'Kingsman: The Golden Circle' (2017) Movie Review

A snarky, modestly clever, at times startlingly violent riff on James Bond’s urbane international man of mystery, Kingsman: The Secret Service is a decently fun watch. It’s not a movie I’ve ever felt the need to see again, and it’s one that, the farther I get from it, the less I find to enjoy. On the whole, it ultimately feels like a bunch of irritating bros laughing and chugging beer. That’s fine, but there’s nothing more to it than that. But The Secret Service made a butt-ton of money, so writer/director Matthew Vaughn and company are back with a sequel, Kingsman: The Golden Circle. And the word that repeatedly comes to mind is overkill.

Steven Soderbergh's 'Logan Lucky' Trailer Is Low-Down And Dirty

Steven Soderbergh and I have very different definitions of retirement. I’m happy for that fact, though, because it means he keeps churning out fantastic work like The Knick and his upcoming hillbilly heist movie, Logan Lucky. We’re still a month-plus out, but this should serve to brighten up an otherwise sparse looking August, and there’s a new trailer to whet your whistle.

Movie Review: The Coen Brothers' 'Hail, Caesar!'

Any time Joel and Ethan Coen make a movie, it’s going to be an event that captures my attention, and such is case with Hail, Caesar!. A bouncy, energetic dalliance into the Hollywood studio system of the 1950s, this is a well-meaning romp full of whip-cracking dialogue that only the Coens can pull off, homages to the classic genres of yesteryear, and quirky characters that would become stilted in the hands of any other filmmakers.

'Jupiter Ascending' Movie Review: The Wachowskis' Latest Is Big, Beautiful, And Bland

The Wachowski’s don’t make small, quiet films. They go big, they go ambitious, and they desperately need a hit, like how a crack head needs a hit. Their last two, Cloud Atlas and Speed Racer, did not exactly light up the box office. Unfortunately, their latest, Jupiter Ascending, is not likely to be that movie, as there isn’t much that truly works. This is a mishmash of crazy ideas thrown into a blender with a damsel-in-distress movie, full of what is best described as heroic space rollerblading. What makes this so unusual for the Wachowskis is how, despite fits of madness like what appears to be a race entirely comprised of a flying lizard biker gang, utterly bland this movie is.

'The Book Of Life' Movie Review

As far as animated kid’s movies go, Jorge R. Gutierrez’ The Book of Life is simultaneously wildly inventive and totally familiar, which are the film’s greatest strengths and weaknesses, respectively. Fortunately for the viewer, one totally supersedes the other, and the end result is a stunningly beautiful movie with a story that, while not particularly original, could be much, much worse, and has enough going on at the periphery that it is still interesting. And to be honest, there aren’t enough children’s movies about death, let alone ones that deal with it as positively as this one.

'22 Jump Street' Movie Review

As far as big, blockbuster type movies go, this summer has a noticeable lack of notable comedies. “Neighbors” was great, “A Million Ways toDie in the West” was mediocre, and “Tammy” looks terrible—which is too bad, because Melissa McCarthy is so damn funny. The only other member of this club is “22 Jump Street,” the sequel to 2012’s surprise hit. While I laughed a decent amount, and there are some very good moments, the film pales in comparison to its predecessor, and when taken as a whole, is not a particularly great movie.

'White House Down' Movie Review

 

Big, loud, heroic, and fun, Roland Emmerich’s take on “Die Hard in the White House” (the first this year was the more serious “Olympus HasFallen”), “White House Down,” is also bloated, ridiculously violent, and kind of dumb. And all of this is wrapped up in one bombastic package. The film wears its politics on its sleeve, but it’s a jumbled mess of simple, watered down jabs at the right, big business, and the American war machine. I’m as left-leaning as they come, but the way the film goes about trying to have a message is so asinine and rudimentary that you have to wonder why even bother.

DVD/Blu-Ray Review: 'Side Effects'

“Better living through chemistry,” quips psychiatrist Jonathan Banks (Jude Law) as he cracks an energy drink before running off to see another patient. Early on in Steven Soderbergh’s Side Effects, Banks is about to meet Emily Taylor (Rooney Mara) for the first time, a woman he will proceed to prescribe a series of anti-depressants to.

'21 Jump Street' Movie Review

In the year of our lord two-thousand-and-twelve, did anyone expect there to be a
“21 Jump Street” movie? Were people clamoring for a “21 Jump Street” movie? Has some obscure cable network been playing re-runs of the 80s teen cop drama, stirring up a rabid underground network of fans chanting “Jump Street”, “Jump Street”, “Jump Street”? And what’s more, possibly the biggest of these questions, did anyone actually expect “21 Jump Street” to be really good? Because it is. I’m as surprised as anyone. I anticipated a complete and utter disaster, but it’s serious laughs from beginning to end.

'The Son of No One' Movie Review

For a movie that has garnered little to no fanfare, and one that you probably shouldn’t even bother watching, “The Son of No One” has a lot of names that you’ll recognize. You’ve got Channing Tatum in the lead; Katie Holmes as his wife; Al Pacino as, you’ll never guess this, a New York cop; Ray Liotta as, you’ll never guess this either, a corrupt New York cop; and Tracy Morgan in a role that is what I imagine is similar to the part his character from “30 Rock” played when he went after an Oscar. And Juliette Binoche shows up as a crusading journalist, forgot to mention that one.