David S

Rami Malek is a talented actor who's chosen roles poorly since his (literally) rock star turn in Bohemian Rhapsody. That ends with The Amateur. He delivers pain, loss, reckless abandon and steely determination in a strong performance. While he is the heart and soul of the movie his supporting cast deliver equally strong performances. The story goes very predictably, so that's why it dropped a star. He's a nerdy CIA analyst who's wife is gunned down by terrorists. Unable to come to terms with his loss he sets out to exact his revenge. He succeeds. Roll credits. There's actually a lot of good stuff in between those broad brush strokes, but I'm not going to ruin it for you. The direction is solid, the script adequate. There's a coda that was a bit ridiculous, but it didn't hurt the movie. If you like action and intrigue, this one's worth the trip to the cinema. Four Stars

Jack Black and Jason Mamoa. Who do you settle for if your low entertainment film can't afford Kevin Hart and The Rock? Sadly, they were the best part of this poorly constructed and worse acted movie. They were, at best. serviceable but not great. Video game movies are at a disadvantage because they rely on elements of the game at the expense of a cohesive story. Minecraft didn't even try and just leaned into an "it is what it is" aesthetic. The best laugh, from the limited audience at a Thursday early release, was for the line "you can call me Steve". The acting, if you want to charitably call it that, was so over the top and cartoonish I actually felt sorry for the cast -because they have been so much better in other movies they've appeared in. They are caricatures of past roles and are ill served by the script's limitations. Skip this hot mess and schedule a root canal...you'll enjoy it more. Two Stars (for Jack & Jason) (side note: have you ever seen a movie as review bombed as this one? Just notice all the word for word duplicated positive reviews and realize the production company- and fanboys and girls- are desperately trying to overpower the reality of this film's shortcomings)

If you can ignore the echo chambers of those who will either claim to love or hate this movie without really giving it a chance, Snow White is a perfectly serviceable Disney film. Unfortunately, when remaking the GOAT of Disney Animation as live action it needs to be better than this to get a real recommendation. Even "live action" is a misnomer given the little people formerly known as dwarves are all CGI. The Snow White character has been updated for modern sensibilities, and Zegler is an OK actress with a great singing voice. Gadot is a fine actress who struggles with her songs as the villain. Merge them together and you'd have had one half of a great casting. Most of the classic songs are back (Someday My Prince Will Come being an obvious omission) and a new song was added that is, as a common theme to this film, adequate. I doubt the soundtrack will be a hit. If you have kids that want to see this one, take them. You won't be greatly entertained, but you won't exit the theater feeling like you've been robbed of two hours of your life. If you don't feel like you have to see this at the Cineplex you'll get an equal level of entertainment waiting for it to stream. Three Stars

As a black comedy Mickey 17 succeeds. The good news is it leans into that aspect of the story. The problem is by the third act it's largely gotten away from the comedy and is more sci-fi gone haywire and the different beats feel lifted from older sci fi movies (especially Starship Troopers, which was itself a dark comedy). That's not a bad thing, but it's not a great thing either. The core of the story is the hero signs up to be an expendable...a willing sacrifice for science, mankind or just the jobs nobody else wants...to escape Earth. Each time he dies he's "reprinted". Then he accidentally survives a mission but has already been reprinted, which is a no no in this society. The casting is good, Pattinson nails playing two versions of one character. His love interest turns out to be a hero. The leader delivers his lines like a gonzo version of Trump, only with a complete disconnect from reality that's Bidenesque. His wife is a cross between Tammy Faye Baker and Hilary Clinton. Depending on your sense of humor, it's entertaining or irritating (I thought it was great fun). As normally happens in these types of films, heroic sacrifices are made, good wins out and the hero gets the girl. Roll credits. A lot of reviews will skew to either mad love or mad hate for M17. It's well shot entertainment IF you enjoy dark comedy. Three Stars

