Collin Garbarino
Tomatometer-approved critic
Movies reviews only
| Rating | T-Meter | Title | Year | Review |
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The Little Mermaid (2023) |
It’s just a serviceable attempt to do what the 1989 animated film did for Hans Christian Andersen’s original story from 1837—updating an old tale to appeal to contemporary tastes. - WORLD
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| Posted May 26, 2023
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BlackBerry (2023) |
"BlackBerry" is a comic drama, and in true Canadian style, it features plenty of irony and satire. The movie isn’t actually about smartphones or the building of a company—it just uses a real company as the setting for the rise and fall of fallible men. - WORLD
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| Posted May 19, 2023
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Crater (2023) |
Despite some aspects of the plot feeling contrived, I was surprised by Crater’s ability to pull off an emotionally satisfying ending. - WORLD
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| Posted May 19, 2023
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It Ain't Over (2022) |
"It Ain’t Over" successfully makes the case that Yogi Berra was one of baseball’s greatest players, but in some ways it confirms that America’s collective consciousness was right about him all along. Yogi really was bigger than baseball. - WORLD
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| Posted May 19, 2023
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Big George Foreman: The Miraculous Story of the Once and Future Heavyweight Champion of the World (2023) |
With respectable production values and an iconic hero, it’s the kind of faith-based film that could find favor with a wider audience. - WORLD
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| Posted May 06, 2023
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Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023) |
Gunn signals the somber direction in the opening scene and carries it through to the end credits. It’s not necessarily a darker movie, just sadder, and some fans won’t be prepared for the goofy franchise turning into a bit of a tear-jerker. - WORLD
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| Posted May 06, 2023
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Nefarious (2023) |
On the whole, the script, the cinematography, and the acting are all well done—but the ending falls apart with a clichéd climax to the action and an injudicious epilogue. - WORLD
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| Posted Apr 21, 2023
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The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) |
Adults with fond memories of dodging turtle shells in the ’80s and ’90s won’t mind watching the movie with their children, many of whom have dodged turtle shells in updated versions of those classic games. - WORLD
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| Posted Apr 21, 2023
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On a Wing and a Prayer (2023) |
On a Wing and a Prayer has so much going for it. It’s a shame the script is such an awful mess. - WORLD
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| Posted Apr 07, 2023
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His Only Son (2023) |
Despite the movie’s limitations, the journey with Abraham might be worth taking. - WORLD
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| Posted Mar 24, 2023
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Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023) |
What is a little surprising is that Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves isn’t just a corporate cash grab. It’s actually a really good movie. - WORLD
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| Posted Mar 24, 2023
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Boston Strangler (2023) |
All but one of the Boston Strangler cases are still unresolved, allowing the film to craft a narrative of “what really happened.” And while there’s some speculation and hedging in the movie, its overall explanation seems quite plausible. - WORLD
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| Posted Mar 17, 2023
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Creed III (2023) |
Creed III isn’t perfect, but it’s an entertaining movie with visceral fight scenes you won’t find in a superhero fantasy... It’s an unapologetically masculine film about imperfect men trying to figure out how to live in a world that’s passing them by. - WORLD
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| Posted Mar 03, 2023
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Marlowe (2022) |
Casting Liam Neeson as Raymond Chandler’s Philip Marlowe must have seemed like a surefire hit, but other than Neeson’s world-weary cynicism, the neo-noir "Marlowe" completely misses the mark. - WORLD
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| Posted Feb 24, 2023
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Jesus Revolution (2023) |
Faith-based movies have a reputation for, well, not being very good. But Jesus Revolution is the real deal. - WORLD
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| Posted Feb 24, 2023
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Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania (2023) |
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania doesn’t feel like an Ant-Man movie, but there’s still plenty of fun to be had. - WORLD
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| Posted Feb 17, 2023
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Nate Bargatze: Hello World (2023) |
Beneath the jokes about his supposed ignorance, he possesses a folksy wisdom that resonates with many of us. - WORLD
