Everything Everywhere All at Once (***) – Goes a long way for family drama
The end result is somewhere between Wes Anderson and David Lynch, which can be good or bad depending on one’s point of view.
Venom (***1/2) has some juice
#venom Somewhere between the drawing board and the actuality of the screen a great film was lost. What is left is a good film that has enough pieces on the cutting room floor, the home release should be interesting…Venom could surprise at the box office. It’s better than the standard is for hero films these days, even if it’s not all that great. It makes its viewer want more.
Hotel Artimis (***1/2) well-crafted and stays within its range
Hotel Artemis – 2018 Written and Directed by Drew Pearce Starring Jodie Foster, Sterling K. Brown, Sofia Boutella, Jeff Goldblum, Brian Tyree Henry, Jenny Slate, Zachary Quinto, Charlie Day, Dave Bautista, […]
The Secret Life of Pets (***1/2) and Sing (*1/2) shows Illumination is just pumping them out there regardless of quality
It’s plain that Illumination is banking on a distinct visual flair while sacrificing originality of story (and, in Sing’s case, distinct vocal talent). There are worse films out there, but it all makes me happy that my youngest one is 10 and I will likely be skipping more of the automatic animation viewing destinations in the future.
Zootopia (****1/2) preaches effectively (mostly)
The best thing is that the bad actors in the end are bad because they use differences to scare the larger voting base into being afraid of the smaller one. Fear, as we know, is the way to get votes these days. Saying someone who scares you is worthy of being scared of is a cheap pandering method that is used now more than ever, unless you’re Libertarian.
Ebert Did It Better: Gasbag Reviews 