“Lucy in the Sky” is a well-meaning, yet ultimately unsuccessful attempt at asking DEEP QUESTIONS about Earthlings ability to handle outer space. The idea is that an astronaut can have a space-bound experience that forever changes them into a person who can never find meaning in the normal humdrum way of life. Read more
“The Addams Family” started out as the bizarre hand-drawn comic stylings of creator Charles Addams (in the 1930’s). It was later turned into a TV show, and then still later it became the basis of a couple of movies. So, it is only right and fitting that is now once again an animated comic movie (but it lost the ‘hand-drawn’ aspect). Read more
“Abominable” is an animated story of a girl in China who finds an oversized new friend and winds up on a long road trip to get him home. The animation production level is really spot on, and everything is lovely to watch. Read more
“Downton Abbey” is the movie based on the BBC series that lasted for six seasons. Many people are enthralled with the British nobility and the splendid upper crust of English society. Read more
“Ad Astra” is a beautiful and moving depiction of a single man’s journey into the unknown to face the unforgotten. Read more
“The Goldfinch” is adapted from a popular novel. The visual ideas that are pulled from the pages are not the same as the mental images that a person would get from reading the book. The movie is lush with visual flair and rich with literary and artistic meaning. But the emotional connections that it desperately wants to forge are never made clear. Read more
“Angel Has Fallen” is a new entry in the series starring Gerard Butler as a Secret Service agent. The stunt action is non-stop crazy, and the ammo is in endless supply. So, it is another action-based shoot-em-up where the plot borders between easily predictable and predictably easy. Read more
“The Peanut Butter Falcon” has created its own unique niche in movie history. It takes on a story that presents a young guy who goes on adventure. That part is not unique. But the fact that the young fellow is affected with Down’s Syndrome makes it unusual. Read more
“Good Boys” sets up in the same tradition as “Super Bad” or “Booksmart”. There are people who hear of a wild and crazy party that will be held soon. They make up their minds that they will do anything to attend. But the guys who hear of the party are not college-age. They are not even high school age. They are in sixth-grade, and the big shindig in question is a ‘kissing party’ in the basement of one of the ‘cool kids’ from school. To them, it is a chance to get up into the ‘cool kid’ ranks, and one of them will meet up with the girl on whom he has a crush. Read more
“The Angry Birds Movie 2” is a movie sequel from the first version spawned out of a cell phone app video game. After you let that sink in, you may have questions. Was a video app enough to create the foundations for a full animated movie? And is there enough gas in that tank to take it around the block a second time? Read more
