Reviews

I’ve been waiting for Dwayne Johnson to star in a drama for a long time. He’s dabbled in it a bit, with scenes in films like “Skyscraper”, “Snitch” and “San Andreas”. But the majority of his career has either been headlining big action movies or family comedies (live-action and animated). So my expectations going into […]

Since her starring role in Disney and director Kenneth Branagh’s terrific 2015 live-action version of “Cinderella”, Lily James has continued to deliver fantastic performances — in “Darkest Hour”, “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again” and as Pamela Anderson on the “Pam & Tommy” miniseries. She’s on her A-game again as Whitney Wolfe in the new […]

Spike Lee’s “Highest 2 Lowest”, a new, modern day interpretation of Akira Kurosawa’s “High and Low”, is quite a ride! Denzel Washington is as good as ever, delivering an electric, knockout performance in his fifth collaboration with Lee (and first since 2006’s “Inside Man”). Washington is the reason to watch “H2L”, which is now streaming […]

Chris Columbus directed some of the most memorable movies of the ’80s, ’90s and early 2000s, including “Adventures in Babysitting”, “Home Alone” and its “Lost in New York” sequel, “Mrs. Doubtfire” and the first two “Harry Potter” installments. 10 years ago I covered the red carpet for the NYC premiere of his ‘video games come […]

I’m not crazy about director David Mackenzie’s 2016 “Hell or High Water”. It’s an alright but not powerhouse crime drama. But it was a rare August release that spoke to all of the major awards season groups, earning Oscar nominations for star Jeff Bridges and writer Taylor Sheridan (who would go on to “Yellowstone”), as […]

I’m all for the Lohanissance. I’m glad Lindsay Lohan is acting again. 1998’s “The Parent Trap”, her on-screen debut, is one of my 10 favorite movies. She had quite a run from ’98 to 2005, including “Life-Size”, “Get a Clue”, “Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen”, “Herbie: Fully Loaded” (all for Disney) and “Mean Girls”. […]

Here’s the lowdown on “The Pickup”: Eddie Murphy plays armored truck driver vet Russ. Pete Davidson is Travis, the rookie. What should be an ordinary cash pickup becomes anything but, as thief Zoe (Keke Palmer) gets their attention, revealing she’s after the money. She decides to take the two hostage on what also happens to […]

In “The Fantastic Four: First Steps”, the evil Galactus (played by Ralph Inesson) desperately wants the new baby of Reed Richards and Sue Storm. But they, and the other members of Marvel’s first family, Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm, are going to protect young Franklin at all cost, even if that also means defeating the […]

In “Oh, Hi!”, Logan Lerman (of “Percy Jackson” fame) plays Isaac and Molly Gordon (terrific on “The Bear”) plays Iris. They’ve been dating for a little bit and are now going to a country house to spend the weekend together. All seems to be going well… until Isaac reveals his true feelings to Iris. She’s […]

By DC Studios standards, James Gunn’s new “Superman” movie is passable, thanks in large part to a confident David Corenswet (maybe casting him in the title role because of his D.C. initials was intentional) and his scenes with “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” Emmy winner Rachel Brosnahan, who plays Daily Planet reporter Lois Lane. Gunn was […]

It was the first true “summer blockbuster”. Now a half-century after its release, National Geographic and director Laurent Bouzereau (“Faye”, “Music by John Williams”) present a fun and engrossing new documentary analyzing the making and impact of one of Steven Spielberg’s most beloved movies. “Jaws” is the favorite film of the lovely Emily Blunt (who […]

Barbara Walters was a television icon who still serves as an inspiration to many in the media, especially women in journalism and broadcasting. I grew up watching her on “The View”, as well as her Academy Awards and “10 Most Fascinating People” specials. Had the chance to meet her in 2010. She called me “Handsome”, […]

As a fan of sports dramas, I was intrigued by the premise of “Heavyweight” — a ticking clock, ’90 minutes before the boxing match’ thriller set primarily in one location: the locker room. And the cast includes Jason Isaacs, who was outstanding in another ‘single room’ drama, 2021’s “Mass”. Had the chance to screen “Heavyweight”, […]

20th Century (as ‘Fox’ and ‘Studios’) has tried reviving the “Predator” franchise multiple times in multiple ways. The 2018 reboot was only so-so, and I wasn’t a big fan of “Prey”, which many people thought should’ve been in theaters instead of debuting on Hulu in Summer 2022. The next live-action movie, “Predator: Badlands”, will be […]

“John Wick: Chapter 4” was quite a finale for Keanu Reeves’ iconic character. Looking back on it now, it’s kind of crazy that the 2014 original only debuted to $14 million and totaled just $43 million domestically. But each subsequent installment in the franchise earned significantly more money in its opens and totals. Lionsgate loves […]

The original “Karate Kid” is beloved. I wasn’t a huge fan of the 2010 version starring Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith, and I never got into the “Cobra Kai” TV series. Take a little bit of each of those, and throw-in a heavy dose of “Rocky” and “Creed”, and you get “Karate Kid: Legends”. It’s […]

“The Incredibles” and “Ratatouille” double Oscar winner Brad Bird took Paramount’s “Mission: Impossible” brand to new cinematic heights with 2011’s “Ghost Protocol”, and I liked 2015’s “Rogue Nation” and then 2018’s “Fallout” even more. Frankly, I thought the Tom Cruise saga could’ve ended with that installment. 2023’s “Dead Reckoning — Part One” (as it was […]

Director Stephen Chbosky broke through with 2012’s “The Perks of Being a Wallflower”, followed by powerful family film (and box office and awards hit) “Wonder”. His adaptation of Broadway musical “Dear Evan Hansen” was met with mostly negative reviews. I was a little kinder to it than most critics, but the third act is very […]

It’s Christmastime in Australia, and ‘The Surfer’ is looking to buy his childhood home, which is back on the market. It’s a real quest for the title character of this new psychological thriller with a soap opera-vibe. By living in this house on a cliff, overlooking a gorgeous beach, The Surfer can finally feel whole […]

“On Swift Horses” is a new romance drama set during the Korean War starring some of today’s popular mid-20s to early-30s actors. Daisy Edgar-Jones (from “Twisters”) plays Muriel. She accepts the marriage proposal of Lee (Will Poulter, of “The Maze Runner” franchise and “The Bear”) at her lifelong Kansas home on a snowy Christmas Eve. […]