Daily Journal (Kankakee, IL)

Daily Journal (Kankakee, IL) is not a Tomatometer-approved publication. Reviews from this publication only count toward the Tomatometer when written by the following Tomatometer-approved critic(s): Kiera Allen, Pamela Powell
Rating Title/Year Author
4/4 Just Mercy (2019) Pamela Powell The story itself is riveting, but it's the characters that bring the story about the death penalty to life. EDIT
Posted Jan 13, 2020
3/4 Uncut Gems (2019) Pamela Powell [Adam] Sandler brilliantly creates Ratner, pushing his own boundaries and exhausting us as we watch. He's crude. His language is as offensive as his actions, but there is a reality to him that is not only intriguing but engaging. EDIT
Posted Dec 30, 2019
4/4 The Farewell (2019) Pamela Powell You've probably never heard of Shuzhen Zhao who brings Nai Nai to life, but she will create a lasting memory in this role. She's spunky, smart, trusting, and above all, loving, exactly what the term "grandma" means. EDIT
Posted Dec 17, 2019
4/4 Dark Waters (2019) Pamela Powell Dark Waters is a powerful, compelling and necessary story to tell as it has you on the edge of your seat, mesmerized by each and every scene. EDIT
Posted Dec 12, 2019
4/4 Brittany Runs a Marathon (2019) Pamela Powell Brittany Runs a Marathon is such an unexpected surprise of the year, blending the elements of comedy and heart together with utmost skill. EDIT
Posted Dec 12, 2019
3.5/4 Midway (2019) Pamela Powell Midway is a film to give a new generation an important lesson in history; one that feels alive and one that will connect you with the heroes from The Battle of Midway. EDIT
Posted Dec 12, 2019
3/4 Last Christmas (2019) Pamela Powell Last Christmas breaks through the mold of typical romantic comedies with a dramatic edge allowing you to forgive its sluggish pace in the middle of the story. EDIT
Posted Dec 12, 2019
2.5/4 Frozen II (2019) Pamela Powell Frozen II may not deliver the same love and energy of the first film, but with extraordinary animation, positive messages, and our beloved Olaf, it's still a film for Frozen fans to see. EDIT
Posted Dec 12, 2019
4/4 Ford v Ferrari (2019) Pamela Powell Ford v Ferrari is so much more than just a car racing movie. It's a poetic and emotional story of friendship, love, and family. EDIT
Posted Nov 15, 2019
1/4 The Goldfinch (2019) Pamela Powell The Goldfinch bites off more than it can chew as it spins in circles uncertain as to what direction to take. EDIT
Posted Sep 13, 2019
Alternate Endings: Six New Ways To Die In America (2019) Pamela Powell Alternate Endings: Six New Ways to Die in America is filled with love, heart, and information that can help you see death and your own final farewell in a new light. EDIT
Posted Aug 29, 2019
1/4 Blinded by the Light (2019) Pamela Powell Perhaps if Yesterday had not preceded the release of Blinded by the Light, my expectations wouldn't have been so high, but this film truly disappoints. EDIT
Posted Aug 23, 2019
4/4 Where'd You Go, Bernadette (2019) Pamela Powell Where'd You Go, Bernadette is an unusual drama filled with comedy that highlights the emotions that mother experiences. EDIT
Posted Aug 19, 2019
3/4 Dora and the Lost City of Gold (2019) Pamela Powell Overall, Dora and the Lost City of Gold is a vibrant, fun film that will delight youngsters as they learn great information about a unique part of the world, solve problems, and root for the kids to prevail. EDIT
Posted Aug 9, 2019
1.5/4 Stuber (2019) Pamela Powell Stuber is just another summer casualty. EDIT
Posted Jul 15, 2019
2/4 Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) Pamela Powell "Spider-Man: Far From Home," even with its charming subplot of teen love and angst, is just another super hero movie in a world where I need Captain No More to save me from seeing another film in this genre. EDIT
Posted Jul 5, 2019
3/4 Annabelle Comes Home (2019) Pamela Powell Gary Dauberman nimbly co-writes and directs this textbook creepy cinematic creation that will certainly fuel the fires of fear of inanimate plastic dolls. EDIT
