Movie Reviews, Old and New
“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” begins with what may be my favorite opening sequence of any Marvel movie to date: a thousand years ago, the warrior Xu Wenwu (Tony Leung) finds and takes control of the ten rings, a weapon that grants their user great power and immortality. As the centuries pass, […]
Read More Review: “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”Regardless of your feelings on the dominance of the Marvel Cinematic Universe on the film industry, it does feel like a signal of some normalcy returning seeing an MCU film in the movie theaters for the first time since 2019’s “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” which immediately followed the franchise’s massive “Avengers: Endgame.” But what makes […]
Read More Review: “Black Widow”In honor of the release of the first episode of the newest Marvel show on Disney Plus this week, “Loki,” I’m revisiting my 2011 review of the movie that saw the first appearance of the mischief-maker played by Tom Hiddleston: I’ve noticed over the past few years that the majority of superhero movies are one […]
Read More Throwback Review: “Thor” (2011)New entries in the Marvel Cinematic Universe post-“Endgame” continue tomorrow, March 19, when the new series “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” debuts on Disney Plus. I don’t typically review television series, but since I got to watch a preview of the first episode, I thought I would present my thoughts on it, and then […]
Read More Throwback Review: “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”WARNING: As “Spider-Man: Far From Home” deals directly with the events of “Avengers: Endgame,” this review discusses some plot details from “Endgame.” If you still haven’t seen it, read this review—and watch “Far From Home—at your own risk. 3 out of 5 stars. “Spider-Man: Far From Home” has the misfortune of being the first movie […]
Read More Review: “Spider-Man: Far From Home”3 out of 5 stars. “Whatever it takes.” That’s the Avengers’ promise to each other to do what needs to be done to reverse Thanos’ devastating actions at the end of “Avengers: Infinity War.” But that can seemingly also be applied to Marvel Studios’ and directors Joe and Anthony Russo’s approach to pulling out all […]
Read More Review: “Avengers: Endgame”3.5 out of 5 stars. Warning: This review contains some plot details from “Captain Marvel.” In “Captain Marvel,” Carol Danvers is the hero of her own story. Despite being a mere month and a half away from “Avengers: Endgame,” “Captain Marvel” is the rare MCU film that stands on its own, and doesn’t have any […]
Read More Review: “Captain Marvel”2 out of 5 stars. “Venom” is an awful movie. It’s so mind-numbingly stupid, it’s difficult to believe that it was made with (likely) all seriousness. But there’s something so wacky in the film’s violence and humor, in addition to a strong lead performance by Tom Hardy, that it enters the realm of movies that […]
Read More Review: “Venom”3.5 out of 5 stars. “Ant-Man and the Wasp,” the sequel to what is likely the most low-key of all the Marvel films, comes to theaters less than three months after the release of the huge and highly-anticipated “Avengers: Infinity War.” The latter film was high-stakes and emotionally draining, which is part of the reason […]
Read More Review: “Ant-Man and the Wasp”The following is a non-spoiler review of “Avengers: Infinity War.” 3 out of 5 stars. “Avengers: Infinity War” had a lot it needed to accomplish in the space of two and a half hours. But it also had a lot it needed to prove. That feels like a weird thing to say about the […]
Read More Review: “Avengers: Infinity War”