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Kevin L. Lee
Tomatometer-approved critic
Kevin L. Lee is an Asian-American critic, producer, screenwriter and director based in New York City. In the summer of 2011, Kevin filmed his first project at Universal Studios on the plane crash set from Steven Spielberg's War of the Worlds. He has over 9 years of marketing and writing experience on cinema, ranging from blockbusters to foreign art films, and has developed a reputation of keeping the conversation and film discourse healthy and respectful. Currently, he is pursuing an MFA in film producing at Columbia University and is eager to bring fresh new stories onto the screen.
Movies reviews only
| Rating | T-Meter | Title | Year | Review |
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Godzilla Minus One (2023) |
Godzilla has been the King of the Monsters for 70 years now. Whether you love him as a metaphor for nuclear destruction or as Japan’s tourism ambassador, his versatility is his greatest strength. - AwardsWatch
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| Posted Nov 22, 2023
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Napoleon (2023) |
One can understandably argue that Napoleon can’t make up its mind on what to be. [Ridley] Scott clearly wants to do all of the above, and the truth of the matter is that all of those ideas are interesting, despite not meshing perfectly together. - Film Inquiry
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| Posted Nov 21, 2023
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The Marvels (2023) |
DeCosta brings a much-appreciated grounded approach to the story, while demonstrating a great sense of humor and ability to direct action. Meanwhile, Larson, Parris, and Vellani are simply dynamite together. - Film Inquiry
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| Posted Nov 17, 2023
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Wish (2023) |
It’s difficult to argue that Wish is a film with an identity outside of just being “the 100th-year movie.” It’s Disney celebrating their formula by presenting… just the formula… in its most basic form. - AwardsWatch
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| Posted Nov 17, 2023
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The Settlers (2023) |
When we get to the final 20 minutes of The Settlers, Haberle hits home on what genocide truly leaves behind in world history – that it is more than just a period of evil and murder, but it shapes the societal entity that is formed afterwards. - Film Inquiry
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| Posted Oct 05, 2023
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Foe (2023) |
It’s the quintessential example of a movie completely built around its twist, thus forcing the script to withhold information from the audience until it’s time for the big reveal. - Film Inquiry
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| Posted Oct 04, 2023
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The Beast (2023) |
Despite the excellent performances, the direction, and the production design, The Beast never clicked with me. With such a tedious execution on fascinating ideas, the film tiredly spins in circles without truly saying something impactful. - Film Inquiry
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| Posted Oct 04, 2023
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Monster (2023) |
When it clicks, it is an earth-shattering moment that feels like a point of no return. But Kore-eda holds your hand throughout the entire journey, making the film such a devastating but beautiful experience. - Film Inquiry
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| Posted Sep 18, 2023
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The Movie Emperor (2023) |
[Andy] Lau not only continues to cement his place as a Hong Kong legend in cinema, but he strolls right in and delivers a comedic performance like no other. - AwardsWatch
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| Posted Sep 16, 2023
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A Normal Family (2023) |
A Normal Family is smart enough to not offer pat answers or resolutions. Rather, it is a showcase of how unavoidable its events are. They unfold almost like a Shakespearean tragedy does. - AwardsWatch
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| Posted Sep 15, 2023
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Fingernails (2023) |
Buckley and Ahmed share great chemistry on screen. But with the latter half of the film meandering around the same ideas over and over, I can’t help but see myself in all those couples who separated due to a test result – wondering what could’ve been. - AwardsWatch
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| Posted Sep 13, 2023
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Finestkind (2023) |
You can see from an outline point of view that the film has several good story elements and nearly all the pieces are in place. It’s just a shame that on execution, it’s all over the place, ranging from being uneventful to being unintentionally funny. - Film Inquiry
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| Posted Sep 12, 2023
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Dream Scenario (2023) |
In a long career full of unorthodox titles and creative choices, Nicolas Cage has never been funnier and more heartbreaking than he is here. - AwardsWatch
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| Posted Sep 10, 2023
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Concrete Utopia (2023) |
Despite handling familiar themes, Um Tae-hwa pulls through thanks to his direction and technical execution. Concrete Utopia may not have something new to say but it has a lot of heart and soul in the telling. - AwardsWatch
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| Posted Sep 10, 2023
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Haunted Mansion (2023) |
In the end, Haunted Mansion is okay. Visually, it’s made with love, and all the actors are in the mood to play. For better or for worse, it makes for a fun spooky night on Disney+ for the family. - Film Inquiry
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| Posted Jul 26, 2023
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Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023) |
Dial of Destiny is not perfect. In fact, it’s a rather flawed movie, and the flaws are extremely noticeable. But it is also very entertaining, exciting, well-acted, traditional at the right places and surprising in the best way. - Film Inquiry
