Reviews

Not every horror film has to push the genre to new places!

When I was a kid, there were many entry-level horror movies that kids could watch and get into the genre.

These days kids have to watch either A) the most brutal, gross-out horror ever or B) Mickey Mouse pumpkin patch. There is no in between and that sucks.

Because of that, my wife and I are constantly showing our kids movies from our childhood, but they just don't have the same investment level.

Finally- there is a good, entry-level horror movie that the kids love- so, of course, the critics hate it. 👎

Forget them- this is a fun, mildly scary horror film for the whole family! Enjoy it, your kids definitely will!

A fan-made short film with effects, ideas, make-up and acting (at least from the lead) that could stand up against big screen offerings.

With a story that plays off of cannon characters and creative, horrific nightmare scenes- my only complaint is that it was too short. It definitely leaves the audience wanting more.

I could definitely see this as the first half-hour of a legitimate Hollywood film. Kudos to the creators, they must've worked their butts-off to get that kind of production value from a fan-made short film budget.

While not all of the acting is top-notch, the lead is fantastic. To get that kind of performance into a horror short is nothing short of amazing.

Great story, great acting and I love the characters. Jonathan Majors was fantastic and Michael B. Jordan always brings it. They really fleshed out Donnie's personality, as well as Bianca's.

Sections of the movie did feel rushed and certain characters seem like they are brought back without much to do. All of that was easy to overlook in such an engaging story, though.

My biggest problem was that the fight sequences were too cartoonish for my taste, I found it distracting. It felt like they would fit better in a Marvel movie or something animated. No doubt, it was a bold direction and I appreciate that, but it just didn't work for me, especially in a Rocky/Creed film.

I'm a little late to the party on this one, but my wife and I just saw it on the recommendation of my co-worker and it was so funny! A great send up of films that use hillbillies as villains by using that prejudice as the driver of the plot.

This screenplay was based on a short story written by Steven King's son, Joe Hill. Like King's best stories, this film has kick ass kids who are tough and fight back.

The heart of this is a brother-sister bond built on shared trauma and survival. It's brilliant. The 2 leads are amazing. You root for them at every step and stress to the point of physical discomfort when they are afflicted.

Ethan Hawk is great, but honestly he's just icing on the cake of a transcendent plot and genuinely great protagonists.

I honestly don't know what some of the haters here were expecting, but everyone in the theater I was in loved it. The tense energy in the room and shrieks during the jump scares really added to the experience.

Look, obviously there's no comparison to the first film; it was nearly perfect, and this one has flaws. Still, it's by far the best of the sequels.

The dinosaurs look and feel incredible, and in this film they are everywhere. There are a couple main story threads that bring the main characters together, and one is more interesting than the other, but both hold your attention- and once the main characters are together, there is great chemistry there.

They didn't bring the old characters in for a quick cameo at the end, either, they are integral to the plot and drive things forward in their own right.

Jeff Goldblum, particularly, is just so entertaining to watch.

Also, it's nonsense to say this movie is "woke" just because they added a young black female character to the cast. She was a good character. A "Han Solo type" pilot who doesn't want to get involved but can't help herself.

Then the other half are mad that Chris Pratt was allowed to be in this film even though he's been publicly open about his faith- it must be exhausting to try to entertain people these days.

I brought my 13 year old son to this and I'm so glad I did. This film was a massive spectacle and at the end it felt like we had just finished something special. The long runtime flew by.

I don't know what some reviewers were expecting- perhaps the first film again- this isn't that. But it's fun and tense and amazing. I think it's become in fashion to bash these films (and the last one may have deserved it) but this one is very good.

This film is dark, gritty, smart, complex and poignant. It is arguably as good as Tim Burton's original and better than Nolan's "Batman Begins". (Though, in my opinion, Dark Knight is still the best overall Batman movie.)

Riddler is deep, frightening and intriguing. His puzzles walk that fine line of being difficult, but solvable for the audience. Often, when Batman spits out a solution, it was just on the tip of your tongue. Dano is masterful as a psychopathic genius with more than a screw loose- channeling Kevin Spacey in "Seven" at times.

