Elio

Elio; Seemingly less ambitious than Pixar’s previous films, while still striving to push animation into realms only existing in our imagination. Story is sweet and possibly tear inducing, with an affirming message but lacks the start to finish quality that classic Pixar films had in its prime; B+

A Minecraft Movie

A Minecraft Movie; Battles between a banal attempt to craft a comprehensible story out of nonsense and Jack Black and Jason Mamoa rollicking along in a bromantic fantasy. The absurdity teeters from sheer boredom to incredulous eye gouging visuals. None of it really works but what could we expect?; D

How To Train Your Dragon

How to Train Your Dragon; Impeccable casting allows this remake to succeed when it had no business being as good as its source material. Somehow the blending of really scary looking dragons + the characters being cute & goofy in the face of death works on a different level. A great companion film; A

Ballerina

Ballerina; Ana DeArmas works wonderfully in the world of John Wick. She has always had an ability to kick ass while looking artistically beautiful. Her savage mission takes us through a series of gloriously staged, spectacular action scenes, culminating in a fireball of violent destruction; A
 

Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning

Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning; Serves up 2x tense stunt sequences, w/a greater emphasis on dramatic high stakes w/somber reverence for the series/characters as a whole. It’s great entertainment, but main stunts are so far removed from what we will experience, thrill is more detached; A-
 

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre; A Wild Journey taken by a trio of men who differ greatly in how they handle desperate times and moments of crisis. Bogart’s character is so very frustrating to stomach, a testament to his over dramatic turn butting up against his stellar costars. Great adventure; A-
 

Casablanca

Casablanca; Classics become one on account of their individual elements excelling on all fronts. This film has the writing, acting, directing, mise-en-scène, and music to last a lifetime. With quotable moments and a stark, ominous setting, it’s one for the ages; A

The Maltese Falcon

The Maltese Falcon; A fast talking detective noir that doesn’t pull punches. The cast of characters spout dialogue like a radio play, snapping the plot along at a steady pace. Some parts seem silly to modern standards, but the entertainment value has endured nicely. Effie steals her scenes; A-

Captain America: Brave New World

Captain America: Brave New World; Has the opportunity to cover new ground but seems to rehash old themes and topics. Film feels like a sad victim to real life circumstances overshadowing the release and timing of this movie. At least it finally acknowledges the events of Eternals. VFX seem off; B-

Fear Street: Prom Queen

Fear Street: Prom Queen; Completely 80s style horror w/few knowing winks or attempts at meta commentary. In many ways, it feels very much like it could have come out in the 80s, for better or for worse. Straight up 80s horror w/o any clever storytelling like the Fear Street films preceding it; C+

One of Them Days

One of Them Days; Keke Palmer is so readily watchable, adeptly conveying comedy, romance & drama across a day’s worth of zany coincidental circumstances that occur only in a contrived comedy like this. Plausibility aside, it’s just so darn fun watching her bounce her way through the day with SZA; B

Havoc

Havoc; If a bullets and blood orgy is your thing, you’re going to like this film. But if the actors are the draw, you’ll soon find they’re there to elevate a stylistic action film by lending their names for added prestige. Unfortunately, none of the characters are worth rooting to keep alive; B-

Thunderbolts*

Thunderbolts*; Gets deeper than anticipated while offering Marvel brand destruction couched in humour we’ve come to expect. The cast plays well off each other, following the James Gunn formula for loveable misfits overcoming their pasts to connect w/their found family. Preaches the power of love; B+
 

The Children's Train

The Children’s Train; A sad film that conveys a sense that there’s a really good book as its source, while failing to fully realize the emotional heft that it no doubt holds in printed form. Instead, the well crafted film comes across cold, neglecting to imbue the story with palpable pathos; C+

A Real Pain

A Real Pain; Explores a very real nuanced dichotomy we experience in our day to day lives, which is heightened in our most life changing moments. Watching two adept actors represent the id and ego of navigating life’s challenges with varying degrees of satisfaction is fascinatingly well executed; B

Sinners

Sinners; A layered, intriguing take on a century old genre that owes much to the cinematic auteurs who inspired Coogler, while also being highly original, thoughtful and inspired. Stellar work by all involved in the filmmaking, for entertaining us foremost, yet offering deeper meaning to it all; A

The Last Detail

The Last Detail; An odd trio of navy men find themselves on the road together and make unlikely revelations about their lives and their country as a whole. With some comedic relief masking the underlying truths, the film manages to capture the disillusionment of its time via a buddy road movie; A-

Mufasa: The Lion King

Mufasa: The Lion King; Miranda has lost his golden touch, as the songs are cringe inducing. The animation is spectacular but the stylized nature of using photo realistic rendering for fantastical elements seems to clash with its own ambitions. The result is off putting both aurally and visually; C

The Conversation

The Conversation; After Hackman’s roles in early 70s action films, his buttoned down, subdued & introspective turn in this Coppola helmed examination of mental spirals of conspiracy and detachment, demonstrates how talented he was in even less flashy roles. A slow burn that is haunting to watch; A-

The French Connection

The French Connection; In addition to the highly regarded car chase, there’s foot chases, shakedowns, stakeouts and shoot outs; a constant adrenaline rush buoyed by kinetic acting and gritty filmmaking. A treasure from a special decade of cinema that hits just as hard today; A+