A lot of average films this year, and I had a hard time finding enough above average movies to make a Top 5. Watch the more-detailed review on YouTube 5. John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum– Amazing action sequences and another strong performance from Keanu Reeves. Too much time is spent building up the lore,… Read More »
This title is a bit misleading, since I avoid films I know will be bad, and even movies that look mediocre. I really should say “Top 5 Least Favorite” or “Top 5 Least Memorable.” Watch the more detailed and SPOILER version on YouTube 5. Dark Phoenix – Attempting to retell the classic story with a… Read More »
Watch my SPOILER review on YouTube Despite successfully course-correcting the mistakes of “The Last Jedi,” posthumously adding Carrie Fisher back into the fold, and loads of fan service, Episode IX is a fairly lifeless affair. There was a lot of stuff that “The Force Awakens” set up that was either ignored or contradicted by “The… Read More »
An entertaining sequel that doesn’t recapture the magic of the prior film. “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” had a great mixture of action, comedy and heart…not to mention a fresh take on an old franchise. The latest installment keeps what worked, and even makes some improvements. One of my biggest complaints of the last film… Read More »
The follow up the horror classic “The Shining” trades in claustrophobic scares and masterful direction for violence and more traditional storytelling. First off, I’ve seen the original film and the miniseries, but never read either of the novels in the series. As far a sequel goes, and they primarily use the Kubrick film as their… Read More »
A solid action film that tries to mix-up the “Terminator” formula, which is its greatest strength and weakness. First of all, this movie essentially ignores every film in the series after “Terminator 2: Judgement Day.” This allows Linda Hamilton to finally return as Sarah Conner, and bring with her everything great about her bad-ass character,… Read More »
Overall enjoyable, the long-delayed sequel to “Zombieland” doesn’t bring much new to the table. The basic story is nothing special, just an excuse to get our characters from point A to point B. The plot would’ve benefited from more defined threats to give the whole thing a bit of urgency. The humor is much the… Read More »
An amazing performance by Joaquin Phoenix carries this dark, and occasionally boring, film. If you’ve seen any of the trailers for this, or have watched “Taxi Driver,” then you have a pretty good idea of how this movie will play out. It starts off a bit a slow, and could use some trimming later in… Read More »
Despite its great cast and faithfulness to the novel, the overly-long sequel to “It” can’t seem to consistently conjure up the scares. It’s been decades since I read the novel, and I’ve never watched the 1990 miniseries, so going in I only had vague expectations of the plot. (After reading summaries of both, I’d say… Read More »
“Hobbs & Shaw” features the all the impossible action sequences and over-the-top characters you would expect from a “Fast & Furious” film, but the stripped- down cast allows for much more character development…although it takes over two hours to pull it off. Not only is the basic plot extremely predictable, but most of the big… Read More »