The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part may not be as fresh as the original, but it’s just as fun thanks to joke-a-minute gags, an all-star voice cast, and an unexpected abundance of heart.
I was ittedly a bit skeptical at the beginning of The Lego Movie 2. The first act is affable enough, but it felt a tad choppy and I couldnt gauge where the film was headed yet. However, once the main plot coalesces and kicks into gear,…
Alita: Battle Angel is a big-hearted, bombastic action spectacular that mixes both sentimentality and spectacle and overcomes script deficiencies to still deliver bombastic cinematic entertainment.
Hands down, Rosa Salazar is the true star of Alita: Battle Angel. As our titular protagonist, she imbues life into this optimistic, endearing cyborg, and it’s almost a guarantee that you’ll fall for this lovable character and her journey. Salazar conveys both Alita’a childlike innocence and her mature ferocity with ease, balancing these two opposing…
How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World’s slight narrative and small stakes prevent it from ascending the heights of the prior two DreamWorks Animation gems in this franchise, but there’s just enough heart and visual panache on display to consider this a winning conclusion all-in-all.
The relationship between Hiccup & Toothless is by far and away the beating heart of this franchise, and that continues in this third installment. The themes of loving another enough to let them go and…
This is probably one of the hardest reviews I’ve had to write, so I’ll try to do my best.
I split up my viewing - Part 1 last night and Part 2 tonight. I certainly don’t think I would’ve been able to consume this entire documentary in one sitting.
I’m a pretty avid fan of horror films. Horror has been one of my favorite genres since I was an extremely young child. I love when films really push me to…
Apollo 11 is an incredible filmmaking feat, bolstered by miraculous video restoration, impeccable sound design, intense editing, and a pulsating score courtesy of Matt Morton. Even though this historical event has been covered to death (most recently in Damien Chazelle’s First Man), Apollo 11 still adds a sense of urgency and suspense to the proceedings by providing a “never-before-seen” perspective and an intimate glance into the incredible efforts that had to function perfectly just to make this launch happen. While…
Sophomore slump, who?
With Us, Jordan Peele proves he was no one-hit wonder, delivering a deliciously sinister and profoundly resonant horror tale that thrills in the moment and chills on reflection.
While I do still believe that Get Out was more soundly constructed and concise (as Us definitely has larger and sometimes more unwieldy ambitions), there’s no denying that Peele has refined his directorial talent beyond belief with his second feature film. Close-ups are sparingly used for maximum emotional impact,…
Gloria Bell is a delightful, wholehearted character study bolstered by a dynamic and fully involved lead performance from Julianne Moore.
As the titular protagonist, Moore carries the entire film, appearing in every scene and taking us through every aspect of Gloria’s everyday life, no matter how mundane or miniscule. Moore strips down any star persona she may possess to appear as wholly authentic and genuine as the unassuming Gloria, and she perfectly conveys the multitude of emotions that Bell experiences…
Missing Link is a slight but incredibly sweet tale from Laika, and while it may lack the narrative complexity or emotional resonance of this company’s strongest films, it still features incredible heart and humor to spare.
Missing Link’s core narrative is appropriately amusing, as we follow our core band of characters who trot across the globe in search of Mr. Link’s home, but it succeeds moreso in the character interactions and dialogue than in bombastic plot structure of any kind.…
Transit palpably conveys the feelings of desperation and isolation so prevalent in the WWII era, and its truly brought to life with two raw and genuine performances from Franz Rogowski & Paula Beer.
We see this world through Rogowski’s Georg’s eyes, and Petzold’s camera immerses us in his melachony, disenchanted vision. It’s quite easy to empathize with Georg’s struggles, and Rogowski brings a warmth and humanity to the role that just radiates off of the screen. His utter enchantment with Paula…
Penguins continues Disneynature’s trend of anthropomorphizing its real-life animal protagonists and crafting a fictional story that prioritizes entertainment over exploration, but its breezy and charming enough to keep you engaged for a good 76 minutes. Ed Helms’s narration can get a tad too infantile at times, but the documentary does do a good job at getting its audience attached to “Steve” and his family’s journey with plentiful moments of wonder and suspense. As usual with these films, the footage is…
There are moments in a film fan’s life that distinctly mark when they truly fell in love with the medium.
When Don Lockwood takes to the streets with a song on a stormy day in Singin’ in the Rain.
When Dorothy arrives to the Emerald City in The Wizard of Oz.
When Rocky ascends the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art in Rocky.
When Luke first uses the force in Star Wars.
When Elliott and E.T. take to the…
UPDATE: While I still stand by my analysis of the film’s technical prowess, I’ve really soured on the overall narrative and complete cinematic experience that it offers. Sorry! This one just wasn’t for me.
High Life is a visual and thematic feast that still provides for a morbidly enthralling journey, even if the sparse character work and narrative focus may cause the film to feel inaccessible to some.
I’ve been relentlessly searching for theories and dissections of High Life ever…