2022 Capsule Reviews

The Batman

rating: *****

review: As unlikely as this is for me to believe, there are now two visionary depictions of Batman in the movies, The Dark Knight and The Batman.  By the final act, in which Batman realizes his idea of "being vengeance" ended up sending the wrong message, and instead choosing to rescue people in broad daylight, that's a quantum shift in the legacy of the character.  This is the kind of thing that matters when deciding to make yet another Batman movie.  Tim Burton's Batman made it okay to take the character seriously, and now Christopher Nolan and Matt Reeves have built on that, which to my mind makes it the most important film of the year.  The idea of the superhero has been one of the leading concepts of the past hundred years of pop culture.  Still done best with this one.

Amsterdam

rating: *****

review: The idea of the adult drama has suffered in recent decades as a popular phenomenon, but this David O. Russell all star ensemble is an excellent reminder of just how important it is to the art of film.  I would stack it up with anyone's idea of Hollywood classics.

The Banshees of Inisherin

rating: *****

review: Colin Farrell got another legitimate classic out of this reteaming with Martin McDonagh and Brendan Gleeson (after In Bruges saved his Hollywood reputation), though it's far darker and less kind to fingers in general.

Everything Everywhere All At Once

rating: *****

review: That this somehow actually won the Best Picture at the Oscars is a kind of miracle, but it's such an interesting and insightful movie, hopefully more people actually watch it as a result.

Three Thousand Years of Longing

rating: *****

review: Another miracle, though it's disappointing that hardly anyone seems to know it happened, even while George Miller, Tilda Swinton, and Idris Elba fired on all cylinders to make it.

Elvis

rating: *****

review: For decades, if Elvis made it into biopics at all they were either on TV or some minor productions, on the whole, they might as well not have happened.  This was a necessary thing, then, that nailed it.  Also, Tom Hanks in one of his character roles.  Not the first.  Probably the one most fans will point to in later years.

Nope

rating: *****

review: Jordan Peele earned himself the title of auteur with Get Out, but owns it with this ambitious meditation on strange phenomena (and other matters).

Top Gun: Maverick

rating: *****

review: Probably the single most telling success story of the year, one very view would have seen coming just a few years earlier, when it seemed Tom Cruise's popular career was over.  Instead he turns in a true classic sequel to one of his earliest and biggest hits.  This is how you know the death of cinema was greatly exaggerated.

Bullet Train

rating: *****

review: In college, at least when I went, there was an obsession with obtaining posters to plaster dorm walls, and one of the themes from the selections would be cult cinema.  I can't imagine Bullet Train not obtaining that status.  Brad Pitt had a whole renaissance year in 2022, and this was its peak.

Where the Crawdads Sing

rating: *****

review: The wide success of the popular novel in the early century led to an explosion of bookclubs to keep it going, which eventually led to the book on which this was based.  Eventually I was smart enough to read that book, and made the even better decision to watch the movie that resulted.  The emphasis on David Straitharn's supporting character, to my mind, makes it a classic.

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore

rating: ****

review: At this point it's a known fact that this series ended with Secrets, and it's really hard to believe that the studio didn't know it was going to make that call right at the start of production.  There was a hard pivot at just about every juncture, except most of the main characters returning and receiving a kind of closure, with an even bigger emphasis on Dumbledore than the last one.  As a fan of the series and franchise, I think it accomplished what it needed to, though it's still rough to think what might have been.

Avatar: The Way of Water

rating: ****

review: I don't think enough has been made of just how grand these films are as cinematic spectacles.  I mean, it's pretty much the whole point.  With the first one, after a while, people started to wonder why they cared so much, why it made so much money, and so they doubted the much-belated second one would be any kind of success.  But of course it was anyway.  And was just as astounding.  In storytelling, it's not overly special.  But it's pure movie magic.

After Yang

rating: ****

review: A much more quiet but still critical success for Colin Farrell.  There's a neat moment near the beginning where the family dances.  I like that bit.

