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3.5/4
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No Time to Die
(2021)
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Mark Daniell
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Fukunaga deserves credit for taking the character and adding real stakes to his 15-year story arc.
Posted Oct 11, 2021
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Black Widow
(2021)
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Mark Daniell
|
What ensues is a film that isn't interested in planting seeds for future Marvel movies -- which is actually a refreshing change of pace.
Posted Sep 10, 2021
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4/4
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Tenet
(2020)
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Mark Daniell
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What unspools across the screen for nearly two-and-a-half hours is one scene topping another that leaves viewers thinking, "How did they do that?"
Posted Aug 27, 2020
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4/4
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The Irishman
(2019)
|
Liz Braun
|
This is peak [Martin] Scorsese -- all manner of terrible things made wonderful to look at.
Posted Nov 07, 2019
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3/5
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Terminator: Dark Fate
(2019)
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Mark Daniell
|
It's not overly sentimental but Dark Fate succinctly links up to [James] Cameron's early films, without getting bogged down in what actually happens in this new alternate future.
Posted Nov 06, 2019
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2.5/4
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Gemini Man
(2019)
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Mark Daniell
|
[Will] Smith's kinetic charm goes a long way to making us forgive some of those shortcomings, particularly if you grew up on the '90s action films that helped make him a global star. But a movie with this type of artistic pedigree deserves more.
Posted Oct 10, 2019
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Teen Beach 2
(2015)
|
Bill Harris
|
Teen Beach 2 is a project that parents can get a kick out of, too, largely because of the premise. Surf-movie characters from the '60s gazing at smart phones? Anyone can enjoy that.
Posted Sep 18, 2019
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4/4
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Joker
(2019)
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Mark Daniell
|
[Todd] Phillips and [Joaquin] Phoenix deserve credit for reimagining what a comic book movie can be. One that isn't encumbered with setting up multi-movie plot lines and one that can go to places other films in this genre can't.
Posted Sep 16, 2019
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3.5/5
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Spider-Man: Far From Home
(2019)
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Mark Daniell
|
Far From Home is a fun-filled romp that checks all the boxes of a Marvel movie and adds bits of humour and teenage angst that give it a frothy bit of sweetness that's hard not to love.
Posted Jun 28, 2019
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4/4
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Toy Story 4
(2019)
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Mark Daniell
|
Toy Story 4 achieves the near impossible. It's an emotionally rewarding film that joyfully reintroduces old friends alongside a new roster of engaging characters.
Posted Jun 20, 2019
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4/4
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Avengers: Endgame
(2019)
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Mark Daniell
|
We haven't seen anything like this before in franchise movie-making. One can only hope that the next 10 years of Marvel storytelling comes close to this.
Posted Apr 23, 2019
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4/5
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Us
(2019)
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Mark Daniell
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The latest nightmare-inducing film from the writer-director of Get Out will have audiences on the edge of their seat from its opening frames at an amusement park in Santa Cruz to its smirking, blood-soaked final scenes.
Posted Mar 20, 2019
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3/4
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Captain Marvel
(2019)
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Mark Daniell
|
Does it work? The short answer is: yes. There's enough to keep both diehard Marvel fans and newcomers engaged.
Posted Mar 08, 2019
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3/4
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Aquaman
(2018)
|
Mark Daniell
|
A thoroughly entertaining ride.
Posted Dec 25, 2018
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4/4
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A Star Is Born
(2018)
|
Mark Daniell
|
Cooper has managed to do the impossible. He's put together an instant movie classic that will have audiences falling in love with his brand new creation.
Posted Oct 04, 2018
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1/4
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Venom
(2018)
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Mark Daniell
|
Part of the reason the superhero genre has managed to elevate itself is it gives us characters that we root for and care about. Venom does none of this.
Posted Oct 04, 2018
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3/4
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White Boy Rick
(2018)
|
Liz Braun
|
White Boy Rick is an intriguing story brought to life by impressive performances, particularly from McConaughey and Merritt.
