Movie Mom

Movie Mom is not a Tomatometer-approved publication. Reviews from this publication only count toward the Tomatometer when written by the following Tomatometer-approved critic(s): Nell Minow
Rating Title/Year Author
B+ Zombieland: Double Tap (2019) Nell Minow It's a story about family, resilience, courage, and staying limber -- with a great scene over the credits featuring a not-too-surprising guest star. EDIT
Posted Oct 17, 2019
A- The Laundromat (2019) Nell Minow Soderbergh knows how to entice us into paying attention, and entertain us until we are willing to think. EDIT
Posted Oct 10, 2019
C Lucy in the Sky (2019) Nell Minow "Lucy in the Sky" says it's inspired by a true story, and while it draws some of its details from what really happened, there is very little inspiration evident on screen. EDIT
Posted Oct 3, 2019
C Joker (2019) Nell Minow "Joker" tries hard to be dark, disturbing, and meaningful. It is dark, but it is sour, superficial and gross. EDIT
Posted Oct 3, 2019
B+ Judy (2019) Nell Minow Zellweger's total immersion in the performance, as with Garland, it so vital and impossible to look away from that it transcends the limits of the material she outshines. EDIT
Posted Sep 27, 2019
B Abominable (2019) Nell Minow Some lovely visuals and appealing characters. EDIT
Posted Sep 27, 2019
B+ Downton Abbey (2019) Nell Minow It feels like a fairy tale to escape to in this lush version, where we can all imagine ourselves dressing for dinner and receiving a visit from the royal family. EDIT
Posted Sep 19, 2019
B+ Ad Astra (2019) Nell Minow Gray is better with the settings than the characters and better with the characters than the storyline. And Brad Pitt's acting is better than every other part of the film. EDIT
Posted Sep 19, 2019
C The Goldfinch (2019) Nell Minow It is a mess, and not in an interesting way. EDIT
Posted Sep 12, 2019
B+ Hustlers (2019) Nell Minow The focus here is on the characters and their relationships, doing their best to take care of their families, both the ones by birth and the ones by choice. EDIT
Posted Sep 12, 2019
B+ Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles (2019) Nell Minow It reminds us of why "Fiddler" is so enduring simply through the characters, story, and music that will still be touching audiences in another 50 years. EDIT
Posted Sep 9, 2019
B+ Brittany Runs a Marathon (2019) Nell Minow Seeing how Brittany opens up as she learns to judge other people and herself less harshly is what makes this movie one of the summer's sweetest surprises. EDIT
Posted Aug 29, 2019
B- Angel Has Fallen (2019) Nell Minow Director Ric Roman Waugh's staging of the intense scenes of conflict and action is assured and exciting. EDIT
Posted Aug 22, 2019
C Good Boys (2019) Nell Minow Cannot overcome the unpleasantness of the cheap humor and the sinking feeling that the filmmaking experience itself merits a visit from Child Protective Services. EDIT
Posted Aug 15, 2019
A- Blinded by the Light (2019) Nell Minow As in "Bend it Like Beckham," Chadha's gift for kinetic storytelling reflects the turbulent emotion of the young protagonists. EDIT
Posted Aug 15, 2019
B- Where'd You Go, Bernadette (2019) Nell Minow This is disappointingly one-dimensional work from one of the world's most talented and versatile directors, with all the depth of Charlene's "I've Never Been to Me." EDIT
Posted Aug 15, 2019
B Dora and the Lost City of Gold (2019) Nell Minow A buoyant sense of fun and a heroine whose greatest act of courage may be the way she accepts herself and those around her. EDIT
Posted Aug 8, 2019
A- Amazing Grace (2018) Nell Minow 87 minutes of pure joy/ EDIT
Posted Aug 4, 2019
B+ Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019) Nell Minow A big-time buddy cop action comedy full of one-liners, chases, crashes, explosions, punches, kicks, improbable stunts, impossible stunts, end credits extras. EDIT
Posted Aug 1, 2019
B Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood (2019) Nell Minow Quentin Tarantino is a brilliant filmmaker who does not have anything to say. EDIT
Posted Jul 25, 2019
A- The Farewell (2019) Nell Minow This film is sharply written and beautifully performed. It is a perfect example of the adage that the more specific a story is, the more universal it is. EDIT
Posted Jul 18, 2019
B- Stuber (2019) Nell Minow These team-ups are always based on a superego/id mash-up, and Nanjiani's trademark understated delivery plays off well with Bautista's brawn. EDIT
Posted Jul 11, 2019
B+ Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) Nell Minow This one made my Spidey-sense tingle. EDIT
Posted Jun 28, 2019
C Yesterday (2019) Nell Minow "Yesterday" would have made a cute seven-minute sketch on "Saturday Night Live" (or, as this movie would say, "Thursday Night Live") but it does not work as a movie. EDIT
Posted Jun 27, 2019
A- Toy Story 4 (2019) Nell Minow You know you're not going to get out of a Pixar movie without tears, because we care about these characters and we care about the way they care about and for each other. EDIT
