We are absolutely busting here in the FC Paddock as Jurassic World finds a way to crack through the shell of our shabby bias. Fallen Kingdom is investing since it takes us off the island, engineers new story lines and endorses new characters. And it cleverly reminisces the original, rousing more smiles than eye rolls.

When rain falls on Isla Nublar, DNA mischief is afoot and this ominous tension is quite the relief, for us. Claire (Howard) has undergone a complete character flip while her dalliance with Owen (Pratt) seems in doubt, or, at least, funny. So, from the outset, we greet morality, humor and relationships; the Jurassic triple play. And that’s how you reignite story excitement.

Lockwood (Cromwell), gripping his amber handled cane, is neatly assuaged into the history but it is his granddaughter, Maisie (Sermon), who owns this story. Wise to the shady ways of Mills (Spall), Maisie wiggles through the nooks of the estate, gaining an advantage and our favor. Honestly though, despite the excitement, the untapped dinosaur black market lacks the zest of a great villainous plot.

Fallen Kingdom provides enough talon-tapping fun to restore our faith in paleontology, preserving 3.49 napkins out of 5.

FC legend Sandy Bullock steers this bus directly into the tepid waters of a reboot with absolute confidence. Ocean’s 8 is a high wire act; balancing a splash of the old with the wave of a new. And from the start, with flawless clarity, we learn that this is her film.

Honestly, the heist was a bit, well, meh. But we are heartily invested in Debbie’s (Bullock) familial and criminal history and the relationship between the two. Lou (Blanchett), eccentrically clothed and criminally seasoned, carries just enough believable moxie to validate their playfully tensile relationship that clearly stems from a tandem villainous past.

The cheeky obvious funnels us directly into the silly theft but serves well to introduce Nine Ball (Rihanna). A lightning quick hacker, Nine Ball pockets every scene she banks owing to her clever nonchalance. In contrast, the darling vanity of Daphne (Hathaway) jammed the pace a bit, causing slightly more anxiety than affection. But the enjoyable disdain for Claude (Armitage) adds gravity to the film’s delightful second half.

Set to a splendid signature score, Ocean’s 8 inspires our mischievous spirit as we rally for lovable felons. Debbie and Co. cachet 4.11 sparkling napkins out of 5.

Happy days are here at FC HQ as Ron Howard pulled his best Fonzie and punched the proverbial jukebox on this back-saga. In shuffling through the old records of the overtly selfish yet sympatico smuggler, we value this enlightenment and entertainment yet we also run upstairs to make sure our old Solo figurines are pristine. And that’s just fine.

Han (Ehrenreich) is bathed in manipulation and deceit, but humorously, so we love him for it. And this film lobs itself into the Star Wars tempo nicely as most characters, even moreso than Han, are spun with impurity, comedic or malicious, in their intentions. Well, except for Chewie (Suotamo) who humorously lends his balance to Han’s shady conscience from the beginning.

Solo begins Han’s history with the Millennium Falcon and, ergo, introduces Lando (Glover) and his effortless cool, portrayed flawlessly. Han’s slippery relations with Qi’ra (Clarke) percolate and, as she plays all the boys, we see the only sincere character might be current novio, Vos (Bettany). And, as Beckett (Harrelson) bestows curious nuggets, we accelerate into the cushions between a mobster and a rebellion.

Solo, the film, is double the fun, as our favorite Corellian bootleger runs 4.61 napkins out of 5.