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| Posted Feb 10, 2023
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Knock at the Cabin (2023) |
Ultimately, the movie fails at turning a thought experiment into a script. - WORLD
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| Posted Feb 10, 2023
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80 for Brady (2023) |
These venerable stars—especially Moreno, who steals the show—deserve a much better script than this one. Instead of weaving the action into a cohesive narrative, the film offers episodic high jinks. The film has amusing bits, but the story doesn’t build. - WORLD
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| Posted Jan 30, 2023
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Living (2022) |
Hermanus has created a beautiful film filled with moments of poignancy. He doesn’t rush the story, allowing the characters to inhabit long pauses that draw us into Mr. Williams’ deliberations concerning the short time he has left. - WORLD
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| Posted Jan 27, 2023
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M3GAN (2022) |
A film featuring a talking doll with an indestructible titanium skeleton isn’t meant to be taken seriously, but M3GAN is an old-school morality tale asking us if we’re the masters of our technology, or is it mastering us? - WORLD
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| Posted Jan 13, 2023
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Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022) |
The animation is smooth, beautiful, and action-packed. The excellent visuals complement a witty script with a virtuous message. ... Many characters in the movie become convicted of their selfishness, learning to be content with what they already have.
- WORLD
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| Posted Jan 13, 2023
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A Man Called Otto (2022) |
Columbia Pictures has marketed A Man Called Otto as a heartwarming comedy, but don’t be fooled. The movie has some heartwarming and comedic scenes, but it’s a very sad—and flawed—film. - WORLD
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| Posted Jan 13, 2023
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Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) |
The movie is visually exhilarating, but it suffers from the same problems as the original. The movie is punishingly long, and its thin storyline and cast of imminently forgettable characters don’t provide much payoff. - WORLD
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| Posted Dec 16, 2022
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Devotion (2022) |
This is a film about real heroes facing real struggles—both internal and external. The movie doesn’t apologize for the belief that America, despite its problems, is a special place worth fighting for. - WORLD
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| Posted Dec 10, 2022
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A Christmas Story Christmas (2022) |
The original conveyed the magic of Christmas through the wide-eyed wonder of childhood. The sequel has its entertaining moments, but most hinge on understanding their relationship to the original. - WORLD
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| Posted Dec 10, 2022
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Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022) |
The ensemble cast is fabulous, and Johnson’s script is clever. - WORLD
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| Posted Dec 10, 2022
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Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) |
Things dragged on so long that by the time the mantle of Black Panther was passed to its new owner, I was like, “Okay. So that happened.” What was meant to be the movie’s big moment elicited little more than a shrug. - WORLD
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| Posted Nov 11, 2022
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Till (2022) |
There’s no happy ending, but Till does end with a sense of hope. The murder of Emmett Till changed the way many Americans looked at race. At one point, Mamie asks God why this happened. By the end, we feel that through one boy’s death others might live. - WORLD
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| Posted Nov 04, 2022
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Ticket to Paradise (2022) |
The formulaic script works in the movie’s favor. ... Fans of the genre know where all this is heading, but the journey is too delightful to pass up. - WORLD
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| Posted Nov 04, 2022
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Black Adam (2022) |
Black Adam is somewhat entertaining, but the movie feels like a missed opportunity. A good film is hiding in this mess somewhere, but director Jaume Collet-Serra just couldn’t find it. - WORLD
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| Posted Oct 28, 2022
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Nothing Is Impossible (2022) |
Nothing Is Impossible takes that Hallmark formula and baptizes it with some overt Christian references. - WORLD
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| Posted Oct 24, 2022
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Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile (2022) |
Don’t expect many surprises. The story is a little formulaic, but it’s a crowd-pleasing formula. - WORLD
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| Posted Oct 07, 2022
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Amsterdam (2022) |
Amsterdam opens with the statement, “A lot of this really happened.” But audiences who sit through this confused mess of a movie aren’t going to know which parts are fact and which parts are fiction. Also, they’re unlikely to care. - WORLD
