Category: Movie Reviews
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“Captain Marvel”
Originally posted on Screen Zealots: LOUISA: LOUISA SAYS: In the first female-led entry in the successful Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), “Captain Marvel” is a bit like its titular character: confident yet flawed. The gender politics are strong in this one, but that’s not the reason it left me disappointed. It was the insistence on rushing…
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Pet Sematary, then (**) and now (**1/2) when there’s no hope…
“It’s a rough haul either way, but the newer story has a bit more acting in it overall, even if it’s not quite enough to recommend.”
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Shazam! (****1/2) – All hands on deck
“The concept of the film is relatively simple, Big with super powers. If we limit our expectations to this idea, we’re in for a decent surprise. The characters are painted simply, but given a shade by a plot that seems predictable in hindsight. The pleasant part to the viewer is one enjoys the film enough…
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How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (***1/2) Diminishing Returns
“If I could, I would edit out most of the dialogue spoken by anyone but Hiccup, Astrid, Valka, Stoick and Abraham’s Grimmel the Grisly. It would not change the comprehension of the story one bit and it would definitely allow us to enjoy Toothless and his White Fury more. Anyone who owns cats will like…
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Another Look: The Highwaymen vs. Bonnie and Clyde
“The Warren Beatty film has received a gentle critical wind in the ensuing years, remembered more for its groundbreaking violence than for any of the many nominated performances. In retrospect, its not a bad film, but it’s not a classic, either. The main thing it lacks is a cohesive story that’s not real accurate with…
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Us (****) – Tethered to fear
“The film is not a classic, though it is incredibly good. The predictability of the film outweighs the quirky, threadbare premise that we’re supposed to take on faith. I just can’t believe there are that many subways that have been abandoned, yet so clean, for so long. Even though this film makes me want to…
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The Kid (***1/2) is a good first step
“The Kid is a good film with a limited scope. D’Onofrio manages to keep things within the realm of the legend as we know it and add a little something extra. Here’s one vote to see the great actor work a little more on becoming a better director.”
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Captive State (**) is a long shot
“Wyatt and co-writer spend so much time setting up the labyrinthian plot, we are allowed little time to invest in learning much about any particular character. The end result plays more sterile than it probably should. The surprise we’re expecting is more of an obligation than a relief. ”
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Battle of the Sexes (****) gives a vital slice of history
“Carrell is outstanding in a role he is especially well suited to play. He nails the complex character of a man who doesn’t take life seriously enough, it would appear. He is shown as someone perfectly suited to move relations between the sexes into a new paradigm. ”
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The Circle (**) is ever closing
“What possible strengths the story could have are undermined in its own ridiculousness. Two great performances by the late Paxton and Headley seem out of place when contrasted by the rest of the cast. ”
Ebert Did It Better: Gasbag Reviews 