Author: Matthew Liedke

Journalist and film critic in Minnesota. Graduate of Rainy River College and Minnesota State University in Moorhead. Outside of movies I also enjoy sports, craft beers and the occasional video game.

REVIEW ‘Adrift’ carried by Woodley, survival sequences

“Adrift,” the latest picture to have Shailene Woodley in the lead role, is a film that has enough good features to keep it afloat, but there are a few negatives keeping the picture anchored.

Based on a true event, “Adrift” details the story of Tami Oldham (Woodley), a woman who was living in Tahiti in 1983 and began a relationship with a sailor named Richard (Sam Clafin). The film showcases how they met and their attempt to sail across the Pacific Ocean as part of a job to bring a ship from Tahiti to San Diego.

Unfortunately, while sailing, the two ran into Hurricane Raymond, which began as a weaker storm but grew quickly into a Category 4.

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Monday Movie Report: Cast coming together for Eastwood project, ‘Crow’ remake crashes again

The cast for Clint Eastwood’s new project is coming together, with a two-time Oscar winner coming on-board.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Academy Award winner Dianne Wiest, Michael Pena and Bradley Cooper will all star in the new Eastwood film, “The Mule.” THR reports that Eastwood will direct and act in the Warner Bros. crime drama.

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My conflicting excitement for ‘Incredibles 2’

Since the final scene of “The Incredibles” previewed more adventures for the Parr family, I’ve been asking, no, begging for a sequel.

After 14 years and in my view unnecessary sequels like “Cars 2,” Disney | Pixar is finally releasing “The Incredibles 2” in June. While I am looking forward to seeing it, though, I do have my reservations.

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REVIEW: Learning everything about ‘Solo’ didn’t make for compelling cinema

Audiences get to see the backstory of the legendary space cowboy in “Solo,” but that wasn’t necessarily a good thing with this feature.

As the title implies, “Solo” is about the outlaw, this time played by Alden Ehrenreich. The film details how Han went from an orphan on a dilapidated planet to a pilot academy dropout and then to a man surviving in the criminal underworld.

The latter comes about when Han begins working with a man named Beckett (Woody Harrelson), who needs a crew for a heist mission. Through a series of events, the crew becomes rounded out with Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo), his childhood friend Qi’ra (Emilia Clarke) and Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover).

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Top 10 Han Solo Moments (As portrayed by Harrison Ford)

It’s the weekend of Han Solo! Tomorrow (or tonight if you’re seeing the early screenings), “Solo: A Star Wars Story” will hit theaters with Alden Ehrenreich portraying a younger version of the iconic character.

As interesting as that film should be, though, this also seems like a good opportunity to take a look back on some of the best scenes with Solo, as portrayed by Harrison Ford.

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REVIEW: ‘Book Club’ powered by talented cast

Academy Award winners Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda and Mary Steenburgen, along with Golden Globe winner Candice Bergen unite in this feature about four women who read “50 Shades of Grey” at their Book Club.

That’s the premise of the aptly named “Book Club,” with four professional, older women named Diane (Keaton), Vivian (Fonda), Carol (Steenburgen) and Sharon (Bergen) all taking a break from their usual novels to see what all the fuss is about with the best seller. As one might guess, comedic hijinks ensue as Diane, Vivian and Sharon are inspired by the book to get back into the dating game while Carol attempts to reconnect with her husband Bruce (Craig T. Nelson).

As the film develops, Diane starts a relationship with a pilot named Mitchell (Andy Garcia), Sharon begins using a dating app and Vivian has the first meaningful relationship she’s had in years with Arthur (Don Johnson).

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REVIEW: ‘Show Dogs’ is a passionless canine caper

I don’t know if anyone was asking for a version of “Miss Congeniality” with dogs, but it was made anyway.

“Show Dogs” tells the story of Max, a Rottweiler voiced by Chris “Ludacris” Bridges who works as a police dog in New York City. The film picks up with him working on a case of panda theft. I know, stick with me. So, because of the case, Max has to team up with an FBI agent named Frank (Will Arnett) to go undercover at a dog show.

So, the dog and dude duo set out to Las Vegas for a prestigious dog show where they suspect the panda thieves will be. While there, Max meets some new friends and discovers that dog shows are more meaningful than he first thought.

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REVIEW: ‘Deadpool 2’ is a blast thanks to its relentless comedy

“Deadpool 2” is a lot like its predecessor. It’s very funny, but is at times shallow and carries its share of flaws.

The film sets off with Deadpool, AKA Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) now living a fairly comfortable life, working as a mercenary and living with his girlfriend Vanessa (Morena Baccarin). Following a disastrous series of events, though, Wilson finds himself without the love of his life and in prison with only a young fire-powered mutant named Russell (Julian Dennison) as company.

Wilson’s problems only increase when a new foe named Cable (Josh Brolin) emerges. Cable soon reveals that his goal is to kill Russell, and Deadpool sets out to stop him.

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Enjoy ‘Deadpool?’ Hyped For ‘DP2?’ Cool, Then You’ll Love ‘Kick-Ass’

A main character dressed as a superhero fights crime, narrates his own story and in some moments breaks the fourth wall.

Think I’m talking about “Deadpool?” Nope. I’m talking about “Kick-Ass,” the 2010 action comedy adaptation of the comic book. In just a few days “Deadpool 2” will be released, with the first one coming to theaters in early 2016.

Despite both of these films having a great number of similarities to “Kick-Ass,” though, people seem to have forgotten the movie that’s now nearly a decade old. But the fact is that “Kick-Ass” deserves to be remembered and recognized because of how it raised the bar, especially in this period of time where we have the “Deadpool” films coming out.

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