Posted Jun 28, 2019
4/4 Toy Story 4 (2019) Pamela Powell The gang's all there, immediately reminding viewers why Pixar stands out above other animated features, stirring the emotions of adults and kids alike. EDIT
Posted Jun 21, 2019
1.5/4 Men in Black: International (2019) Pamela Powell The film is missing heart and consistent humor and becomes a failed attempt to keep the franchise going. EDIT
Posted Jun 14, 2019
4/4 Late Night (2019) Pamela Powell All rings true of society today and its issues at hand, yet the film somehow still makes us constantly laugh until tears stream down our cheeks. EDIT
Posted Jun 14, 2019
See You Yesterday (2019) Kiera Allen With impeccable, emotional acting from Smith and scenes that may be difficult for viewers to watch, See You Yesterday starts out feeling lighthearted, fun and real. EDIT
Posted Jun 10, 2019
2/4 The Hustle (2019) Pamela Powell The repetitiveness of the story is what weighs the film down, not allowing Wilson or Hathaway out of the box to shine. You're never trying to guess what's going to happen next. EDIT
Posted May 10, 2019
4/4 Avengers: Endgame (2019) Pamela Powell A wonderful surprise, filling almost each and every minute with excitement, drama, humor and visually interesting and entertaining intrigue. EDIT
Posted Apr 29, 2019
2.5/4 Breakthrough (2019) Pamela Powell At each and every crossroad, it feels as if you hit a brick wall with a red neon message scrolled before you just in case you missed what was happening. With contrived and sometimes stilted situations, the film lost its verve. EDIT
Posted Apr 22, 2019
3/4 Little (2019) Pamela Powell It's a feel-good movie that reminds us of the importance of connecting and caring for one another. Visually, this is a vibrant film, matching the boldness of the characters and their personalities. EDIT
Posted Apr 12, 2019
1/4 Five Feet Apart (2019) Pamela Powell Five Feet Apart is a heavy-handed and forced romantic drama that may lure in young teens, but is sure to lull adults to sleep. EDIT
Posted Mar 15, 2019
3/4 Captain Marvel (2019) Pamela Powell Those of us who have had our fill of this genre will still enjoy the message it sends, with great character development and interaction connecting us to the characters and creating a strong female lead. EDIT
Posted Mar 11, 2019
2.5/4 Greta (2018) Pamela Powell Greta hits a lot of the right notes, but the sour ones make you want to slam the piano keys. The cinematography, directing and acting are all exactly the caliber that create suspense and anxiety, but the script misses a few key elements. EDIT
Posted Mar 4, 2019
4/4 Fighting With My Family (2019) Pamela Powell This is a film that is perfectly balanced with humor, drama and heart while it punctuates how a family deals with life's ups and downs -- and picking up the pieces of shattered dreams. EDIT
Posted Feb 22, 2019
3/4 Isn't It Romantic (2019) Pamela Powell Isn't It Romantic checks all the rom-com boxes and thanks to Wilson's comedic chops, it's all laugh out funny, even if most of it consists of expected gags. EDIT
Posted Feb 15, 2019
2.5/4 Cold Pursuit (2019) Pamela Powell Cold Pursuit is an oddly gruesome thriller as the comedic elements are continually stitched throughout the story. Unfortunately, sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't. EDIT
Posted Feb 8, 2019
2.5/4 Serenity (2019) Pamela Powell Doesn't make sense until close to the end and by that time you already have a sour taste in your mouth. There wasn't enough Orbit gum to cover that up and allow you to see the film for what it was trying to be. EDIT
Posted Feb 1, 2019
4/4 The Favourite (2018) Pamela Powell Colman's performance is exquisite in all its raw and sometimes ugly forms. Stone and Weisz create equally complex characters with layers that captivate your attention. EDIT
Posted Feb 1, 2019
4/4 Green Book (2018) Pamela Powell With great performances and a soundtrack that revs your soul, it's a film well worth your time and money. EDIT
