Lights Camera Jackson

Movie Reviews, Entertainment News and Views from Lights Camera Jackson

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‘The Good Dinosaur’ Review

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Less than an hour into Pixar’s “The Good Dinosaur”, I began thinking about the studio’s 15 other animated movies (never a good thing). Not all of them are outstanding (“WALL-E” being the most overrated), but given the choice, I would watch any of them again in favor of a second viewing of “The Good Dinosaur”, […]
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‘The Lady in the Van’ Review

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Dame Maggie Smith is approaching her 81st birthday, but age isn’t slowing her down one bit. The veteran actress is in the midst of an impressive renaissance. She’s been the quintessential player in the PBS drama “Downton Abbey” and has given great performances in both “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” and its even better 2015 […]
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‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2’ Review

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After a solid first installment and an even stronger sequel, “The Hunger Games” franchise flamed-out with last year’s “Mockingjay – Part 1”. Lionsgate decided to split the third and final book from Suzanne Collins’ phenomenon series into two films based on the financial successes of the “Harry Potter” and “Twilight” series, which utilized this strategy. […]
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‘Creed’ Review

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40 years ago, Sylvester Stallone ran up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art as boxer Rocky Balboa in a film that established the standard for the sports movie genre. Following five other “Rocky” films Balboa is finally retired. But in “Creed” a special young fighter inspires Rocky to make yet another comeback. We’ve […]
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‘Love the Coopers’ Review

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In a season filled with blockbusters and awards hopefuls, “Love the Coopers” deserves a very special recognition: This all-star comedy takes elements from every “dysfunctional family coming together for the holidays” movie ever made, combining them into one, large fruitcake…that’s as hard as a rock. If you’re expecting some holiday cheer from this star-studded effort, […]
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‘Spectre’ Review

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2012’s “Skyfall” marked a box office high and critical resurgence for James Bond. However, the 53-year-old franchise has, sadly and surprisingly, taken a downfall with the newest installment – “Spectre”: that’s Bland, James Bland. Returning director Sam Mendes does deserve credit for getting things off to a rousing start, with Daniel Craig’s 007 in Mexico […]
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‘The Peanuts Movie’ Review

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When Blue Sky Studios, the makers of the “Ice Age” franchise, announced they were going to tackle the world of Charlie Brown and Co. with a CGI “Peanuts” movie, the expression “Good Grief” was heard loud and wide – the general opinion being: Why mess such beloved characters? But, 65 years after the comic strip […]
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‘Spotlight’ Review

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The latest true-story investigative journalism drama “spotlights” one of the most star-studded casts of the year: Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Liev Schreiber, John Slattery from “Mad Men”, Brian d’Arcy James (who played Shrek on Broadway), Billy Crudup and the great Stanley Tucci. “ Spotlight ” deals with a controversial topic and a groundbreaking, […]
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‘Brooklyn’ Review

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“Brooklyn” is a charming and enchanting period romance, featuring one of the best performances of the year. This marks a major step up for director John Crowley, whose previous film, 2013’s “Closed Circuit”, was a “thriller” with absolutely no thrills. “Wild” screenwriter Nick Hornby adapted a 2009 Irish novel for the screen and he paints […]
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‘Our Brand Is Crisis’ Review

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In 2009, Warner Bros. scored a touchdown with Sandra Bullock, the actress earning an Oscar for “The Blind Side”. Four years later, they soared together again, Bullock snagging a nomination for her work in “Gravity”. Can this team go three for three with the political dramedy “Our Brand Is Crisis”? Well, early results are not […]
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