eyes”. I’d suggest this one for an easy-going night in.

3. Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit

We watched this a few months back and I remember enjoying it. I’ve enjoyed the other Jack Ryan movies and this one was good too but definitely not on the same level as The Sum of All Fears or The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games , or Clear and Present Danger . But how can you make a movie about Jack Ryan without Harrison Ford or Sean Connery?

4. Sherlock Season 1 , Season 2 , and Season 3

We decided to give this a go a few months back, just for kicks. I found the first two episodes rather boorish but we just finished up with season three and find it quite fun now! I found all 3 seasons on Blu-Ray at our local library!

5. Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World

We got to watch this Joe and Erin when we stayed with them in Colorado and it was really fun! I love Steve Carell and Keira Knightley always adds such a fun personality to her characters. This movie was a little more serious than I thought it would be but I still laughed a lot throughout it. The pairing of the two characters seemed a little awkward to me (more like a father and a daughter) but hey, it worked. I’d also suggest this for a fun and relaxing movie date night.

6. Walk The Line

I can’t remember how we found this one, library movie maybe? My husband is always skeptical when I come home with library movies but this one turned out ok. I wasn’t too familiar with the story of Johnny Cash so that was interesting learning more about that. I have little envy for celebrities and musicians who have to try and share their passion and talents without losing their souls. Most do, and few gain them back. I like how this story ends. Redemption. Forgiveness. Healing.

7. The Boy In The Striped Pajamas

I don’t want to talk about this one. I guess it was “good” from a cinematic quality point of view. Even though there are great lessons in it, I can’t get over the ending.

8. The Hobbit Trilogy An Unexpected Journey , The Battle of The Five Armies , and The Desolation of Smaug

I think I mentioned that our daughter recently read all The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings books so we went ahead and watched the Hobbit movies with her and she loved them all. There were times when she’d call out in disgust at how the movies branched away from the original story line but all in all she enjoyed the movies and her new favorite character is Tauriel, who she’s already decided to dress-up as for Halloween this year.

Up next, The Lord Of The Rings and then maybe – maybe – Star Wars: The Complete Saga . Either way, my husband and I would like to re-watch them all before the new Star Wars: The Force Awakens comes out!! Here’s a fun “making of Star Wars” clip to get you excited. (I can’t believe I’m getting so excited about this.)

9. Taken 3

Meh. We watched Taken 2 and the first Taken and this one was o.k. It provided entertainment but not much more, which sometimes is exactly the type of movie we’re in the mood for.

10. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1

I read the The Hunger Games Trilogy and really enjoyed those. I may even re-read them again when I’m in the mood for quick fiction fix. Then I watched the movies and also really like those. This first part of Mockingjay was good but I didn’t really like this 3rd book as well as the first two. I might have liked it better if I hadn’t read it first but it’s also kind of fun knowing more about the whole story line while watching it play out on the screen. I’m excited about Mockingjay Part 2! (yes, I’m a nerd.)

11. The Judge

This was one we both really liked. I’d definitely recommend it. I think it has some language (duh, Robert Downey Jr) but I got to see Downey play a different type of character. I really liked watching how his character transformed and his and his father’s relationship as well. This is a great story about the importance of a father-son relationship, forgiveness, respect for the elderly and sick, and finding the “true meaning of life”. Watch it, you’ll like it.

12. Calvary

Wow. This one. Yes.

I could have sworn I’d written about this but cannot find it! I really, really liked this. However, it’s also kind of hard to recommend because it’s not something just anyone can appreciate and I think it may even offend those with more sensitive movie palates. Calvary is a movie about a priest, but not just as some guy in a black robe, but a person – a regular old fat sinner like the rest of us.

If you’ve seen it, Fr. Barron has a great review on Calvary here:

13. Old Fashioned

I reviewed this movie for CatholicMom and it was really fun getting to talk with Rick Swartzwelder about it too! This would be another nice and easy movie night in!

14. Noble movie

This is the movie that started me on the Hang Outs path when I got to pre-screen it and Google HangOuts with Stephen Bradley the movie director. When this movie comes out on DVD, it is a must-see. Powerful. Inspiring. Good.

Ok, I’m tired of movies. I accidentally renewed our Netflix streaming for a month so I’m sure I’ll have more to talk about soon. Any suggestions for streaming movies?