Clik here to view.
Spectacular Real-World Stunts Make 'Mission: Impossible - Fallout' A Blast
In the opening moments of the 2.5-hour Mission: Impossible — Fallout, producer/stuntman/star Tom Cruise's Ethan Hunt shares a tender moment with Julia Meade-Hunt (Michelle Monaghan), the woman for whom...
View ArticleClik here to view.
'The Spy Who Dumped Me': Man, They Could Have Done This Better
The most surprising thing about the action-comedy The Spy Who Dumped Me is that it racks up a higher body count in 117 minutes than the comparatively somber stunt spectacular Mission: Impossible —...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Shark, Weak: Toothless 'The Meg' Snatches Mediocrity From The Jaws Of Defeat
Uneasy lies the wrist that wears the big diver's watch, but Jason Statham never looks especially perturbed in The Meg, an agreeably daft if disappointingly bloodless sea creature-feature from the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Muddled Action Thriller 'Mile 22' Should Have Pulled Off At Mile 3 Or So
After four consecutive movies together, director Peter Berg and star Mark Wahlberg want to make honest men of one another and turn their fruitful partnership into a proper franchise. The violent,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
'Peppermint': A Revenge Thriller That's Neither Cool Nor Refreshing
There's an old Klingon proverb that says revenge is a dish best served in under 95 minutes, by a fondly regarded actor who's been out of the limelight for a while. With Taken, French...
View ArticleClik here to view.
After A Promising Start, 'The Predator' Loses The Scent
You know a movie is lousy when its most ardent partisans — which in the case of Shane Black's new definite-article-attaching Predator sequel-not-reboot The Predator, are me, myself, and this guy right...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Tom Hardy Gets His Teeth Into 'Venom,' Though The Film Lacks Bite
With great power comes great irresponsibility. It's been 29 summers since Prince's "Batdance" heralded the release of Tim Burton's Batman, and longer than that since a comic book screen spin-off...
View ArticleClik here to view.
'Suspiria': A Cult-Horror Remake Dances To A Confusing Beat
Suspiria, Luca Guadagnino's reimagining of Dario Argento's gnarly Italian cult film about a haunted dance academy in Germany, is vulgar, shamelessly pretentious, and frequently opaque. But enough about...
View ArticleClik here to view.
'Creed II' Isn't In The Same Weight Class As 'Creed,' But It's Got Heart
In 1985's Rocky IV, the most most high-and-tight entry in the formerly-shaggy Rockiad, an age-obsessed Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) laments to his opponent-turned-pal Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone)...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Ricky Jay Remembered, From The Wings: An Assistant's Thoughts On The Late...
There are hundreds, maybe even thousands of people in the world who would've thrilled at the opportunity to spend time in the close orbit of Ricky Jay, the illusionist, writer, performer, playing...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Well-Versed: 'Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse' Is A Fun, Warm-Hearted Treat
It's hard to fathom that the same Sony Pictures that, in 2012, decided the best way to expand the appeal of its live-action Spider-Man franchise was to start over with lesser movies, has now become...
View ArticleClik here to view.
'Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse' Celebrates Inclusion
Copyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
View ArticleClik here to view.
'They Shall Not Grow Old': World War I Brought To Astonishing, Harrowing Life
In the closing moments of They Shall Not Grow Old, Peter Jackson's impressionistic documentary — no dates, no title cards, no omniscient narrator — about the foot soldier's experience of the sadly...
View ArticleClik here to view.
'Serenity' Is All Wet. Literally.
Call it the M. Night Shyamalan problem: Should a film distinguished by howlingly tin-eared dialogue, emaciated characters and a plodding, easily guessed plot be pardoned its crimes when its maker...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Gina Rodriguez Kicks Butt And Takes Nombres In 'Miss Bala'
Liam Neeson is 66 years old, but someday he will be dead, and reluctant-hero midwinter action flicks will need a new standard-bearer. Miss Bala— director Catherine Hardwicke's efficient PG-13 remake of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Teenage Wasteland: 'Alita: Battle Angel' Doesn't Quite Earn Its Wings
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, James Cameron worked for Roger Corman, the king of fast-and-cheap exploitation moviemaking. But in the flaming nightmare dystopia of A.D. 2019 Los Angeles, he...
View ArticleClik here to view.
'Dumbo': Elephants Never Forget, But Audiences Will
Dumbo, the first of three live-action(ish) remakes of beloved Disney cartoons due in the next four months (Aladdin is coming in May, The Lion King in June), coulda been a contender. Its director is Tim...
View ArticleClik here to view.
'Hellboy': Hell, No
Hellboy, despite its colon-free title, is actually the fifth movie starring the good-guy demon hero (if you count the two animated films that featured the same cast as the live-action films made by...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Blockbuster Films Keep Getting Longer; How And Why Did We Get Here?
"No amount of money ever bought a second of time," says Tony "Iron Man" Stark, patient zero of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, midway through the new Avengers: Endgame.As has frequently been the case in...
View ArticleClik here to view.
There Is No Spoon, But There's Plenty of Knives In 'John Wick: Chapter 3 -...
The John Wick movies are what you might call coffee-table action films, the kind where a lot of dudes (and ladies, and gender-nonconforming individuals) get thrown through expensive-looking coffee...
View Article