Posted Sep 13, 2018
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2.5/4
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Christopher Robin
(2018)
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Mark Daniell
|
Christopher Robin pricks the surface, and it'll certainly leave you with the warm and fuzzies, but the story sticks a little too closely to the surface.
Posted Aug 03, 2018
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4/4
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Mission: Impossible - Fallout
(2018)
|
Mark Daniell
|
Whether you're a hardcore fan of these films or not, there's more than enough wow factor to leave a lasting impression.
Posted Jul 26, 2018
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Three Identical Strangers
(2018)
|
Liz Braun
|
The less you know about Three Identical Strangers going in, the better, so don't read this part until after you've seen the movie. And you should see it, because it's brilliantly made and contains riveting material.
Posted Jul 11, 2018
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3/4
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Ant-Man and The Wasp
(2018)
|
Mark Daniell
|
But for the most part, the two hours you'll spend running around with Marvel's Ant pals is fun and doesn't have the same emotional investment Infinity War or even Black Panther did earlier this year. And, for once in the MCU, that's kind of refreshing.
Posted Jul 06, 2018
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3/4
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Sicario: Day of the Soldado
(2018)
|
Liz Braun
|
It's a given that sequels are never as good as the original movie, but Sicario: Day of The Soldado, is worth seeing.
Posted Jun 28, 2018
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3.5/5
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Solo: A Star Wars Story
(2018)
|
Mark Daniell
|
Solo is also the most lighthearted and fun film so far in the expanded Star Wars universe.
Posted May 15, 2018
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|
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Deadpool 2
(2018)
|
Mark Daniell
|
Deadpool 2 is kind of like that zany guy you met at a party once. Yeah, he was fun that first time out. But when you meet him again, he's just more of the same and that's ... boring.
Posted May 15, 2018
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4/4
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Avengers: Infinity War
(2018)
|
Mark Daniell
|
The Marvel Cinematic Universe's newest entry is its biggest, most ambitious piece of storytelling in the studio's 10 years of existence and the minute you exit the theatre, you'll be lining up at the box office to buy another ticket. It's that good.
Posted Apr 25, 2018
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3/4
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A Quiet Place
(2018)
|
Liz Braun
|
Despite a somewhat too tidy ending, it's a terrific movie, beautifully made and carried along by strong performances and skillful storytelling.
Posted Apr 05, 2018
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3/4
|
Ready Player One
(2018)
|
Mark Daniell
|
Many of the book's references to Spielberg's cultural artifacts have been stripped away, but he imbibes the movie with flashes of colour and heart that rekindle a sense of wonderment that will transport many viewers back to their childhoods.
Posted Mar 29, 2018
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3/4
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Unsane
(2018)
|
Liz Braun
|
Unsane starts out as a psychological thriller and then moves into the B-movie physical realm with gusto.
Posted Mar 22, 2018
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2/4
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Pacific Rim Uprising
(2018)
|
Liz Braun
|
It's all so much like watching Saturday morning cartoons, and every bit as not riveting.
Posted Mar 22, 2018
|
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1/4
|
Death Wish
(2018)
|
Mark Daniell
|
Death Wish -- the 2018 version -- is riddled with more plot holes than bullet holes.
Posted Mar 02, 2018
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2/4
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Red Sparrow
(2018)
|
Liz Braun
|
Red Sparrow isn't a good movie, and that's too bad, because you can see what it might have been. The story has intrigue built into it in a way that probably made perfect sense on the page; it just doesn't translate onto the big screen.
Posted Mar 01, 2018
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4/4
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Black Panther
(2018)
|
Liz Braun
|
Black Panther is every bit as good as you were hoping. Actually -- it's better. A terrific screenplay from Ryan Coogler and Joe Robert Cole elevates this thing way beyond the usual boundaries of the Marvel Universe.
Posted Feb 06, 2018
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4.5/5
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Star Wars: The Last Jedi
(2017)
|
Mark Daniell
|
You don't have to be a Star Wars fan to love this addition to the canon (heck, it works even if you haven't seen any of the other movies).
