Category: The Twenty-First Century
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Murder Mystery [2019] ★★
If this movie was a theatrical release, I would have probably given it a lower rating. But let’s be honest: movies like “Murder Mystery” belong on Netflix and I’m fine with that. It’s the kind of mediocre movies that I wouldn’t pay money to see on the big screen, but they somehow go down easier…
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Spider-Man: Far From Home [2019] ★★★½
In my mind, nothing could ever come close to Sam Raimi’s “Spider-Man 2”, but “Far From Home” is nearly there. It’s a terrific follow-up to 2017’s “Homecoming” and a worthy companion to “Avengers: Endgame” that reaffirms the fact that Tom Holland is here to stay. Who would have thought that we’d get a hilarious Marvel…
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Annabelle Comes Home [2019] ★★½
It doesn’t reinvent the wheel or move the franchise in totally unexpected ways, but there’s something truly terrifying about “Annabelle Comes Home”. Is it the fact that we’re stuck all night in the Warrens’ house while Annabelle unleashes every demon you could think of? That’s probably it. And for a while, this third installment in…
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Rocketman [2019] ★★★½
It probably won’t get the same attention as “Bohemian Rhapsody”, but in many ways, “Rocketman” is a superior movie. This musical biopic about the highs and lows of Sir Elton John, from his early days living in a loveless family, to his rise to fame with such hits as “Your Song” and “I’m Still Standing”,…
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Men In Black International [2019] ★★½
If there’s a decade that truly left an impact on me, it would be the 90’s. I played most of my video games and discovered a lot of movies during that era. When “Men In Black” was released in 1997, I thought it was a total blast. Of course, I would spend the next few…
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Toy Story 4 [2019] ★★★½
It’s hard to believe that it’s been 24 years since the first “Toy Story” movie hit theaters back in 1995. It was revolutionary, to say the least, and Disney/Pixar followed-it up with two equally amazing sequels that succeeded in making it one of the best trilogies of all time. So when it came time to…
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Pokémon Detective Pikachu [2019] ★★½
It’s hard to turn any video game into a big budget Hollywood movie, let alone a phenomenon like “Pokémon“, but “Detective Pikachu” almost manages to pull it off. I say “almost” because up to a chaotic climax, the movie kept me entertained with its fun premise, beautiful visual effects, and a dazzling array of colorful…
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The Hustle [2019] ★★
I’ve tried to make my peace with the overflow of remakes during the past few years, but sometimes it isn’t easy, especially when it’s a comedy that mostly falls flat. “The Hustle”, starring Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson as two con artists battling out in the South of France, is the remake of the classic…
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X-Men: Dark Phoenix [2019] ★★
Judging from the early reviews and reactions, you’d think that “Dark Phoenix”, the final installment in the “X-Men” franchise (at least until Disney takes over), is a complete disaster. It isn’t. But it’s not great either. I think the film’s biggest mistake is that it happens to fall after a series of truly terrific superhero…
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John Wick: Chapter 3-Parabellum [2019] ★★★
Unlike many action franchises, “John Wick” just keeps getting better and better. The first one reinvented Keanu Reeves as a major movie star. The sequel took things to the next level. Now chapter 3 delivers super-sized summer entertainment that ranks among the best action movies of the year (if not the best). If you haven’t…
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The Sun Is Also A Star [2019] ★★½
In modern romantic movies, from the words of Nicholas Sparks to “The Fault in Our Stars”, tears are the ultimate goal. Just get a load of “The Sun is also a Star”. I watched the film version of Nicola Yoon’s novel surrounded by people who probably read the book (I could tell from their excitement).…
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Godzilla II: King Of The Monsters [2019] ★★★
The sequel to the 2014 movie is tons of fun. If I sound surprised, then perhaps I am. I didn’t have any particular expectations this time around, having been burned before. What’s more, I wasn’t sure how all these different monsters would fit in one movie. But this film adds excitement and new energy to…
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Cobrai Kai | Season Two [2019] ★★★½
Having reviewed the first season of “Cobra Kai” last year, I thought it would be a good idea to do the same after binge-watching season two. This is a terrific follow-up to last year’s Youtube show that gets everything right from the word go. If you recall, season one ended with Martin Kove’s sensei Kreese…
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Aladdin [2019] ★★★
I was 5 years old when my mom took me to see the animated version of “Aladdin” back in 1992. To this day, she still tells the story of how I sat through the whole movie mesmerized by pretty much everything. As the years went by, the movie gained a “classic” status (there was even…
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Brightburn [2019] ★★
Do you ever watch a movie that turns out to be instantly forgettable? Case in point: “Brightburn”, a completely watchable but equally forgettable superhero/horror film from producer James Gunn that never truly reaches its full potential. Damn shame if you ask me, because judging from the trailer, the film had potential. The plot? An alien…
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Wine Country [2019] ★½
What do you get when you bring in Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Rachel Dratch and Tina Fey to Netflix? A misfire, apparently. I’ve tried to make my peace with the fact that many talented comedians have jumped on Netflix bandwagon, but it isn’t easy, especially when they keep releasing terrible films like “Wine Country”. On…
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Long Shot [2019] ★★½
Hollywood has given comedies a black eye these past few years, so it’s always refreshing to encounter one that doesn’t fail to entertain. “Long Shot”, directed by Jonathan Levine (if you’ve never seen his terrific movie “50/50”, do it now) and starring Seth Rogen and Charlize Theron as two people with almost nothing in common,…
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Dumplin’ [2018] ★★½
You won’t find quotable dialogue here, but if you’re looking for a comedy to keep you entertained for a couple of hours, “Dumplin’” might be the movie for you. Jennifer Aniston plays a former beauty queen who now hosts the yearly Miss Teen Bluebonnet pageant in a small Texas town (and she takes it way…
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Avengers: Endgame [2019] ★★★½
This is it. The movie we have all been waiting for. Last year’s “Infinity War” left fans shocked, confused, and eager to see how things would end in the final installment. “Endgame” offers excitement and resolution, as it should. But it’s hard to talk about it without revealing key moments. Actually, it’s hard to talk…
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The Curse Of La Llorona [2019] ★★½
Writer/Director/Producer James Wan has provided the raw material for many successful horror movies over the past few years (“Saw”, “Insidious”, “The Conjuring”), and needless to say, he has done a great job at revamping a genre that was slowly suffocating. Even when he wasn’t calling the shots (see “Lights Out”), you could still feel his…
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