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John Urbancich
Tomatometer-approved critic
Sun Newspapers, Clevelandmember, BFCA
Cleveland, Ohio
http://www.sunnews.com
Movies reviews only
| Rating | T-Meter | Title | Year | Review |
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Flora and Son (2023) |
Carney provides his usual heart and soul for story, and Gary Clark (of "Danny Wilson" fame) contributes to the filmmaker's worthy score, just as he did in 2017's sparkling "Sing Street." - JMuvies
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| Posted Sep 23, 2023
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Dumb Money (2023) |
The mostly young investors in "Game Stop" stocks face-off with wealthy hedge fund owners who literally were betting against them, and Gillespie's hip cast makes the whole historic revolution a lot funnier than it really was or, honestly, ever should be. - JMuvies
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| Posted Sep 23, 2023
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Reptile (2023) |
The screenwriting trio often leans on perceptions initiated by characters and the actors playing them to present a watchable whodunnit after the early and brutal murder of a real estate agent (Matilda Lutz). - JMuvies
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| Posted Sep 23, 2023
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Strays (2023) |
Everything that dogs do -- and doo-doo -- earns plenty of screen time, too, before a crescendo sequence, accompanied by Miley Cyrus' "Wrecking Ball," seriously hits the fan.
- JMuvies
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| Posted Aug 19, 2023
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The Last Voyage of the Demeter (2023) |
No yo-ho-ho's here, though, or bottles of rum, either, as told from just one chapter of the late-19th century, Bram Stoker novel that introduced the "Prince of Darkness" and, eventually, bloodsucking as a spectator sport. - JMuvies
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| Posted Aug 12, 2023
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Shortcomings (2023) |
Justin H. Min even makes the squirrelly Ben lovable at times. Maybe that is because many of his most humorous conversations arrive opposite the marvelous Sherry Cola, as his lesbian BFF, a give-and-take confidante with plenty of her own issues. - JMuvies
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| Posted Aug 05, 2023
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Theater Camp (2023) |
"People here are weird but really wonderful," one character admits during a moment of profound observation that says it all. - JMuvies
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| Posted Jul 29, 2023
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Haunted Mansion (2023) |
The latest attempt to cash in on one of the most popular rides in a few Disney theme parks does impress with special effects that actually resemble the ones playing smartly on the same-named attractions in Anaheim, Orlando, Paris, and Tokyo. - JMuvies
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| Posted Jul 29, 2023
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The Beanie Bubble (2023) |
"Bubble" bounces back and forth between fiction and reality, with the former likely winning in a landslide as a book-based look at making and selling stuffed toys by the planet full in the 1990s. - JMuvies
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| Posted Jul 29, 2023
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They Cloned Tyrone (2023) |
A Nancy Drew-inspired hooker (the terrific Teyonah Parris), 1995's 'Pimp of the Year' (Jamie Foxx), and a drug dealer (John Boyega) everyone thought had been gunned down walk into an elevator, and some dialogue-driven hilarity ensues. (mini-review) - JMuvies
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| Posted Jul 22, 2023
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Oppenheimer (2023) |
The project rocks with great actors and recognizable faces, portraying famously brilliant scientists, spouting magnitudes of historical perspective, and a last act that mixes vile McCarthyism with America's overwhelming fixations on heroism and winning. - JMuvies
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| Posted Jul 22, 2023
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Barbie (2023) |
After a sweet and funny first 20 minutes, the performance of Ryan Gosling (as the ever-clueless Ken) and a grandly overstated, feminist soliloquy by America Ferrera, as a former Barbie mom, become hip highlights of this more silly than clever movie. - JMuvies
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| Posted Jul 22, 2023
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The Miracle Club (2023) |
"The Miracle Club" may slowly grow on viewers simply by being blessed with a sparkling cast and a large Irish heart that eventually overflows in all the properly spiritual ways. - JMuvies
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| Posted Jul 15, 2023
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Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning, Part One (2023) |
See Tom. See Tom run. See Tom jump. Simply see Tom Cruise, back for a seventh time as very secret agent Ethan Hunt, get the summer blockbuster job done -- again. - JMuvies
