Mad About Movies Podcast - Rotten Tomatoes

Mad About Movies Podcast

Tomatometer-approved publication
Rating
Title/Year
Author
1
C
Alita: Battle Angel (2019)

Brian Gill

The visual spectacle is compelling in places and Cameron's penchant for worldbuilding is on full display. But far too much of the plot is a mess and the dialogue makes "Unobtainium" seem elevated. Overall, it's a massive misfire and a missed opportunity.
Posted Feb 21, 2019
2
A-
The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part (2019)

Brian Gill

While lacking a bit of the first's inspiration and relying too much on the human world surrounding the LEGO Universe, The Second Part still does its job quite well in providing quality entertainment for both kids and adults alike.
Posted Feb 21, 2019
3
C
Alita: Battle Angel (2019)

Kent Garrison

I don't feel one bit guilty for not enjoying 'Cyberpunk Rollerball' in 2019.
Posted Feb 18, 2019
4
A-
The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part (2019)

Kent Garrison

Remember how much you loved The Lego Movie. Now scale back your expectations by like 17%. That's The Lego Movie 2.
Posted Feb 11, 2019
5
C
Glass (2019)

Brian Gill

I admire Shyamalan's ambitions but Glass feels like several movies crammed and compressed into one and it almost always highlights the wrong movie at the wrong time.
Posted Jan 25, 2019
6
B+
Bumblebee (2018)

Brian Gill

The 80's setting adds to the fun, lighthearted atmosphere of the film that was so confusingly absent from the Bay Transformer movies.
Posted Jan 25, 2019
7
A
Mary Poppins Returns (2018)

Brian Gill

It took about 10 seconds for my reservations to subside as it dawned on me how much I cared about Mary Poppins and how badly I needed her in my life.
Posted Jan 25, 2019
8
C
Aquaman (2018)

Brian Gill

It's certainly more entertaining and competent than most of the previous DCEU films but that makes its silly missteps and bloated plot all the more frustrating.
Posted Jan 25, 2019
9
B+
Vice (2018)

Richard Bardon

While disappointing (Rockwell's performance alone almost sunk this one) the reinvention of form by McKay and the perfect performance by Bale leads me to think this one will grow in my estimation in time.
Posted Jan 22, 2019
10
C
Glass (2019)

Richard Bardon

Far more of a mediocre Split sequel than a continuation of Unbreakable/new exploration of Glass.
Posted Jan 22, 2019
11
B-
Glass (2019)

Kent Garrison

I love me a good M. Night Shyamalan film. Unfortunately, this isn't one of them.
Posted Jan 21, 2019
12
B-
Vice (2018)

Kent Garrison

The most disappointing part of Vice is that Bale's commitment to the role is wasted on a cheesy script that tries too hard to fit McKay's style instead of being tonally consistent.
Posted Jan 16, 2019
13
B
Bumblebee (2018)

Kent Garrison

All of the Transformers films before this one have been steaming piles of poo. So the fact that this one is watchable means, by default, that it's the best Transformers film ever.
Posted Jan 16, 2019
14
B-
Aquaman (2018)

Kent Garrison

Take one cliché from every comic book movie of the past decade, put them in a blender, then throw that blender into the ocean. Boom. You've got yourself an Aquaman movie.
Posted Dec 23, 2018
15
A+
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

Brian Gill

Beautifully structured, beautifully told, and beautifully rendered on screen. This is one of the decades greater accomplishments in filmmaking.
Posted Dec 19, 2018
16
D
Robin Hood (2018)

Brian Gill

Brazenly, perhaps even purposefully stupid and inept in virtually every facet of the filmmaking process, the newest version of Robin Hood takes "unnecessary" to an entirely new level.
Posted Dec 19, 2018
17
A-
Creed II (2018)

Brian Gill

Lacks some of the (sorry) punch of its predecessor but Creed II still shines on the strength of Michael B. Jordan.
Posted Dec 19, 2018
18
A-
Widows (2018)

Brian Gill

Exquisitely made and acted though at times, even as a fan of the slow burn approach, I longer for the pace to push along a bit faster.
Posted Dec 19, 2018
19
A-
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

Kent Garrison

Spider-Verse is a lot of fun, but feels a bit more like an over-produced Saturday morning cartoon special than it does a cinematic experience.
Posted Dec 19, 2018
20
F-
Robin Hood (2018)

Kent Garrison

At least it will make for a great "What Not To Do" lesson in a film class someday.
Posted Dec 4, 2018
21
A
Widows (2018)

Kent Garrison

McQueen's Widows is thrilling, empowering, shocking and disturbing all at the same time, but in all the right ways.
Posted Nov 27, 2018
22
A-
Creed II (2018)

Kent Garrison

Creed 2 doesn't pack as big of an emotional punch as its predecessor, but I just can't get enough of these characters. The Rocky nostalgia hasn't worn off yet, and this film proves that it won't any time soon.
Posted Nov 27, 2018
23
A
Bad Times at the El Royale (2018)

Brian Gill

The mystery element of the plot is less engrossing than I think Goddard wants it to be but everything else, from the performances to the lavish setting and pitch perfect camera work, more than make up for this small misstep.
Posted Nov 26, 2018
24
A
The Old Man & the Gun (2018)

Brian Gill

Lowry provides a character and setting that practically demands a quiet, quintessential Redford-ian performance and the great actor obliges, with the tip of his cap, a wink, and a smile.
Posted Nov 26, 2018
25
B-
Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)