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| Posted Oct 07, 2022
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Catherine Called Birdy (2022) |
Karen Cushman’s novel entertains children while teaching them about life in medieval England. The movie based on that book does none of those things. - WORLD
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| Posted Sep 30, 2022
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Beast (2022) |
It’s always nice to see a father in a movie play the hero and protect his children. Beast is good, but not great—entertaining, but forgettable. - WORLD
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| Posted Aug 29, 2022
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Bullet Train (2022) |
Coupling humor with foul language and splatter-gore violence isn’t a new technique, but Bullet Train tries to convince you that it’s doing something fresh with its large ensemble cast. - WORLD
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| Posted Aug 12, 2022
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Easter Sunday (2022) |
Easter Sunday was supposed to capitalize on the humor that goes along with being part of a large immigrant family, but in the end the movie is a missed opportunity. - WORLD
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| Posted Aug 12, 2022
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Luck (2022) |
Luck doesn’t break a lot of new ground. But the movie has some creative elements and likable characters. The animation is solid, though not eye popping. The voice cast is good. ... It’s a rare movie these days that has both a G-rating and a plot. - WORLD
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| Posted Aug 05, 2022
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Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris (2022) |
"Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris" is a delightful movie, with a heartwarming story ... This midcentury fairy tale reminds us beauty is important and kindness, honesty, and sacrifice for others are the keys to a meaningful life. - WORLD
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| Posted Aug 03, 2022
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Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank (2022) |
The movie pretends to teach viewers a lesson about prejudice, but there’s not much to this thin, uninspiring story. Paws of Fury plods through the genre’s necessary plot points with an irritating self-awareness of its own unoriginality. - WORLD
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| Posted Jul 15, 2022
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Persuasion (2022) |
Out of all of Jane Austen’s books, Persuasion is the one that still needed an excellent screen adaptation. Now Austen fans will continue to wait, because Netflix’s new movie version of the classic novel doesn’t do it justice. - WORLD
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| Posted Jul 14, 2022
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Thor: Love and Thunder (2022) |
Despite being a movie about magic hammers and space gods, Thor: Love and Thunder is a very funny film in which we see Thor wrestle with very human problems. - WORLD
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| Posted Jul 08, 2022
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Elvis (2022) |
Elvis is a beautiful, flawed, tragic movie about a beautiful, flawed, tragic human being. - WORLD
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| Posted Jun 24, 2022
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Jerry & Marge Go Large (2022) |
But ultimately, Jerry and Marge Go Large is an enjoyable film about the importance of family, community, and math literacy. - WORLD
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| Posted Jun 17, 2022
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Chip 'n' Dale: Rescue Rangers (2022) |
This slick movie relies on style rather than substance. In the end, the plot feels like a threadbare excuse to give us a dizzying parade of cameos meant to satisfy our craving for nostalgia. - WORLD
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| Posted Jun 10, 2022
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Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022) |
There’s nothing new here for fans of the series, but that’s ultimately the point. We enjoy slipping into the familiar problems of familiar people. - WORLD
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| Posted May 20, 2022
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Family Camp (2022) |
It’s a funny acknowledgment of the quirkiness we sometimes see in our churches. Viewers who haven’t spent time in these Christian circles won’t find the film as amusing. - WORLD
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| Posted May 20, 2022
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Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) |
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is a sad attempt to keep the increasingly unwieldy MCU moving toward another Infinity War–like showdown. This cinematic mess isn’t so much a film as a lazy two-hour setup without any pay off. - WORLD
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| Posted May 13, 2022
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Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022) |
What the film lacks in coherence, it makes up for in humor and speedy action sequences. Carrey is even more outrageous than in the original, and Elba puts in some scene-stealing voice work. - WORLD
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| Posted Apr 22, 2022
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