The Outfit

rating: ****

review: After Waiting for the Barbarians, I became a fan of Mark Rylance, who pulls off another success with this unexpected suspense drama.

Breaking

rating: ****

review: Holy cow, what a spotlight for John Boyega!  In other decades he would've been showered with acting awards.  Somehow not in this one.

Marry Me

rating: ****

review: Jennifer Lopez hit a another popular peak in recent years, and this throwback to her biggest movie successes works, for me, as it happens to costar Owen Wilson, who's been a lowkey favorite of mine for years.

Uncharted

rating: ****

review: Made me actually like the pipsqueak who plays the modern Spider-Man.  A solid riff on what will forever be known as the Indiana Jones archetype.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2

rating: ****

review: Jim Carrey declared he was done with acting after this.  If he really is, it's not a bad way to go.

Black Adam

rating: ****

review: People with nothing better to do have been having a field day with the box office failure of this one, saying it's the final nail in the coffin of Dwayne Johnson's popular career.  Most of them have barely any notion of what Johnson's career has actually looked like.  Well, anyway, I loved it.  I think it's an astonishing miracle it got made like this at all, much less the fact that it got made only because Johnson took the role.  

The Bad Guys

rating: ****

review: On Twitter (or whatever you'd like to call it these days), I have one of the creators of the cartoon strip Over the Hedge in my feed.  I bring this up because he's always trying to drum up support for a sequel to the animated film that resulted from it.  I figure The Bad Guys is destined for that kind of fate, a classic of a movie that maybe will never get the respect it's due, much less a sequel.  But it could play out differently!

Ambulance

rating: ****

review: It's kind of hard to believe now, but there was a time when Michael Bay was taken seriously as a filmmaker.  The Criterion Collection even added Armageddon to its highly selective catalog of mostly European cinema and American auteurs.  I haven't always overly interested in his career myself (still have yet to see Armageddon, even!), but I figured if anyone was capable of helping define the cinematic surge that was 2022, it was Bay.  I was right.  Good stuff.

The Contractor

rating: ****

review: A fine spotlight for Chris Pine, an action as well as character drama that allows him to showcase his strengths in both.

The Menu 

rating: ****

review: Ralph Fiennes, Anya Taylor-Joy, crazy social commentary...Whate else do you want served?

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

rating: ****

review: Unlike his last solo outing, Puss's belated second adventure leans back into his Shrek origins with more shenanigans and spoof characters.

Crimes of the Future

rating: ****

review: David Cronenberg showing up in a recurring role for Star Trek: Discovery was enough to convince me to have a look at Crimes, which was overly sensationalized (the third Guardians of the Galaxy movie received similar treatment) by sensitive viewers, when it's really a quiet drama about outsiders.

Don't Worry Darling

rating: ****

review: I am not remotely part of the critical cult of Florence Pugh, but this compelling cautionary tale from Olivia Wilde (now I get why Salman Rushdie was so interested in her; y'know, other than the obvious), which also gives Chris Pine a higher profile gig, a nice spotlight.  Harry Styles got the opposite of the Pugh treatment for no discernible reason.

The Lost City

rating: ***

review: This all star ensemble (Sandra Bullock! Channing Tatum! Daniel Radcliffe! even Brad Pitt in a supporting role!) is a fun ride.  I would've tweaked some things here and there.  Still kind of upset Pitt didn't have a bigger role.  Kind of stole the movie for me.  Fun fact!  Bullock and Tatum also both show up in Bullet Train.  Very weird.  Fairly certain they were completely different studios.

Ticket to Paradise

rating: ***

review: Nice to see George Clooney show up in something visible again (and it was also a minor hit!).  Not to par with his best movies, but certainly worth watching.  His costar Julia Roberts, she's worth noting probably, too.  Old school Hollywood definitely felt like asserting itself in 2022.

