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
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
2.5/4 The Happytime Murders (2018) Pamela Powell Is it great cinema that we will hear about during Oscar season? Absolutely not. Is it fun, embarrassingly so? Yes. It pushes the envelope and a few buttons, but that's exactly what it promised to do.. EDIT
Posted Aug 30, 2018
Hashtag Realityhigh (2017) Kiera Allen The writing in this film is seamlessly funny with quippy sarcasm, but it's also heartfelt when dealing with the sensitivity of teenagers going through all of the motions of a high school setting. EDIT
Posted Aug 26, 2018
El Camino Christmas (2017) Kiera Allen No carols are sung. No Santa is seen, and the decorations are few and far in-between. This is more of an anti-Christmas, anti-feel-good flick, but it's one you might want to watch more than once. EDIT
Posted Aug 26, 2018
The Babysitter (2017) Kiera Allen The Babysitter has meticulously placed laughs (and music) when needed, but the standout laughs come from Andrew Bachelor (who plays John), better known as King Bach from his laugh-inducing, viral Vine videos. EDIT
Posted Aug 26, 2018
Little Evil (2017) Kiera Allen Scott brings plenty of humor to the classic role of a seriously concerned stepdad. But it is once he actually starts pursuing the idea that Lucas actually might be the Antichrist that things get even funnier. EDIT
Posted Aug 26, 2018
When We First Met (2018) Kiera Allen What's refreshing about When We First Met is that it comes with twists and heartfelt surprises. EDIT
Posted Aug 26, 2018
6 Balloons (2018) Kiera Allen Jacobson does a fantastic job portraying someone who's at the end of her rope while still feeling like she has to do more. EDIT
Posted Aug 26, 2018
Extinction (2018) Kiera Allen Extinction is sure to thrill, shock, surprise and impress -- if you're a science-fiction fan. EDIT
Posted Aug 26, 2018
Bright (2017) Kiera Allen This movie has heart, promise from the very beginning, well-delivered dialogue and stellar, emotional performances from Smith and Edgerton, with laugh-out-loud lines thrown in for sometimes-needed comic relief. EDIT
Posted Aug 26, 2018
1922 (2017) Kiera Allen It's what comes after that killing that leads into 70 additional minutes of horror and misfortune for the James family. EDIT
Posted Aug 25, 2018
Black Panther (2018) Kiera Allen Longtime fans, newcomers and moviegoers alike will find this film emotional, mesmerizing and refreshing yet familiar. It'll quickly become the new movie you'll want to watch again and again. EDIT
Posted Aug 25, 2018
Win It All (2017) Kiera Allen Jake Johnson brings a type of charisma and serious humor that's no different than his past roles in New Girl and Drinking Buddies. His way of acting really helps to tell a very real story of a man on a downward spiral. EDIT
Posted Aug 24, 2018
Set It Up (2018) Kiera Allen At a run-time of an hour and forty-five minutes, the fast pace of the film never drops as the momentum is held by the energetic spirits of both Powell and Deutch. EDIT
Posted Aug 24, 2018
2.5/4 Crazy Rich Asians (2018) Pamela Powell The elements that create interest such as cultural differences, familial secrets and obligations, the love of a mother and her child and, of course, romance, strongly shine through. EDIT
Posted Aug 22, 2018
4/4 BlacKkKlansman (2018) Pamela Powell In my opinion, it's one of Lee's best films to date, appealing to all audiences who want a great story. EDIT
Posted Aug 22, 2018
3/4 The Spy Who Dumped Me (2018) Pamela Powell "The Spy Who Dumped Me" is great fun while it provides fans of this genre the intense action that is expected. EDIT
Posted Aug 22, 2018
3.5/4 Mission: Impossible -- Fallout (2018) Pamela Powell While the story is simply ludicrous, the sensational camera work and action more than make up for it. EDIT
Posted Aug 22, 2018
3.5/4 Unfriended: Dark Web (2018) Pamela Powell Be warned. This is a disturbing film, and it's not for everyone. EDIT
Posted Aug 22, 2018
2/4 Skyscraper (2018) Pamela Powell "Skyscraper" isn't going to be remembered a year from now, and Johnson will not be the next "Die Hard's" John McClane. EDIT
Posted Aug 22, 2018
4/4 First Reformed (2017) Pamela Powell This is Hawke's best performance to date and a film that is at the top of my list of the year. EDIT
Posted Aug 22, 2018
3.5/4 Ocean's 8 (2018) Pamela Powell It's a fast-paced, comedic, heist film that balances out the gender scales for everyone to enjoy. EDIT
Posted Aug 22, 2018
3.5/4 Book Club (2018) Pamela Powell The film captures an element of female friendship that perhaps most films typically don't. EDIT
Posted Aug 22, 2018
3/4 A Quiet Place (2018) Pamela Powell In "A Quiet Place," Krasinski demonstrates he can make us care and our hearts race. EDIT
Posted Aug 22, 2018
4/4 Ready Player One (2018) Pamela Powell Creating escapism is what Spielberg is all about, and he nails it with "Ready Player One." EDIT
Posted Aug 22, 2018