Writer/director James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy is indeed a stunning film. It is full of brilliant creative energy and spirit, but there is one specific reason it continues to stand out in audiences' minds and continues to be my favorite of the marvel universe films after three years… the characters. More than just falling in love with the Guardians of the Galaxy blockbuster, moviegoers and myself fell in love with the Guardians of the Galaxy team -- connecting with this group of loveable ridiculous misfits who manage to find each other and become a dysfunctional family. It's Gunn's perfect understanding of this that clearly helped mold Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, which smartly scales down plot in favor of personality -- and while the sequel doesn't pack the full punch of the original, it's a wonderful, beautiful follow-up that is richly dense in detail and features a parade of thrilling and fun surprises...
Read morePower Rangers Review
The final act of Power Rangers is everything you could want from a Power Rangers movie. It’s fun, funny, action-packed, and filled with so many Zords and monsters that you’ll actually feel like you’re watching a big-budget update of the popular kids’ franchise. The problem is that the 90 minutes proceeding it wants as little to do with the Power Rangers as possible...
Read moreLOGAN: A Love Letter
I was expecting the movie to be well-made and badass just by virtue of director James Mangold's involvement, but I wasn't expecting it to be so emotionally compelling...
Read moreJOHN WICK: Chapter 2 Review
Walking in to see Chad Stahelski's John Wick: Chapter 2, I had one principal concern. Great as the first film had been, I was worried that the filmmakers -- many of them part of the stunt community -- would use the follow-up to further emphasize the amazing action and downplay the detailed world of assassins that had been designed in the original movie. Because I know others will share this concern, I will address this directly: that is absolutely not the kind of sequel that audiences are being delivered in John Wick: Chapter Two, as we have instead received a movie that blissfully accentuates everything that is excellent about its predecessor...
Read moreBest Films Of 2016
I’m the damned fool who waits until the year actually ends before rolling out my Best Of… list every year, and that’s because I’m often able to squeeze in about a dozen or more films in the last few weeks of December, mostly stuff that others have told me is worth checking out that I either o or things that simply never came out locally. I also tend to do a great deal of re-watching in that timeframe, mostly in an effort to solidify my top 10...
Read moreRogue One (spoiler free) Review
In my opinion, the most moving moments in the history of Star Wars are always the darkest. The end of The Empire Strikes Back, the deaths of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda are but a few examples on a much longer list. Thankfully, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story understands that and more. It’s a movie that nails what it means to be Star Wars in seemingly every way, and it’s not afraid to scare the bejeezus out of a few kids to get there.
Read moreFantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them Review (spoiler free)
If you’re a fan of the Harry Potter books and films, then trust me when I say Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is going to be a treat for you. While I myself have never read the Harry Potter books, nor was I the biggest fan of the films or main character. I was very intrigued by the overall world that was created, and was always hoping for another movie to come set in the same universe, just not centered on the Harry Potter character. Mrs. J.K Rowling, who actually wrote the script for this film, reveals a little more of the magical world by taking us to the United States and showing us how they live there.
Read moreDoctor Strange Review (spoiler free)
In a year that sees Disney sitting atop the box office charts with the four highest-grossing films worldwide of the year, with one more likely waiting in the wings (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story), and with more than $4.7 billion in global receipts so far (with another likely $3.433 bigllllion to come), the studio’s next potential blockbuster franchise is just around the corner. Marvel’s Phase 3 kicked off this summer with the release of Captain America: Civil War, taking $1.15 billion at the box office, and now the MCU’s next entry arrives November 4th when Doctor Strange hits theaters. With a mix of popular superhero and fantasy elements plus the seemingly invincible Marvel branding...
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