X-Men Origins: Wolverine

X-Men Origins: Wolverine; Dangerously strays into “so bad, it’s good” territory that used to be a hallmark of goofy comic book movies pre-Batman. The cast deserves better than this schlocky, hammy approach to what is one of the more compelling Marvel characters. C’mon! He’s more than his claws!; C-

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid; There aren’t very many perfect films. This may very well be one of them. Gorgeously shot, capturing stunning vistas along with two ridiculously talented leads playing off each other with screen scorching charisma. Every minute is a cinematic masterpiece; A+

Unfaithful

Unfaithful; Erotic thriller of a tryst gone off the rails, spiralling into the dissolving of a long married couple. Excellent performances and solid directing elevate the material above its unexplained motivations of the characters so that it becomes watchable and enticing despite its flaws; C+

Petit Jésus

Petit Jésus; What has potential to be a clever, introspective family dramedy or a hilarious, farcical comedy of errors, or both, instead settles into benign, harmless trifle that neither produces any big laughs nor pulls on any serious heartstrings. Mildly funny, mildly moving, mostly boring; D

The Hunger Games:The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes; Better than expected, yet still suffers from trying to find sympathy in an irredeemable character. It’s neat to see earlier versions of the Games, with fun takes from new cast members. Still grossly centered around child slaughter for sport; B-

X2

X2; Sequel knows key to X-Men success lies in Wolverine, and maintains focus on him and his backstory, while offering up some new mutants that explode off the screen. Some excellent set pieces and character combinations make for poignant dialogue exchanges filled w/allegory. Storm still sucks; B+

X-Men

X-Men; Great start to the film series, giving us a sense of the characters and their motivations, while keeping the moral allegories intact and underlying throughout. Centres on Wolverine, which is understandable given he’s always been the most popular mutant and Jackman doesn’t disappoint; B+

Slap Shot

Slap Shot; A relic of a bygone era that oddly has echoes of influence in our time. Sexism, homophobia, and rampant misogyny aside, the film certainly informed future comedies like Anchorman and Dodgeball. Difficulty distinguishing what’s parody and what’s sincere makes it a fascinating watch; B-

Jurassic World Dominion

Jurassic World Dominion; Return to form for the franchise, delivering a greatest hits of the typical thrills of dinosaur inflicted peril. Howard continues to be a drag on the series, while the rest are admirably recreating the guilty delight for what should be the final time. Suitable diversion; B-

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare; Tells a fascinating true story of intense action derived from grim circumstances but fails to capture the momentous stakes by never quite presenting the key players as anything less than an invulnerable super squad. Entertaining but emotionally stunted; B
 

Deadpool & Wolverine

Deadpool & Wolverine; Fan service in a good way, delivering all the expectations plus many surprises. The fights are gratuitous, the cheeky asides hilarious and the meta moments glorious. A bromance for the ages that strangely maintains superhero cliches it simultaneously subverts. Great pairing; A-

The Holdovers

The Holdovers; Aesthetically breathing like a film made in the time it is set, from its production design, cinematography & pacing to its writing, acting & directing. The characters and their symbiotic interactions delight in their struggle for growth and self actualization. Solid holiday fare; A-

Kung Fu Panda 4

Kung Fu Panda 4; The fight scenes continue to be amazingly fun to watch & the characters will always have appeal to them, but the story itself has played out & sequels at this point seem unnecessary. New additions are fine but don’t quite have the magic of the first three films. Let the panda be; B
 

Drive-Away Dolls

Drive-Away Dolls; Salaciously subversive & bitingly satirical in a way only a Coen could craft. Cameos are fun but its leading ladies’ spirited performances that add heart amongst hilarity. Comic buffoonery, surprise gaffs, all in a rapturous road movie buddy film that plays & smashes tropes; B+

A Haunting in Venice

A Haunting in Venice; Creepy use of classic Venice setting plus a game cast makes for a great mix of sleuth and spooks. Dutch angles aplenty and some wicked lenses add to the atmosphere while highlighting the haunting history and beauty of the surroundings. A touch of humour rounds it out nicely; B

Descendants: The Rise of Red

Descendants: The Rise of Red; The played out concept can’t get off the ground despite what appears to be a decent new crop of talented & likeable AKs & VKs. Even the brief return of China Anne McClain as Uma isn’t enough to raise this up to the middle pack of Disney Channel level entertainment; C-

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F; With the synth soundtrack intact and the cast all back, the retro feel is fully realized, especially from the zillion car destruction opening. However, this one could stand on its own without the flashback and throwbacks, as Eddie and JoGo and Paige make for a fun trio; B

Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

Who Framed Roger Rabbit?; A marvel of hybrid live action and animation on its initial release, it still delights in the marrying of two worlds. The characters are fantastical and the cameos are delightful. Yet the core of the film, the murder mystery whodunnit, raises it above gimmick status; A-

Despicable Me 4

Despicable Me 4; Comedic voice cast given little to do besides playing 2nd fiddle to slapstick shenanigans of minions, who still land laughs. Story shows how the studio doesn’t know what to do w/Gru anymore, while side characters are an even greater afterthought. A solid, safe summer diversion; C+

The Haunted Mansion

The Haunted Mansion; A bit of Frighteners level scares that are creepy but balanced off for family fare through Murphy’s comic presence. Some fun scenes for parks fans plus some great practical effects and makeup for the ghouls. Stamp is a perfect casting choice to convey the concocted story; B-