|
B
|
Onward
(2020)
|
Greg Maki
|
The world-building is where the movie shines the brightest.
Posted Mar 06, 2020
|
|
A
|
The Invisible Man
(2020)
|
Greg Maki
|
... This version feels urgent, necessary even, in the #MeToo era.
Posted Feb 28, 2020
|
|
B+
|
Bad Boys for Life
(2020)
|
Greg Maki
|
Not just acknowledging but making its stars' age - Smith is 51, Lawrence 54 - a central point gives "Bad Boys for Life" a reason to exist beyond pure nostalgia.
Posted Jan 15, 2020
|
|
A
|
1917
(2019)
|
Greg Maki
|
... Gripping to the point you almost forget about the gimmick that pulls it all together.
Posted Jan 10, 2020
|
|
B
|
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
(2019)
|
Greg Maki
|
"The Rise of Skywalker" is one last look back, and while not triumphant, it is a satisfying end of an era.
Posted Dec 18, 2019
|
|
A
|
Knives Out
(2019)
|
Greg Maki
|
A modern take on a classic brand of storytelling, "Knives Out" is incredibly well crafted and endlessly entertaining.
Posted Nov 22, 2019
|
|
A-
|
The Good Liar
(2019)
|
Greg Maki
|
What treasures Helen Mirren and Ian McKellen are, and what a gift director Bill Condon has given us by pairing them up in "The Good Liar," a delightfully twisty tale.
Posted Nov 15, 2019
|
|
C-
|
Doctor Sleep
(2019)
|
Greg Maki
|
Beholden to two sources, "Doctor Sleep" ultimately fails to satisfy either one.
Posted Nov 08, 2019
|
|
B
|
Terminator: Dark Fate
(2019)
|
Greg Maki
|
... Gets enough right that it feels like it belongs in this franchise, which is a compliment and something you couldn't say about the three previous installments.
Posted Nov 01, 2019
|
|
D
|
Gemini Man
(2019)
|
Greg Maki
|
Having the means to do something doesn't always mean it should be done.
Posted Oct 11, 2019
|
|
A
|
Joker
(2019)
|
Greg Maki
|
"Joker" stays with the viewer, forcing you to consider it more carefully. The picture you'll get is dark - haunting, disturbing and all too real.
Posted Oct 03, 2019
|
|
C+
|
Abominable
(2019)
|
Greg Maki
|
... the Chinese setting of "Abominable" seems perfunctory at best, chosen only for its relative proximity to the Himalayas.
Posted Sep 27, 2019
|
|
B-
|
It: Chapter Two
(2019)
|
Greg Maki
|
The casting is impeccable, and the characters' personalities are so well defined as this point, that ... it truly feels like a reunion of long-lost friends.
Posted Sep 05, 2019
|
|
A-
|
Ready or Not
(2019)
|
Greg Maki
|
If you're into this sort of thing, the combination of suspense, gore and wicked comedy is riotously entertaining - a recipe destined to make "Ready or Not" a cult classic for years to come.
Posted Aug 20, 2019
|
|
A-
|
Good Boys
(2019)
|
Greg Maki
|
Tremblay, Williams and Noon are terrific as the central trio, and it takes a confident director who knows exactly what he wants to get such performances out of actors this young.
Posted Aug 15, 2019
|
|
C
|
The Kitchen
(2019)
|
Greg Maki
|
acked with enough murders, betrayals and more murders to fill several seasons of "The Sopranos," or at least a three-hour Martin Scorsese epic, "The Kitchen" feels a lot longer than its 102 minute running time.
Posted Aug 07, 2019
|
|
B
|
Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw
(2019)
|
Greg Maki
|
If you buy into the characters - and at this point, audiences clearly have done that - you'll accept and expect action set pieces as ridiculously over the top as they are here.
Posted Aug 01, 2019
|
|
A-
|
The Farewell
(2019)
|
Greg Maki
|
"The Farewell" drips with authenticity as it examines - and gives equal weight and respect to - the disparate traditions and values of its two colliding cultures.
Posted Jul 25, 2019
|
|
A
|
The Lion King
(2019)
|
Greg Maki
|
"The Lion King" feels fresh and vibrant, alive and vital in 2019 in a way I would not have thought possible.
Posted Jul 12, 2019
|
|
C+
|
Stuber
(2019)
|
Greg Maki
|
The laughs mostly come from the heavy lifting of Kumail Nanjiani ...
Posted Jul 11, 2019
|
|
B+
|
Yesterday
(2019)
|
Greg Maki
|
The dramatic material is heavier than might be expected, but it works because Patel and James are such a winning pair.
Posted Jun 28, 2019
|
|
A
|
Spider-Man: Far From Home
(2019)
|
Greg Maki
|
...The perfect palate cleanser after the monumental "Endgame."
Posted Jun 27, 2019
|
|
C-
|
Late Night
(2019)
|
Greg Maki
|
... Everyone seems to be simply waiting for their turn to speak rather than engaging the material and their fellow performers.
Posted Jun 13, 2019
|
|
C+
|
Godzilla: King of the Monsters
(2019)
|
Greg Maki
|
... What begins as awe-inspiring spectacle becomes routine.
