“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” Review
After half a decade of Star Wars madness, we come to the end of a new trilogy. Much like the previous third trilogy entries of the saga, The Rise of Skywalker aims for a conclusion that is big and epic but also somewhat predictable, bundled with surprises and twists that Continue Reading
“1917” Review
1917 may appear branded as a gimmick film, making headlines for essentially being one long shot through the battlefields of World War I. Indeed, it could certainly be considered the biggest downfall of the film, being that it relies more on its atmosphere than the melodramatics or biting banter war Continue Reading
“Jumanji: The Next Level” Review
To warrant one more playthrough of Jumanji in its quirkier video game format, there has to be something more than just a reason to return. Something needs to be shaken up in the game. The characters need to have more of a reason to go an adventure than merely surviving Continue Reading
“Ford v Ferrari” Review
As the triumphant tale of how Ford won the Le Mans race, I wasn’t all that enthralled to hop into the passenger seat of such a story. This was especially concerning for a picture that runs 2 1/2 hours that I fully expected to be bogged down in its checklist Continue Reading
“Terminator: Dark Fate” Review
Even though the Terminator franchise seems to have been stuck in the same gear since its initial time-travel premise, Dark Fate tries desperately to switch out as many parts as it can. Instead of taking place mostly in America, the battle shifts to Mexico and the Texas border. Instead of Continue Reading
“Zombieland: Double Tap” Review
Ten years have passed but the post-apocalyptic world of Zombieland has more or less remained the same. There are some new zombie types, a few more non-zombie faces and plenty of new zingers to sling. The snappy sass of the familiar foursome is still present and strong enough to keep Continue Reading
“Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” Review
The good news is that the sequel to 2014’s Maleficent has some notable improvements. It’s more colorful, magical, features a more solid story and a significant reduction in rape allegories. In its place, however, is a more milquetoast fantasy of familiar elements that comes off as Ferngully meets Guess Who’s Continue Reading
“Gemini Man” Review
It’s clear that in the two decades leading up to Gemini Man finally being produced that the focus was more on the tech than the script. Branded with gimmicks, the talk of the picture is more about how impressive and believable a computer-generated Will Smith appears on the screen. Another Continue Reading
“Joker” Review
Given the competition, I could easily see someone praising the surface-level sophistication of something like Joker greatly distancing itself from the current crop of comic book films. There’s no quippy superhero to save the day, no routine villain scheme of taking over Gotham and no anti-hero bent where our antagonist Continue Reading
“Once Upon a Time In Hollywood” Review
It’s pretty clear from Quentin Tarantino’s dialogue and homages from his many films that he’s a huge movie nerd, to say nothing of his many exciting chats about his favorite films. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is his ultimate tribute to his obsession with the medium. His film not Continue Reading