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Showing posts with the label movie reviews

The Wrath of Becky Review: A Gleefully Sick Good Time

Becky was a surprising little hit back in 2020 (and would've probably been massive if COVID-19 didn't thwart its regular theatrical release). The film was a brisk, brutal, and bellicose thriller with a twisted sense of humor, pitting a teenage girl against a gang of neo-Nazis after they invade her house looking for a mysterious key her mother left her before dying. from MovieWeb - Movie Reviews https://ift.tt/afH2WdE

Platonic Review: There’s Plenty to Love About Apple TV+’s New Comedy

Neighbors director Nicholas Stoller reunites with Rose Byrne and Seth Rogen in Platonic, the engaging new Apple TV+ series that’s bound to deliver yet another hit for the popular streamer. Stoller brings along other stand-out performers he’s collaborated with before, too, for this must-see romp, Luke Macfarlane and Guy Branum (both from Bros ) among them. The result is refreshing and delightful in the vein of Will & Grace and a latter-day When Harry Met Sally romantic-comedy , yet thought-provoking to be sure. from MovieWeb - Movie Reviews https://ift.tt/MIsR6uV

The Little Mermaid: It Could Have Been Better, but It Could've Been a Lot Worse

The Little Mermaid is the latest live-action remake of a Disney animated classic. This new version is directed by Rob Marshall, whose credits include the Academy Award-winning Chicago and recently Disney's Mary Poppins Returns, with a script by David Magee, who is a two-time Oscar-nominated screenwriter for Finding Neverland and Life of Pi . With music by original songwriter Alan Menkin and popular musician Lin-Manuel Miranda, the 2023 Little Mermaid sticks rather closely to the Disney classic. The goal here is obviously to recapture the original's magic, as the creative team seems to have a genuine love for it, leaving this remake as a relatively unambitious but still entertaining movie. from MovieWeb - Movie Reviews https://ift.tt/hHD2fRF

The Little Mermaid Debuts With 71% on Rotten Tomatoes, Reviews Praise Halle Bailey

The questionable Disney live action remakes continue with this month’s The Little Mermaid , and the reviews are now in. So, has bringing the beloved tale of Ariel back to the big screen worked? Or is The Little Mermaid another lesser attempt to reignite a classic? Well, things are looking pretty good so far, with The Little Mermaid debuting with a fresh 71% on the review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes. But let's see what the critics have to say... from MovieWeb - Movie Reviews https://ift.tt/Z6FuqA9

The Little Mermaid Review: Halle Bailey Stuns in Enchanting Adaptation

Disney's live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid captures the enchanting musical fantasy of the animated classic. Audiences will swoon as a beautiful and headstrong young mermaid falls in love with a dashing prince. Director Rob Marshall ( Chicago, Into the Woods ) doesn't stray too far from the beloved source material. The big difference is a racially diverse cast with a star-making performance from lead actress Halle Bailey. Her soaring vocals and radiant energy illuminate the underwater depths . The script could have been tighter as characters continually monologue their intentions to propel the narrative. from MovieWeb - Movie Reviews https://ift.tt/Rdlx4Pv

White Men Can’t Jump Review: 2023 Remake Bounces Along But Is No Slam Dunk

Woody Harrelson and Wesley Snipes were already established stars when White Men Can’t Jump was released in 1992. Harrelson was known for starring in Cheers , Snipes from Mo’ Better Blues, New Jack City, and Jungle Fever. Individually, they held a certain bravado and cocksure likability that allowed them, and in turn, White Men Can’t Jump, to reach great heights. The movie was a hit, capturing the zeitgeist of early 1990s sports, competition, and the love of a game, specifically basketball. from MovieWeb - Movie Reviews https://ift.tt/5tMg8HX

Stephen King's Silver Bullet 38 Years Later, Revisited and Reviewed

Silver Bullet is a 1985 horror movie starring Gary Busey, Everett McGill, Corey Haim, and Megan Follows. The plot concerns a werewolf stalking the streets of Tarker's Mills when the moon is getting big and bright. The script for the film was written by Stephen King , adapting one of his own stories — the 1984 novella Cycle of the Werewolf . from MovieWeb - Movie Reviews https://ift.tt/AcUwLNn

