It’s funny, the trailer for “The Grinch” played before this started and I began to say “isn’t it too soon for Christmas movies?” before remembering what I was about to see… “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms” follows a young girl (Mackenzie Foy) who sets out to find the key to her deceased mother’s musical… Continue reading ‘The Nutcracker and the Four Realms’ Will Make You Want to Cancel Christmas
The behind-the-scenes drama of what it took to get this movie made is more interesting than the actual film itself… “Bohemian Rhapsody” is the biopic of the band Queen, following frontman Freddie Mercury (played by Rami Malek). Lucy Boynton, Gwilym Lee, Ben Hardy, Joseph Mazzello, Aidan Gillen, Tom Hollander, Allen Leech and Mike Myers also… Continue reading Not Without Its Moments, ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ is Ultimately Too Basic and Safe
Well “Roseanne” and “Will & Grace” kicked off the TV revival trend, so only made sense that the likes of “Halloween” and “Mary Poppins” would follow suit… “Halloween” is a sequel/soft reboot to the original 1978 film, ignoring all subsequent plotlines that followed in the nine sequels since. Set 40 years after the original killing… Continue reading The ‘Halloween’ Not-Reboot is an Oldie but (Mostly) Goodie
The biggest thing I left this movie with while walking to my car is just how true of a gift Issa Rae is to us all. “The Hate U Give” is the adaptation of the 2017 novel of the same name, and follows a young high school girl (Amandla Stenberg) who must deal with the… Continue reading It’s a Little Unfocused, but There is No Denying the Passion of ‘The Hate U Give’
“This movie needed more Jack Black” is a sentence I never thought I would be typing but since when does 2018 make any sense anymore? “Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween” is the sequel to the 2015 film based on the popular book series by R.L. Stine. This time around, a trio of young high schoolers (Madison… Continue reading ‘Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween’ is Too Silly, Safe for its Own Good
More like “First Meh,” amiright?? “First Man” depicts the career of astronaut Neil Armstrong (portrayed by Ryan Gosling) leading up to the Apollo 11 mission to the moon in 1969. Claire Foy plays his wife while Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler, Corey Stoll, Ciarán Hinds and Lukas Haas also star and Damien Chazelle directs. When you… Continue reading ‘First Man’ Can’t Fully Achieve Liftoff
I don’t know what else I expected from a studio like Sony… “Venom” is the second film to feature the titular antihero (following 2007’s “Spider-Man 3”), and follows Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) as he is exposed to the alien symbiote and gains superpowers. Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed, Scott Haze and Reid Scott also star as… Continue reading Unlike its Title Character, ‘Venom’ Has No Bite
I love the smell of Oscar season in the morning… “A Star Is Born” is the third remake of the original 1937 film (which starred Janet Gaynor and Fredric March), following one in 1954 (with Judy Garland and James Mason) and then again in 1976 (with Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson). This time around Bradley… Continue reading ‘A Star Is Born’ Teeters on Greatness
When a film is about as enjoyable as taking a standardized test, you know you’re in trouble… “Night School” stars Kevin Hart as a high school dropout who must return to complete his GED after losing his job. Tiffany Haddish plays his teacher while Rob Riggle, Taran Killam, Romany Malco, Keith David and Loretta Devine… Continue reading ‘Night School’ is About as Funny as Taking the SATs
It’s like “Collateral Beauty” just with a less Oscar-nominated cast and less amusing absurdity. “Life Itself” follows several people as their stories intertwine over the course of decades, and how everyone is all randomly connected by a single event. Oscar Isaac, Olivia Wilde, Mandy Patinkin, Olivia Cooke, Laia Costa, Annette Bening and Antonio Banderas fill… Continue reading I Had More Fun Writing my ‘Life Itself’ Review than I Did Watching the Film
The Reel Deal 