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| Posted Jul 10, 2023
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Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023) |
Unfortunately, and too often, time does not fly swiftly enough through much of "Destiny." - JMuvies
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| Posted Jul 01, 2023
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No Hard Feelings (2023) |
Golden Raspberry Awards, here we come. . . - JMuvies
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| Posted Jun 23, 2023
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Asteroid City (2023) |
It is always a hoot to watch the parade of stars waltzing in and out of a crowded project that still leans on creative crafts people to keep eyes dancing. - JMuvies
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| Posted Jun 23, 2023
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The Flash (2023) |
Just know that this latest Justice League entry soars from the start with a literal "baby shower" event before ultimately slowing a bit down a lengthy final stretch that enjoys one last -- of many -- surprise cameos. - JMuvies
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| Posted Jun 17, 2023
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Elemental (2023) |
Family names and word plays from a trio of sitcom scribes-turned screenwriters might keep adults entertained. Meanwhile, if kids don't enjoy Element City, where a lot of hot air resides, there will be twisting, turning and trips to the rest room. - JMuvies
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| Posted Jun 17, 2023
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It Ain't Over (2022) |
Fans of America's favorite pastime will find director/writer Sean Mullin's doc to be a legitimate, fast-moving treat. Everyone else might call it eye-opening. Ater all, as wiseman Yogi apparently once said, "You can see a lot by watching." - JMuvies
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| Posted Jun 16, 2023
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DalÃland (2022) |
"Sir Ben" simply inhabits the persona -- and celebrity -- of Dali and, if the movie itself might not be as totally fab as Harron's "I Shot Andy Warhol," she again creates her own sparkling canvas, complete with competent supporting players and landscapes. - JMuvies
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| Posted Jun 10, 2023
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Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023) |
The evolving stories of the gifted Morales, quibbling with sparkling parents, and courageous friend/soulmate/heroine Gwen Stacey, ever dealing with her cop father, nicely help shake off any and all of the action cobwebs. - JMuvies
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| Posted Jun 03, 2023
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The Little Mermaid (2023) |
McCarthy's dazzling replay of "Poor Unfortunate Souls" could be counted as the real musical showstopper, despite the top-notch array of other standard "Mermaid" tunes updated for the remake, including Oscar-winning Best Song "Under the Sea." - JMuvies
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| Posted May 26, 2023
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Fast X (2023) |
Even with four Oscar winners, furious action rules one more time. (mini review) - JMuvies
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| Posted May 19, 2023
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Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie (2023) |
The falls and significant breaks/bruises that come with it are all part of a great personal story based on Fox's four books and filled with more hope and humor than sadness and suffering. Blessings and good thoughts all around. - JMuvies
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| Posted May 13, 2023
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Book Club: The Next Chapter (2023) |
As in the first "Club," Bergen's tart-tongued jurist steals the show in the laughs department by, among other things, forming a mutual admonition society with a police chief marvelously portrayed by Giancarlo Giannini. - JMuvies
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| Posted May 13, 2023
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Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023) |
Franchise loyalists should remember to stick around for the affectionate mid-credits salute to all the departing players, not to mention a giant clue at the very end about future endeavors for "Star-Lord" Quill. - JMuvies
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| Posted May 06, 2023
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Peter Pan & Wendy (2023) |
A little more pixie dust, please. - JMuvies
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| Posted Apr 29, 2023
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Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. (2023) |
Who knows? Perhaps a few men actually even might relate to the universal anxieties and surprises discovered on the edges of becoming a teen. Well, at least some of 'em.