The Starling Girl Review: Eliza Scanlen’s Commanding Performance Will Blow You Away

A note to Oscar voters: Please remember Eliza Scanlen’s remarkable portrayal of a 17-year-old girl coming to her own in a fundamentalist Christian community in rural Kentucky in The Starling Girl . The film, which builds steadily before surprising you with its depth in its third act, gives Scanlen an ideal platform to showcase her exceptional talents. We’ve seen her before, of course. She's generated plenty of buzz playing a rebellious young girl opposite Amy Adams in Sharp Objects and later, as Beth March, in Greta Gerwig’s wonderful turn as writer/director in Little Women. Here, Scanlen’s sublime performance deserves attention and recognition. from MovieWeb - Movie Reviews https://ift.tt/ju1Hchk

Come Out Fighting Review: A Flawed but Appreciated Account of the 761st Tank Battalion

Come Out Fighting spotlights the courage and heroism of Black soldiers during World War II . The despicable racism faced at home reared its ugly head on European battlefields during the war . The film is a fictionalized account of the 761st Tank Battalion aka the Black Panthers. They join the hunt for a downed pilot and missing officer trapped behind enemy lines. Moments of genuine camaraderie are muddied by low-budget visual effects, questionable editing, and poorly defined, generic Nazi antagonists. Come Out Fighting has good intentions but struggles to be rousing and cinematic. from MovieWeb - Movie Reviews https://ift.tt/ibpR3HO

Fast X Review: A Convoluted CGI Spectacle of Bumper Car Explosions

Fast X races to the franchise finish line as an overblown popcorn cinema spectacle that audiences continually embrace. The first of the two-part finale brings all the players back in a convoluted game of retribution and revenge. Jason Momoa joins the jumbled fray as a quasi-androgenous, flamboyant psychopath spawned from the events of Fast Five . The film sticks to form as familiar characters engage in a violent CGI melee of bumper car explosions, gunplay, and savage brawls. There are laugh-out-loud moments as strained dialogue elicit the wrong reactions. from MovieWeb - Movie Reviews https://ift.tt/90K4We5

Mercy Review: Die Hard in a Hospital

It's Die Hard in a hospital as a former combat surgeon battles ruthless Irish gangsters holding innocent patients' hostage. Mercy could have been a pulse-pounding thriller with a scrappy protagonist who's easy to root for. Star Leah Gibson delivers beatings and bullets like a bona fide action star. Villains Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Jon Voight, sporting a sweet Limerick brogue, are nasty enough to warrant true contempt. Thus, the overall premise and individual performances aren't lacking for the material. The problem lies in the execution of a weak script loaded with plot holes . Several scenes try your patience as common sense and self-preservation are obviously ignored. from MovieWeb - Movie Reviews https://ift.tt/d0JHlke

Rainn Wilson and the Geography of Bliss Review: The Pointless Search for Happiness

If you think about it, it's a bit odd that people value happiness so much, elevating it to this almost mythical status — "The pursuit of happiness;" "I just want you to be happy;" "Don't worry, be happy." This is bizarre and paradoxically unhealthy for a variety of reasons. While words are semantically subjective, 'happiness' is an emotion, and emotions are essentially ephemeral. Rooting for one above all the other's creates a life out of balance, to somehow reference both Pixar's Inside Out and the film Koyaanisqatsi . from MovieWeb - Movie Reviews https://ift.tt/h8F1kS0

The Mother Review: A Generic, Forgettable Action Movie

It wouldn’t be the summer season without a plethora of action movies to hit streaming and theaters around the country, and Netflix is prepared this year to start its summer releases with The Mother . Jennifer Lopez continues her streak of appearing in action movies and leads the film as the main character, The Mother, with a smaller supporting cast consisting of Joseph Fiennes, Omari Hardwick, Gael GarcĆ­a Bernal, and Paul Raci, just to name a few of the key cast members. from MovieWeb - Movie Reviews https://ift.tt/xb279cP

