Reviews
Dark comedy ‘Caught Stealing’ needs more comedy
Caught Stealing (2 ½ stars out of 4) There’s no shortage of movies out there determined to celebrate the world that is New York City. Spike Lee’s “Highest 2 Lowest” just played like a NYC Greatest Hits mix tape, and only needed a shot of the director sitting courtside...
The Summer 2025 Box Office Breakdown
As August comes to a close, the weather starts to change, and so do the blockbuster movies playing in theaters. 2025’s summer blockbuster season saw live-action remakes of beloved children's movies, original horror films, superhero movies, and more. With the summer...
Jarring ‘Highest 2 Lowest’ tries to cover too much ground
Highest 2 Lowest (2 ½ stars) Spike Lee’s “Highest 2 Lowest” is an adaptation of Akira Kurosawa film "High and Low," which was in turn based on the novel “King’s Ransom,” by Ed McBain. Now set in New York City, Lee’s film about a wealthy man in a showdown with a...
40 years of ‘Back to the Future’
Whether you saw “Back to the Future” in theaters during the fall of 1985 or are just barely watching it for the first time, there is no denying the timeless quality that comes with this blockbuster film. It is one of those films that most people can remember seeing...
“First Steps” feels fresh if not fantastic
Fantastic Four: First Steps (3 stars out of 4) It’s hard to think of a superhero franchise that has struggled on the big screen more than “The Fantastic Four.” Its first movie was a low-budget write-off that never got released, the so-so 2000’s movies paled against...
Aster’s ‘Eddington’ feels like it’s stating the obvious
Eddington (2 ½ stars out of 4) 2020 was a crazy year that brought out the worst in a lot of people, and showcased some troubling issues we’re still grappling with today. To many, this idea is self-evident, and for that audience, Ari Aster’s “Eddington” won’t offer any...
Rehashed ‘Rebirth’ is another low for the Jurassic franchise
Jurassic World: Rebirth (1 star out of 4) We’re seven films into the Jurassic Park/World franchise, and the filmmakers still don’t have any new ideas. “Jurassic World: Rebirth” feels like an excuse to make money without trying, and it deserves to join the fossil...
The 10 most exciting movies coming out later this year
We are halfway through 2025, and new original and franchise movies are still coming to audiences every week. During the first half of the year, the box office saw some highs and lows. Films like “Sinners”, an original story, making over $350 million at the box office,...
‘F1: The Movie’ is a fun, fast summer ride
F1: The Movie (3 stars out of 4) “F1: The Movie” feels like a marriage between two cinematic objectives. The first is to give audiences the approximate experience of driving a Formula One racecar at 200mph. The second is to tie the race sequences together with enough...
Boyle returns for excessive, flawed ’28 Years Later’
28 Years Later (2 stars out of 4) 2002’s “28 Days Later” was a landmark for the zombie movie genre, even if you could argue—as many did—that it wasn’t really a zombie movie. Instead of plodding, brain-lusting undead, director Danny Boyle’s flesh-eating hordes were...
‘Killer of Killers’ is an ambitious entry to the ‘Predator’ franchise
In August of 2022, “Prey”, a late entry film in the “Predator” franchise, was released on Hulu. For a legacy sequel to a mostly dead franchise to be dumped on streaming, it was receiving mostly positive buzz. I had COVID at the time, and it was the perfect movie to...
Song’s ‘Materialists’ is a sobering follow-up to 2023’s ‘Past Lives’
Materialists (3 stars out of 4) I had mixed feelings going into “Materialists.” Part of me was excited to see Celine Song’s newest effort, since her first film, “Past Lives,” was one of my runaway favorite movies of 2023. But I was also apprehensive, since...