Moonfall

rating: ***

review: Another callback to the '90s!  It was like Independence Day all over again!

Death on the Nile

rating: ***

review: I read the book before watching the movie.  Usually I call hogwash the notion that the book is always better than the movie.  But I had a hard time forgetting how enjoyable the book was.  I adore Kenneth Branagh making these movies, though.  

Babylon

rating: ***

review: Here's Pitt again.  But it's really mostly just Margot Robbie doing her crazy routine in the most thoroughly old school Hollywood possible.  

Father Stu

rating: ***

review: I was surprised when I heard my dad say he enjoyed this one, since I thought it leaned a little heavily on Father Stu's pre-Catholic days.

Thor: Love and Thunder

rating: ***

review: For me a huge step up from Ragnorak, which everyone who saw it loved, and loathed this one.  You never can tell how these things will play out.  Best Thor movie, and very easily so for me.

The Forgiven

rating: ***

review: I wasn't actually much of a fan of Ralph Fiennes' prior career as a generally mopy movie star, and yet this is a callback to that, with the added bonus of Jessica Chastain joining along for the ride.

The Northman

rating: ***

review: Cult-like success convinced me to watch.  Generally worth it.

Clerks III

rating: ***

review: Haven't technically seen the other two.  Kevin Smith growing nostalgic works on its own.

The 355

rating: ***

review: An all-womens all star ensemble led by Jessica Chastain is probably well worth another look down the line despite being savagely dismissed on original release.

Beast

rating: ***

review: Idris Elba in a family drama highlighted by a vicious fight scene at the end with the eponymous lion.

Morbius

rating: ***

review: People have no idea how often they're manipulated by studios.  Disney is a terrible offender in this.  They hype up their product, and spread bad vibes for any and all competitors.  This isn't conspiracy.  It doesn't always work, too, especially when no one is really going to see a wide success coming.  But you get things like the constant mindless negativity for Sony's Morbius, which is admittedly already an improbable vehicle.  Better than any of the Blade movies ever were, anyway.  Once the machine gears up, people assume their poor opinions of something were self-generated.  Don't know what to tell ya.  Most of you don't work that hard to generate a reaction.  You agree with the consensus, even when it was somehow there before a movie like this was even released.  That's how it works.

Minions: The Rise of Gru

rating: ***

review: This sort of thing will work really well for kids, but for adults the charms of the original (Despicable Me, in case you forgot) suffer diminishing returns the more the series forgets that the whole point was to, y'know, redeem Gru...

Memory

rating: ***

review: A minor though interesting variation in the later Liam Neeson action canon, allowing the reality of his aging to inform some of the drama.

The Fabelmans

rating: ***

review: For me, Spielberg's career becomes increasingly sad as he desperately pleads for the approval of the Hollywood establishment.  This is the guy who redefined the establishment forty years ago.  He has no business worrying about such things.  And yet he does.

Jurassic World: Dominion

rating: ***

review: This is a whole franchise (going all the way back to Jurassic Park itself) that I've never really been overly invested in, and yet they keep making new movies, and so I have a look every now and then, and it's okay.  

Medieval 

rating: **

review: Gosh, I wish Ben Foster had held out for something a little better.

DC League of Superpets

rating: **

review: Will certainly be worth revisiting, but immediately seems to have been worth the trailer, which was really good, and not a whole lot more.

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

rating: **

review: I think probably after it lost its original meta plot of Nicolas Cage appearing in a Quentin Tarantino film, I lost most of my actual interest.  But it's still nice that Cage clawed his way back into movie theaters thanks to whatever you want to call the finished results.

