Reviews
I didn’t expect 2021 to be a “great” year for movies, and it wasn’t. I fully expected it to be better than 2020—and it was—but we’re definitely still in low tide pandemic mode. Even so, as I started thinking about my favorite movies of the year, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I had enough candidates to make narrowing
Synopsis
A new adaptation of the hit musical about star-crossed lovers trying to find their way in the 50’s New York slums as they are in the middle of a massive gang war between the Jets and the Sharks. Tension escalates between the gangs, threatening the relationship.
My Thoughts
Spielberg has done it again, but are any of us really surprised? Granted,
Encanto: three stars out of four
About an hour into "Encanto," my five-year-old niece leaned over and started asking me if the movie was almost done. This could mean a lot of things, and it could mean absolutely nothing, but it does support a gut feeling that the latest Pixar movie is geared toward adults a little more than to kids.
There's
Ghostbusters: Afterlife - 3 stars out of 4
A month or two back I re-watched the original “Ghostbusters.” Re-watching a favorite movie from your childhood can be a tricky thing, but I was happy to see that my memories of greatness weren’t just soaked in nostalgia. “Ghostbusters” really is a fantastic movie, with a swagger and a charm all its own.
I
Eternals - 2 Stars out of 4
Walking out of the “Eternals” press screening, the snarky jokes seem ready made. You could say something connecting the movie’s name to its two-and-a-half-hour running time, or just say it’s “Avengers, but boring.” Some of the criticism is unfair, because “Eternals” isn’t solely responsible for the glut of superhero burnout fodder it arrives in.
Movie Review(s): "Halloween Kills" - 2 stars out of 4; "Last Night in Soho" - 3 stars out of 4
I generally think of myself as a horror fan. I'm not a fan of all horror genres, but I do appreciate a good scary movie.
This week seems like a good time to address this idea, since there are two movies out
No Time to Die: 3 1/2 stars out of 4
James Bond movies have always kind of felt like Indian food to me: all the individual elements are there, but I never walk away excited to come back. I think, at least with the Bond films, timing could be a big factor. I didn't start watching them until the beginning of
Venom: Let There Be Carnage - 2 stars out of 4
If you're worried that comic book movies have become too routine, "Venom: Let There Be Carnage" isn't going to calm your fears. Take away the amusing buddy comedy dynamic between Tom Hardy's Eddie Brock and his symbiotic alien goop Venom, and "Let There Be Carnage" has little else to offer.
Director
Reminiscence (2 ½ Stars out of 4)
Have you ever watched a movie and thought to yourself: “I like this world, but I want to hear a different story?”
Maybe it’s just me.
“Reminiscence” is a kind of sci-fi noir meditation on a universal sentiment, a mystery-thriller set in a post-apocalyptic future. But in spite of a strong cast and a compelling premise,
Free Guy (3 stars out of 4)
Shawn Levy’s “Free Guy” feels like a cross between a live-action “LEGO Movie” and the original “Tron.” If you consider yourself a gamer or a tech geek, you should be golden; but even if not, as long as you can roll with the nerd flow, it’s a good time.
The plot follows a glassy-eyed rube