Category: adventure
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Max Steel [2016] ★
A flop in the United States and one of the worst reviewed movies of 2016, “Max Steel” is living proof that some Superheroes are worse than worthless. It not only scrapes the bottom of the superhero barrel; it bores its audience to death with a dull plot, a stupid hero, and a ridiculous villain, played…
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Power Rangers [2017] ★½
It’s pointless to try and figure out why this version of “Power Rangers” was made. The movie only exists because of Hollywood’s need to reboot pretty much every popular show/movie ever made. So how to describe my reaction? I’m not angry. Indifferent, perhaps. But not angry. I walked in with no particular expectations and walked…
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Kong: Skull Island [2017] ★★★
Behold: One of the oldest and most iconic monsters in film history returns to the big screen. Kong has come a long way since he starred in the 1933 classic movie that spawned many spinoffs and reboots (the last of them being Peter Jackson’s majestic 2005 “King Kong”). “Skull Island” was produced by the same…
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Gold [2017] ★★½
I can’t imagine anyone other than Matthew McConaughey in the role of Kenny Wells, a Nevada prospector who teamed up with a mining engineer in the 1980’s to dig for Gold in the uncharted jungle of Indonesia. McConaughey is fully committed to his role, transforming himself once again, both physically and mentally. I’d call the…
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Monster Trucks [2016] ★★
First the good news: this is better than any “Transformers” sequels, for the simple fact that the characters in it actually have words to say. But that’s not saying much is it? Shot in 2014 and originally scheduled for a 2015 release, Paramount pictures later on decided to move its release date to 2016, then…
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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 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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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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Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them [2016] ★★★½
Little did I dream when I first encountered the magical world of Hogwarts some 15 years ago (wow has it been that long?) that I would become so attached to Harry Potter and his friends, and enjoy the experience of revisiting this world every couple of years. “Now what?” was my first reaction when “Deathly Hallows…
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Doctor Strange [2016] ★★★
It’s always refreshing to encounter a new kind of hero in this already overstuffed superhero cinematic universe. DC unleashed “Batman V Superman” and “Suicide Squad” earlier this year, while Marvel delivered one of their best movies yet: “Civil War”. Is there room for more? The answer is yes and he goes by the name of…
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Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children [2016] ★★½
Tim Burton’s “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children” is a showcase for spectacular visual effects, a top notch production design, and endless movie references (I could swear the opening scene was straight out of Ed Wood’s “Plan 9 from Outer Space”. And look, there’s a tribute to Ray Harryhausen’s skeleton army from “Jason and the…
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Pete’s Dragon [2016] ★★½
A Disney movie in every aspect, “Pete’s Dragon” is bound to entertain young kids as they discover the magical world of little Pete and his only friend: a dragon named Elliot. They both live in the dense forest of the Pacific Northwest, away from human contact, until one day, a park ranger (Bryce Dallas Howard) finds…
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Ben-Hur [2016] ★½
Somebody owes me a goddamn explanation: how do you remake William Wyler’s 1959 epic “Ben-Hur” starring Charlton Heston in his Oscar winning performance without screwing it all up? The answer is: you don’t. This new version, directed by Timur Bekmanbetov and starring Jack Huston (Heston, Huston. Get it?) in the title character feels rushed, truncated…
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The BFG [2016] ★★★
A lot has been said about Steven Spielberg’s version of Road Dahl’s beloved 1982 novel, ever since it was screened at this year’s Cannes festival. Now that it’s finally here, kids and adults alike can enjoy what this magical film has to offer, from first rate special effects to unforgettable characters. In telling the story…
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Star Trek: Beyond [2016] ★★★
It’s not “Into Darkness” or the classic “The Wrath of Khan”, but producer J.J Abrams and his collaborators have managed to pull off the impossible by delivering yet another spectacular entry in the Star Trek franchise. “Beyond” , once again starring Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto (who both continue to impress) as well as Zoe Saldana, Simon…
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Alice Through The Looking Glass [2016] ★★
Tim Burton’s attempt at reinventing Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland” and turn it into a live-action movie back in 2010 resulted in a visually impressive experience…but it bored me to tears. Did we really need a sequel? Definitely not, and “Through the Looking Glass” offers absolutely nothing new. Mia Wasikowka reprises her role as Alice, who returns…
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The Legend Of Tarzan [2016] ★★★
As far as summer blockbusters go, “The Legend of Tarzan” is a fun ride from start to finish. I didn’t expect a work of genius, mainly because this is familiar territory for anyone who has seen at least one Tarzan film before. And yet, the filmmakers have a few new ideas up their sleeves. They’ve reintroduced…
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Now You See Me 2 [2016] ★★½
Unlike many friends and colleagues, I wasn’t a fan of the first “Now You See Me” movie, released back in 2013. While I enjoyed the cast and the premise, I didn’t care much for all the twists and turns that director Louis Leterrier threw at us. That being said, I didn’t mind this sequel so much.…
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Warcraft [2016] ★½
“Warcraft” is one of the most famous video games in the world. In Hollywood, this means business, and plenty of it. But if history has taught us anything it’s that movies based on video games rarely work. “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider”, “Doom”, “Resident Evil”, “Hitman”, “Max Payne”, “House of the Dead”, “Street Fighter”. Hell I could…
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Captain America: Civil War [2016] ★★★½
You’d think after so many movies (including 2 “Thor” movies, 3 Iron Man movies, 2 Avengers, 3 Captain America movies, “Ant Man” and “The Incredible Hulk”), this series would run out of steam by now. Not a chance. Instead, “Captain America: Civil War” emerges as one of the best superhero movies ever made. It’s smart,…
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