Posted Dec 12, 2017
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3.5/5
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Roman J. Israel, Esq.
(2017)
|
Liz Braun
|
Roman J. Israel, Esq. is one brilliant performance in search of a movie.
Posted Nov 21, 2017
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5/5
|
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
(2017)
|
Liz Braun
|
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is a character study, even though the parts never stop moving -- it's wildly violent, brilliantly funny and deeply moving. And so smart.
Posted Nov 16, 2017
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3.5/5
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Justice League
(2017)
|
Mark Daniell
|
Batman and Wonder Woman are the de facto leaders of the team but what Justice League does really well is give moviegoers a chance to get to know the new characters.
Posted Nov 15, 2017
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1/5
|
Daddy's Home 2
(2017)
|
Mark Daniell
|
Inexplicably, Daddy's Home 2 seems intent upon taking itself seriously.
Posted Nov 10, 2017
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3.5/5
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Murder on the Orient Express
(2017)
|
Liz Braun
|
Kenneth Branagh's Murder on the Orient Express is an engaging bit of cinematic nostalgia.
Posted Nov 09, 2017
|
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5/5
|
Lady Bird
(2017)
|
Liz Braun
|
Lady Bird is a coming-of-age story distinguished by a great script and a perfect cast.
Posted Nov 09, 2017
|
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2.5/5
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A Bad Moms Christmas
(2017)
|
Liz Braun
|
For festive fun, A Bad Moms Christmas is right up there with coal in your stocking.
Posted Nov 02, 2017
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4.5/5
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Blade Runner 2049
(2017)
|
Mark Daniell
|
Blade Runner 2049 does what very few sequels can accomplish: it deepens our appreciation of its predecessor, while carving out its own niche in the spaces of our own imaginations. And the visuals it paints are in a word: breathtaking.
Posted Oct 02, 2017
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3.5/5
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American Made
(2017)
|
Liz Braun
|
Though sanitized here, Seal's story is riveting; his life was as duplicitous as the country he sometimes represented. Cruise flying his drug-packed plane in American Made is like a weird extension of Cruise flying for glory in Top Gun back in the '80s.
Posted Sep 28, 2017
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3.5/5
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Battle of the Sexes
(2017)
|
Liz Braun
|
Under an entertaining story of two high-profile people who came to represent social upheaval on a tennis court, the Battle of the Sexes is also a timely reminder of the backsliding currently going on in America.
Posted Sep 21, 2017
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3.5/5
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Brad's Status
(2017)
|
Liz Braun
|
Ben Stiller plays the neurotic well, and he is excellent here as Brad; Austin Abrams is fantastic as the laid-back son with a clear-eyed vision of how the world works.
Posted Sep 21, 2017
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3.5/5
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Stronger
(2017)
|
Liz Braun
|
It's the daily daunting detail that keeps Stronger honest.
Posted Sep 20, 2017
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4.5/5
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Long Time Running
(2017)
|
Jane Stevenson
|
Hip fans will enjoy not only the behind-the-scenes footage of Downie getting ready for each night's show on the trek but the entire group's collective memory of their 30-year personal and professional journey.
Posted Sep 14, 2017
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3.5/5
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mother!
(2017)
|
Liz Braun
|
This is a movie that we experienced as thrilling for the first hour and annoying for the second; the annoying part was likely just our own longing for a recognizable narrative structure.
Posted Sep 14, 2017
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3/5
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It
(2017)
|
Liz Braun
|
It, on the page or the screen, is a complex mix of coming-of-age elements with ideas about childhood fears, memory and human nature - good and bad.
Posted Sep 07, 2017
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3.5/5
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Annabelle: Creation
(2017)
|
Mark Daniell
|
Sandberg manages to squeeze out more than a few jolts armed only with an isolated setting, a doll and some mood lighting.
Posted Aug 10, 2017
|
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4/5
|
Detroit
(2017)
|
Liz Braun
|
Detroit is an imperfect but entirely gripping drama.
Posted Aug 03, 2017
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