Tag: Review

REVIEW: ‘Despicable Me 4’ doesn’t offer full cinematic experience

“Despicable Me 3” went unseen and unreviewed at this site in 2017 because of a busy schedule. Considering there’s not an ongoing arc in the series, it doesn’t look like it’s a necessary watch.

That’s certainly apparent in “Despicable Me 4,” as the animated sequel gives the family an entirely new scenario to deal with, and there’s little mention of any unresolved matters from 3. So, in part four, Gru (Steve Carell), an Anti-Villain League agent, manages to put a former rival of his behind bars.

That rival, Maxime Le Mal (Will Ferrell), escapes prison and vows revenge. The villain’s action forces Gru, his wife Lucy (Kristen Wiig) their daughters and new-born baby to go into a sort of witness protection program. However, plenty of shenanigans still ensue.

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REVIEW: After strong start, ‘Maxxxine’ loses moxie in third act

After a trip to the past in “Pearl,” the “X” series has gone back to the present, which for the franchise’s characters, is the 1980s.

“MaXXXine” is set in 1985, with its titular character trying to make it in Hollywood after the events of the film “X,” which took place in 1979. With the stage name Maxine Minx, the protagonist (Mia Goth) is an adult film star who gets a chance at the studio system via a role in a horror flick.

It’s a dangerous time for women in Los Angeles, though, as the Night Stalker murders have recently been taking place. It only gets more dangerous for Maxine, when a mysterious person with knowledge of 79 begins stalking her, leaving dead bodies in their wake.

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REVIEW: Mildly amusing ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ never fully takes off

Scarlett Johansson makes it two in a row with space-themed films, following up her appearance in 2023’s “Asteroid City” with this summer’s “Fly Me to the Moon.”

This time around, Johansson plays an advertising ace named Kelly. Because of her record of success in marketing, Kelly is recruited by a mysterious government agent named Moe Berkus (Woody Harrelson) to bolster the public’s perception of NASA.

It comes at a time when NASA is looking to forge ahead on its Moon mission, despite losing the loss of public interest. Kelly starts turning that around, much to the chagrin of by-the-books launch director Cole (Channing Tatum). However, Kelly starts winning him over, too.

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REVIEW: ‘Kinds of Kindness’ is a constantly fascinating anthology

The guy who made the new film “kinds of Kindness” is kind of a good director.

Obviously that’s not true, as Yorgos Lanthimos is a great director and once again shows off his abilities to make a bizarre, amusing and insightful picture. His latest film is an anthology with three stories full of dark comedy and absurd moments.

Each story features the same set of actors, but they’re all standalone tales and the cast play different characters.  That cast includes Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Willem Dafoe, Hong Chau, and more.

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REVIEW: Journey of ‘The Bikeriders’ is interesting, but not genre defining

Here we are, the best motorcycle film to hit theaters since “Wild Hogs.” Kidding of course.

The latest movie featuring motorcycle riders rumbling down the open road is a period piece drama centered on a Chicago-based club called the Vandals. The film is told from the perspective of Kathy (Jodie Comer), a woman narrates her experience marrying one of the club members and being around the group as it gained membership and began more illegal activity.

Her husband, Benny (Austin Butler), was one of the higher-ups in the group, behind its leader Johnny (Tom Hardy). The film explores how they and other core club members started the group and where it took their lives.

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REVIEW: ‘Ghostlight’ is an endearing dramedy about the impact of art

Despite the name, “Ghostlight” is a film more about stage fright, and less about a fear of apparitions.

The film stars Keith Kupferer as Dan, a man who is at wit’s end at the movie’s outset. His son died roughly a year ago, he’s dealing with a wrongful death lawsuit he filed in the aftermath, and his daughter Daisy (Katherine Mallen Kupferer) has been having disciplinary issues.

The stress gets to him during his construction job and it leads to a blow-up. The moment is witnessed by an actress named Rita (Dolly de Leon), who invites Dan to participate in a community theater presentation of “Romeo and Juliet.” As he becomes part of the production, he starts being able to process his grief. Continue reading “REVIEW: ‘Ghostlight’ is an endearing dramedy about the impact of art”

REVIEW: ‘Treasure’ is largely tedious

Sometimes film adaptations work better when they’re a bit different than the source material. But after learning about the book “Treasure” was based on, I wish it would have been more faithful.

Set in 1991, “Treasure” stars Lena Dunham as Ruth, a journalist from New York City who’s visiting Poland to learn about where her parents grew up before being taken to concentration camps by Germans during World War II.  

She’s accompanied by her father Edek (Stephen Fry) on the trip and the two set out on visiting a few of the towns he was familiar with. However, the situation is strained because Ruth is still getting over a difficult divorce and both she and her father are mourning the loss of the family matriarch.

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REVIEW: ‘Tuesday’ is a turbulent, pretentious disappointment

Didn’t have death appearing as a bird that talks like Caesar from “Planet of the Apes” on the bingo card.

Voiced by Arinze Kene, Death comes in the form of a size-shifting parrot in “Tuesday,” and visits people across Earth in their final moments before they pass away. As the movie gets underway, the bird’s latest task is visiting the terminally ill teenage girl Tuesday (Lola Petticrew).

Tuesday speaks with Death though and the two form a sort of understanding, leading to an arrangement where the girl will be allowed to stay alive until her mother Zora (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) gets home to say goodbye. From there, the film presents a journey all about mortality for the characters.

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REVIEW: Family follow-up ‘Inside Out 2’ mostly succeeds

“Inside Out 2,” AKA the third film in Pixar’s coming-of-age trilogy after “Luca” and “Turning Red.”

This animated sequel picks up about a year after the events of the first film, released in 2015. Riley is now 13, she’s enjoying hockey, about to enter high school and her emotions seem to be in a good place. The film picks up with her being recruited to a hockey camp after her JV squad wins a title.

That’s where things go haywire in Riley’s mind, as new emotions, including Anxiety (Maya Hawke), Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser) and Ennui (Adele Exarchopoulos) suddenly show up. Worried about Riley’s future, Anxiety takes the lead from Joy (Amy Poehler) and ends up making the hockey camp into an emotional roller coaster.

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REVIEW: Raunchy script of ‘Babes’ is out of sync with dramedy vibe

Sometimes a film can have its heart completely in the right place, but still not be as enjoyable as one would hope. Such is the case with the new comedy “Babes.”

At the beginning of the film the audience is introduced to Eden (Ilana Glazer), a single woman who’s spending Thanksgiving with her pregnant friend Dawn (Michelle Buteau) at a movie theater, which is their tradition. It’s interrupted, though, when Dawn goes into labor.

While Dawn has experience being a mother, with this being her second child, Eden is on the opposite side as a single woman who doesn’t intend on being a parent. That is until she has a one-night stand and ends up getting pregnant herself. After some consideration, she decides to have the baby and become a single mother.

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