G. Allen Johnson
G. Allen Johnson's reviews only count toward the Tomatometer® when published at the following Tomatometer-approved publication(s):
Film Threat
Houston Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Examiner
Hearst Newspapers
Movie Reviews Only
| T-Meter | Title | Year | Review | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/4 | 42% | The Voyeurs (2021) |
A slow-moving dud until a slam-bang finale that contains a couple of delicious twists. If only the whole movie had been like that. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Sep 9, 2021
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| 2/4 | 37% | Reminiscence (2021) |
Intriguing but ultimately shallow... - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Aug 18, 2021
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| 3/4 | 92% | Raging Fire (2021) |
Aided by the star magnetism of Yen and Tse and back in his element on the colorful streets of Hong Kong, Chan goes out with both guns blazing. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Aug 10, 2021
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| 2/4 | 87% | Vivo (2021) |
Not every movie has to turn into an action film, and if the idea is you have to keep the kiddies entertained, hey, maybe trust them a little more. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Aug 1, 2021
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| 4/4 | 88% | Lorelei (2021) |
Malone... is outstanding as a woman who, in some sense, has been in a prison of her own the past 15 years, waiting for that break in life that may never come. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Jul 28, 2021
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| 1/4 | 94% | No Ordinary Man (2021) |
There's one big problem about "No Ordinary Man: The Billy Tipton Documentary": It's not really about Billy Tipton. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Jul 26, 2021
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| 3/4 | 93% | Val (2021) |
What really puts "Val" over the top was Kilmer's habit since he was a teenager of constantly filming. There is so much Kilmer-filmed footage that he gets sole cinematography credit. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Jul 20, 2021
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| 2/4 | 26% | Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021) |
A bloated 115 minutes, its mayhem and madness wearing pretty thin as it goes along. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Jul 14, 2021
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| 3/4 | 49% | The Forever Purge (2021) |
The script by series creator James DeMonaco, who directed the first three films, never plumbs the depths of its clever concept. The intense, appealing performances by the lead actors get us through. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Jun 30, 2021
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| 3/4 | 91% | No Sudden Move (2020) |
Even as everyone's plans unravel, the film does not. The script, by Ed Solomon, is sharp, as is Soderbergh's direction. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Jun 29, 2021
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| 3/4 | 47% | False Positive (2021) |
While "False Positive" has lapses in logic and could have a quicker pace in the second half, it fully embraces a bizarre sense of the macabre that is irresistible. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Jun 24, 2021
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| 2/4 | 91% | Luca (2021) |
"Luca," like its charming village at low tide, is a shallow dip in the water. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Jun 16, 2021
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| 4/4 | 96% | Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go For It (2021) |
A couple of things that stand out in the excellent new documentary "Rita Moreno: A Girl Who Decided to Go for It" is that the Berkeley resident is ferocious - and oh so vulnerable. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Jun 15, 2021
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| 3/4 | 88% | Tove (2021) |
Poysti's subtle, layered performance conveys Tove's complex dilemma with sweetness and pain. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Jun 1, 2021
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| 3/4 | 96% | Riders of Justice (2021) |
Imagine a Liam Neeson revenge thriller with an early Coen brothers oddball vibe. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted May 13, 2021
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| 3/4 | 96% | The Human Factor (2020) |
It is sober and detailed, and while it would have been nice to hear from the Israeli and Palestinian negotiators, the American diplomats interviewed employ some 20/20 hindsight, and not all of it is complimentary. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted May 6, 2021
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| 2/4 | 82% | Wet Season (2019) |
Ling is a perpetual victim. And Chen doesn't give her many interesting options. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Apr 30, 2021
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| 3/4 | 83% | Cher & The Loneliest Elephant (2021) |
Not only tells Kaavan's story, but highlights the abuses many animals suffer in captivity, as well as the international animal rights organizations trying to save them. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Apr 19, 2021
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| 4/4 | 98% | Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Movie: Mugen Train (2021) |
This is not only a film about battles between humans and demons, but also a character-building buddy movie about maturation. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Apr 19, 2021
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| 1/4 | 5% | Vanquish (2021) |
Anyone wondering what "Ironside" would have been like if Raymond Burr had been a dirty cop gets their answer courtesy of Morgan Freeman in the dreadful new thriller "Vanquish." - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Apr 14, 2021
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| 4/4 | 100% | Bill Traylor: Chasing Ghosts (2021) |
Wolf's exceptional documentary "Bill Traylor: Chasing Ghosts" seeks to tells its subject's story in a deeply personal way, while also pulling back when needed to contextualize his work. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Apr 14, 2021
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| 2/4 | 69% | Francesco (2021) |
Afineevsky doesn't ask the tough questions, despite scoring a one-on-one with Pope Francis, bits of which are sprinkled throughout the film. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Mar 26, 2021
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| 2.5/4 | No Score Yet | Frida. Viva la vida (2019) |
There is enough here, including some sumptuous location shooting in Mexico, that is fascinating and insightful to make the documentary worthwhile - especially if you're planning a trip to the de Young. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Mar 15, 2021
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| 3/4 | 63% | Face (2005) |