- JMuvies
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| Posted Apr 29, 2023
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Ghosted (2023) |
It simply does not work. - JMuvies
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| Posted Apr 22, 2023
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Guy Ritchie's The Covenant (2023) |
Harmful stuff comes with such nasty work, but so does the loyalty, friendship, and mutual respect that filmmaker Ritchie dramatizes just about perfectly after collecting these incidents for the big screen. - JMuvies
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| Posted Apr 22, 2023
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Quasi (2023) |
Most of the barbs miss more often than hit when the famously titled hunchback finds himself caught between the sacrilegious and the Sacre bleu! of it all. - JMuvies
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| Posted Apr 22, 2023
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Renfield (2023) |
The swiftly moving blend of very old and new comes courtesy of director Chris McKay ("The Lego Movie") and screenwriter Ryan Ridley, filmmakers who keep exploits feeling like fun even when showing off uncommonly wild ways to off mostly bad guys. - JMuvies
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| Posted Apr 15, 2023
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The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) |
All we need is a legitimate story to flesh out among the colors. Maybe next time?
- JMuvies
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| Posted Apr 06, 2023
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Air (2023) |
Expect nothing but three-pointers all around. - JMuvies
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| Posted Apr 05, 2023
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Spinning Gold (2023) |
The majority of plot moments follow the highs and lows in the career of Casablanca founder Neil Bogart, a unique character and man who lived for the moment, that is, assuming most of it is true . . . Would just love to love it, baby.
- JMuvies
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| Posted Apr 01, 2023
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I Like Movies (2022) |
The film reeks of independent flair -- in a good way -- from early, current-millennium vibes to a committed cast of unknown players, headed by young Isaiah Lehtinen. - JMuvies
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| Posted Mar 31, 2023
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The Lost King (2022) |
Please don't expect screenwriters Jeff Pope and Coogan to engage you the same way they might have in their Oscar-nominated work on Frears' "Philomena," and you'll probably walk out of the theater more entertained than exhilarated. - JMuvies
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| Posted Mar 25, 2023
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A Good Person (2023) |
The lengthy whys and wherefores, offered up in another behind-the-camera effort from comic actor-turned director and writer Zach Braff, should be seen and likely judged by others who have not watched dozens of similar recovery dramas previously. - JMuvies
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| Posted Mar 24, 2023
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Boston Strangler (2023) |
By the end, let's just call it another well-done showcase for the kind of tough, investigative journalism that rarely exists today, even if the entire film is not quite on par with last year's "She Said." - JMuvies
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| Posted Mar 18, 2023
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Moving On (2022) |
Truthfully, if you want to watch more sparkling use of its two enduring stars, simply find the classic "9 to 5" somewhere, or just about any episode of their seven-year hitch on "Grace and Frankie." - JMuvies
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| Posted Mar 18, 2023
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Champions (2023) |
If somehow you're expecting Shakespeare, please know that even the beloved Bard earns mention as so uniquely included in such an unlikely concoction from Robert "Bobby" Farrelly, directing for a first time away from Oscar-winning brother Peter. - JMuvies
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| Posted Mar 13, 2023
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Scream VI (2023) |
Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Jasmin Savoy Brown, and Mason Gooding solidly return as "The Core Four," a tag which at least three members of this lead quartet find tacky. HA! - JMuvies
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| Posted Mar 12, 2023
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Creed III (2023) |
Director/star Jordan hits hard; Screenplay still needs more punch. - JMuvies
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| Posted Mar 02, 2023
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Cocaine Bear (2023) |
Love the wild title predator, not the movie. - JMuvies
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| Posted Feb 23, 2023
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Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania (2023) |
Crawls instead of buzzes. - JMuvies
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| Posted Feb 23, 2023
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Sharper (2023) |
Not bad, but shoulda been, uh, even sharper. - JMuvies
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| Posted Feb 23, 2023
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Knock at the Cabin (2023) |
It is only the second screenplay director Shyamalan has not penned alone . . . Maybe that's why 'Knock' becomes more of a slow burner, than a persistently riveting take. (mini-review) - JMuvies
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| Posted Feb 04, 2023
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Living (2022) |
The people he surprisingly does reveal his secret to and how he deals with, uh . . . well, living -- and moving forward -- help create the polished gist of a small, thoughtful gem deserving of a wide audience to embrace it.
- JMuvies
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| Posted Jan 27, 2023
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The Son (2022) |
Maybe it played better on the French stage from whence it came. - JMuvies
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| Posted Jan 21, 2023
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