Bill Murray doing Bill Murray things will always score with an audience. It's the rest of this movie that lands so poorly. That's a shame with the talent involved in front of the camera. The story? A domesticated retired hitman, with a new family, has his world turned upside down when his constantly in trouble son shows up with his pregnant girlfriend and his mom (aka the ex). The son has angered a former associate of his dad, who still does wet work. It's convoluted...and it doesn't work. By the end the good guys get shot, many times, but survive because the powers that be decided this movie needed a happy ending after all the subterfuge and reveals. Roll credits. This cast deserved better. A paying audience deserves much better. Two Stars

Captain America: Brave New World isn't a bad movie. The problem is Marvel needs it to be a home run. Anthony Mackie does hero well, even if his powers are through the tech he surrounds himself with vs being a juiced super soldier like the previous Cap. There is a telling scene where the President tells him he's no Steve Rodgers that also really drives home he's no Chris Evans (for better AND worse). In most of this movie he's in street clothes and trying to solve a mystery, so it's a different kind of Marvel movie...until the third act when it turns to Captain America: Same Old Effects. And therein lies the problem, all that buildup to take us to familiar territory. Harrison Ford looks to be having a grand old time barking lines and chewing scenery. It's great fun seeing him wearing an Air Force One jacket for an extended period given his previous incarnation as President. Marvel's done much better than this film. Of late they've done much worse. If you want to see it, catch it in large format IMAX while you can. Three Stars

Five stars for any Zep fans. 4.9 for anybody else. Only a real hater would go lower than that. The music is the highlight, live versions showing the power and finesse of the band. Unlike allot of documentaries the director knew to let full songs play with explanations/reflections before and after. But even if you're not a fan of the band, the history of each member and how they came together in 60's England is enough to recommend this film. It's all juxtaposed against the news and music of the day. My only complaint is there was an overuse of montages and using video that didn't match the performance being played...more of a petty annoyance than a deal breaker since there wasn't always a camera crew to film their late 60's-1970 shows. No matter how good your home theater system you can't match IMAX, so this one definitely needs to be seen in the theater. Five Stars

Heart Eyes has a decent premise destroyed by not being able to decide if it's a thriller, a love story, a comedy or a who done it. Added together that equals an (unintended) tragedy of a film. It starts strong, with some fun kills and establishing the Heart Eyes legend. It ends with the most contrived and ridiculous reveal ever (no spoilers here). In between you've got characters making even dumber decisions than is the norm for the horror genre. The writers must have compromising pictures of the producers or director to get this script greenlit. But it's not just them. The direction (and decisions make by the director) are so over the top it's distracting. For example, when the killer walks there's a bass "thump" with each step...on grass, on concrete, on hardwood, on carpet, on and on and on. If you feel the need to punish a date, this is the movie for you. Heart Eyes should be out of the theaters and streaming by just after Valentine's day, although I'd advise you not to waste an hour and a half of your life watching it at home. One Star

Love Hurts is a fun action/comedy that works because of the casting, especially the likeable Ke Huy Quan who's channeling his inner Jackie Chan. The plot, such that it is, is a retired hitman turned Realtor gets dragged back into his old life. Fights (fists, knives, guns and straws) ensue. Good guy ultimately wins, bad guy loses on many levels. Roll credits. It's a quick and fun 90 minutes that's done well enough to be worth a trip to the movies. Didn't forget the popcorn. Four Stars

There have been worse movies on Prime, but not many. The real issue here is there's nothing new, just a hodgepodge of much better wedding themed comedies. The plot, such as it is, is a wedding venue is double-booked. Hilarity ensues, or at least it was supposed to. The leads are playing variations on characters they've done before and feel like they're sleepwalking through this film. The supporting cast is so hammy Jews and Muslims will avoid this movie on kosher/halal grounds. Given the talent level involved responsibility for this mess lies with Nick Stoller, the director. Granted, the script did him no favors, but as director he should have pushed the writer (and actors) to do better. I suffered through this movie so you won't have to. One Star.