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3.5/4
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John Wick: Chapter 4
(2023)
|
Brian Truitt
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“John Wick: Chapter 4” delivers on the ballet of bullets and fiesta of firearms you expect while also successfully showcasing the dynamic, reluctantly unretired title hitman as a real underdog.
Posted Mar 21, 2023
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3/4
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Shazam! Fury of the Gods
(2023)
|
Brian Truitt
|
A fun, kid-friendly follow-up to director David F. Sandberg’s 2019 charmer...
Posted Mar 15, 2023
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3/4
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Scream VI
(2023)
|
Brian Truitt
|
With a pedal to the metal when it comes to nasty kills, “VI” is an improvement overall on the last installment. However, the new film struggles to mine clever new ground...
Posted Mar 08, 2023
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|
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Chris Rock: Selective Outrage
(2023)
|
Kelly Lawler
|
He's crotchety. He's mean. He's predictable and boring.
Posted Mar 05, 2023
|
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3.5/4
|
Creed III
(2023)
|
Brian Truitt
|
No Rocky, no problem.
Posted Mar 01, 2023
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|
|
Cocaine Bear
(2023)
|
Brian Truitt
|
Cocaine Bear only asks that you love the B-movie beauty and its fabulous beast.
Posted Feb 23, 2023
|
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2.5/4
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Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania
(2023)
|
Brian Truitt
|
Majors thankfully rights the ship every time he pops up with his deliciously disconcerting presence.
Posted Feb 14, 2023
|
|
2.5/4
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Magic Mike's Last Dance
(2023)
|
Brian Truitt
|
Tamer and what one could arguably call classier, this movie trades bromantic machismo and beefcake high jinks for female empowerment and character maturity, though still boasting hunky dudes and clothes being ripped off.
Posted Feb 10, 2023
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2.5/4
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80 for Brady
(2023)
|
Brian Truitt
|
It has a fun energy, especially when the main characters are left to their own devices, but often pumps the brakes before it goes too overboard.
Posted Feb 02, 2023
|
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3/4
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Knock at the Cabin
(2023)
|
Brian Truitt
|
A well-crafted intimate thriller that plays with your expectations and immerses you in a disconcerting situation.
Posted Feb 01, 2023
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3/4
|
M3GAN
(2022)
|
Brian Truitt
|
A film that packs a healthy amount of absurdity alongside an insightful exploration of 21st-century parenting, though you might never trust Alexa ever again afterward.
Posted Jan 05, 2023
|
|
2/4
|
Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody
(2022)
|
Brian Truitt
|
Anthony McCarten wrote this as well as “Bohemian Rhapsody,” a best picture nominee that was anything but, and Houston’s tale ultimately takes the same tack as his Queen biopic: a Wikipedia entry come to middling life on screen.
Posted Dec 21, 2022
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2.5/4
|
Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration
(2022)
|
Kelly Lawler
|
The special is good in pieces. It's always nice to see Moreno or to hear an artist like H.E.R. cover a classic Disney tune. But it gets dull to watch it all put together.
Posted Dec 16, 2022
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2.5/4
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Babylon
(2022)
|
Brian Truitt
|
Even with a great turn from Brad Pitt, an impressive showing by newcomer Diego Calva and a bunch of entertaining cameos, the madcap comedy-drama can’t help but run out of creative crazy juice by the end as it unspools into cinematic sentimentality.
Posted Dec 16, 2022
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3/4
|
Avatar: The Way of Water
(2022)
|
Brian Truitt
|
An emotionally charged outing that again dips into themes of colonization while adding environmental issues and relatable family drama.
Posted Dec 13, 2022
|
|
3.5/4
|
Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
(2022)
|
Brian Truitt
|
The most essential adaptation of Carlo Collodi’s novel since Walt Disney’s 1940 cartoon masterpiece, with a practically perfect mix of tragedy, comedy, adventure, parental worries, societal expectations, childhood precociousness and antiwar leanings.
Posted Dec 09, 2022
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|
2.5/4
|
Emancipation
(2022)
|
Brian Truitt
|
It mainly works, due to a quietly powerful performance from Will Smith as an enslaved man just trying to get home.
