Category: CPE
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Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (****)
Burton’s instincts are tempered here. He’s allowed the weirdness we normally get from him, but without any of the routine “no one understands how weird I want to be” normally pushed to the forefront. Having Green in the role normally reserved for Helena Bonham Carter infests certainly helps. Ultimately we get all of the benefits…
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Ouija: Origin of Evil (***1/2) improves upon the model
The first story was kind of a throwaway. Kids get hooked into a board game that is tied to a house with a past. The past is kind of interesting though, and they wisely decide to mine that fertile territory for this episode.
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Sully (****1/2) provides a perfect landing
A good film leaves you wanting more, but knowing you’ve seen enough. Eastwood shows glimpses of Sully’s past when they apply to how it made the hero with whom we’re presented. His doubt is resistant to every indication that he deserves praise. It makes a remarkably satisfying result when we finally see the tide is…
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The Accountant (****) is compelling though predictable
It’s a potential franchise for the perpetually disenfranchised. It’s Rain Man on steroids. It’s not so good will hunting. It’s a connection for all of us who thought we could never connect to someone of different ability, often referred to as being in an autism spectrum.
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Swiss Army Man (****) Esoterica for the masses
As for Scheinert and Kwan, this is the first I have heard of them. Their allegiance to farts is admirable and if there is no other statement they make to the world, this is a worthy first effort. If you see no other film with a friend who likes farting, this is it.
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The Magnificent Seven (****) is star power at its best
Even if you are not a fan of the recent spate of pale remakes that come along with every generation, this update is worth your time. It will take a spot in my collection, to be sure. Right after Kurosawa.
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Hunt for the Wilderpeople (***) is a pleasant walk through New Zealand
If they had kept the story with the two leads, it would be a fine film. Neill can do this role in his sleep, and Dennison is more engaging than most Disney kids. Unfortunately they go a little too often to the well of hijinks with House’s welfare worker who acts as though she were…
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Ghostbusters Answer The Call (***): Hard to shine that penny
To be honest, I am just glad that Dan Akroyd didn’t get to fulfill his vision to force us to watch him on film again. Yes, he along with all of the other Ghostbusters are cameoed in the new film, but his role comes across like a fart in a windstorm.
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31 (**1/2) – It’s Hostel on the road
My hopes for this film started to drain the moment I heard Hilton-Jacobs faux Jamaican accent. Why oh why do they ever let that accent into any movie that doesn’t take place in the Caribbean? Hell, I even hated it in the third Johnny Depp opus. It’s something that should be discouraged at all points.…
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Sing Street (****) You can go anywhere
If you like coming of age movies, you will like this film. If you like movies featuring music that aren’t “musicals” where characters spontaneously break into song for no damn reason, you will like this film. If you still have hope in humanity, you will like this film. If you like any combination of the…
Ebert Did It Better: Gasbag Reviews 