Posted Jan 25, 2019
2.5/4 Glass (2019) Pamela Powell A fun, escapism film that doesn't always hit the right notes, but it does accomplish the goal of connecting "Split" with "Unbreakable" and setting up another sequel. EDIT
Posted Jan 18, 2019
4/4 On the Basis of Sex (2018) Pamela Powell A standout film with exceptional performances to re-create a time in history that determined the future of women not only today, but tomorrow as well. EDIT
Posted Jan 11, 2019
4/4 Mary Queen of Scots (2018) Pamela Powell With brilliant performances from both Robbie and Ronan, as well as the supporting cast, we gain compassion and most importantly, understanding of these women and a time of great inequality and intolerance. EDIT
Posted Jan 4, 2019
1/4 Holmes & Watson (2018) Pamela Powell How could a movie with Ferrell and Reilly not work? These are two incredible actors, but these roles just don't suit them, try as they might. Their over-the-top antics never gel, appearing as if even they know it's not working. EDIT
Posted Jan 2, 2019
4/4 Mary Poppins Returns (2018) Pamela Powell The film is filled with catchy new tunes and remarkably choreographed dance numbers that would be just as pleasing to see in a live theater production as it is on the screen. EDIT
Posted Dec 21, 2018
Bird Box (2018) Pamela Powell A smart, nail-biting psychological horror film that works, thanks to a tight script, a talented cast and stunning cinematography. EDIT
Posted Dec 17, 2018
4/4 Roma (2018) Pamela Powell It's visually and auditorily captivating, pushing your emotional understanding to its limits. EDIT
Posted Dec 14, 2018
1.5/4 Robin Hood (2018) Pamela Powell The cast gives it their best, but with a script that slowly slips down the slope of silliness, there's not much an actor can do. All of the characters are one-dimensional cutouts of men and women in a dark and violent time. EDIT
Posted Nov 26, 2018
1.5/4 The Girl in the Spider's Web (2018) Pamela Powell In many films, you must suspend belief, but this film attempts to meld two worlds -- one of reality and one of absurdity -- and it just doesn't work. EDIT
Posted Nov 9, 2018
3.5/4 The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018) Pamela Powell A magnificent reimagining of the classic Christmas tale filled with beauty and magic, but most importantly, it's a tale that gives strength, power and intelligence to the lead character, a girl, Clara. EDIT
Posted Nov 2, 2018
Halloween (2018) Pamela Powell So predictable and formulaic, caught up in the stereotypical slasher movie genre, that it becomes just another Halloween sequel, not capturing any of the sensory prelude to terror that Carpenter so perfectly parlayed. EDIT
Posted Oct 22, 2018
3.5/4 First Man (2018) Pamela Powell It is a spectacular feat in retelling history and the journey of getting to the moon. We learn of the men who paved that path, some by laying down their own lives to make it possible. EDIT
Posted Oct 15, 2018
Pick of the Litter (2018) Pamela Powell It's like watching a marathon filled with elite athletes as we root for each of them, cheering and being surprised as their strengths and weaknesses change over the course of months. EDIT
Posted Oct 5, 2018
To All the Boys I've Loved Before (2018) Kiera Allen This movie is witty, funny, heartwarming and will make even the nonbelievers of true love, or at least romance, into converts. EDIT
Posted Sep 21, 2018
3.5/4 Operation Finale (2018) Pamela Powell While there are some issues with pacing and editing as well as Isaac's performance, Operation Finale is an important part of history that should not be forgotten. EDIT
Posted Sep 21, 2018
4/4 The House With a Clock in Its Walls (2018) Pamela Powell Black's comedic timing and acting makes him a perfect fit for portraying the outlandishly peculiar uncle. Blanchett's poise and grace, paired with her adept and nuanced acting, bring what could have been a dull character to technicolor life. EDIT
Posted Sep 21, 2018