A directorial debut this competent and effective? Get out!! [I’ll wait for your applause] “Get Out” is a horror film from writer/rookie director Jordan Peele (you know, the guy from that terrifying comedy sketch show “Key & Peele”). It stars Daniel Kaluuya and Allison Williams as a young interracial couple who go to the strange… Continue reading ‘Get Out’ an Ambitious, Competent Horror/Comedy
My friend made a good point while we were watching this: who says “fist fight?” That’s not a thing that is organically said by normal humans. “Fist Fight” stars Ice Cube and Charlie Day as teachers at a high school who plan on fighting each other after one of them gets fired on the last… Continue reading ‘Fist Fight’ as Much Fun as a Punch to the Head
It’s a Batman movie, so obviously it’s an instant 10/10. Thanks for coming, drive home safe. Ugh. Fine, I’ll be objective. “The Lego Batman Movie” is a spin-off of the character “introduced” in “The Lego Movie,” again voiced by Will Arnett. This time around Batman must stop the Joker… Continue reading ‘The Lego Batman Movie’ a Well-Constructed Animated Romp
It’s a lot to ask lightning to strike in the same bottle twice… “John Wick: Chapter 2” is the sequel to the 2014 surprise-hit-turned-cult-classic “John Wick” and features Keanu Reeves returning to the titular role of a hitman who just can’t seem to stay retired. Common, Laurence Fishburne, Riccardo Scamarcio, Ruby Rose, John Leguizamo and… Continue reading ‘John Wick: Chapter 2’ Shoots Itself in the Foot
I’m enjoying this Michael Keaton renaissance. “The Founder” tells the true tale of how Ray Kroc (Keaton) came to run the McDonald’s food chain and turn it into the franchised empire we know today. Nick Offerman and John Carroll Lynch play the McDonald brothers as Linda Cardellini, Patrick Wilson, B. J. Novak and Laura Dern… Continue reading Like the Burgers it’s About, ‘The Founder’ is a Well-Done Biopic
An ending can often make or break a film; a strong case can be made this film’s ending breaks it. “Split” is the latest film from writer/director M. Night Shyamalan and follows a man with a multiple personality disorder (James McAvoy) who kidnaps three teenage girls (Anya Taylor-Joy, Haley Lu Richardson and Jessica Sula). A… Continue reading ‘Split’ Features Great Performances, Not So Strong Execution
This, “Lone Survivor,” “Deepwater Horizon”… guess Peter Berg and Mark Wahlberg are just going to spend the rest of their careers making films about recent tragedies. “Patriots Day” is about the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing and its subsequent manhunt. Mark Wahlberg, J. K. Simmons, John Goodman, Kevin Bacon and Michelle Monaghan all star as Peter… Continue reading ‘Patriots Day’ a Solid, Respectful Thriller with a Few Stumbles
This is honestly going to be one of the most difficult reviews I’ve ever written… “Silence” is the latest film from Martin Scorsese, a passion project of the director’s for over 25 years. The film follows two 17th-century Jesuit priests (Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver) who travel from Portugal to Japan in order to locate… Continue reading ‘Silence’ Easier to Admire than Enjoy
This is one of those instances where you sit watching a movie and the entire time you think, “how the hell did this thing get made?” “Monster Trucks” is a “family comedy” (both terms used lightly) starring Lucas Till as a high schooler who finds out a monster from a drilling accident has taken shelter… Continue reading ‘Monster Trucks’ Inexplicably Well-Cast, Expectedly Blandly Written
2016 is over, but its films are still letting us down. “Live by Night” is the fourth directorial effort from Ben Affleck, based on the novel of the same name by Dennis Lehane, and follows a prohibition Boston bootlegger who moves to Florida to corner the rum market. Affleck stars alongside Elle Fanning, Brendan Gleeson,… Continue reading ‘Live by Night’ a Beautiful-Looking Letdown
The Reel Deal 