Superman Takes Flight but Leaves the Plot Behind
★ ★ ½ James Gunn has a lot riding on Superman. Hired by Warner Bros. to reinvent the DC Comics Cinematic Universe (DCU), he needs this film to accomplish two things—ideally both. First, it has to be a box office success. Second—and less important, at least by Hollywood math—it needs to be a good movie. 2008’s Iron Man is an example of a fantastic superhero film that…
Jurassic World: Rebirth—Fossils in Motion, Boredom in Action
★ ½ Do people even care about dinosaurs anymore? That line, buried in Jurassic World: Rebirth, may be the most honest thing the franchise has asked in a decade. In the franchise universe, each film ups the ante. Sequels require bigger, scarier dinosaurs to lure audiences. The fictional corporations…
M3GAN 2.0 Upgrades Herself—and the Franchise
★ ★ ★ ½ In its own dumb, goofy way, M3GAN 2.0 follows a similar pattern to the first two Terminator films. If The Terminator was sci-fi, slasher-horror, its sequel, Terminator 2: Judgement Day was a sci-fi action thriller. In both pairs of films, the first outing features a robot going on a killing spree. Here, as with T2, the original villain robot turns hero. We may have been…
F1: The Movie is a Thunderous Return to Summer Blockbuster Glory
★ ★ ★ ★ F1: The Movie is a grand return to the summer blockbuster. It’s action-packed, thrilling and memorable. Your seat will rumble as the cars roar across the screen and test the theatre woofers. At times, you’ll feel like you’re in an F1 racecar cockpit. This is all weaved into a great script, excellent character development…
Elio Aims for the Stars but Misses the Heart
★ ★ ★ Elio (Yonas Kibreab) is a young boy reeling from the death of his parents. He barely speaks and can’t connect with his new guardian, his aunt Olga (Zoe Saldaña). She tries her best but just can’t crack his shell. At a museum, Elio stumbles upon an exhibit for Voyager 1. It’s a discovery that changes his world, and he becomes obsessed…
28 Years Later Finds Humanity in the Horror
★ ★ ★ 28 Years Later is the third film in a series of zombie movies that started with 28 Days Later and followed up with 28 Weeks Later. The titles refer to how long it’s been since the release of the fictional Rage Virus. All three films tell a different story, with different characters as they navigate post-apocalyptic Europe overrun by zombies…
Materialists Puts Love on the Market, Loses the Sale
★ ★ Materialists is about a matchmaker named Lucy (Dakota Johnson) who’s being celebrated at work for the ninth wedding of her career. She’s supposed to be the Jerry Maguire of matchmakers, but nine weddings feels like a low number. You start to wonder: is Lucy bad at her job, or is the job itself just…
The Life of Chuck Finds Beauty in the Ordinary—and the Eternal
★ ★ ★ ★ The Life of Chuck is an odd, charming little film—and it’s hard to explain exactly why it’s so good. In some ways, it’s a bit unremarkable. The previews make us think that Chuck, played by four actors over the course of his life, is some important, fantastic person. But he’s actually rather ordinary…
How to Train Your Dragon Tames the Remake Curse, Brings the Fire
★ ★ ★ ½ How to Train Your Dragon is a live action remake of the 2010 animated film based on the popular series of books by Cressida Cowell. The original spawned two sequels, several short animated films and television spinoffs. Given that there are untold animated classic films being made into live action…
Dangerous Animals Hunts Without Mercy
★ ★ ★ ½ In Dangerous Animals, the Gold Coast of Australia shines with postcard beauty—until the camera dives beneath the surface. Serenity gives way to savagery at the hands of a killer who doesn’t typically kill by traditional means. Instead, he uses a harness, chum and a cold grin. Jai Courtney plays Bruce Tucker, a shark dive operator whose business is a front for…
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