Category: 2.5/4
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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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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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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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The Exception [2017] ★★½
Christopher Plummer dazzles once again in “The Exception”, a well-made WWII thriller that could have been easily filmed in the 1940’s. Based on Alan Judd’s 2003 novel, the story follows German soldier Stefan Brandt (Jai Courtney), who is on a mission to investigate ex-German Monarch Kaiser Wilhelm II (Christopher Plummer), who now lives in a secluded…
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Gifted [2017] ★★½
“Gifted” is a crowd-pleaser, a likable little film fulfilled by director Marc Webb, Chris Evans, and their talented young star, Mckenna Grace. If you want, you can think of it as the anti-blockbuster, the opposite of a big movie for the summer season. Instead, it’s an old-fashioned story about a single man (Evans) who is raising his…
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Everything, Everything [2017] ★★½
“Everything, Everything” features two extremely likable characters that it almost doesn’t matter that it isn’t very original. God knows I’ve suffered through endless romantic movies based on Nicholas Sparks’ books, so it’s always refreshing to encounter a love story that doesn’t have Sparks’ signature written all over it. The author, this time, is Nicola Yoon,…
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Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 [2017] ★★½
Guardians of the Galaxy fans would hate to admit it, but Vol. 2 is a mess. An enjoyable mess, but a mess nonetheless. I know it must have been hard for writer/director James Gunn to cook up a sequel to the hugely entertaining first film, but I think that he hasn’t fully succeeded this time around.…
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The Boss Baby [2017] ★★½
Despite its paper-thin plot, there’s something charming and irresistible about “The Boss Baby”, starring Alec Baldwin as a baby spy on a secret mission. Sent from a company called “Baby Corp” as the newborn baby brother of 7 year old Tim, Boss Baby must keep his identity safe in order to stop a dangerous plot…
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A Cure For Wellness [2017] ★★½
I approach every psychological movie with a combination of excitement and apprehension, and “A Cure for Wellness” is no exception: it’s a visual feast, courtesy of director Gore Verbinsky, featuring a superior performance from its leading man, Dane DeHaan. How to describe the story? I’d say it’s a cross between Martin Scorsese’s “Shutter Island” and…
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Going In Style [2017] ★★½
It’s not groundbreaking, it has a good amount of “old people” jokes, but it’s also fun to watch. That’s “Going in Style” in a nutshell. Director Zach Braff has never worked with legendary actors before, but I think he’s done a good job, turning this predictable heist movie into a real crowd-pleaser. You can probably connect…
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CHIPS [2017] ★★½
You don’t walk in to see a buddy cop movie starring Dax Shepard and Michael Peña with high expectations. Personally, I don’t ask a lot from a raunchy comedy: I want it to entertain me and “CHIPS” does exactly that. The ultimate joke of the movie is that two officers from different backgrounds team up to bring…
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Beauty And The Beast [2017] ★★½
“Beauty and the Beast” is one of my favorite Disney animated movies, so naturally, I wanted the live action version to be as enchanting. First the good news: the film is beautiful to look at and well cast. Emma Watson needs no introduction, and she effortlessly becomes Belle, the young woman who finds herself taken…
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Paterson [2016] ★★½
To say that writer/director Jim Jarmusch makes unusual movies would be the understatement of the year. Sometimes, the result is unforgettable, as in “Stranger than Paradise”. Sometimes, you just want to turn the damn thing off, as in “Only Lovers Left Alive” (sue me). “Paterson” falls somewhere in between: it’s a quiet, intriguing look at…
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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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Jackie [2016] ★★½
I didn’t fall in love with “Jackie”, despite an incredible performance from its leading lady: Natalie Portman. It goes without saying that she’s a great actress, and in the case of “Jackie”, her mesmerizing performance as Jacqueline Kennedy is probably the best, and perhaps the main reason to watch this less than perfect film. A lot…
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The Birth Of A Nation [2016] ★★½
It takes courage to drop a movie about slavery so soon after “12 Years A Slave”. And the fact that it’s called “The Birth of a Nation” and yet bears little resemblance to D.W Griffith 1915 epic of the same name might mislead audiences into expecting an Oscar worthy movie. It isn’t. And the sooner you…
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Sing [2016] ★★½
From the trailer and the poster you’d expect an animated picture filled with music and colorful characters. And “Sing” is exactly that, with music ranging from Frank Sinatra to modern, popular songs that kids and their parents will most certainly recognize. While the finished product is likable and enjoyable, it’s also hectic at times and doesn’t…
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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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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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Ouija: Origin Of Evil [2016] ★★½
If you saw the horrible first movie back in 2014, then you’re probably trying to avoid this prequel, and understandably so. But to be completely honest, “Origin of Evil” is a much scarier film. For one, it has a decent story to tell and a genuinely creepy atmosphere. Sure it borrows a lot from “The…
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