Posted Dec 08, 2022
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4/4
|
The Whale
(2022)
|
Brian Truitt
|
“The Whale” makes waves in two ways: for Brendan Fraser’s astounding and incredibly compassionate portrayal of an obese man seeking redemption, and as an empathy test in a supremely cynical social-media landscape.
Posted Dec 07, 2022
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3/4
|
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
(2022)
|
Brian Truitt
|
It’s a bigger, showier follow-up, from the A-list cast to the twistier twists, even if it doesn’t have the same witty punch as the original.
Posted Nov 23, 2022
|
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3/4
|
The Fabelmans
(2022)
|
Brian Truitt
|
It may not be his best, but Spielberg still rouses like no other, with a funny, heartfelt and personal story and a meta final shot that’ll leave moviegoers with a big grin.
Posted Nov 22, 2022
|
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3/4
|
Strange World
(2022)
|
Brian Truitt
|
As part of a decently consistent Disney animated run, the family-friendly film offers an escape that’s not that “Strange” in its ability to satisfy.
Posted Nov 21, 2022
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3/4
|
She Said
(2022)
|
Brian Truitt
|
A riveting cinematic quest for journalistic truth – especially one like “She Said,” which tackles an issue that means so much to so many – should always be embraced, no matter the era.
Posted Nov 17, 2022
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|
2.5/4
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Spirited
(2022)
|
Brian Truitt
|
For those looking for something seasonally better than a Hallmark holiday romance, this’ll do the trick.
Posted Nov 09, 2022
|
|
3.5/4
|
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
(2022)
|
Brian Truitt
|
Director Ryan Coogler delivers a powerful follow-up to the phenomenal 2018 Black Panther that’s funny, clever and heartbreaking, impressive in its world-building, honest in its view of world politics and naturally packed with huge action sequences.
Posted Nov 08, 2022
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|
3.5/4
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The Banshees of Inisherin
(2022)
|
Brian Truitt
|
Condon and Keoghan give “Banshees” extra personality and verve, while Farrell and Gleeson are the two halves of its beating heart.
Posted Nov 03, 2022
|
|
3.5/4
|
Tár
(2022)
|
Brian Truitt
|
Even if you take out the timely "cancel culture" bent, “Tár” works as a really intriguing exploration of the mostly uncharted world of classical music, as "Black Swan" did for ballet and "Whiplash" for jazz.
Posted Oct 26, 2022
|
|
2/4
|
Ticket to Paradise
(2022)
|
Brian Truitt
|
A mediocre effort that’s pleasantly beachy, fitfully funny and a waste of its famous leads' hefty chemistry.
Posted Oct 19, 2022
|
|
2/4
|
Black Adam
(2022)
|
Brian Truitt
|
This is Johnson’s baby, a film spotlighting a complicated antihero he has championed for years. It wins some battles and packs plenty of punch, yet it just can’t get past familiar tropes and flaws.
Posted Oct 18, 2022
|
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2/4
|
Halloween Ends
(2022)
|
Kelly Lawler
|
A “Halloween” flick that should go out with a roar but instead closes with a masked wheeze.
Posted Oct 13, 2022
|
|
3/4
|
Amsterdam
(2022)
|
Brian Truitt
|
“Amsterdam” is pretty much an all-star game where everybody excels at their roles and no one’s showboating.
Posted Oct 04, 2022
|
|
|
Hocus Pocus
(1993)
|
Susan Wloszczyna
|
Yes, it's the old teens-warn-the-townfolk-but-no-one-believes-them trick. This time, it's not quite a treat.
Posted Sep 29, 2022
|
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1.5/4
|
Hocus Pocus 2
(2022)
|
Brian Truitt
|
Fails in every way, as a retread of the beloved ‘90s vehicle and as a youth-centered setup for future installments.
Posted Sep 29, 2022
|
|
2/4
|
Blonde
(2022)
|
Brian Truitt
|
Although there are insightful moments and surreal bits that pop, it’s overall a bizarre – and at nearly three hours, bloated – film that attempts to honor its subject and instead lets her down.
Posted Sep 26, 2022
|
|
2.5/4
|
Don't Worry Darling
(2022)
|
Brian Truitt
|
[A] twisty and visually striking but fairly flat psychological thriller.
