Category: 3.5 Stars
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Frozen II (***1/2) Dam for no reason
Frozen II is not an embarrassment. It will make a bunch of cash and might even get a third installment. I would be happy with another episode of Tangled. But then, they got it right the first time, so no need to risk it.
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Netflix and Scorsese’s The Irishman (***1/2) – Charge with a gun; with a knife you run away
The biggest challenge for this viewer is when it comes to true crime sagas, Scorese peaked with Goodfellas and he’s never really come close since.
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Midway (***1/2) – The sea remembers its own
If for no other reason we learn the name of Richard “Dick” Best, Midway is worth the watch.
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Terminator Dark Fate (***1/2) No Fate But…
Hearing the phrase “There is no fate…” for the 7th time brings one to the realization. They’ve been re-making their own fate time and time again, hoping for us to buy in each time. Well, here we are again.
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Countdown (***1/2) is a great movie for PG-13
There are better films. There are scarier films. If you want to entertain two 13 year olds on a Sunday in October, you could do a lot worse.
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In the Tall Grass (***1/2) we all live on
Patrick Wilson is unheralded for his ability to move back and forth between solid good guy and sinister creep from role to role. I don’t think I have ever seen an actor able to give off the best and worst vibes at will.
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Zombieland: Double Tap (***1/2) is more of what you know
There are some new characters that stick around only until the joke starts to smell of zombie flesh. There are some pleasant surprises. Mostly, though, we’re here just to see these people use the same lines we are used to…and maybe one new one.
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Rambo: Last Blood (***1/2) In pain ’til I die
Sylvester Stallone understands the concept of little victories as well as anyone since Tom Laughlin brought Billy Jack into town the first time to fight for everyone who wouldn’t. Unironically, it was hippies he was protecting then. Flowers in the gun barrel didn’t work as well as kicking ass back then, either.
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Late Night (***1/2) is the new talent becoming a skill
This film would is better than anything of it’s kind in the ’80’s and it’s better than most comedies in the last decade. It’s just not a high bar.
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Dragged Across Concrete (***1/2) is a symbol of a great faltering career
Dragged Across Concrete feels like an epitaph on the career of Mel Gibson. He’s done good work for so many years, only to be busted down to making movies that make their debut off the big screen.
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