Recent Reviews
These are our latest reviews of movies at theaters, at the art house, or at festivals.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
***2023, John Francis Daley, and Jonathan Goldstein
Ultimately, it’s not about the material acquisition but rather the personal growth.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves rolls the dice and winds up winning with its spells of wit and charms of visual splendor.
John Wick: Chapter 4
****2023, Chad Stahelski
In so many respects, John Wick: Chapter 4 is glorious filmmaking.
With its stylish, jaw-dropping third act set in Paris, John Wick: Chapter 4 might very well qualify as the first ratatouille western.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods
***2023, David F. Sandberg
It’s fresh in a world full of comic book movies that are starting to go stale.
As Fury of the Gods plays off its humor and charms, it becomes a throwback to good ol’ fashioned comic book movies unencumbered by multiverses and interconnected narratives.
Return to Seoul
***2023, Davy Chou
In this post-pandemic world, the theme of searching and identity is even more relevant.
While conveying the detached life of an adopted daughter, Return to Seoul itself becomes a detached movie experience. But patience and retrospection bring rewards.
Every once in a while, a movie with an artificial heart of gold and the best of intentions falls flat on its face. That’s Champions.
Creed III
***2023, Michael B. Jordan
As unnecessary as it is, Creed III still lands a few good punches.
As unnecessary as it is, Creed III still lands a few good punches.
Cocaine Bear
**1/22023, Elizabeth Banks
Its stature is sure to grow over time as another movie to proudly brandish the “cult classic” title.
Cocaine Bear is exactly the movie it’s advertised to be.
It’s a wild and witty start. A drug smuggler dumps his contraband treasure flying high (literally) over the hills of Chattahoochee, Ga. and then he bangs his head as he attempts to jump out of the plane. He doesn’t survive his own incompetence.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
**1/22023, Peyton Reed
The MCU has, at this point, lost all its inspirational mojo.
Even with all its CGI candy, Quantumania is one of the MCU’s less-involving episodes.
Knock at the Cabin
***2023, M. Night Shyamalan
The biggest surprise about Knock at the Cabin is that it’s actually good.
The biggest surprise about Knock at the Cabin is that it’s actually good. Arguably, it’s M. Night Shyamalan’s best movie since The Sixth Sense.
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Babylon (2022)
***2022, Damien Chazelle
Amid all the mayhem and eyefuls, Chazelle is at his best when he works with the subtleties.
It’s an ambitious, wild ride through Hollywood Babylon, but some of this extravagant exercise in excess is exasperating.
Violent Night
***2022, Tommy Wirkola
It would’ve been great to get even more of Santa’s dark backstory.
Violent Night’s outlandish premise turns into a counterprogramming gift for the holiday movie season.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
**1/22022, Ryan Coogler
Wakanda Forever feels burdened. In some respects, it’s justifiable.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is a mess, but at least it’s an ambitious mess.
The Banshees of Inisherin
***1/22022, Martin McDonagh
Martin McDonagh has crafted this story to echo through the decades.
It’s such a simple story, but under a master wordsmith like writer/director Martin McDonagh, the simplicity is deceptive.
Black Adam
**2022, Jaume Collet-Serra
Perhaps the biggest surprise about Black Adam is what a messy mash-up it is.
Black Adam is a setback for the DC Extended Universe’s efforts to rebound from a major identity crisis.
Halloween Ends
***2022, David Gordon Green
This conclusion to the multi-decade slasher saga is destined to be an underrated punk job.
“Could it be one monster has created another?”
Aaron Korey, investigative journalist (Halloween (2018))