It is the best performance of [Ling's] eclectic international career, and it raises the level of this otherwise competently made movie to something more special. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Mar 12, 2021
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| 3/4 | 74% | Boss Level (2021) |
Sometimes you need a little bit of fun, and "Boss Level" delivers. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Mar 2, 2021
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| 4/4 | 94% | Raya and the Last Dragon (2021) |
Sure to be an instant animated classic... it expertly balances emotion, humor and social politics amid a backdrop of surreal, eye-popping visual beauty. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Mar 2, 2021
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| 1/4 | 31% | Tom & Jerry (2020) |
A movie that seems to have been made by people who don't understand the history, true nature or appeal of their iconic characters. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Feb 26, 2021
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| 1/4 | 87% | Swallow (2020) |
Whatever. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Feb 17, 2021
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| 3/4 | 100% | Twilight's Kiss (Suk Suk) (2021) |
"Twilight's Kiss" is a fragile film of quiet moments and tender feelings, and although it runs out of gas near the end, it takes us on an engaging journey. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Feb 17, 2021
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| 2/4 | 75% | The World to Come (2020) |
Waterston and Kirby do achieve an intimacy that operates as a warm fire warding off the chilliness around them. It's too bad we were left out in the cold. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Feb 10, 2021
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| 4/4 | 98% | Minari (2020) |
It is not just about the American Dream, it is a search for America's soul. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Feb 9, 2021
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| 3/4 | 70% | Land (2021) |
Edee is played by Robin Wright, who not only makes us feel her pain but also makes an effective and visually lush directorial debut about a woman who seeks to lose herself, but against her wishes is found. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Feb 9, 2021
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| 3/4 | 68% | A Glitch in the Matrix (2021) |
[A] thought-provoking documentary... - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Feb 2, 2021
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| 3/4 | 68% | Life in a Day 2020 (2021) |
Here's hoping for a follow-up in 2030, and the decades beyond. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Feb 1, 2021
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| 3/4 | 90% | True Mothers (Asa ga kuru) (2020) |
Kawase's films are absorbing and quietly moving, and this is no exception. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Jan 27, 2021
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| 3/4 | 97% | The Reason I Jump (2021) |
While director Jerry Rothwell's globe-trotting, visually ambitious film can't take us into this world, it does an excellent job of helping us better understand it through the eyes and thoughts of five autistic children. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Jan 7, 2021
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| 3/4 | 70% | Tenet (2020) |
"Tenet" is indeed impressive, although I gave up trying to follow the plot. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Dec 17, 2020
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| 3/4 | 100% | 76 Days (2020) |
"76 Days" is undeniably a well-made film, and it shows some interesting details. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Dec 8, 2020
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| 4/4 | 89% | Dear Santa (2020) |
Ultimately, "Dear Santa" is about pulling together, helping neighbors, loving each other and celebrating life and the spirit of giving. It's a delightful gift at the end of a challenging year. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Dec 2, 2020
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| 3/4 | 77% | Uncle Frank (2020) |
Ultimately, writer-director Alan Ball's predictable but engaging drama is about acceptance and courage. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Nov 25, 2020
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| 3/4 | 77% | The Croods: A New Age (2020) |
There's a lot going on here, and director Joel Crawford and his teams efficiently keep the story moving along. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Nov 23, 2020
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| 4/4 | 99% | Collective (Colectiv) (2020) |
"Collective" is a fascinating documentary that seems to unfold over real time. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Nov 18, 2020
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| 4/4 | 88% | Run (2020) |
Chaganty and Ohanian love ratcheting up the suspense within confined spaces, and they're really good at it. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Nov 17, 2020
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| 1/4 | 83% | Freaky (2020) |
Vaughn and Newton look as if they're having fun but each play one note. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Nov 12, 2020
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| 4/4 | 69% | Ammonite (2020) |
An exquisite achievement... - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Nov 11, 2020
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| 3/4 | 25% | Hillbilly Elegy (2020) |
[An] absorbing family drama of rural poverty and addiction that features compelling go-for-broke performances from Amy Adams and Glenn Close, but a rather bland lead in Gabriel Basso as Vance. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Nov 11, 2020
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| 3/4 | 79% | I Am Greta (2020) |
Outside of the deluded, who doesn't believe that climate change is real and needs to be addressed in an urgent manner? "I Am Greta" demonstrates that her message is resonating. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Nov 10, 2020
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| 3/4 | 89% | Words on Bathroom Walls (2020) |
Together, these two bright stars-to-be carry "Words on Bathroom Walls" across the finish line. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Nov 5, 2020
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| 3/4 | 97% | Spontaneous (2020) |
It's at times a horror film, at times a teenage romance, sometimes a comedy, other times an allegory of teenage angst. But that's what makes it strangely wonderful and fresh. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Oct 7, 2020
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| 3/4 | 100% | Dick Johnson Is Dead (2020) |
Less a horror film than a valentine, from a daughter to a father, and a sweet portrait of a man going gently into that good night. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Sep 30, 2020
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