Hotel Transylvania 2

Hotel Transylvania 2; Mildly entertaining with next to no new elements. Family tale misses opportunities for humour and sweetness; C+

Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation

Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation; Pulse pounding action w/breath holding elements in spades.  Cast exceptionally well, esp. femme fatale; A-

Pixels

Pixels; What we would call BITD worth a rental. 80s elements are fun. Sandler barely tries to act while everyone else swings for fences; C

Ant-Man

Ant-Man; Small scale heist film feels like pre-Marvel superhero tales. Focused, family driven, funny. Truly Douglas' film in his gravitas; A-

Minions

Minions; Aims to please a target audience of 2-12, with adult asides that fall flat. Less inspired than despicable, exactly as expected; C+

Max

Max; A serious family film in a style rarely seen anymore. Boy & his dog story works w/true to scale action & drama & decent performances; B

Jurassic World

Jurassic World; Delivers the thrills in both a new & nostalgic way. Same monster magic w/newer SFX gives next generation a classic scare; A

Inside Out

Inside Out; Emotional roller coaster that's light on laughs but big on tears. Heartfelt moments explore our mental health. Very poignant; A

Tomorrowland

Tomorrowland; Retro future tale is both nostalgic and at times original. Preachy, yet filled with optimism for a future of dreamers; A-

Avengers: Age of Ultron

The Avengers: Age of Ultron; Darker and less fun than one. Excellent character moments seek deeper emotional depths but make mood dour; A-

Video Games: The Movie

Video Games:The Movie; Lots of great people involved makes for good clips but meandering narrative feels like the reset button was hit; C+

Home

Home; Feels like Rihanna vanity project with annoying Sheldon Cooper voicing Jar Jar Dobby mash up. Steve Martin movie would be better; C-

Song of the Sea

Song of the Sea; Beautifully rendered imaginative tale. Each frame is a gallery ready masterpiece. Vivid, splendid, sweet & majestic; A+

Cinderella

Cinderella; So earnest & extravagant, the fairy tale's whimsy is lost on me. Rather see $$ spent on making real girls' dreams come true; B-

John Wick

John Wick; Stripped down, no nonsense violence makes for a stylistic, but not flashy film. Acting support is top notch. Thrilling 100 min; A

Jupiter Ascending

Jupiter Ascending; Hover boots will be most remembered from this film. Plenty to look at but little to care about. Visual feast w/1 idea; B-

Tim's Vermeer

Tim's Vermeer; Fascinating look at a labour of love, an obsessive need to know & an examination of art as science. Great character study; A-

Penguins of Madagascar

Penguins of Madagascar; Painfully one note, predictable & overly busy. Not funny, instantly forgettable. More suited for preschool TV; C-

The Maze Runner

The Maze Runner; B movies made for teens with a Minecraft setting do exist. Intriguing right to the end yet unsatisfying finish; B-

Divergent

Divergent; Extremely compelling in a teenage dynamic way despite its flaws & contrived moments. Woodley commands the screen like a star; A-