Recent Reviews
These are our latest reviews of movies at theaters, at the art house, or at festivals.
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The Creator’s substantial thematic ambitions aren’t fully realized, but it still rises above its derivative elements to provide a good standalone sci-fi experience.
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Stop Making Sense (40th Anniversary)
****2023, Jonathan Demme
Watching Stop Making Sense restored in 4K and presented in IMAX is pure joy.
Widely regarded as the greatest concert movie of all time, Stop Making Sense gets an impressive IMAX restoration and a limited theatrical release to celebrate its 40th anniversary.
A Haunting in Venice
***1/22023, Kenneth Branagh
There’s quite a bit of delight to be had in the pairing of Kenneth Branagh and Tina Fey.
Hercule Poirot is on the case once again in an entertaining blend of murder mystery and ghost story.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3
*1/22023, Nia Vardalos
Novel ideas run throughout MBFGW3. Novel ideas, but poor execution.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 will very likely land this year’s not-so-coveted Dubious Achievement Award for the Most Jokes Landing with a Thud in a Comedy.
Landscape with Invisible Hand
**1/22023, Cory Finley
M.T. Anderson’s source novel is marketed as a book for young adults in the 14-17 age range.
Landscape with Invisible Hand could’ve been a surrealist satire, but what starts out as a pointilist pastiche bleeds into a rather muted watercolor wallflower.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
**1/22023, Jeff Rowe, and Kyler Spears
The movie belongs to Ice Cube as Superfly.
The turtles are back again and, while the pizza and looks are fresh, the story’s gone a little stale.
Shortcomings
**2023, Randall Park
Ben’s a piece of work and makes for a challenging centerpiece in a movie.
Shortcomings is aptly titled; this movie has plenty of them.
As a major studio release based on a decades-old toy line targeting girls, Barbie breaks the mold.
This second attempt at a big-budget adaptation of Disney’s Haunted Mansion amusement park ride still doesn’t conjure up all the right spirits.
Oppenheimer
****2023, Christopher Nolan
Director Christopher Nolan leaves audiences with the mind racing.
Leave it to Christopher Nolan to take something as complicated as quantum mechanics and the true story behind the creation of the atomic bomb and create a milestone, nail-biting movie event that needs to be seen on the biggest screen possible.
Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One
***1/22023, Christopher McQuarrie
They push the limits of live, on-set stunt work and action filmmaking.
Dead Reckoning doesn’t hit the same high marks as the last two installments, but it’s still a mission worth accepting.
No Hard Feelings
***2023, Gene Stupnitsky
There are those wonderful moments of pure, golden awkwardness.
No Hard Feelings is a raunchy comedy with a heart of gold.
Asteroid City has its charms, but it’s mostly a dull place to visit.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
****2023, James Mangold
It’s universally understood Dial of Destiny is Ford’s last outing as Indy.
The Dial of Destiny is a bold conclusion to a series unafraid of taking risks.
The Flash
***2023, Andy Muschietti
Mass-appeal pop culture that thrills in seeing favorite actors return to their most popular roles.
It runs a little long, but The Flash is an entertaining spectacle that will (hopefully) serve as the conclusion to DC’s Zack Snyder era.