Crater Review: They Don't (and Won't) Make Them Like This Anymore

Crater is the latest Disney+ Original Movie, and it now arrives just days after the disappointing news that Disney+ will start removing material from its services. During a recent earnings call for Disney, CFO Christine McCarthy revealed that the company is in the process of removing certain material from their streaming service and, in a similar move to Warner Bros. Discovery, will write down some of these projects by removing them from Disney+. The intention is to now produce fewer projects and cut down on projects that don't seem to increase subscriber growth. from MovieWeb - Movie Reviews https://ift.tt/vzkhTB4

Rally Road Racers Review: A CGI Cannonball Run for Kids

Anthropomorphized CGI critters zip across China to a rocking pop soundtrack and Taoist principles in Rally Road Racers , which can best be described as a Cannonball Run for kids. The premise has a cuddly wide-eyed slow loris with a need for speed thrust into a cross-country competition to save his village. He faces the world's top racer, a ruthless cane toad with deep pockets, countless minions, and a make or break real estate deal. The film's slick animation and groovy tunes bolsters a simple script that surprisingly wades into culture war territory. Supporting character depictions may strike a nerve for some. from MovieWeb - Movie Reviews https://ift.tt/U6017Wp

Fool's Paradise Review: Charlie Day Skewers Hollywood

Charlie Day skewers Hollywood in an absurdist satire with an all-star cast. Fool's Paradise mercilessly mocks every rung in the filmmaking ladder to fame and fortune. He plays double duty as a released mental health patient who just happens to be a dead ringer for a problematic movie star. The comedic rub is that Day literally says nothing (in a plot that feels extremely reminiscent of the Jerry Lewis film, The Bellboy , or even Being There ). The hapless protagonist can only mimic movement while being knocked around Tinsel Town like a human piƱata. Day gets points for being clever, but the comedy shtick runs out steam. Laughter dissipates as a promising first act goes nowhere. from MovieWeb - Movie Reviews https://ift.tt/3cnUSA1

Organ Trail Review: Great Villains Separate This Typical Revenge Western Movie

With a resurgence of Westerns over the last decade, the horror genre has been one of the biggest benefactors, as genre-blending films like Prey (2022), Bone Tomahawk (2015), and The Pale Door (2020) were released to pretty significant audience and critical success. Joining the sub-genre is Organ Trail , a 2023 revenge-themed Western film directed by Michael Patrick Jann ( Drop Dead Gorgeous , Reno 911! ), and written by Meg Turner ( Gnaw ). from MovieWeb - Movie Reviews https://ift.tt/x7GFcAk

One Ranger Review: A Tough Texan Meanders Across the Pond

Thomas Jane slings guns and a Southern drawl while chasing terrorists across the pond in a new action movie. One Ranger has a rugged Texas lawman, always sporting his cowboy hat and brass belt buckle, showing the hapless Brits how to catch baddies on their own soil. An action-packed opening in the desert leads nowhere as the film never comes close to reaching that high bar again. A scattershot plot with poorly written characters suffers from gaping logic holes . The lack of cohesiveness compounds as a secondary villain takes center stage for no reason whatsoever. from MovieWeb - Movie Reviews https://ift.tt/3U81gos

Silo Review: A Banner Sci-Fi Series Tackles Dystopian Themes

Humanity's remnants survive in a city deep underground with strict authoritarian order and no memories of the cataclysmic past. Silo , adapted from the novels by Hugh Howey, is a banner sci-fi series on Apple TV+ that never loses its captivating grip. The mystery that drives the show unfolds in different timelines through multiple characters. We see varying perspectives of a dystopian future where questioning accepted dogma has dire consequences. A superb ensemble cast and gritty production design take a familiar storyline to lofty heights. from MovieWeb - Movie Reviews https://ift.tt/50XZofy

Johnny & Clyde Review: A Mindless Stream of Bloody Violence

Psychopathic serial killer lovers meet their match in a domineering casino boss with a demon on a string. That's the hook for Johnny & Clyde , which dulls the senses with a mindless stream of bloody violence and cartoonish execution. New wave synth pounds your eardrums as despicable lead characters lick each other like everlasting gobstoppers, their grotesque coterie amassing new sadists under a neon red lighting scheme. It's all style and zero substance in a woefully fractured narrative. Megan Fox's sultry villainess offers the only redeeming quality. She gets minor chuckles as a ruthless control freak. from MovieWeb - Movie Reviews https://ift.tt/14eD92E