Welcome to the Summer Movies Season! If you think those words signify an onslaught of popcorn-friendly big-budget sequels, spinoffs and superhero flicks, you’d be absolutely . . . right! Sort of? Though you will get a chance to revisit Han Solo, dinosaurs, Ethan Hunt, an Ocean, an Ant-Man and more, the 2018 edition will also […]
The tepid 2018 remake of Overboard is Reason No. 1 why some 1980s relics should remain locked in the vault along with Aqua-Net hairspray and Lee Press On Nails. Everything that seemed dumb-funny back in the era of big hair and bigger shoulder pads is now shockingly inept and clumsy. And though this version features a […]
It’s amazing how a tiny twist can make a huge difference. Take Tully, an ingenious take on domesticity disguised as a quirky mid-life crisis comedy. You’ve seen the poster art, right? It’s a close-up of star Charlize Theron with kiddie stickers of hearts and rainbows planted all over her porcelain-skinned face. With screenwriter Diablo Cody […]
It’s a well-known movie fact: April showers bring May blockbusters. Think the original Avengers. Mad Max: Fury Road. Neighbors. The Hangover. Baywatch. King Arthur. Ok, forget the last two. So while the weather may be (finally) heating up, this is the month to pretend to head to the movies and pretend popcorn has actual nutritional […]
Perhaps it’s simpler to say what you won’t see in Avengers: Infinity War. This is a movie, after all, that features large-scale battles on multiple planets, no less than 25 recognizable costumed characters, three strapping golden-haired actors with the first name Chris, a few stolen kisses, a trail of tears and one whaaa? cliffhanger. It’s […]
On the surface, we should all cheer for a well-intentioned comedy in which the flawed heroine learns that a healthy dose of self-acceptance trumps puffy-lipped beauty. But I Feel Pretty begs audiences to look beyond the surface and go deep. With that de facto blessing, here’s the unblemished truth: The film disappoints as both a […]
Ready to play? Great, I’ll start. I pick truth. Here goes: As a scary movie, Truth or Dare is about as frightening as a slip on a banana peel. Eh sure, the dialogue is laughably trite (“We can’t change the past but we can work on the future!” “We’re not playing the game; the game […]
No animals were harmed during the making of Rampage. Humans that sit through the flick, however, may suffer from destruction-porn fatigue, bouts of confusion and frustration, and a mild case of the giggles. Please proceed accordingly. Rampage does not take itself seriously. Hi, the official plot description starts off, “Dwayne Johnson plays primatologist Davis Okoye. […]
Jon Hamm could carry an action franchise, no? Not the type in which he jumps off high-flying airplanes while cracking punchlines or chases a fleet of cars in downtown Hong Kong in the year 2045. Envision a thinking person’s franchise, one befitting of the onetime alpha-male Don Draper. The espionage thriller Beirut is a decent-ish […]
See enough scary movies and you start to anticipate when to cover your eyes. Any scene set in a dimly lit basement is a given. A knock at the door is a harbinger of doom. Time it exactly right and you can be just a staid outsider to the horrors unfolding onscreen. What makes A […]