Voyagers is a shallow, bland, and empty-headed space-set riff of Lord of the Flies that fails to choose either heady futurism or sci-fi eroticism. It’s not a great sign that even attempting a description of Neil Burger’s banal Voyagers is a bit of a…
Godzilla vs. Kong isn’t a perfect film, but it features franchise-best VFX and links to Toho-era entries in its commitment to visual spectacle over narrative. The character of Godzilla, as originated in Ishirō Honda’s 1954 masterpiece, may have begun as a galvanic exercise in…
Nobody is an absolute blast of genre filmmaking and T-fueled ass-kicking glee. By now, it’s not really a stretch to assume that Bob Odenkirk isn’t just a terrific comedian, but also a gifted dramatic actor (see The Post, or, duh, Better Call Saul). That reality…
The “Zack Snyder cut” isn’t the holy grail of superhero cinema, but it’s at least a singular vision and a distinct improvement on the studio-bungled original. In case you hadn’t heard, director Zack Snyder struggled mightily against Warner Bros to get his vision for…
Chaos Walking welcomingly deviates from the YA template and surprises with its visual design, but it crumbles under the weight of its unexplored ideas. From its conception to this, its theatrical bow at last, Chaos Walking has remained a legitimate oddity. The choice to christen…
Coming 2 America is a lifeless detour without any of the humor or incisive critique of the original. John Landis’ 1988 Eddie Murphy vehicle Coming to America is, frankly, justly beloved. Although it’s full of now-dated stereotypes and off-color humor, it’s also — much like…
It seems nearly impossible that there’s anyone in the world who isn’t familiar with Tom and Jerry — or, at least, doesn’t recognize them. In fact, the beloved cartoon cat and mouse may be the most famous slapstick act this side of Laurel &…
Raya and the Last Dragon is beautifully animated and welcomingly eccentric, but also a little overly familiar. Much remains the same in Disney’s latest animated project, Raya and the Last Dragon. In the film, the studio continues their recent trend toward warrior women — here,…
Judas and the Black Messiah energizes necessary rhetoric and is impeccably crafted, but diminishes its power by sticking so closely to a prescribed biopic template. The provocatively titled Judas and the Black Messiah is something of a trap, one that, from the boldness of its…
Barb and Star plays to Wiig’s most overindulgent and weirdo instincts, failing to strike the balance of her best comedic work. The career path forged by Kristen Wiig is one of the stranger journeys to emerge out of Hollywood in recent years. After finding breakout…
