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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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 seen 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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Women Talking (2022) |
Thank goodness Polley holds firm enough rein to keep proceedings well under two hours. Much more and such tension would smother us. - JMuvies
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| Posted Jan 21, 2023
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M3GAN (2022) |
"M3GAN" easily might have turned into the kind of junky film Hollywood usually serves up in the first week of a new year. Surprise! It has some special moments!
- JMuvies
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| Posted Jan 07, 2023
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A Man Called Otto (2022) |
While the ever-professional Hanks gets to show both comic and grave reaches of range, director Marc Forster also leans on a nicely assembled supporting cast of pertinent players to help explain it all most agreeably. - JMuvies
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| Posted Jan 07, 2023
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The Pale Blue Eye (2022) |
A captivating young soul named Edgar Allan Poe steals the picture, as poetically played by Harry Melling (of previous "Harry Potter" fame). - JMuvies
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| Posted Dec 24, 2022
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Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody (2022) |
The tragically late, enormously great chanteuse's vocal stylings become the reason to see this so-so biopic. - JMuvies
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| Posted Dec 24, 2022
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Corsage (2022) |
Vicky Krieps ("Phantom Thread") gives a period-piece performance to behold as a regal woman turning 40 and obsessed with keeping her figure wrapped more tightly than her smartly irreverent actions. - JMuvies
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| Posted Dec 24, 2022
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Babylon (2022) |
The first 60 minutes of wunderkind director Damien Chazelle's latest three-hour razzle-dazzle is a frenetic masterpiece of lust and probably everything anyone thinks they know about what goes on in Hollywood, even now. - JMuvies
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| Posted Dec 24, 2022
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Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022) |
The plot's a hoot to boot, including an ending that gives hope to Puss and pals reuniting with the "Shrek" franchise that started it all. - JMuvies
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| Posted Dec 24, 2022
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The Whale (2022) |
None of it is particularly easy to watch, but the gentle humanity in Fraser's demeanor will stay with you a while. - JMuvies
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| Posted Dec 23, 2022
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Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) |
Wide eyes become the only tools anyone really needs to enjoy the epic entertainment offered here. - JMuvies
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| Posted Dec 17, 2022
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Emancipation (2022) |
Inhumane images become startlingly real in the hands of director Antoine Fuqua and three-time Oscar-winning cinematographer Robert Richardson, whose pristine black-and-white actually speaks volumes when his big-screen canvas displays even a little red.
- JMuvies
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| Posted Dec 10, 2022
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Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (2022) |
. . . del Toro and co-writer Patrick McHale smartly pack their adventure with emotional family messages and a few more of a decidedly political nature. Truth be told, their latest "Pinocchio" just might be 2022's best animated film. Why would I lie? - JMuvies
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| Posted Dec 10, 2022
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The Inspection (2022) |
Through it all, the twice Tony-nominated Pope delivers one of the year's most potent performances, while Bratton, who eventually created instructional movies for the Marines, becomes a filmmaker to watch. Oorah! - JMuvies
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| Posted Dec 03, 2022
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White Noise (2022) |
Once again searching for universal truths that rarely come easy on the big screen, director/writer Noah Baumbach turns "White Noise" into an odd assortment of issues, professorial discussions, and perhaps simply one huge, 136-minute fever dream. - JMuvies
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| Posted Dec 03, 2022
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The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (2022) |
Happy holidays indeed! - JMuvies
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| Posted Nov 26, 2022
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Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022) |
What really killed me is that I hardly laughed at all. - JMuvies
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| Posted Nov 26, 2022
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The Swimmers (2022) |
A superfluous ending truly pales in comparison to El Hosaini's powerful presentation of the girls' dangerous trek. - JMuvies
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| Posted Nov 26, 2022
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The Fabelmans (2022) |
Judd Hirsch almost runs away with it all during about just 10 wonderful minutes as the fascinating Uncle Boris. - JMuvies
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| Posted Nov 26, 2022
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Devotion (2022) |
Whether true or not, a shore-leave encounter with actress Elizabeth Taylor (Serinda Swann) finds a way to interject some fun into an otherwise strong and serious telling. - JMuvies
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| Posted Nov 25, 2022
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Spirited (2022) |
Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds both seem to enjoy a genuine screen talent for pushing buttons that can turn them from obnoxious to agreeable and back again. - JMuvies
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| Posted Nov 25, 2022
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She Said (2022) |
Not only a brilliant case study of how investigative journalism is supposed to work, but a tribute to countless victims as well. - JMuvies
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| Posted Nov 25, 2022
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The Menu (2022) |
A scary chef (Ralph Fiennes) catering only to the filthy rich leaves room for a lot of explaining to do about how he treats his regulars. - JMuvies
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| Posted Nov 25, 2022
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The Wonder (2022) |
Director Sebastian Leilio lets the voice of his well-chosen star (Florence Pugh) ask us to "believe in this story" to begin a hypnotic journey into 1862 Ireland. Methinks you will. - JMuvies
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| Posted Nov 25, 2022
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Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) |
Tthe brilliance of the piece comes in how co-writer and director Ryan Coogler, back from 2018's epic (in every way imaginable) screen original, manages to fill in the somber blanks left by the sad absence of his legitimate bright light, Chadwick Boseman. - JMuvies
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| Posted Nov 12, 2022
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Good Night Oppy (2022) |
Often fascinating and unexpectedly touching stuff, even if some affection looks a bit long in the tooth by the time "Opportunity," the real name of the title gizmo, has paid its geological dues. - JMuvies
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| Posted Nov 12, 2022
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Causeway (2022) |
Jennifer Lawrence and Brian Tyree Henry knock it out of the park as a pair of wounded souls looking for peace and contentment in the Big Easy. (mini-review) - JMuvies
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| Posted Nov 08, 2022
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Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (2022) |
. . . the rest turns lame quickly, especially once Madonna (Evan Rachel Wood) gets her fingers into our hero, reaching for a career jolt of her own from the accordion-playing Al's famously infamous song parodies. - JMuvies
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| Posted Nov 05, 2022
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The Return of Tanya Tucker: Featuring Brandi Carlile (2022) |
. . . chronicles a Carlile-produced album, tour and some surprising details on the way to a unique rebound story that still might have a few more chapters to tell.
- JMuvies
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| Posted Nov 05, 2022
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The Banshees of Inisherin (2022) |
All four in the movie's main acting quartet should be in line for awards-season mention, and a win or two would not be a surprise. They're all that watchable -- and eminently deserving. - JMuvies
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| Posted Nov 05, 2022
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Armageddon Time (2022) |
If not for the performance of Anthony Hopkins, as a smart and loving grandfather, this '80s-era memoir from writer/director James Gray would disgrace parents, teachers and just about every adult surrounding the major brat it centers upon. (mini review) - JMuvies
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| Posted Nov 05, 2022
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Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues (2022) |
This latest 'Jammie' from director Sacha Jenkins practically takes the fabled jazz musician and all-around showman from cradle to grave with a fascinating assortment of personal letters and audio recordings left by the performer himself. (mini-review) - JMuvies
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| Posted Oct 27, 2022
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The Retaliators (2021) |
. . . just about perfect for hardcore-Halloweeners and with a Christmas-time message of its own, no less. - JMuvies
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| Posted Oct 26, 2022
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Ask Me to Dance (2022) |
"Three's Company" legend Joyce DeWitt, as a shoot-from-the-lip Nana, and WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle, playing his smiling self, enter the fray out of nowhere and help get the mostly fast-moving rom-com to where everyone knows it's going. - JMuvies
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| Posted Oct 25, 2022
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Everybody Dance (2022) |
This small-budget gem highlights a brief -- and invaluably moving -- story of an equally tiny studio/school smartly called "Ballet for All Kids," as founded by a remarkable woman. - JMuvies
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| Posted Oct 25, 2022
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My Policeman (2022) |
The book-based, '50s-era story of "forbidden" love and some fine performances, especially from Dawson and the heartbreaking Gina McKee (playing a decades-older version of the same gentle teacher initiated by Corrin), make it all easy to embrace.
- JMuvies
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| Posted Oct 22, 2022
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Raymond & Ray (2022) |
None of it is really much fun, but their inevitable homecoming allows each to discover things about their sibling, themselves, and the not-so-dearly departed's last wish for both of them.
- JMuvies
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| Posted Oct 22, 2022
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Ticket to Paradise (2022) |
it's really as pleasant of a rom-com partnership as it sounds, especially since good-looking Julia and George just might now hold the all-time record for number of combined smiles in a movie.
- JMuvies
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| Posted Oct 22, 2022
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