Film Reviews

Kasra Farahani’s directorial debut is a commendable first crack at a genre and concept that has been recycled time and time again.

There was enough of the movie screened at SXSW to tell you that this is breaking some major ground when it comes to R-rated, nasty-as-they-wannabe animation.

My Blind Brother isn’t the most phenomenal film about sibling rivalry, but it certainly adds its own twist that makes it distinct and unlike any film about brotherly love.

What if James Bond had a dopey brother who screwed up all his missions? Sounds at least halfway intriguing, right? The Brothers Grimsby takes up this idea, and ends up having two or three funny scenes surrounded by a lot of wasted potential.

Gyllenhaal sells us as an emotionally stunted widower, but after Demolition loses steam, the film realizes it needs a resolution and cobbles one together that satisfies its characters more than its audience.

What seems like a modern carbon copy of Taxi Driver is more of a continuation of the story and lifestyle of a driver… without any of the psychosis.

Usually when there’s a lot of hype around a film that’s been cloaked in mystery, the outcome is more-or-less disappointment. This is not the case with 10 Cloverfield Lane.

Tina Fey shines as journalist Kim Baker in this loose comedy set in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom. Fey is let down, however, by a jumbled narrative and an inconsistent tone.

Zootopia may seem like typical Disney fare featuring animated animals doing human things. But the film takes that idea to the next level, providing a powerful dose of relevant social commentary — told through the perspective of a cute rabbit and a sly fox.

Chiwetel Ejiofor, Casey Affleck, and Anthony Mackie lead a sweaty ensemble through this greasy, gritty ‘grime’ story. The characters are not the most welcoming bunch, but the story delivers strong visceral thrills in spades.

After (rightly) being accused of white-washing Egyptians to build a “more marketable” cast, Gods of Egypt has struggled to gain much traction – at least any positive traction – ahead of its release. Which is just too damn bad because this movie is actually a lot of fun.

Race hits a few high points, assisted by strong performances from Stephen James and Jason Sudeikis, but the film fails to maintain its stride throughout its entire running time.

Zoolander 2, much like Dumb and Dumber To, offers up yet more proof that sequels to films from the ’90s and early ’00s do not need to happen – no matter how much of an impact those films have had on pop culture in the years since. But alas, what’s done is done.

There’s an inherent hilarity in the title itself that conjures up terrific images of the British upper class dealing with table manners in between zombie attacks. Unfortunately, the moments that play up the fun of the mash-up are few and far between.

Fans of the “Merc with a mouth” will relish in the obnoxious wisecracks, dirty jokes, and, of course, undeniable sex appeal of Deadpool. And while Ryan Reynolds brings the title character to life, the rest of the movie struggles to keep up with him.

With Hail, Caesar!, The Coen Brothers serve up a meandering buffer film filled with plenty of Coen-isms to keep their fanbase of cinephiles satisfied until they release their next soul-stirring drama.

In the weeks leading up to the Oscars, we’ll be looking back at some of our reviews for this year’s Best Picture nominees. Today, we’re revisiting Wil Loper’s review of Steven Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies, which is up for six awards.

Kung Fu Panda 3 gets a lot right. Gorgeous animation, thrilling fight sequences, and a formidable villain are among its strengths. It’s the unfocused storyline, meandering plot, and dialogue-heavy scenes where the movie falters.

Audiences love a good underdog movie. Sometimes those movies are genuinely tear-jerking, while other times they’re smothered in so much cheese that they become unintentional parodies of the genre. Eddie The Eagle straddles the line between the two.

In the weeks leading up to the 2016 Oscars, we’ll be taking a look back at our reviews of some of this year’s Best Picture nominees. Today, we’re revisiting Wil Loper’s review of Brooklyn, currently up for three major awards.

If we’ve learned anything from Hollywood, the day an alien invasion occurs will likely involve the intruders parking their giant spacecraft right above our major cities and just sitting there. Although The 5th Wave has a decent plot with a handful of twists, it all comes at the expense of painfully obvious dialogue, and predictable, derivative moments.

In the weeks leading up to the 2016 Oscars, we’ll be taking a look back at our reviews of some of this year’s Best Picture nominees. Today, we’re revisiting Wil Loper’s review of The Big Short, currently up for five major awards.

With the release of a movie simply called The Forest, one would expect this to be the definitive horror film that takes place amongst the scary trees, right? After suffering through a walk in this forest, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Forgetting failed romances, plays within plays within plays, and multitudes of John Malkoviches are only a few pieces that make up Charlie Kaufman’s oeuvre. And now, with Anomalisa, he can add stop-motion animation with a man searching for someone to make him feel again.

The Hateful Eight brings gleeful violence and black humor this holiday season but suffers from pacing issues and lack of character depth. Quentin Tarantino’s eighth film opens in limited markets on Christmas Day in 70 mm and goes wide on January 8th.

Todd Haynes’ homage–or perhaps response–to David Lean’s Brief Encounter is an exquisitely shot, beautifully acted piece of classical romance with one crucial twist: the star-crossed lovers at its center are two women, played effortlessly by Rooney Mara and Cate Blanchett.

Tom McCarthy’s Spotlight does is remind those who may deny or become defensive that all of the pieces are right in front of us, we simply have to put them together.

There’s an old saying in football: when you play at half-speed, that’s when you get hurt. When it comes to taking the NFL to task, Concussion does just that: plays at half-speed, slapping its opponent instead of trying to make the tackle. Smith gives a fine performance as Dr. Bennet Omalu, but its not enough to save this watered-down, saccharine story.

This movie accomplishes a whole heck of a lot, but if nothing else, Star Wars: The Force Awakens shows us how much fun we can have at the movies. And what more can a moviegoer want from one of the biggest movie series of all time than to simply have a blast?

Flashbacks, flash-forwards, dream sequences, voiceover narration… every possible tool your screenwriting teacher ever told you not to you use was on display in David O. Russel’s Joy–and all serve as perfect examples of why they should be left out.