Beastie Boys Story

Beastie Boys Story; A fun way to hear a history of the group. A film of the stage show works but last 10 minutes makes a case for a straight up documentary as well. Like the Boys themselves, one genre/way of telling their story isn’t enough. Glad to have this one among others; A-
 

Scream

Scream; What should be a tired reboot (or requel) actually entertains w/enough familiarity & twists to keep viewers guessing. Young cast is quite good & could hold their own without legacy stars showing up. Ghost face is the one thing that hasn’t aged well, more like a joke; B

Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers

Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers; A fun romp stuffed chock full of cartoon cameos and nods to animation history. The premise is funny and the voice actors have the comedic timing to keep up with the cartoon lunacy. Not cinematic level material but perfect for a streaming feature; B+

Maudie

Maudie; A peek into folk artist Maud Lewis is buoyed by Hawkins and Hawke’s lead performances and the maritime setting. Her artwork pops on screen but it would be better if her life story came across with more pronounced drama and emotional impact. Cute, yet lacking in parts; B-

Sneakerella

Sneakerella; Grabs you from the opening number w/its fresh, talented faces & clever twists on the age old fantasy. It’s hard not to be swept along w/the sneaker theme on account of how sweet & fun the family & friendship dynamics are played out through catchy musical numbers; A-
 

The Grey Fox

The Grey Fox; Charming, quaint little tale of an old time train robber having a hard time giving up the thrill. Masks its small budget by using the great scenery of British Columbia to fill the screen while other scenes are pitifully compressed in cheap production design; B-

Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness; Horror/witchcraft genre comes to Marvel with mixed results. Much like Raimi’s previous work, it straddles hokey/horrifying by way of interesting/cheesy visuals. Acting talent of Cumberbatch and McAdams shine above all once again; B

Worth

Worth; Interesting behind the scenes of the work most people wouldn’t ever want to be tasked with. Dynamite actors Keaton and Tucci give nuanced performances reflecting the type of nuance required to determine what a life is worth. Slightly elevated from melodrama; B