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| Posted Jul 03, 2023
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Joy Ride (2023) |
It is every vulgar, nasty, boundary-pushing R-rated comedy you’ve ever seen, except it is put together on the screen with honesty, heart, and Asian pride. The result is one big Joy Fuck Club. - AwardsWatch
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| Posted Mar 18, 2023
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Tetris (2023) |
[Tetris is] silly enough to embrace the absurdity in the story but is also mature enough to respect and acknowledge the real danger at the time. - AwardsWatch
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| Posted Mar 17, 2023
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Upon Entry (2022) |
Alejandro Rojas and Juan Sebastián Vásquez present Upon Entry not so much as a damning condemnation of the U.S. immigration system as much as it is a deep exploration of psychology, authority, and how easily people in positions of power can abuse it. - AwardsWatch
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| Posted Mar 16, 2023
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Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023) |
It may not be deep in substance, but it’s certainly a fantasy adventure movie that wears its fun on its sleeve, and it asks us all to be 10-year-olds and enjoy ourselves. - Film Inquiry
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| Posted Mar 16, 2023
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Self Reliance (2023) |
Johnson may not be the most precise in his messaging, but his sincerity in wanting to say all those things together in his movie is undeniably felt that by the time we arrived at the film’s ending, it put a smile on my face. - AwardsWatch
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| Posted Mar 14, 2023
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Landscape with Invisible Hand (2023) |
As messy and thematically clunky as it is, it held my attention from start to finish. Though Finley may have fallen a bit short on the writing this time, he tackles the sci-fi genre with the same confidence in his previous films. - Film Inquiry
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| Posted Feb 03, 2023
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The Pod Generation (2023) |
Though The Pod Generation arrives at a third act that is somewhat of a cathartic escape from such corporate power, the film could have and should have been angrier and more articulate with its attitude towards its world. - Film Inquiry
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| Posted Feb 03, 2023
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Talk to Me (2023) |
[...] The script keeps Mia’s plight front and center, as it holds a consistent level of energy to its horror that kept me interested from start to finish. With that level of confidence, Talk to Me may be familiar but it’s a fun scary time. - Film Inquiry
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| Posted Jan 31, 2023
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Run Rabbit Run (2023) |
You can have a great lead performance, but if the film struggles to maintain momentum in its pacing and doesn’t quite know how to handle its disturbing subject matter, it’s hard to be emotionally invested, let alone scared. - Film Inquiry
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| Posted Jan 31, 2023
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Cat Person (2023) |
This is merely the result of a story working much better on one medium than the other. Perhaps Cat Person would’ve worked better as a short film, strictly from a narrative structure sense. But for what we got, this should suffice. - AwardsWatch
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| Posted Jan 26, 2023
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Infinity Pool (2023) |
There is a ton of political commentary and existential dread sprinkled throughout Cronenberg’s companion piece to The Purge, but sadly, he only seems interested in world-building on a vibe level and not a substance level. - AwardsWatch
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| Posted Jan 24, 2023
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Fair Play (2023) |
Nearly every line of dialogue thrown between Emily and Luke is ripe with an undertone of sinister intentions or subtext reading. It’s all thanks to Domont’s subtle direction and dynamite performances from Dynevor and Ehrenreich. - AwardsWatch
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| Posted Jan 22, 2023
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M3GAN (2022) |
M3GAN just proves once again that the folks over at Blumhouse know what they’re doing. With that, they’ve made a new horror icon, and she’s here to stay. Frankly, I’d love to see her again. - AwardsWatch
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| Posted Jan 07, 2023
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Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) |
It is no exaggeration to say that this is one of the most technically impressive films ever made...a spectacular achievement, an epic homecoming in the most affectionate way. - AwardsWatch
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| Posted Dec 13, 2022
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Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) |
...every emotional beat in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever still lands. They hit hard because they have been real for us. As a story of loss, legacy, and healing, Wakanda Forever is a beautiful sequel. - AwardsWatch
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| Posted Nov 08, 2022
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Halloween Ends (2022) |
For 44 years, Jamie Lee Curtis has given her all to this series. Finally, after all this time, it feels good to see Laurie have her own sigh of relief and live on through the hearts of everyone who has supported her fight since 1978. - AwardsWatch
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| Posted Oct 13, 2022
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Wendell & Wild (2022) |
At the end of it all, the film offers a heartfelt message that quirky, even spooky individuals can come together to do good. The script may stumble a lot with a busy plot, but, thankfully, Selick helps Wendell & Wild reach its destination at the end. - That Shelf
