Category: 2.5/4
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Tag [2018] ★★½
A new idea for a Hollywood comedy is a rare thing to find these days. The fact that “Tag” feels (somehow) fresh more often than other films of the same genre is cause for cheering. And if you have a cast that includes Ed Helms (in one of his funniest roles), Jeremy Renner (who is…
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Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom [2018] ★★½
No surprises here: “Fallen Kingdom” doesn’t live up to its predecessor, and understandably so. This sequel only exists because “Jurassic World” was a monster hit (personally, I enjoyed it a lot), and managed to put the Jurassic Park franchise on the map again. The new film isn’t bad by any means, but you can tell…
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Blockers [2018] ★★½
Funny, vulgar, raunchy. That’s “Blockers” in a nutshell. The film earns its R-Rating right from the start, as we meet three parents (John Cena, Leslie Mann and Ike Barinholtz) who are on a mission: to stop their daughters from having sex on prom night. It’s a silly set-up, and on paper, it doesn’t seem too…
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Rampage [2018] ★★½
It wasn’t until I spotted an arcade cabinet that has “Rampage” written all over it that I realized that this movie is indeed based on the famous 1980’s game, in which giant monsters are trying to destroy an entire city. The game was fun and straightforward, and the movie is exactly like that. It doesn’t…
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Game Night [2018] ★★½
Who doesn’t love game night? Now we finally have a raunchy comedy that takes everything we know about game night and makes it even better. Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams work well together as a couple who are good at almost every game. That is until Bateman’s brother Brooks (Kyle Chandler) “arranges” a murder mystery…
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Wonder Wheel [2017] ★★½
While it doesn’t add anything new to Woody Allen’s fruitful career, it’s difficult to dismiss his latest film, “Wonder Wheel”, just because I had a good time watching it. It has an abundance of eye candy and an amusing cast, making it entertaining enough for any Allen fan. We’re in Coney Island this time around,…
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The 15:17 To Paris [2018] ★★½
Only a skilled filmmaker like Clint Eastwood can take real life heroes, put them in a movie, and make something out of it. I’m talking about Spencer Stone, Anthony Sadler and Alek Skarlatos, three childhood American friends who, while vacationing in Europe in 2015, had to face a terrorist on board the 15:17 To Paris. It’s…
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Darkest Hour [2017] ★★½
The Oscar for best actor in a leading role goes to Gary Oldman. His brilliant performance as Prime Minister Winston Churchill is the best, and probably only reason to see this slice of history. Of the movie itself, I can’t say I loved it. I suppose there’s no other way of depicting a history lesson…
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Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri [2017] ★★½
I’ve been a huge Martin McDonagh fan for at least a decade now. His movie “In Bruges” won me over completely and I still have fond memories of his underrated “Seven Psychopaths”. That being said, I didn’t fully appreciate his latest film, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”, despite its critical acclaim (and the fact that it…
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Maze Runner: The Death Cure [2018] ★★½
The final chapter in the “Maze Runner” trilogy is a huge improvement over its predecessor. While the first film offered an intriguing premise (a bunch of kids trapped in a maze with no blueprint in hand), the second one decided to settle for formula, which was disappointing for me. “The Death Cure”, while not completely…
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The Commuter [2018] ★★½
Liam Neeson is on a train. No, his daughter hasn’t been kidnapped. I know you’re tempted to call it “Taken” on a train. Or maybe “Non-Stop” the train version. Ok, I’ll stop. Director Jaume Collet-Serra, who directed Neeson in several films before, throws our hero this time around on a train, where a mysterious woman…
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Thank You For Your Service [2017] ★★½
In 1947, a movie called “The Best Years of our Lives” won 7 Oscars, including best picture, for its harrowing portrayal of World War II veterans, who return home only to realize that their lives will never be the same again. The movie was shockingly powerful, digging deep into the psychology of soldiers, long after…
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Newness [2017] ★★½
In the age of swiping left and right, is true love dead? Director Drake Doremus (“Like Crazy”) raises a very important question before shifting his focus on open relationships. Nicholas Hoult hooks up with Laia Costa through a dating app. They supposedly fall in love, but before long they agree to start seeing other people,…
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Only The Brave [2017] ★★½
It’s difficult to know how to respond to a movie like “Only The Brave”. As a disaster film, it follows all the basic guidelines that we’ve come to expect from similar movies: heroism, excitement and a sense of real danger. As drama based on real life events, I thought the movie fell short. Josh Brolin…
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The Foreigner [2017] ★★½
A bomb goes off in London. Jackie Chan’s daughter dies in the blast. He wants answers from a British government official (played by Pierce Brosnan), who may or may not know the people behind the terror attack. Brosnan refuses to cooperate (naturally), and all hell breaks loose (naturally). That’s “The Foreigner” in a nutshell, a…
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Gerald’s Game [2017] ★★½
I’ve been spending a lot of time watching Netflix shows. Every now and then they drop a new movie (avoid “Death Note” at all costs), so naturally I was intrigued when Stephen King’s “Gerald’s Game” was up next. This isn’t an easy movie to endure, mainly because the story’s main character Jessie (Carla Gugino) spend…
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The LEGO Ninjago Movie [2017] ★★½
It’s not “The LEGO Batman Movie”, but “Ninjago” has enough charm and memorable characters to justify its own feature film. Justin Theroux may have found the role of his career, voicing the evil Garmadon, an ego-centric villain who may remind you of a certain Darth Vader. His plan? To take over the city of Ninjago.…
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Logan Lucky [2017] ★★½
Critics have been praising director Steven Soderbergh’s comeback movie (he retired 4 years ago after “Side Effects”), and there’s no denying that he’s still got it, even though I didn’t fully embrace the overall result. On the plus side, “Logan Lucky” has a well-cast ensemble and gives us Daniel Craig like we’ve never seen him before.…
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47 Meters Down [2017] ★★½
Want to see two sisters fight for their lives while trapped in a shark cage on the ocean floor? “47 Meters Down” is the movie for you. But while this nailbiter isn’t on par with “Jaws” or other movies of the same genre, it gets the job done by delivering an intense ride. Mandy Moore…
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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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