Category: The Twenty-First Century
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Blind [2017] ★★
“Blind” defines cheese. It does offer Alec Baldwin with a juicy role and it’s always good to see Demi Moore back onscreen, but the story itself ranges from absurd to absolutely preposterous. I don’t know what first time director Michael Mailer was hoping to extract from this surprise-free script, but there isn’t much to recommend…
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The Beguiled [2017] ★★½
I admire filmmaker Sofia Coppola’s work, but I can’t say I’m her biggest fan. One thing she’s managed to maintain through the years is her ability to dazzle her audience with beautiful images and meticulous attention to detail, and all this can be seen in her latest film, “The Beguiled”, a remake of Don Siegel’s…
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American Made [2017] ★★★
Tom Cruise is on top of his game in this fact-based movie about Barry Seal, a TWA pilot who ended up working for both the CIA and the drug cartel (run by The Pablo Escobar), in the late 70’s and early 80’s. You just can’t make this up, and you just can’t ask for a better…
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The Hitman’s Bodyguard [2017] ★★½
You don’t walk in to see a comedy starring Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson with high expectations, so I have to give “The Hitman’s Bodyguard” some credits for delivering the goods so many times. In trying to emulate the “buddy cop” genre, director Patrick Hughes relies on Reynolds’ charm and Jackson’s witty one liners…
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The Party [2017] ★★★
“The Party” is potent and entertaining. I walked in with no particular expectations, having read almost nothing about it, and what I got was a showcase for a host of gifted actors, including Patricia Clarkson, Kristin Scott Thomas, Timothy Spall, Bruno Ganz, and Cillian Murphy. The title of the movie is self-explanatory: a cabinet politician (Kristin…
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The Big Sick [2017] ★★★½
From the trailer and poster you might think this is yet another film about culture clashes with absolutely nothing new to offer. But it doesn’t take long for this constantly appealing crowd-pleaser to draw you in, win you over, and make you leave with a big smile on your face. How you can create a…
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Atomic Blonde [2017] ★★½
Sounds juicy: Charlize Theron kicking ass like there’s no tomorrow. But “Atomic Blonde”, directed by David Leitch, a former stuntman who co-directed “John Wick” (it shows), is neither the action movie of the year nor the disaster I feared. It falls somewhere in between, and for that, I have to cut the movie some slack. One…
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Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets [2017] ★★
“Valerian” is far from being a disaster, but when a movie offers spectacular visual effects and still fails to tell a memorable story, you can’t help feeling cheated. In trying to emulate the success of his superior 1997 film “The Fifth Element”, filmmaker Luc Besson relies on cutting-edge technology to tell the story of Valerian…
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Dunkirk [2017] ★★★½
Christopher Nolan’s “Dunkirk” is a knockout. But it’s also a rare example of a war movie that isn’t purely made to satisfy a mainstream audience. In a recent interview with Criterion, Nolan has named Terrence Malik’s 1998 masterpiece “The Thin Red Line” as one of his favorite films. After watching “Dunkirk”, one might even say…
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Transformers: The Last Knight [2017] ★
“What the fuck is happening?” I kept asking myself as I suffered through this mind-numbingly bad 4th sequel to 2007’s “Transformers”. I can’t remember the last time I felt the need to walk out of a movie, but for the sake of a genuine review, I stayed until the bitter end. The first movie, formulaic…
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Baby Driver [2017] ★★★½
Forget the Fast and the Furious movies, if you want a truly original car movie that pumps up your adrenaline level with first-rate action scenes and a killer soundtrack, “Baby Driver” is the summer film for you. This instant classic from director Edgar Wright (“Shaun of the Dead”, “Scott Pilgrim Vs the World”) is everything…
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War For The Planet Of The Apes [2017] ★★★½
I rarely say this about a summer blockbuster, but “War for the Planet of the Apes” is a masterpiece. God knows I’ve been disappointed by sequels and reboots before; what’s more, the original “Planet of the Apes” still holds a special place in my heart. But this movie, once again directed by Matt Reeves, is…
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Inconceivable [2017] ★
It’s only July, but Nicolas Cage has already been in two movies that rank among the worst of the year: First, “Arsenal” back in February, and now “Inconceivable”, a laughably bad thriller that recycles every shitty cliché in the book. Cage is reduced to supporting role, but that doesn’t mean that the movie gets better…
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Spider-Man: Homecoming [2017] ★★★
Ever since Tom Holland’s Spider-Man made a brief (but memorable) appearance in last year’s terrific “Captain America: Civil War”, Marvel fans were eager to see if this reboot could finally win them over again. I personally didn’t hate Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker, but his movies were far from memorable. Which is why I’m happy…
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2:22 [2017] ★
Preposterous doesn’t even begin to describe this movie, so I’ll try to paint you a picture: Michiel Huisman plays a New York City air traffic controller who begins to notice a repetition of sounds and events in his life that happen at exactly the same time everyday. Hallucinations? Dreams? Signs? Your head will explode trying…
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Despicable Me 3 [2017] ★★
It pains me to write a negative review about a “Despicable Me” movie, but it seems that third time isn’t the charm for Gru and his Minions. I was charmed, and pleasantly surprised, when I saw the first movie back in 2010. Its enormous success has spawned 2 sequels and an enjoyable Minions spin-off back…
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The House [2017] ★★½
In a summer filled with sequels and reboots, it’s good to encounter a raunchy comedy that delivers on its promise. To make a long story short, I don’t ask much from a comedy: I want it to make me laugh, and “The House” does just that. I know what Will Ferrell and Amy Poehler are capable…
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Baywatch [2017] ★★
Nobody was expecting a masterpiece, but director Seth Gordon’s failure to give this big screen adaptation of the TV hit “Baywatch” any reason to exist will most certainly rank as one of the year’s biggest disappointments. The 90’s show starring David Hasselhoff and Pamela Anderson (who both have a cameo here) wasn’t revolutionary in any way,…
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Ranking the Spider-Man Movies
“SpiderMan: Homecoming” is coming in July, which makes this the perfect time to rank the Spider-Man movies. One of the most popular superheroes of all time, “Spider-Man” finally made his debut on the big screen in 2002. I already mentioned in a previous post that Spider-Man 2 (2004) is my favorite film so far. But…
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Kidnap [2017] ★★
Halle Berry plays a mother who would stop at nothing to recover her kidnapped son in this generic action thriller that recycles ever cliché in the Hollywood handbook. That’s not to say that the movie doesn’t have its moments, especially early on. Berry is truly likable and you’ll probably end up rooting for her, every…
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