Posted Jun 18, 2019
C Shaft (2019) Nell Minow Cheerfully retro past the point of winking at us, through the point of smirking at us, up to the point of pushing back in favor of toxic masculinity. EDIT
Posted Jun 13, 2019
A- The Last Black Man in San Francisco (2019) Nell Minow The film creates a poetic, dreamlike mood that almost floats over the story, an astonishingly assured debut that trusts the story and trusts the audience. EDIT
Posted Jun 13, 2019
B- Men in Black: International (2019) Nell Minow It has an awkward twist that indicates some rewrites, and so blandly conceived that even two of Hollywood's most versatile and appealing performers can't make them vibrant. EDIT
Posted Jun 13, 2019
C Dark Phoenix (2019) Nell Minow All of Chastain's lines are recited in the same monotone and her superpower is primarily striding around in stilettos without mussing her impeccably shaped blonde hair. EDIT
Posted Jun 6, 2019
B+ Late Night (2019) Nell Minow In essence a rom-com about a work relationship between two women, one hopelessly optimistic, one relentlessly cynical. EDIT
Posted Jun 6, 2019
B+ The Secret Life of Pets 2 (2019) Nell Minow A vast improvement over the original, colorful, exciting, and a lot of fun, with great new characters voiced by Tiffany Haddish and Harrison Ford at his Harrison Fordiest. EDIT
Posted Jun 6, 2019
B+ Rocketman (2019) Nell Minow We see the energy and magnetism of Sir Elton as a performer, and as the person, vulnerable, scared, and longing to be truly accepted. EDIT
Posted May 30, 2019
B Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) Nell Minow Co-writer/director Michael Dougherty knows why we're here and boy, does he deliver, with the help of outstanding special effects and design crew. EDIT
Posted May 30, 2019
A- Booksmart (2019) Nell Minow "Booksmart" is the movie you hope for... fresh, funny, and a bunch of instant favorite performers from booksmart and smart-smart debut director Olivia Wilde. EDIT
Posted May 23, 2019
B- Aladdin (2019) Nell Minow Colorful and tuneful, but for much of its just over two hours running time it lumbers along, despite its best efforts to entertain. EDIT
Posted May 23, 2019
B+ A Dog's Journey (2019) Nell Minow There are plenty of "awwww" moments to go around, with reconciliation, support, and reunion, and plenty of human and canine characters to care for. EDIT
Posted May 17, 2019
B+ The Sun Is Also a Star (2019) Nell Minow Melton and Shahidi make a graceful transition from television to the big screen, with charisma and chemistry to spare. EDIT
Posted May 15, 2019
B- Pokémon Detective Pikachu (2019) Nell Minow Smith interacts believably with the CGI characters and even manages a genuine character arc as we see him become less isolated and more vulnerable and authentic. EDIT
Posted May 9, 2019
B Tolkien (2019) Nell Minow Hoult and Collins made the Ronald/Edith relationship vital and romantic. EDIT
Posted May 9, 2019
B+ Long Shot (2019) Nell Minow It's funny and occasionally even sharp, but most of all it is really quite sweet. EDIT
Posted May 2, 2019
A- Avengers: Endgame (2019) Nell Minow A completely satisfying conclusion...with a deep understanding of the characters and a truly remarkable ability to find a nuanced balance between canon and innovation. EDIT
Posted Apr 24, 2019
B+ Penguins (2019) Nell Minow If there's anything cuter than an Adelie penguin, it has to be a penguin voiced by Ed Helms. EDIT
Posted Apr 18, 2019
B- Breakthrough (2019) Nell Minow We may not agree on why John recovers. This cast makes us glad and relieved that he does, even if the story veers into smugness that undermines its message. EDIT
Posted Apr 18, 2019
B+ Missing Link (2019) Nell Minow Spectacularly gorgeous settings and characters so subtly expressive that the animators are as much a part of the performances as the outstanding voice talent. EDIT
Posted Apr 12, 2019
B+ The Best of Enemies (2019) Nell Minow A thoughtful, sincere drama, beautifully performed with a touching conclusion. EDIT
Posted Apr 4, 2019
B+ Shazam! (2019) Nell Minow Wildly entertaining, downright delightful, and, yes, adorable. EDIT
Posted Apr 3, 2019
B+ The Mustang (2019) Nell Minow Actress turned first-time director Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre has a real eye for lyrical images and a gift for casting actors of exceptional skill. EDIT
Posted Mar 29, 2019
B- The Aftermath (2019) Nell Minow A soapy wartime melodrama with a disturbing whiff of both sides-ism. EDIT
Posted Mar 21, 2019
B The Highwaymen (2019) Nell Minow The pace of the film is slow and deliberate because what these men are doing is slow and deliberate. The filmmaking is straightforward but thoughtful. EDIT
Posted Mar 21, 2019
B+ Wonder Park (2019) Nell Minow The character design is bland...bit the Wonderland is indeed wonderful and the message of imagination as a sustaining source of comfort is wonderful as well. EDIT
Posted Mar 14, 2019