The King's Daughter

rating: **

review: Live action Disney that isn't Disney nor adapting any known Disney material.  So it's probably definitely something you can show the whole family and enjoy.  But not remember very clearly later.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

rating: *

review: To me, the definition of insulting is bothering to bring in a collection of cameo characters that you mindlessly slaughter to drive up the threat of the character who isn't even, in the final analysis, the main threat of the movie.  What a truly embarrassing statement on the current state of the MCU.  Astute readers will note I haven't seen all of the recent additions.  I really don't see the point.  Now they're just making it the same as the actual comics.  Which for me have also been widely skippable.  In order to prove their further relevance, they're becoming either further irreverent or mindlessly obsessed with counterfeit legacies.  What joy.

2021 Capsule Reviews

The Last Duel

rating: *****

review: You can tell how lousy critical standards have gotten when a movie that would've been universally acclaimed twenty years ago, been hailed as innovative, and boasted career-defining performances is instead derided, ignored, shunned.  This is a masterpiece.  Besides Matt Damon and Adam Driver you've got Jodie Comer in a career-making role as each of their perspectives is tracked, separately, until the truth (Comer's) closes out Ridley Scott's spectacle (no one has come remotely close to matching him in terms of consistent achievement in historic epics).

The French Dispatch

rating: *****

review: Wes Anderson's most laconic film is basically a glorified anthology, in which he's clearly indulging himself.  Another great film that in any other era would've been celebrated as such.  This is what you get when the pandemic is still happening and streaming services are hogging all the attention.  No perspective.

The Courier

rating: ****

review: My biggest surprise discovery of the year would've been standard acclaim material in any other era: Benedict Cumberbatch in a spotlight as he suffers the depravities at the height of the Cold War.  If I hadn't randomly decided to watch it in the theater early in the year, I probably would never have known it happened at all.

The Green Knight

rating: ****

review: David Lowery has been one of the premier artistic directors of the modern era, but it somehow took for this for the mainstream to notice, and even then it wasn't hailed as the huge achievement it really is.  A classic retelling of a classic tale.

No Time to Die

rating: ****

review: The second and only other time critics actually liked Daniel Craig as Bond (Skyfall, basically a desperate attempt to justify Judi Dench in the franchise) is basically also the only time I didn't.  The audacity of No Time is that it dares to complete the story, which Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace had originally suggested was this version of the character's hallmark.  This, then, is the first time the story has an ending, that James Bond has an actual arc.  It's the Dark Knight Rises of 007.  It's a new wrinkle in the mythology.  

Boss Level

rating: ****

review: Qualifying as one of the miracles of the pandemic was the actual release of the much-delayed Boss Level from Joe Carnahan, which was the first of a one-two punch from him for the year.  A classic example of the time loop genre.

Snake Eyes

rating: ****

review: If not quite The Dark Knight, this is probably the closest we're liable to see anytime soon to G.I. Joe being taken seriously as a cinematic property.  Another unfairly dismissed film from the year.

Die in a Gunfight

rating: ****

review: What I'd like to consider an easy candidate for cult status, a retelling of Romeo & Juliet that also recasts the gang film genre into something more artistically ambitious.

Last Night in Soho

rating: ****

review: A spellbinding time travel experience that combines the unique charms of Edgar Wright and Abya Taylor-Joy.

Settlers

rating: ****

review: For my purposes I include only cinematic releases.  I'm not sure this was, but I don't really care, as it's worth the exception.  A fine space western centering around a young girl struggling to survive terrible circumstances.  Worth considering for cult status for anyone who bothers to seek it out.

Needle in a Timestack

rating: ****

review: Another genre spectacle, this time from John Ridley, involving more time travel hijinks in innovative ways, someone changing the timeline trying to find their perfect reality, and finding poignant results.

Judas and the Black Messiah 

rating: ****

review: Explosive drama featuring a standout lead performance from Daniel Kaluuya that would have been instantly iconic in any other...

The Mauritanian

rating: ****

review: The trilogy of great historic dramas concludes with this look at Guantanamo Bay.  Add Tahar Rahim to the list of those robbed of their just acclaim from the year.