Posted May 29, 2019
|
|
A
|
Booksmart
(2019)
|
Greg Maki
|
... One of the great coming-of-age comedies of its era.
Posted May 24, 2019
|
|
B-
|
Pokémon Detective Pikachu
(2019)
|
Greg Maki
|
Reynolds easily is the best thing it has going for it.
Posted May 08, 2019
|
|
C-
|
Tolkien
(2019)
|
Greg Maki
|
"Tolkien" supposedly details the inspiration for fantastical worlds and adventures, yet there's no magic here.
Posted May 08, 2019
|
|
A-
|
Long Shot
(2019)
|
Greg Maki
|
Breathing new life into a tired formula, "Long Shot" nails both aspects of its rom-com label ...
Posted May 03, 2019
|
|
A
|
Avengers: Endgame
(2019)
|
Greg Maki
|
... A spectacle and feat of storytelling unlike anything the movies have ever seen.
Posted Apr 24, 2019
|
|
D+
|
Hellboy
(2019)
|
Greg Maki
|
... While the movie laboriously dragged itself from one unappetizing scene to the next, I couldn't shake a nagging thought: It didn't have to be this way.
Posted Apr 11, 2019
|
|
B
|
Pet Sematary
(2019)
|
Greg Maki
|
Directors Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer capture the dark, grieving spirit of what many regard as King's scariest work.
Posted Apr 04, 2019
|
|
B+
|
Shazam!
(2019)
|
Greg Maki
|
The refreshing tone and a wonderfully winning performance by Zachary Levi combine for a delightful experience ...
Posted Apr 03, 2019
|
|
C-
|
Dumbo
(2019)
|
Greg Maki
|
... There simply isn't enough story to sustain this live-action "Dumbo," which, at just under two hours, runs nearly twice as long as Disney's 1941 animated classic.
Posted Mar 27, 2019
|
|
A
|
Us
(2019)
|
Greg Maki
|
With minimal gore, Peele prefers to get inside his viewers' heads. Scaring you is the first thing he wants to do, but he'll ask you to think while he's there, too.
Posted Mar 20, 2019
|
|
B+
|
Captain Marvel
(2019)
|
Greg Maki
|
While it's impossible to look at any Marvel product without considering how it fits into the larger puzzle, "Captain Marvel," much like last year's "Black Panther," deserves to stand on its own as much as it can.
Posted Mar 06, 2019
|
|
D
|
Greta
(2018)
|
Greg Maki
|
"Greta" feels regressive and irresponsible, treating mental illness as an evil that must be defeated rather than as a serious personal and societal issue.
Posted Mar 01, 2019
|
|
A
|
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
(2019)
|
Greg Maki
|
Toothless' initial flirtation with the Light Fury is a wondrous bit of wordless, physical comedy.
Posted Feb 21, 2019
|
|
B+
|
The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part
(2019)
|
Greg Maki
|
The warning is clear: Our greatest enemies often are by our own making.
Posted Feb 21, 2019
|
|
B
|
Glass
(2019)
|
Greg Maki
|
... Looks and feels nothing like the superhero movies that have taken over Hollywood in the past decade.
Posted Jan 17, 2019
|
|
B
|
The Upside
(2017)
|
Greg Maki
|
Hart and Cranston play off each other nicely, and the movie works to the extent it does because they work so well together.
Posted Jan 12, 2019
|
|
B
|
Aquaman
(2018)
|
Greg Maki
|
It took a while, but the DC Extended Universe finally has embraced the inherent silliness of superheroes.
Posted Dec 20, 2018
|
|
C
|
Mary Poppins Returns
(2018)
|
Greg Maki
|
The movie begins and ends with Jack singing about London's skies, and even though Mary Poppins is the magical one, he does more to impact the plot than anyone else.
Posted Dec 20, 2018
|
|
C-
|
Mary Queen of Scots
(2018)
|
Greg Maki
|
Ronan and Robbie are pros, but everything around them feels like the work of amateurs.
Posted Dec 20, 2018
|
|
A-
|
Anna and the Apocalypse
(2017)
|
Greg Maki
|
... The best zombie musical comedy Christmas movie ever made.
Posted Dec 20, 2018
|
|
A
|
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
(2018)
|
Greg Maki
|
... Exactly the superhero movie we need in 2018.
Posted Dec 20, 2018
|
|
A-
|
Creed II
(2018)
|
Greg Maki
|
It uses a well-worn formula to create a fresh, invigorating experience.
Posted Dec 20, 2018
|
|
A-
|
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
(2018)
|
Greg Maki
|
Rowling knows her audience, and she packs each scene with so much delicious information for her devoted fans.
Posted Nov 14, 2018
|
|
B
|
Bohemian Rhapsody
(2018)
|
Greg Maki
|
The movie is at its best when the focus is on the music ...
Posted Oct 26, 2018
|
|
B+
|
Halloween
(2018)
|
Greg Maki
|
... The film is mighty suspenseful, due in no small part to stronger performances than we're used to getting in slasher films
Posted Oct 18, 2018
|
|
A
|
First Man
(2018)
|
Greg Maki
|
... Reminds us that some things are bigger than what drives us apart.
Posted Oct 12, 2018
|
