Reviews
‘Sing Sing’ is a low-key but uplifting character study
Sing Sing (3 ½ stars out of 4) Where most classic prison movies like “The Shawshank Redemption” and “Cool Hand Luke” are focused on a character getting out, “Sing Sing” seems more interested in making the best of things while still behind bars. Inspired by true...
‘Twisters’ is solid, worth seeing, but pales next to the original
Twisters (2 1/2 stars out of four) 1997’s “Twister” is a great disaster spectacle, a true summer popcorn movie. I’ve returned to itnumerous times over the years, and as a result I had reasonable hopes for this summer’ssequel, “Twisters.” My hopes were only partially...
Johansson is the real MVP in ‘Fly Me to the Moon’
Fly Me to the Moon (3 stars out of 4) The Space Race of the 1960s has delivered some fantastic movies over the years. Based on theexcellent Tom Wolfe novel of the same name, “The Right Stuff” was the first one I remember,tracing the story of the Mercury Astronauts in...
Creative ‘Inside Out 2’ explores the high stakes of puberty
Inside Out 2 (3 ½ stars out of 4) I noticed something while watching “Inside Out 2” that I hadn’t quite picked up on before. We all know Pixar puts out films that are enjoyable for parents as well as their presumed adolescent target audience, and the new sequel to...
‘The Bikeriders’ brings a fascinating photo project to life
The Bikeriders (3 stars out of 4) 2024 is shaping up to be a good year for movies about photography. “Civil War” already showed us a potential American conflict through the eyes of a photojournalist, and now “The Bikeriders” brings, of all things, a coffee table book...
Epic ‘Furiosa’ is a worthy return to the world of ‘Fury Road’
Furiosa (3 ½ stars out of 4) As I approached the end of “Furiosa’s” two and a half hour run time, I recalled one of the few complaints about 2015’s “Mad Max: Fury Road,” that it was little more than a 120-minute there-and-back road chase. In some ways, George Miller’s...
Melancholy ‘IF’ may struggle to find its audience
IF (2 ½ stars out of 4) The best family movies usually find a way to appeal to both kids and the adults taking them to the theater. In the case of John Krasinski’s “IF,” you could almost make the argument that in this case, the movie’s primary audience is actually the...
‘Kingdom’ keeps the Apes franchise chugging along
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (3 stars out of 4) “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” is perfectly good B-list movie filler. It isn’t “turn off your brain” shlock, like a lot of recent franchise offerings, but it isn’t the kind of film that’s going to stick with...
Stunt-heavy ‘Fall Guy’ is an exciting, comic tribute to behind-the-scenes heroes
The Fall Guy (3 stars out of 4) “The Fall Guy” is the early front-runner for “Most Meta Movie Experience of 2024.” There’ssomething odd about watching a movie about stuntmen, knowing the stunts you are seeing arebeing performed by stuntmen who are protecting actors...
Ritchie’s ‘Ungentlemanly Warfare’ is almost a contender
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (3 stars out of 4) “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” is fun and stylish, but it feels like it should have been more fun and stylish. Based on a 2014 account of declassified British intelligence archives, director Guy...
Character conflict drives scenic ‘Hard Miles’
Hard Miles (3 stars out of 4) As spring bridges the gap into the summer, R.J. Daniel Hanna’s “Hard Miles” may be just the thing to get you geared up for the great outdoors. Inspired by the true story of a man named Greg Townsend, who founded the successful Ridgeview...
Ambiguous ‘Civil War’ explores a dark and dangerous US future
Civil War (3 stars out of 4) When I saw the trailer for “Civil War” earlier this year, I wondered if it might be one of the worst movies of 2024. With the presidential election coming up, our extremely divisive culture was already set to be even more divisive than...