Review: “Avengers: Infinity War”

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 […]

Review: “Black Panther”

5 out of 5 stars. Although several superhero films over the past couple years have done different things to make audiences rethink the genre, it’s easy to be inundated with the sameness of the Hollywood blockbuster. This is especially true of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which found a formula that seems to please audiences and […]

Review: “Justice League”

2.5 out of 5 stars. Let’s start with the good news: “Justice League” is not the worst movie in the DC cinematic universe. It definitely surpasses “Batman v. Superman” (which it is in many ways a direct sequel to) and the horrid “Suicide Squad.” The bad news: saying a movie is better than “Suicide Squad” […]

Review: “Thor: Ragnarok”

4.5 out of 5 stars. I have made no secret of my feelings for Marvel’s “Thor” franchise. The first “Thor” movie was an elongated trailer for “The Avengers” disguised as a so-so origin story. Its follow-up, “Thor: The Dark World,” is Marvel’s worst effort, a dark and dingy outing that did no service to the […]

Review: “Spider-Man: Homecoming”

4 out of 5 stars. The number of film incarnations of “Spider-Man” to come out in the last 15 years, regardless of what you think of them, is ridiculous. In “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” Tom Holland becomes the third actor to take on the role of the web-slinging hero in a live-action movie, following on the heels of […]

Review: “Wonder Woman” (2017)

4.5 out of 5 stars. “Wonder Woman” is the most important blockbuster movie of the year; actually, it’s one of the most important movies not just of 2017 in general, but in recent years. Film and television mediums have been dominated in recent years by superhero movies, but from Marvel’s now-massive cinematic universe to the […]

Review: “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2”

4.5 out of 5 stars. Like most sequels, it’s not quite as fresh as the original, taking the endearingly quirky trademarks that made it so popular and pushing them to the point where it’s almost overkill. Almost, but not quite, because “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” is a stellar sci-fi adventure that holds its […]

Review: “Logan”

4.5 out of 5 stars. Eight years ago, leaving the theater after watching the terrible, clichéd, first stand-alone Wolverine movie, “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” I never would have thought the franchise would be here now. And yet, here we are. “Logan” is the third Wolverine standalone (following a middling 2013 effort simply titled “The Wolverine”) and […]

Review: “Suicide Squad”

1 out of 5 stars. Remember when “Batman V. Superman” came out and we all complained about how dark it was, and got excited when Warner Brothers’ next DC film, “Suicide Squad,” promised to be a lot more light-hearted and fun? Yeah, well, it’s not. And while “Batman V. Superman” did have its good parts, […]

Review: “Doctor Strange”

Marvel’s latest is a typical origin story wrapped in an untypical (and visually astounding) world of sorcerers and other dimensions.