“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
“Knives Out” Review
Rian Johnson’s whodunnit of Knives Out is a love-letter of a murder mystery that broadcasts an affinity for the genre while still holding a sharp edge all it’s own. While it plays with the material and finds some of the dark humor within such a scenario, there’s a real sense Continue Reading
“Jojo Rabbit” Review
Compared to the more aggressive and astute Nazi satire of Look Who’s Back, Jojo Rabbit is a stroll through easy comedy. The German Nazis during the last days of the war are portrayed as easy cartoonish figures easy enough to laugh at for being so wrong. Jokes about burning literature 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
“The Addams Family” (2019) Review
The Addams Family is a premise that seems as though it’d be perfect for animation. A comically creepy family living in a haunted house with all manner of monsters lurking about would be suited well for a medium where anything is possible. But when mired in the current framework of Continue Reading
“Toy Story 4” Review
Only the saga of Toy Story could be bold enough to charge into a fourth film after 24 years and still have that same engaging edge that only grows grander with age. I haven’t outgrown these toys as they always seem to bounce back with more to say and something Continue Reading
“Men in Black: International” Review
Sony once more mistakes the tech for the talent of remaking its familiar properties. Men in Black: International has all the decadence of numerous alien creatures, intergalactic technology, and plenty of well-dressed agents trying to keep the secret space alien populace in the shadows. But there’s not much of that Continue Reading
“Pokémon: Detective Pikachu” Review
Detective Pikachu is a film that banks heavy off its nostalgia in more ways than one. Sure, there’s the obvious adult relation for those who grew up playing the game in the 1990s, so attuned most know the TV series’ iconic theme song and lengthy PokeRap by heart. The film Continue Reading
“Long Shot” Review
Similar to Seth Rogen’s previously produced comedies, Long Shot takes a topical and interesting subject matter and performs a comedic dance around the hat. In the same way that Sausage Party took glee in the question rather than the answer of mortality and faith, this film takes aim at messy Continue Reading
“Missing Link” Review
The Laika animation studio continues to churn out some of the most original and boundary-pushing of stop-motion animation. Their previous works include the culturally creative Kubo and the Two Strings and the exciting horror ParaNorman. While Missing Link isn’t quite the same level of a masterpiece, it does go to Continue Reading