All of the major characters are richly written and masterfully acted. Kravits is enticing, playful and sympathetic. Farrell completely disappears into the penguin. Pattinson is even a surprisingly good Batman (though, on a negative note, he plays neither the witty, cultured Bruce Wayne of Keaton nor the over the top, ostentatious Bruce Wayne of Bale. In fact, Pattinson doesn't really do much with Bruce Wayne at all.)

Poorly acted, poorly written, one-dimensional characters you don't care about, and a bizzare possession theme which is really just a device to take the story from simulator to full-on hall walking, first person shooter game in the third act.

The story here is interesting. Even Kevin James turns in a pretty decent performance. The weak point is a script that plays the story as a straight comedy, but then doesn't make you laugh. Every line Rob Schneider has is cringe-worthy and there are numerous characters that are flat, one dimensional "wacky" and yet just aren't funny, not even a little bit.

This was the first movie I've taken my family to see in the theaters since Covid and it was worth it. Funny, with great new characters and a heart for the old ones. I really liked this film.

Comedy is at a crossroads in society right now. The art requires the ability to push boundaries and an inherent trust from the audience that such boundary-pushing will ultimately be cathartic. Unfortunately, right now, there is no trust from certain parts of any audience. It's in fashion, these days, to be humorless; to thoughtlessly repeat talking points and jump at any opportunity to be offended so that others can see just how enlightened you are.

Few people are in a position to honestly point out the absurd nature of this social development without being swallowed by it. Up until now, Dave has been uniquely suited.

Anyone who listens to what Dave is actually saying will find this moderately funny and immensely thought-provoking. Anyone else will completely miss the point- which is obviously the case for many reviewers here and for many critics in the media right now.

This dialogue is necessary, and unfortunately this is the only way we can have it anymore.

This documentary isn't afraid to take the time necessary to cover its protagonist from every angle. Adults, like me, who lived through it, still learn a lot. Kids, like my son, to whom it is almost folklore, feel like they lived it. Bravo!

In all fairness, this show is pretty up front about being historically inaccurate, so it's really not fair to knock it on that account. Moreover, it is easy to get pulled into because of competent acting, gorgeous set designs, writing that is witty and humorous, and plots that are clever and naughty.

Parts of this film drag and parts are hard to relate to. However, the deeply personal bits about an unfit parent trying to live out his dreams through his child while simultaneously raging against the life that he is living, and the child just trying to do whatever he can to hold onto the few moments of sincerity that are so desperately needed from a parent, are felt and related to on a much deeper level. Overall, a thoughtful film that connects as frequently as it misses.

There's basically no storyline here, just a loose parody of Thanos and his infinity gauntlet. That said, your kids will appreciate that it is jam-packed with music (most of which are pop covers.) It will keep them distracted if that's what your looking for.

This documentary is almost as wild and unfocused as its lead character. Still, it's hard not to be entertained by the level of outrageousness on display here. You should watch it, if for no other reason, so that you can understand the memes.

1917 is simple, haunting, and deeply affecting. A seriously great film!

This really reminded me of Field of Dreams, in a good way. A magical road trip with distinctive characters, culminating in a tear jerking scene with the main character's dead father. It's a great movie for kids and will surely make the dads in the theater tear up as well.

The one liners and over-the-top performances make this a fun who-dunnit, even though the movie gives away its ending at the halfway point. Because you think you know everything there is to know by the end of the 2nd act, the beginning of the 3rd act seems confusing and disconnected... that is until the final reveal hits you and you realize that the writer has far more tricks up his sleeve than you were ready for.

The final reveal is done with an old fashioned great big soliloquy by Daniel Craig's character (who is a PI with a cartoonish Southern accent.) I, personally loved it.

This movie is plodding, uneven and too long. That said, the new characters are fun and interesting and the third act plays such wonderful homage to the original Shining that I'm really glad I saw it. I suspect if you're a fan- you should see it too.