Before diving into this world of dragons, let us assess what we know of dragons in media before I unpack How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World. We all think dragons are wicked and like to see them on T.V. and in movies. Of course, the very popular Game of Thrones has dragons in […]
Tag: Movie Reviews
Alita: Battle Angel Soars
From writer/producer James Cameron comes a spectacular sci-fi movie that’s based on a Manga series, called Battle Angel Alita. Manga for those who don’t know are Japanese comics or graphic novels. These are somewhat different from what you might find in the pantheon of American comics from producers like Marvel, DC, Darkhorse, or IDW. What […]
Serenity is not the enemy
By definition, serenity is the wrong title for this film. But, as it happens, serenity does not describe the events that take place in this movie. It’s the name of a boat belonging to Baker Dill (Matthew McConaughey). This movie is a compound constituted of many elements. It has the unrelenting determination of Hemingway’s Old […]
Finding the right piece of ‘Glass’ is cumbersome
From M. Night Shyamalan comes a superhero film that’s unlike any you’ve seen before. This isn’t Marvel or DC. This isn’t the Avengers or the Justice League. This movie attempts to bridge the gap between superhero fiction and reality. It focuses on characters that have abilities but are somewhat believable. Mr. Glass (Samuel L. Jackson) […]
‘The Upside’ has a downside but shows Kevin Hart has range
“The Upside”, a drama/comedy starring Kevin Hart, Bryan Cranston, and Nicole Kidman, is based on the life of Philippe Pozzo di Borgo, a French businessman who became a quadriplegic in 1993 from a paragliding accident. (It also follows a French film based on the story.) The tale is about an ex-convict Dell Scott (Kevin Hart) […]
BumbleBee Buzz is Overrated but Ok
Transformers first-generation fans rejoice! The latest installment of the Transformers franchise has arrived with some amount of originality. Unlike the other films in the series, this film does not focus on how flashy the Transformers can look or the variety of bots that appear. Instead, it focuses more on the relationship between BumbleBee and an […]
Sink or Swim: Aquaman glides through expectations
Aquaman is back but this time he’s without his “Super Friends.” This film is all about the extraordinary half human/half-Atlantean being, Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa), or as he’s more commonly known, Aquaman, who assumes his rightful place upon the throne of Atlantis. For the Entourage fans, this is not scrawny Vinnie Chase dressing up in […]
Into the Spider-Verse spins its web with panache
Critically acclaimed and praised by audiences too, Into the Spider-Verse has had a positive reception. At the outset of the film, we are introduced to notorious criminal Kingpin as he gains access to the power of a particle accelerator, which allows him to reach parallel universes and thus, alternate versions of himself and others. What […]
Green Book makes you want to turn another page
Racially charged and emotionally uplifting, Green Book enters our minds and our hearts with aplomb. The film is about a black pianist and an Italian driver interacting and engaging each other on heavy concepts such as morality, bigotry, and decency, but also on mundane topics like music, food, and behavior. But at the film’s core […]
Robin Hood doesn’t hit a bullseye, but it’s not off the mark
An icon of English folklore, Robin Hood has historical ties all the way back to the 13th century. There have been many interpretations of the legend of Robin Hood and his company. But at the core of this legend is a man outlawed due to his thieving exploits, who learns of his place in a […]
Creed II Delivers a Knockout
Steeped in legend, the Rocky franchise produces another sequel in Creed II. This film is derived from the events that took place in Rocky IV (1985), where heavyweight hard-hitter Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren) fought and killed Adonis Creed’s father. At the outset of this movie, we are reintroduced to Ivan Drago as well as his […]
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald Pulls it off
From the mind of the legendary author, J.K. Rowling, responsible for Harry Potter, comes another story of magical creatures, who co-exist with humans, or muggles as they’re called in the stories. So elaborate is the world in which these beings exist that it has established its author as an enchantress unto her own. In fact, […]
The Grinch Steals Christmas but not our hearts
Dr. Suess’ famous Christmas story is born again in this latest 3D computer-animated interpretation, The Grinch (2018), produced by Illumination, the same production team that worked on the Despicable Me films. It is the story’s third screen adaptation. What’s the movie about? Created in 1957, this story is one of the author’s most famous works. […]