Brian Gill

One of the most frustrating movies I have seen in years, Rhapsody seems bound and determined to trip over its own feet at every turn. And yet, the music and one good-if-not-great performance keep it upright, though just barely.
Posted Nov 26, 2018
26
B+
Overlord (2018)

Brian Gill

Overlord blends genre with remarkable efficiency and effectiveness. It's far too unsettling to be "fun" but the pace stays up, keeping the truly disturbing imagery from lingering and for that, I am truly grateful.
Posted Nov 26, 2018
27
B-
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018)

Brian Gill

The immense wonder of the Potterverse lingers but the bulk of Grindelwald feels like two movies haphazardly sewn together and the camera is far too interested in the wrong side of this creation.
Posted Nov 26, 2018
28
A
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018)

Brian Gill

Delightful, weird, dark, and incredibly funny, each vignette serves as a crash course in Coen-ology.
Posted Nov 26, 2018
29
A+
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018)

Kent Garrison

The Coens bring us their most gorgeous, visceral, and unpredictable film to date with Buster Scruggs.
Posted Nov 19, 2018
30
A-
It (2017)

Kent Garrison

All I really want from my It movies is for Pennywise to be terrifying. Happy to report that this Pennywise is definitely terrifying.
Posted Nov 19, 2018
31
C
mother! (2017)

Kent Garrison

I understand the allegory Aronofsky is going for here, but that doesn't necessarily mean it was a pleasant experience.
Posted Nov 17, 2018
32
A
Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

Kent Garrison

Denis Villeneuve flawlessly builds on the surrealism, mystery, and intrigue that made the original Blade Runner a cult classic.
Posted Nov 17, 2018
33
F---
Geostorm (2017)

Kent Garrison

Geostorm feels like it was filmed in 2002, put on a shelf for 15 years, and mistakenly released to the public by an intern who was trying to get fired.
Posted Nov 17, 2018
34
A-
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)

Kent Garrison

I can't deny the performances throughout are stellar, but a better ending could have taken this film from good to great.
Posted Nov 17, 2018
35
C+
Maze Runner: The Death Cure (2018)

Brian Gill

It would be hard to recommend Death Cure and its predecessors as actual good movies but this is a fine, entertaining conclusion to a series perfectly suited for Saturday afternoon on cable viewings.
Posted Nov 15, 2018
36
A-
The Wedding Singer (1998)

Brian Gill

There's some cheap nostalgia at play here (okay, maybe a lot) but it's more than made up for with genuine laughs and a ton of heart.
Posted Nov 15, 2018
37
C
The Cloverfield Paradox (2018)

Brian Gill

Conceptually, there's something to both Paradox and the overall loosely-connected Cloverfield universe. Unfortunately, the bulk of the movie's runtime fails to capitalize on virtually any of that promise.
Posted Nov 15, 2018
38
A+
Black Panther (2018)

Brian Gill

Black Panther displays all the best elements of the previous Marvel films while also improving upon the formula stylistically and in terms of character strength, particularly the Killmonger, the best villain we've yet seen in this universe.
Posted Nov 15, 2018
39
A-
Annihilation (2018)

Brian Gill

The visuals are stunning, the performances strong, but I found the final act underwhelming and a bit less interesting than I would have liked. Annihilation is good but I'm not sold on its greatness.
Posted Nov 15, 2018
40
F---
Transformers: The Last Knight (2017)

Kent Garrison

The Last Knight very well might be the worst movie in the history of cinema. It changes aspect ratios at least 500 times. Seriously.
Posted Nov 15, 2018
41
A
War for the Planet of the Apes (2017)

Kent Garrison

An epic conclusion to an epic trilogy that fully cements Serkis as the best motion capture performer for now and forever.
Posted Nov 15, 2018
42
A+
Dunkirk (2017)

Kent Garrison

This is a story that needed to be told in a way that only Christopher Nolan can bring, and his non-linear style only enhances my desire for multiple viewings.
Posted Nov 15, 2018
43
A
The Big Sick (2017)

Kent Garrison

The Big Sick is hilarious, heartbreaking, and heartwarming all at the same time.
Posted Nov 15, 2018
44
C-
The Dark Tower (2017)

Kent Garrison

I didn't think it was possible to make a Stephen King story seem unimaginative until now.
Posted Nov 15, 2018
45
A-
The Disaster Artist (2017)

Kent Garrison

The genius of The Disaster Artist is that they made a universally funny movie that doesn't alienate anyone in the audience who hasn't seen The Room.
Posted Nov 14, 2018
46
A+
Coco (2017)

Kent Garrison

Pixar delivers another virtually flawless film that brings much more culture and originality than their recent releases.
Posted Nov 14, 2018
47
F---
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

Kent Garrison

BVS's most pivotal scene centers around a jar of urine. I'm not kidding.
Posted Nov 14, 2018
48
D
Justice League (2017)

Kent Garrison

Two solid hours of comic book cringe.
Posted Nov 14, 2018
49
A-
Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)

Kent Garrison

It might not be what I wanted it to be, but I can't deny I was entertained.
Posted Nov 14, 2018
50
A-
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)

Kent Garrison

This will get at least a few more dozen movies from the 90s rebooted, and at least half of those will star either The Rock, Kevin Hart, or Jack Black.
Posted Nov 14, 2018