Category: The Twenty-First Century
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xXx: Return Of Xander Cage [2017] ★★
The sequel we’ve all been waiting for is finally here. Lol I’m kidding nobody asked for this. But here we are: 15 years since the very first “xXx” hit theaters back in 2002 and 11 since its terrible sequel starring Ice Cube. “Return of Xander Cage” is pretty much self-explanatory, especially if you’re familiar with its…
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Moonlight [2016] ★★★
When a movie is so hyped and still falls short, one can talk about its good qualities or nitpick its failings. In the case of “Moonlight”, it’s a bit of both, but at least I can begin on a positive note because of the movie’s raw feelings and exceptional performances. In adapting Tarell Alvin McCraney’s play…
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Why Him? [2016] ★★½
You don’t walk in to see a movie called “Why Him?” with high expectations, which is why I’m about to cut this movie some slack. It’s crude and unashamedly nasty, but it made me chuckle, and that’s why I can’t completely dismiss it. Bryan Cranston is the last person I expected to see here, playing…
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A Monster Calls [2016] ★★★
Who would have thought that a story about a little boy and a giant tree could be so emotional? Like a mesmerizing bedtime story, “A Monster Calls” is superior storytelling that sneaks up and quietly breaks your heart. After two winning performances in “The Theory of Everything” and “Rogue One”, Felicity Jones delivers yet again…
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Silence [2016] ★★★½
Even before it hit the big screen, Martin Scorsese’s passion project “Silence” was met with a mixed reaction from critics and fans alike. The film, said the buzz, doesn’t look or feel like a Scorsese film. Now that I’ve finally seen the movie, I have to respectfully disagree. Having tackled issues of sin, religion, and…
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Patriot’s Day [2016] ★★★
Powerful docudrama recounts the events leading up to the 2013 Boston marathon bombing and the pulse-pounding manhunt that ensued in its aftermath. I personally couldn’t care less about director Peter Berg’s previous disaster film “Deepwater Horizon”, but what I liked about “Patriot’s Day” is that the story he tells is a scary reminder of the…
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Assassin’s Creed [2016] ★
Since everything has already been said and done about “Assassin’s Creed”, the awful big screen adaptation of the popular video game, I’ve decided to do things differently for this review. I’m going to pretend that this is Twitter and I’m going to “tweet” my opinion about this movie using 140 characters or less. It might…
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The Edge Of Seventeen [2016] ★★★
Teen movies have been around since forever, hitting their peak in the 80’s when the late, great John Hughes cooked up some of the most memorable and quotable films of all time. “Sixteen Candles”, “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”, “Pretty in Pink” and The Breakfast Club” have acquired a cult following ever since they were released.…
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The Great Wall [2016] ★½
The Great Wall, starring Matt Damon as China’s last hope in their fight against some ancient creatures (huh?) is… how shall I put it? Cheesy. Ridiculous. A waste of talent. Damon traveled all the way to China to shoot this big budget production from director Zhang Yimou (“Hero”). He’s the lucky one. We have to…
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The Founder [2016] ★★★
Ever wondered how it all started? How McDonald’s became McDonald’s? Then you’ve come to the right place. Just like its main character, “The Founder” has a fascinating story to tell about the people whose rocky collaboration resulted in one of the most famous restaurant chains in the world. But first, we meet Ray Kroc (Michael…
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La La Land [2016] ★★★★
Hollywood has always had a soft spot for musicals. “The Broadway Melody” in the 1920’s, “Singin’ in the Rain” and “An American in Paris” in the 1950’s, “Oliver!” in the 1960’s and “Chicago” in the early 2000’s. In 2011, french director Michel Hazanavicius hired Jean Dujardin and Bérénice Bejo to star in his film “The Artist”,…
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![The Worst Movies of the Year [2016]](https://tlkabtmovies.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/worst-2016-title1.jpg?w=1024)
The Worst Movies of the Year [2016]
It’s time we go through the year’s worst movies. From Robert DeNiro to Ben Stiller, 2016 was a year to forget for so many actors and we’re here to celebrate them. No, not really. So without further ado, I give you my personal list of the absolute worst films I’ve seen this year. As always,…
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Passengers [2016] ★★
Picture this: you’re in hibernation mode, on your way to a distant planet where you’ll be starting a new life. The journey takes 120 years to reach its destination but somehow a glitch in the system occurs and you’re forced to wake up 90 years early. You’re all alone on a spacecraft and there’s absolutely…
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Demain Tout Commence [2016] ★★★
Omar Sy has developed an irresistible persona as a comedian, which has served him well in such films as “Les Intouchables” and last year’s underrated “Chocolat”. In that context, his latest film, “Demain Tout Commence”, is a charming, funny and touching family melodrama with another winning performance by Sy. In short: it’s a crowd-pleaser. Sy…
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Rogue One: A Star Wars Story [2016] ★★★½
I don’t pretend to be the biggest Star Wars geek in the galaxy, but I do know a good Star Wars film when I see one, and “Rogue One” is exactly that. For one, it cleverly and effortlessly works as a link between episode III and Episode IV while working perfectly well as a standalone…
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Collateral Beauty [2016] ★★½
Nothing kicks off the Holiday season like a heartwarming movie featuring an all star cast that includes Will Smith, Helen Mirren, Keira Knightley, Edward Norton, Michael Pena and Kate Winslet. Smith is no stranger to dramatic roles, having previously starred in “Seven Pounds” and the highly rewarding “The Pursuit of Happyness”. In “Collateral Beauty”, he…
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Moana [2016] ★★★
I’ve been a sucker for Disney animated features ever since my mom took me to see Aladdin back in 1992, and I still approach every new film with a combination of excitement and cautiousness. Will it be as good as the previous one? Disney hit a bullseye earlier this year with the amazing “Zootopia”, and…
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Incarnate [2016] ★½
Aaron Eckhart plays a man haunted by his past. Is he haunted by how much his career has fallen since starring in Christopher Nolan’s “Dark Knight”? Na, nothing that interesting. He’s playing a scientist with the ability to heal possessed people by entering their subconscious mind. His latest subject? A young boy (David Mazouz from…
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Lion [2016] ★★★
It may be less than perfect, but “Lion”, starring Dev Patel and Nicole Kidman, has enough emotional moments to satisfy moviegoers seeking a heartwarming true story. When the film opens, we meet Saroo, a 5 year old boy who lives in poverty with his mother, sister, and big brother in a small indian village. One night,…
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Underworld: Blood Wars [2016] ★½
I don’t know what Underworld purists (if any) would make of this fifth (and hopefully last) installment, but personally, I couldn’t wait for it to end. And when it was finally over, I breathed a sigh of relief. “Blood Wars”, once again starring Kate Beckinsale as the vampire death dealer still fighting the war between…
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