Category: Reviews

REVIEW: First step for ‘Fantastic Four’ is fine, but not phenomenal

A “Fantastic Four” movie where Dr. Doom isn’t the main antagonist? That’s allowed?

Apparently it is, because good ole Victor isn’t the big bad of “First Steps.” Instead, the family of heroes including Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), his wife Sue (Vanessa Kirby), brother-in-law Johnny (Joseph Quinn), and colleague Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) face something from the depths of space.

Having picked up their powers a few years ago, the four have become celebrities, known for their contribution to science and several heroic moments. Things are going well, but that’s about to change. In addition to Sue getting pregnant with a potentially super-powered child, a planet-eating threat known as Galactus is on its way to Earth.

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REVIEW: Ari Aster’s ‘Eddington’ is absolutely abysmal

This year’s slate from A24 has been unsatisfactory so far, to say the least.

The latest movie from the studio, which has released many films that have populated my top 10 lists over the last decade, is set in 2020, a year we all remember but would rather forget. As the name implies, the picture is set in the town of Eddington, New Mexico where a mayoral race is underway.

The favorite is incumbent Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal), but he soon gets a challenge from the county sheriff, Joe Cross (Joaquin Phoenix). In addition to being at odds already with Garcia for past issues, Cross is motivated to run by his many disagreements with the handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Eventually, the race starts to turn ugly.

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REVIEW: ‘Sovereign’ is an intense look at extremism on the human psyche

One of the more dangerous movements in America over the last few decades gets explored in great detail during this new drama.

Christian Swegal makes his feature directorial debut with this film, centering on the real story of Jerry Kane (Nick Offerman) and his son Joe (Jacob Tremblay). Jerry was well known in circles of the sovereign citizen movement for his speeches about his interpretation of American law and home ownership rights.

His perception of power that the American government has, and his disregard for the operations of law enforcement and courts, leads to a growing tension with authority. That eventually leads to a fateful 2010 run in with police in West Memphis.

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REVIEW: ‘Superman’ loses shine due to clumsy story, despite dedicated cast

About 15 years after his first go round in the genre with 2010’s dark comedy “Super,” James Gunn presents his latest film featuring the most well-known hero around.

Yes, the Man of Steel is back on the big screen. It’s a new era for DC heroes in cinema, with the Extended Universe in the rearview, ending with an Atlantean chomping on a cockroach-topped burger. Now, we have a whole new universe, where Superman and other heroes are well established in society.

Things aren’t going well for Supes lately, though, as public perception has been turning against him recently for his independent involvement in a geopolitical conflict involving a U.S. ally. As Clark (David Corenswet) navigates the situation and his romantic relationship with co-worker Lois Lane (Rachel Brosahan), he also has to deal with the latest plot from Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult).

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REVIEW: ‘My Dead Friend Zoe’ doesn’t commit to its bit, to its detriment

The war movie genre benefits overall from films that show the impacts of foreign conflicts back home. This is one of those films, but unfortunately, it’s not one of the category’s best.

“My Dead Friend Zoe” centers on U.S. Army veteran Merit (Sonequa Martin-Green), who’s back home in the United States after serving in Afghanistan. Lately, life has been hard for her, as she’s run into some trouble with the law, and forced to attend group therapy sessions because of trauma, though she can’t bring herself to speak about her experiences.

That trauma revolves around her friend Zoe, who passed away. However, she still sees Zoe often as a ghost who she speaks with regularly. Her life only gets more complicated when she is asked to take care of her estranged grandfather who has early Alzheimer’s. Continue reading “REVIEW: ‘My Dead Friend Zoe’ doesn’t commit to its bit, to its detriment”

REVIEW: ‘Companion’ is an enjoyable frenzy of horror, heart and humor

This is why there was a PSA in “Futurama” with the warning “DON’T DATE ROBOTS.”

The titular companion in this sci-fi feature is Iris (Sophie Thatcher), a young woman who’s going on a weekend getaway with her boyfriend, Josh (Jack Quaid). They’re staying with two couples Josh is friends with, Patrick and Eli, as well as Kat and Sergey.

Unbeknownst to Iris, though, is the fact that she’s actually a robot, built, designed and programmed to be a romantic partner. That fact is eventually revealed to her in the process of the friend group enacting a scheme to get rich, which puts her in danger.

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REVIEW: ‘Rebirth’ shows ‘Jurassic’ series should go extinct

The people behind this film better bow down anytime they see John Williams.

That’s because the legendary “Jurassic” theme is used often in the latest movie in the franchise. Scarlett Johansson stars in the film as Zora, a mercenary for hire with plenty of experience in dangerous places. That’s where she’s headed in this flick, as she’s been hired by a pharmaceutical company to lead a paleontologist to an island inhabited by dinosaurs.

The goal is to extract the blood of three dinos, which could help lead to a cure for heart disease. That paleontologist is Henry Loomis (Jonatahn Bailey). He’s accompanied on the trip by Zora’s teammates, including Duncan (Mahershala Ali), the captain of an excursion boat.

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REVIEW: In taking new genre path, ‘M3GAN’ sequel loses original charm

The robot that became a social media sensation in 2022 is back, this time with martial arts skills and a whole lot of exposition.

A sequel, “M3GAN 2.0” takes place two years after the events of the first film. Gemma and Cady continue to live together, with the former now advocating for AI regulations while the latter still struggles to fully fit in. Meanwhile, a new robot, unbeknownst to the protagonists, escapes from its programmers and goes rogue.

With the robot, named AMELIA (Ivanna Sakhno) now a threat, and the government suspecting Gemma is behind it, she, Cady and company have to go back to M3GAN for help. Surviving in cyberspace, M3GAN (Amie Donald) agrees, and she still has some of her attitude and sass.

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REVIEW: Pixar’s alien adventure ‘Elio’ mostly succeeds, despite drawbacks

The protagonist of this film would have loved listening to Art Bell’s “Coast to Coast AM” in the 1990s.

That’s because the titular Elio (Yonas Kibreab) is a UFO fanatic who doesn’t just want to make first contact. The 11-year-old has aspirations of being abducted and meeting aliens from out of this world. His motivation is deeper than just a fascination with visitors, though.

Elio, tragically, lost his parents at a young age and his relationship with his new guardian, his aunt Olga (Zoe Saldana), has been strained. Eventually, Elio’s wish is granted and he’s taken aboard an alien ship, with the extraterrestrials believing he’s an ambassador for Earth. He goes along with the ruse, but he may be in over his head.

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REVIEW: ’28 Years Later’ is an exhausting follow-up

What does this film have in common with its predecessor and 2013’s “The Purge?” Read on to find out!

After directing 2002’s “28 Days Later” and sitting out of its 2007 sequel, Danny Boyle has returned to helm the third movie in the series, “28 Years Later.” As the name implies, this takes place nearly three decades after the rage virus spread throughout the British Isles. Fortunately for the rest of the world, it has been contained to the islands.

Communities still exist on those islands, though, with enclosed towns on smaller islands loosely connected to the mainland. Only a few venture onto the mainland to scout and scavenge, such as Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). On his most recent trip, he brings his son, Spike (Alfie Williams), who’s come of age to participate.

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