Category: 2.5/4
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Inferno [2016] ★★½
It’s been a decade since Ron Howard’s big screen adaptation of the controversial “The Da Vinci Code” hit theaters and was met with a negative reaction from critics and audiences alike. “Angels & Demons” followed in 2009 and despite its muddled plot, it was a much more superior film. Now the third installment (once again starring the…
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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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Café Society [2016] ★★½
Woody Allen’s love letter to Hollywood and New York in the 1930’s is everything you would expect from the man himself: beautiful cinematography, endless movie references and an elegant production design. And yet, “Café Society” is nowhere near his best work. It’s far from being a disaster; in fact I had a good time watching…
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Bridget Jones’s Baby [2016] ★★½
Not quite as good as the 2001 original (confession: I’ve seen it over a dozen times), and far from being as bad as “The Edge of Reason”, “Bridget Jones’s Baby” falls somewhere in between. By trying to replicate the success of the first film, this sequel falls a bit short, but I still had a…
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Swiss Army Man [2016] ★★½
“Swiss Army Man” is unlike any other movie you will see this year. It is, at once, grandiose and gimmicky. While I was less taken with the film at its purposeless conclusion than I was midway through, it still offered me a unique moviegoing experience. Directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, who refer to themselves…
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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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Hands Of Stone [2016] ★★½
Another boxing movie is probably the last thing you needed right now, and understandably so. “Creed” and “Southpaw” last year and now “Hands of Stone”, the true story of 1970’s lightweight champ Roberto Duran (a solid Edgar Ramirez), a Panama based boxer who trained hard to get a shot at the world title. His trainer? The…
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Blood Father [2016] ★★½
Mel Gibson’s return to the big screen (feels like forever) was well worth the wait. “Blood Father”, a straightforward B-action thriller about an ex convict (Gibson) who must protect his 17 year old daughter from the drug cartel, doesn’t reinvent the wheel. But Gibson, 60, certainly looks ripped and ready to kick ass. His comeback…
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Remember [2016] ★★½
I can’t imagine anyone other than Christopher Plummer in the role of Zev Guttman, a man who is determined to find the Gestapo survivor who murdered his family over 70 years ago in Auschwitz. Problem is: Zev suffers from the early stages of dementia and all he’s got in his hands is a gun…
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The Neon Demon [2016] ★★½
Nicholas Winding Refn makes movies like no other filmmaker. Sometimes that’s admirable (see “Bronson” and the mind-blowing “Drive” starring Ryan Gosling). Other times it’s a beautiful, incoherent mess (see “Only God Forgives”, also starring Ryan Gosling”). “The Neon Demon” falls somewhere in between. It’s stylish and visually mesmerizing from start to finish. It also features…
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The Shallows [2016] ★★½
Even when it feels awfully familiar, “The Shallows”- starring Blake Lively as a woman who finds herself attacked by a white shark while vacationing on a Mexican beach- immediately held me in its grip. What follows the attack is a gripping story of one woman’s resourcefulness and determination to stay alive. Since that woman is…
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![Bad Moms [2016] ★★½](https://tlkabtmovies.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/bad-moms-poster.jpg?w=1012)
Bad Moms [2016] ★★½
Surprise: it isn’t bad. A Hangover type of movie featuring moms. Bad moms. Terrible moms. I’m talking Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell and an absolutely hilarious Kathryn Hahn, who are crazy fun company. They’re also under-appreciated moms who can’t seem to catch a break. What to do? Ditch all responsibilities and have a crazy good time.…
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Jason Bourne [2016] ★★★
I’ve waited 9 years for Jason Bourne to finally resurface following the hugely entertaining “Bourne Ultimatum”, and despite its ageing material, the new Bourne film delivers the goods from start to finish. It’s also one hell of a comeback for Paul Greengrass (who previously directed “Supremacy” and “Ultimatum”), who keeps the suspense alive as Bourne trots…
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Nerve [2016] ★★½
Up until the lousy final act, “Nerve”, starring Emma Roberts and Dave Franco, had my attention. The setting is simple: you play an online game where people dare you to do stuff. Harmless fun? You’d think. Vee (Roberts) is a high school student who finds herself caught up in the thrill of this game. But…
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Central Intelligence [2016] ★★½
It’s a Hollywood summer tradition: a silly comedy starring two likable actors. We’ve seen it in “The Heat”, “Spy” and “The Other Guys”. In Central Intelligence’s case, they are a good reason to buy a ticket, and they go by the name of Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart. In a prologue set 20 years ago, we…
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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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The Purge: Election Year [2016] ★★½
As someone, who, didn’t care much for any of the previous”Purge” movies, I actually had a good time watching this third installment. Here, writer director James DeMonaco finally gives us a reason to care for all the characters involved in the annual purge, where, for 12 hours, the government allows robbery, rape and even murder.…
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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out Of The Shadows [2016] ★★½
Early reviews have been telling you to avoid “Out of the Shadows”, the sequel to 2014’s “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”. I’m not here to do the same. For one thing, I knew what I was in for: Pizza, more nostalgia and non stop action scenes. In the first movie, we got an explanation on how…
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Money Monster [2016] ★★½
“Money Monster” is far from being original, but it’s filled with Oscar winners (on and off the camera) and just the right dose of humor and satire to make it worth watching. George Clooney stars as Lee Gates, a financial TV host who finds himself in a hostage situation when an angry investor shows up…
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X-Men: Apocalypse [2016] ★★½
People who follow my blog probably know how much I loved Bryan Singer’s previous outing “Days of Future Past”. That movie was smart, exciting and a pure joy to watch. That being said, I left “Apocalypse” feeling disappointed. Was I expecting something better? Perhaps. Instead, this new installment, once again lead by Bryan Singer, tries…
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