Review: “Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase” (2019)

2.5 out of 5 stars. “Nancy Drew” is one of the most beloved and most famous children’s book series of all time, and yet, despite numerous attempts from the 1930s to now, no film or television adaptation of it has fully been successful. The same can be said for “Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase,” […]

Review: “Shazam!”

3 out of 5 stars. If “Aquaman” was lauded as the current DC cinematic universe’s first real foray into more light-hearted fare, then “Shazam!” takes it to a whole new level. The film based on the comic book superhero originally known as Captain Marvel is more a comedy than anything else, with eye-popping visuals and […]

Review: “Dumbo” (2019)

2.5 out of 5 stars. Out of all the Disney films, the story of “Dumbo” has the most room to grow. The 1941 animated classic clocks in at only 64 minutes long, and is the simple story of a baby circus elephant ridiculed for his large ears—which he had actually use to fly. The loving […]

Review: “Us”

4 OUT OF 5 STARS. In his first feature film “Get Out,” writer and director Jordan Peele explored the horrific relationship between white America and black America. In his second feature, “Us,” Peele holds that mirror up to society as a whole, using more of a traditional horror film approach to show how we repress […]

Review: “Captain Marvel”

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 […]

Review: “How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World”

3.5 out of 5 stars. “How to Train Your Dragon” is an epic series in a way that’s unlike most mainstream animated films. The films feature everything from great action sequences and beautiful animation to humor and cute critters, all while giving their characters complex personalities and dilemmas to solve. That is all present in […]

Review: “Cold Pursuit”

2.5 out of 5 stars. It’s easy to settle into “Cold Pursuit” expecting it to be little more than the usual Liam Neeson-driven revenge thriller that seems to pop into theaters around this time every year. But while the film, which is directed by Hans Petter Moland and is a remake of his 2014 Norwegian […]

Review: “The Kid Who Would Be King”

3.5 out of 5 stars. Charming live-action family adventure films are largely a thing of the past. But writer and director Joe Cornish breathes new life into that sub-genre with “The Kid Who Would Be King,” a modern retelling of the tale of King Arthur and the sword in the stone that may not do […]

Review: “The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part”

3.5 out of 5 stars. I think it’s safe to say that on its release in 2014, “The LEGO Movie” surprised everyone. That a film based on a toy line could not only be genuinely witty and fun, but also incredibly meaningful, is still a bit hard to believe. Naturally, a good portion of that […]

Review: “Cold War”

4.5 out of 5 stars. Many of the greatest film romances of all time are sweeping epics, in runtime and scale but also in the way they probe into so many aspects of their characters’ lives and relationships. Polish filmmaker Pawel Pawlikowski does almost the opposite of this with his romantic drama “Cold War.” The […]