Posted Sep 05, 2022
|
|
2.5/4
|
Beast
(2022)
|
Brian Truitt
|
It isn’t Elba’s “Sharknado” but also not exactly his “Out of Africa,” so just enjoy this late-summer flick for what it does well: a primal fight between man and very mad lion that brings unhinged beauty to a rousing “Beast.”
Posted Aug 18, 2022
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|
2.5/4
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Bullet Train
(2022)
|
Brian Truitt
|
Pitt is game for just diving in and letting loose – as well as getting stabbed, punched, bitten and thrown around like a rag doll – as a steadying presence when the film purposefully goes off the rails.
Posted Aug 02, 2022
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3/4
|
Nope
(2022)
|
Brian Truitt
|
With "Nope," Peele showcases a new sense of blockbuster flair while maintaining his signature gift for twisted modern relevance.
Posted Jul 20, 2022
|
|
2/4
|
The Gray Man
(2022)
|
Brian Truitt
|
The Russo brothers are aces at making superhero movies. They need more practice with superspies.
Posted Jul 14, 2022
|
|
3.5/4
|
Thor: Love and Thunder
(2022)
|
Brian Truitt
|
“Thor: Love and Thunder” is a superhero romantic comedy with plenty of rippling biceps, an unshakable love for 1980s action movies and heavy metal, and most importantly, a big goofy heart.
Posted Jul 05, 2022
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|
2.5/4
|
Elvis
(2022)
|
Brian Truitt
|
An overlong, narrative mess as excessive as one of the King's fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches. However, with Butler’s stellar portrayal, it’s never dull, and more enjoyable than not.
Posted Jun 21, 2022
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3/4
|
Lightyear
(2022)
|
Brian Truitt
|
Lightyear is a crowd-pleasing effort that doesn’t shoot for the moon but manages to be a nostalgic blast anyway.
Posted Jun 13, 2022
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|
3/4
|
Jurassic World Dominion
(2022)
|
Brian Truitt
|
Although overly familiar, Dominion boasts everything you’d ever want in a “Jurassic” film and is the best in the series since the original 1993 movie.
Posted Jun 08, 2022
|
|
3/4
|
Crimes of the Future
(2022)
|
Brian Truitt
|
Cronenberg has crafted a story that brings together what we do to our bodies to feel and look good – though that’s sometimes in the eye of the beholder – and the synthetic materials that play a key role in both our modern lives and environmental crises.
Posted Jun 02, 2022
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3/4
|
Downton Abbey: A New Era
(2022)
|
Brian Truitt
|
A charming and soapy new chapter filled with enjoyably dry humor (mostly courtesy of the fantastic Maggie Smith), some heartbreak, a dash of mystery and a history lesson from old-school Hollywood.
Posted May 18, 2022
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3.5/4
|
Top Gun: Maverick
(2022)
|
Brian Truitt
|
Whether you’re feeling the need for speed for the first time or haven’t lost that loving feeling since '86, the Danger Zone is still a pretty spectacular place to visit.
Posted May 12, 2022
|
|
3/4
|
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
(2022)
|
Brian Truitt
|
While the Marvel-ness of “Madness” will make your head spin, Raimi’s signature style, penchant for the macabre and sense of humor oddly ground the film.
Posted May 03, 2022
|
|
3.5/4
|
Everything Everywhere All at Once
(2022)
|
Brian Truitt
|
A bonkers and bizarrely wonderful genre mashup, “Everything Everywhere All at Once” is finally the multiverse movie that we can all relate to.
Posted Apr 06, 2022
|
|
3/4
|
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore
(2022)
|
Brian Truitt
|
There’s a renewed emphasis on magical creatures and another decidedly political bent to the franchise as it digs into dark themes and offers a bewitching goofy side.
Posted Apr 05, 2022
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|
1.5/4
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Morbius
(2022)
|
Brian Truitt
|
Rather than a fang-tastic time, Morbius is just a soul-sucking effort.
Posted Mar 31, 2022
|
|
2.5/4
|
The Lost City
(2022)
|
Brian Truitt
|
“The Lost City” isn’t a bad movie, and it’s sufficiently ridiculous for those seeking a gonzo escape with A-listers.
Posted Mar 24, 2022
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