Category Archives: Movie Reviews

Movie Reviews

Gladiator II Review

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Gladiator II

  • Director: Ridley Scott
  • Writer: Chris Morgan, Hiram Garcia
  • Starring: Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Connie Nielson, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger

Grade: B

Ridley Scott is one of our more interesting filmmakers working today. Like many of his era, he’s directed many films that have been hailed as all-time classics, like Alien, Blade Runner, and of course, the original Gladiator. However, over the past two decades, Scott’s track record has gotten much shakier with misfires such as The Counselor and Robin Hood. It really wasn’t until The Martian in 2015 that Scott felt like he was fully back in form. At least for a little bit.

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Movie Reviews

Wicked Review

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Wicked

  • Director: Jon M. Chu
  • Writer: Winnie Holzman
  • Starring: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Michelle Yeoh, Jonathan Bailey, Marissa Bode, Bowen Yang, Jeff Goldblum

Grade: A-

The movie musical is back in a big way with the long-simmering adaptation of Wicked thanks to director Jon M. Chu and the undeniable chemistry of its leads. Since its premiere on Broadway, Hollywood has tied itself in knots trying to figure out exactly how to film its version of Gregory Maguire’s novel, and while it may not be perfect, Chu’s vision does right by the material – a more difficult feat to accomplish than expected. Yes, technically, Wicked is only half of the story (part two is currently scheduled to be released in one year), but it’s one of the breeziest, most enjoyable moviegoing experiences of the year.

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Movie Reviews

Red One Review

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Red One

  • Director: Jake Kasdan
  • Writer: Chris Morgan, Hiram Garcia
  • Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Chris Evans, Lucy Liu, JK Simmons, Kiernan Shipka, Nick Kroll

Grade: C-

Red One has built up an interesting reputation ahead of its release. Starting production in October of 2022, the film was meant to release during Christmas of 2023, but many problems started to grow. The film delayed production for a multitude of reasons, including rumors of Dwayne Johnson’s constant tardiness and set days missed. Then, the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike delayed the film’s release a whole year, with Amazon MGM choosing to stick with the holiday season release.

After all this time, is Red One able to overcome the controversies and obstacles that came their way? Not really.

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Movie Reviews

Here Review

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Here

  • Director: Robert Zemeckis
  • Writer: Eric Roth
  • Starring: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Paul Bettany, Dannie McCallum, Joel Oulette, Daniel Betts, Kelly Reilly

Grade: B-

Robert Zemeckis was once one of the top filmmakers in Hollywood. And for good reason. He had delivered hit film after hit film on a consistent basis, ranging from blockbusters like Back to the Future and Oscar-winners such as Forrest Gump.

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Film Festivals, Movie Reviews

Heartland Film Festival: Armand Review

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Armand

  • Director: Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel
  • Writer: Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel
  • Starring: Renate Reinsve, Ellen Dorrit Petersen, Endre Hellestveit, Thea Lambrechts Vaulen, Øystein Røger, Vera Veljović-Jovanović, Loke Nikolaisen

Grade: B+

A debut feature from a nepo baby brings a wide range of expectations for me. Sometimes they can turn out fantastic, like Sofia Coppola’s The Virgin Suicides, and other times you get films like Ishana Shayamalan’s The Watchers, a haphazard attempt at replicating her father. Luckily for Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel, the grandson of Ingmar Bergman, his debut Armand finds himself a worthy directorial talent to look out for in the future.

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Film Festivals, Movie Reviews

Heartland Film Festival: Flow Review

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Flow

  • Director: Gints Zilbalodis
  • Writer: Gints Zilbalodis, Matīss Kaža

Grade: A-

Yes, technically, Flow is an animated fantasy film featuring a cadre of wild animals in a post-apocalyptic landscape, but it’s the more grounded naturalism that makes the film sing. Besides, given that we’ve just seen two “once-in-a-generation” hurricanes strike in the past two weeks, perhaps it’s not so far-fetched after all. Gints Zilbalodis, the co-writer (with Matīss Kaža) , director, producer, editor, cinematographer, production designer, and co-composer (with Rihards Zalupe) has crafted a warm and inviting story about friendship and nature that stands as one of the year’s best films.

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Film Festivals, Movie Reviews

Heartland Film Festival: A Real Pain Review

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A Real Pain

  • Director: Jesse Eisenberg
  • Writer: Jesse Eisenberg
  • Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Kieran Culkin, Jennifer Grey, Will Sharpe, Kurt, Egyiawan, Liza Sadovy, Daniel Oreskes

Grade: B+

Jesse Eisenberg’s second feature as writer-director shows a massive leap in maturity, thanks in large part to the personal subject matter at its heart. A Real Pain isn’t necessarily an autobiographical film for the multi-hyphenate star, but there are elements which he has explicitly stated are pulled from real-life details about his family history. It’s a free-wheeling road trip film that visits pain both personal and historical, anchored by an ensemble that gels together as well as any film this year.

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Movie Reviews

The Outrun Review

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The Outrun

  • Director: Nora Fingsheidt
  • Writers: Nora Fingsheidt, Amy Liptrot
  • Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Paapa Essiedou, Stephen Dillane, Saskia Reeves

Grade: B

The Outrun is a story of addiction – alcohol addiction, specifically – but it’s a film that looks at the almost mythological origins of addiction. Are we born an addict, or is it borne from circumstance? It’s fitting for a film set on the Scottish coast, where its main character, played with devastating humanity by Saoirse Ronan, is a biologist who often waxes poetic about humanity’s origins. Character studies about addicts, or even unlikeable protagonists, are nearly as old as film itself, and while writer-director Nora Fingsheidt’s film isn’t an entirely fresh entry, it feels like it comes from a place of genuine sincerity.

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Movie Reviews

Joker: Folie à Deux Review

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Joker: Folie à Deux

  • Director: Todd Phillips
  • Writer: Todd Phillips, Scott Silver
  • Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener

Grade: C+

It’s hard to believe that it’s been five years since the release of Todd Phillips’ Joker. Whether you loved it or hated it, the movie’s status as a phenomenon is undeniable. Not only did it become the highest grossing R-rated movie (at the time), but it was hard to escape since it premiered at the Venice Film Festival and won the prestigious Golden Lion Award. Regardless of what any individual felt, it got a lot of people talking and even became a bit of a hot-button political issue.

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Movie Reviews

My Old Ass Review

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My Old Ass

  • Director: Megan Park
  • Writer: Megan Park
  • Starring: Maisy Stella, Aubrey Plaza, Percy Hynes White, Maddie Ziegler

Grade: A-

Coming-of-age films have always been a hallmark of filmmaking, from the beloved movies of John Hughes to the modern classics like Lady Bird and The Edge of Seventeen. Writer-director Megan Park’s sophomore feature My Old Ass brings a new twist to the genre. Instead of being a period piece, complete with nostalgic needle drops and the filmmaker’s own upbringing, Park sets her film squarely in the present day with her heroine interacting with her future self.

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