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| Posted Sep 27, 2022
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Empire of Light (2022) |
A beautiful albeit frustrating case study of Sam Mendes the director vs. Sam Mendes the writer. With a lack of dramatization in the story, the film only has its fantastic performances and technical components to keep it afloat. - Film Inquiry
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| Posted Sep 20, 2022
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Baby Ruby (2022) |
Though it falls into some psychological thriller tropes that are more silly than they are effective, Baby Ruby gets its message across thanks to a phenomenal performance by Merlant and a gentle sensibility by Wohl as it approaches its resolution. - Film Inquiry
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| Posted Sep 20, 2022
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Sanctuary (2022) |
Christopher Abbott and Margaret Qualley sizzle on screen together. They keep Sanctuary fun, suspenseful, and arousing, down to the perfectly delivered last line. - That Shelf
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| Posted Sep 18, 2022
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The Greatest Beer Run Ever (2022) |
The more the film goes on, the more it becomes clear that the filmmakers are afraid of offending one side of the political spectrum than the other. We’re left with a perfectly adequate film that will appeal to the masses. - AwardsWatch
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| Posted Sep 15, 2022
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The Inspection (2022) |
It’s a small little film that is as heavy as it is empowering, with a phenomenal lead performance by Pope and a beautifully restrained maturity by Bratton. - Film Inquiry
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| Posted Sep 15, 2022
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The Menu (2022) |
The Menu is a savage commentary on our materialistic consumerist tendencies, but surprisingly it is also a tale of reclaiming passion for who you are and what you do. Consider me well-fed, and expect me to return for seconds. - AwardsWatch
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| Posted Sep 11, 2022
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Pinocchio (2022) |
More than anything, I’m confused. Confused as to what the filmmakers actually wanted to do with this material. There’s no new take, no new angle, no clear takeaway with this version. And so all we get is a wooden shell. Knock knock. Who’s there? Nobody. - AwardsWatch
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| Posted Sep 09, 2022
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Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022) |
Minions: The Rise of Gru is fortunately very funny. It’s constantly loud and always doing something to keep you entertained from start to finish. - AwardsWatch
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| Posted Jun 29, 2022
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Lightyear (2022) |
You can criticize it for not aiming for infinity and beyond, or you can manage your expectations, respect its modesty, and applaud Lightyear for knowing and pulling off exactly what it wanted to be. - Film Inquiry
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| Posted Jun 18, 2022
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Jurassic World Dominion (2022) |
Jurassic World Dominion is far from where we started in 1993, but I believe the world is big enough to have both kinds of blockbusters. It’s an extremely flawed but admirable effort, full of dumb cheesy moments, plenty of action, and really cool dinos. - Film Inquiry
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| Posted Jun 15, 2022
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Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) |
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is one of the messiest, most chaotic Marvel movies to date. It is also the most gnarly, scary, gonzo, insane thing the studio has ever allowed to happen. - Film Inquiry
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| Posted May 06, 2022
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Fire of Love (2022) |
Whether its seeing footage of the eruptions and lava flows to hearing the couple talk about how they first met and how they balance one another, Fire of Love is a fun, informative, and bittersweet story of passion. - Film Inquiry
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| Posted Apr 03, 2022
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The Cellar (2022) |
Unfortunately, The Cellar is that kind of movie destined to join a long catalog of horror titles listed on a streaming platform for you to scroll past, as you try to find a better film thats worth your time. - Film Inquiry
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| Posted Mar 26, 2022
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Jethica (2022) |
Jethica is a film that never loses track of its simplicity and core idea. It comes and goes in a quick 70-minute runtime and leaves a stronger impression than most comedies and ghost stories. - Film Inquiry
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| Posted Mar 26, 2022
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I Love My Dad (2022) |
I Love My Dad could have been a great film. Sadly, with its over-leaning on the obscenities and outrage for comedic effort, we're saddled with a competent, well-intentioned film that works better when being discussed than being watched. - Film Inquiry
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| Posted Mar 26, 2022
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Turning Red (2022) |
The result is a heartwarming treat for the whole family that I so wish could play in the theater, because Turning Red is a total blast. - Film Inquiry
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| Posted Mar 12, 2022
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Emily the Criminal (2022) |
Though the second half falls more into straightforward crime thriller tropes, it remains consistently tense and entertaining thanks to two terrific performances from Plaza and Rossi and an ever-present looming air of financial burden on our characters - Film Inquiry
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| Posted Feb 11, 2022
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