Did we really need a third version of the “Spider-Man” story? Well, as much as I was looking forward to seeing Tom Holland’s first solo movie as the teenage crime-fighting superhero, “Spider-Man: Homecoming” simply lacks bite. 21-year-old Holland plays Peter Parker as a 15 year old. He’s got a crush on a senior girl but […]
Prior to seeing any movie at a theater these days, we’re all forced to sit through anywhere from 6 to 8 previews. And if you go to the movies as often as I do, you end-up watching the same trailers over and over again – to the point where every edit and line of dialogue […]
For the seemingly hundredth time in her career, Tilda Swinton plays an over-the-top character, complete with dramatic makeup and attire. But Swinton’s stock character is practically the only familiar thing about the new Netflix film “Okja”. The story begins in 2007. Swinton’s Lucy has become the president of the giant Mirando corporation, happily taking over […]
“War Machine” is based on the 2010 book The Operators: The Wild and Terrifying Story of America’s War in Afghanistan by the late Michael Hastings. It focused on U.S. Army General Stanley A. McChrystal, who led U.S. forces in Afghanistan from 2009-’10. Hastings spent a few days with the very outspoken McChrystal and his team […]
Director Guy Ritchie has a very distinctive style. His movies, including a duo of “Sherlock Holmes” films, “RocknRolla” and most recently “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” (which wasn’t a big moneymaker, though a sequel is currently being written), are filled with slow-motion action sequences, extreme close-ups, dialogue scenes that invariably include both flashbacks and flash forwards, […]
The Guardians of the Galaxy are back. Following the mega-success of the August 2014 debut, Marvel launched plans for a sequel to serve as the lift-off of the 2017 Summer Movie Season. But like The Avengers with “Age of Ultron”, “Guardians” can’t hit the high notes a second time, due to a less than compelling story […]
“Gifted” is an indie drama about a child genius. Often movies like this are based on true stories. This one is not, and yet the screenplay, though the term suggests otherwise, is far from “original”. Chris Evans plays Frank. He’s a freelance small engine mechanic who repairs boats in a small Florida town. But his […]
DreamWorks Animation’s first effort of 2017 is “The Boss Baby”, generously adapted from Marla Frazee’s 2010 picture book about a baby with a briefcase who randomly shows-up to the house of a husband and wife. The concept is certainly out-there, and could’ve been taken in a load of directions. My main question going in was […]
James Gunn, the creative mind behind Vol. 1 and the upcoming Vol. 2 of the “Guardians of the Galaxy” saga, has written a psychological horror/thriller that mixes originality with familiarity. “The Belko Experiment” pulls you in with an interesting premise that could have gone in a variety of directions, but, ultimately, the film leaves you […]
I was only 7 when the 2005 “King Kong” came out, and the massive Kong image on the posters, lobby displays and magazine covers shook me a bit. In fact, to this day, whenever I see a picture of that Kong, I still get a little bit of a jolt. A dozen years later, Kong is […]