The second "double feature" of Amazon Prime's "Welcome to the Blumhouse" series is a smart paring that has similar themes, female protagonists, and very different settings. "The Manor" and "Madres" are both good examples of Jason Blum's successful production model where he gives new and unique writers/directors just enough money and support to make a [...]
Wonder Woman 1984 is a throwback to fun, wholesome, occasionally silly superhero movies. It's far from perfect, but a wonderful movie to end 2020 on.
Chaotic is the word that best describes "Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn." Lights, colors, explosions, random acts of violence, music, snippets of animation, and ADHD narration add up to a film that is a mess but is never boring, surprisingly funny, and fantastically feminine. It's difficult to be objective [...]
With a title like "The Rhythm Section," one might expect a movie revolving around a band or orchestra. Instead, this is an espionage revenge story, without a single musical instrument in sight. Based on the novel of the same name, the title references a metaphor used to calm anxiety. "Think of your heart as a [...]
"Bad Boys for Life" is a great example of "be careful what you wish for." Sure, the first two films were fun and featured some of Michale Bay's better action sequences. But do we really need a third movie where the "boys" are now aging men? It doesn't help that Bay had nothing to do [...]
Few writers/directors would attempt, much less pull off what Taika Waititi has in his latest film, "Jojo Rabbit." Taken out of context the summary sounds quite preposterous. How many comedic coming of age stories features a blossoming Nazi with Hitler as his imaginary friend? And yet, this film is one of the most delightful and [...]
"Joker" is the improbable convergence of a character study, comic book, and exploitation film. Depending on which of those genres you choose to judge it, the movie either soars or stumbles. The one constant is Joaquin Phoenix's enthralling performance. The movie takes place in Gotham City during the year 1981. Gotham City is suffering an [...]
If the Latin title isn't a big enough clue, "Ad Astra" lands squarely in the cerebral and philosophical sub-genre of science fiction films. While the trailer does hint at a little action and mystery, they are simply window dressing to a film that somberly addresses depression, abandonment, and other existential questions. The film opens with [...]
"Everyone loves your books, but they hate the endings" is a running joke in the movie that pokes fun at criticism author Stephen King has often endured. Whether it's meant to be reassuring or an excuse is difficult to ascertain. "IT Chapter Two" is competently made, but lacks the sincerity of the first. And the [...]
Taking a cue from Disney's playbook, Nickelodeon Kids has produced its first live-action adaptation of an animated series. But unlike the house of mouse, this adaptation isn't just a rehash of its source material. "Dora and the Lost City of Gold" adds a decade to the title character's age and utilizes the wit of comedic [...]
