Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem; Fresh animation and youthful voice cast breathes new life into these fun heroes from the 80s. The story stays fairly simple and keeps the quips and kicks coming fast, with a sprinkle of lessons learned alongside real life allegories; B

Blue Beetle

Blue Beetle; What happens when what seems like an old 80s super hero script gets dusted off with zero changes but is shot with a 2023 special F/X budget. Cheesy, with an attitude predating our time when comic book movies are taken more seriously and crafted with more thought; C

To Catch a Killer

To Catch a Killer; Stellar acting by Woodley & Mendelsohn, along w/stylish direction elevate this entry into the FBI manhunt genre. Screenplay offers tension w/touches of moralizing societal treatment of trauma & cattle. Concludes too quickly as we are accustom to 10 eps of TV; B+

The Grizzlie Truth

The Grizzlie Truth; Michael Moore style tactics don’t hit as well as when it transforms the stereotypical view of a sports super fan, ultimately succeeding in displaying the passionate connection fans have w/ local sports club. The intimate encounters & stories are fantastic; A-

Reinventing Elvis: The '68 Comeback

Reinventing Elvis: The ‘68 Comeback; Dives deep into best part of Elvis biopic, & Elvis’ career. Interviews w/primary sources & focus on his joy of music make this a love fest for a complicated idol. Lack of criticism, save for villain Colonel, create a sense of celebration; A-

Imagine Dragons Live in Vegas

Imagine Dragons Live in Vegas; Expertly captures the band’s Mercury tour in all its glory. The high energy, the bombastic crowd pleasers, the joy they exude performing music together. Add some background about their Vegas hometown origins and it makes for a superb music doc; A-