“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” is an animated movie that loves the Mayhem almost as much as it loves the Mutants. The four classic-artist-named Turtles are back to rock New York City. Plus dealing with the mutant monsters isn’t quite as difficult as dealing with adolescence.
“Talk To Me” is an effective little Horror movie that sneaks up behind you and gives you chills before you know what happened. It is set in the current world of a social media blur that exists with ideas and images that can set you on edge. Call it a study in ‘TikTok Terror’. A small group of young people are taken into a supernatural world by a disembodied hand. Read more
“Artists In Agony: Hitmen At The Coda Teahouse” is crazy look at what might happen if you cross a movie like “John Wick” with a movie like “Spinal Tap”. It has a tongue firmly place in its cheek, since the goofy idea works so well that it has you in its cross-hairs. Read more
“Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” is the not ‘Mission: Impossible’ movie you expected. It is the star-studded, stunt-driven spectacle that this summer needed. Some of the other big summer ‘tent pole’ movies are gone in a ‘Flash’, or will never reach their ‘Destiny’. This summer could be saved by a swirl of fights, chases, and intrigue that keeps the focus on the action. And to think, this is only ‘Part One’…
Joy Ride” is a hard-R mash-up of “Crazy Rich Asians” and “The Hangover”. But this, it is with an Asian female lead cast and filled with language that could make a sailor blush. Four ladies make their way on a ‘business’ trip to China. Much zaniness ensues, and the journey tests friendships – along with alcohol tolerance. You could call it “My Big Fat Asian Road Trip”! Read more
“Asteroid City” is a quirky little comedy from Wes Anderson. His work is focused on style and exacting screen composition. He favors a shading scheme of calm and collected colors. This time, the subject is 1955 America in the Great Southwest. Back then, the families were close-knit and nuclear. Just like the above-ground Bomb tests, set off in the distant desert. Read more
“The Flash” is a superhero character based on the DC Comics universe of fantastical people. The movie discovers a multi-verse of characters and their alternatives. In an alternative timeline, Flash learns that some characters do not exist. And others exist in way that seems unfamiliar. For most of the audience, the face behind the Bat Cowl is a welcome blast from the past…
“Transformers: Rise of the Beasts” is a Transformers movie about — well, Transformers. What started as a line of Hasbro toys has become a multi-movie franchise. They made the ‘Transformation’ from toy, to Saturday morning cartoon — to multi-million dollar block-buster movies. These are plot-thin and CGI-heavy movies, and are never the prettiest things around. In this case, there is just a small amount of Beauty in these ‘Beasts’… Read more
“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” is animated follow up movie, based on the 2018 “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”. The prior film was an ‘amazing’ Spider-Man. But now this one is an astounding Spider-Man. The only thing that is holding this movie back is the fact that it is definitely only the first part of a continuing story…
“Kandahar” is a not really a war movie. It is more like a movie set in a war zone. The main action is set in Afghanistan, near the border with Iran. And then you throw in a little background action in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, and you have an entire U.N. of hostile groups ready to rumble. Put a CIA operative into the mix and see what hits the fan…
