12 Strong12 Strong represents a recent war as depicted on screen in an old-fashioned way. Back in the 1950s and 1960s, war movies followed an established template that pitted the “good guys” (often Americans) against the “bad guys.” Such fi...
30 Minutes or LessIt would be possible to form a tragedy from the background inspiration of Ruben Fleisher's 30 Minutes or Less, but the filmmakers have not traveled that route. Instead of fashioning a heartbreaking tale about greed and inhumanity, Fleisher has app...
Ant Man and the WaspOver the past couple of years, Marvel Studios has ridden the crest of an incredible wave, culminating in the 2018 one-two punch of Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War. A drop-off was perhaps inevitable but I doubt anyone expected it to be ...
Ant-ManAnt-Man, as obscure a superhero title as has been released since the inception of the so-called "MCU" (Marvel Cinematic Universe), may test the perception that Marvel can do no wrong. The general public knows Spider-Man, Iron Man, Captain A...
Battle Los AngelesPerhaps it's a backhanded compliment to acknowledge that, as would-be "event" films about alien invasions go, Battle Los Angeles is superior to both Independence Day and Skyline. Nevertheless, the movie is likely to miss the mark for anyone in sear...
Buffalo SoldiersDuring the summer of 2003, Miramax Films is courting controversy. First, with the release of The Magdalene Sisters, the distributor was accused of being anti-Catholic. Now, with the release of Buffalo Soldiers, the charge is one of being unpatrio...
Cesar ChavezIt's hard to actively dislike Cesar Chavez, Diego Luna's bio-pic of Cesar Chavez, the co-founder of the National Farm Workers Association. Chavez looms large in the pantheon of 1960s/70s Civil Rights activists and the movie gives him his due, attem...
Collateral BeautyIt’s easy to understand why Collateral Beauty, at one time viewed as a potential Oscar contender, was removed from awards consideration by Warner Brothers. (They decided to dump it into theaters on the same day as Rogue One, possibly hoping no ...
End of WatchThe problem with End of Watch, a gripping police drama, is director David Ayer's stylistic decision to shoot nearly the entire movie tripod-less. Or, to put it another way, there's a whole lotta shakin' going on. Much of End of Watch could almost f...
Everything Must GoAs their careers develop, many comedians yearn to cross over into serious dramatic roles, if only on occasion. This has happened with John Cleese, Steve Martin, Robin Williams, Tom Hanks, Jim Carrey, and Adam Sandler. Some are more successful than...
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