Free Guy

rating: ****

review: This was basically Ryan Reynolds' audition for the Disney version of Deadpool.  A very rare original blockbuster idea for the modern era.

Belfast

rating: ****

review: Kenneth Branagh has been successfully navigating an era in which his kind of career shouldn't still exist, so he got to make a personal film along the way, a throwback to the kinds of movies they were doing back in the '90s.

Dune

rating: ****

review: Denis Villeneuve has stepped away from his solo auteur status to embrace his unique role as a successful director of auteur blockbuster adaptations.  An incredible ensemble of acting talent came along for the ride in this first installment.

Pig

rating: ****

review: The very rare exception to the modern rule that you probably won't personally be interested in Nicolas Cage's further career if you liked him in his earlier stages when he was doing serious material.

Zola

rating: ****

review: I found Taylour Paige to be exceptionally magnetic in this small-scale drama based on a series of tweets.

Copshop

rating: ****

review: If you loved Robert Rodriguez's early films you'll probably enjoy this second Joe Carnahan romp from the year.  Both are also excellent showcases for Frank Grillo, by the way.

Sing 2

rating: ****

review: I came for U2, but it was actually Coldplay that stole the movie for me.  Also some typical but enjoyable animated material around the music.

Death of a Telemarketer

rating: ***

review: Silly and yet enjoyable.  Haley Joel Osment pulls in a supporting role!  He looks like a teddy bear these days.  Put a few more years on him and I think he can use that for a career revival.

Chaos Walking

rating: ***

review: Spider-Man and Rey help each other survive a weird planet.  I think this was interesting.

Venom: Let There Be Carnage

rating: ***

review: Maybe if they make enough of these they'll just let Tom Hardy exist on his own wacky terms with his goop doppelganger.

Old

rating: ***

review: M. Night Shyamalan rediscovering his classic footing.  A minor but welcome addition to his filmography.

Every Breath You Take

rating: ***

review: A nice actors' drama revolving around Casey Affleck, Michelle Monaghan, and Sam Claflin.

The Little Things 

rating: ***

review: Denzel Washington, Jared Leto, and Rami Malik in another throwback to the '90s.  Well worth watching these guys work alone.

House of Gucci

rating: ***

review: Come for a much more odd Leto turn in a supporting role, stay for Adam Driver and Ridley Scott in a second, minor triumph to bracket the year together.  Marvel that Lady Gaga doesn't seem as wildly out of place as she did, when not singing, in A Star Is Born.

 King Richard

rating: ***

review: Destined to be known as the movie that led to the Oscars moment, this is also Will Smith's latest attempt to be taken seriously as an actor.  He got the Oscar to show for it.  But he kind of blew the moment anyway.

Our Friend

rating: ***

review: Affleck again, this time with Jason Segal, whose star potential is once again lost in a year that saw no point in paying attention to cinematic releases.

Space Jam: A New Legacy

rating: ***

review: If anything, this gimmick-infused belated sequel knew even better how to be frivolously enjoyable than the first one.

City of Lies

rating: ***

review: Well, it was still mandatory to shun Johnny Depp at this point, so there was no way anyone would admit this Biggie Smalls movie was worth anything.

F9

rating: ***

review: Very surprisingly for me, since I kind of got over John Cena and his shameless mugging years ago, but I think he proved a worthwhile addition to the series.

The Matrix Resurrections

rating: ***

review: I love the original trilogy, all of it.  This is a worthy and clever coda.

Spider-Man: No Way Home

rating: ***

review: Basically this whole era of Spider-Man only exists because the MCU was looking for a boost of interest.  Otherwise it's really had no clue how to justify itself.  This incredibly gimmicky third entry finds it in shamelessly bringing back characters and actors from the prior two.  But it works.

In the Heights

rating: ***

review: No one has a better grasp of smug self-satisfaction as Lin-Manuel Miranda these days.  The storytelling is decent.  He needs to work on writing actual songs.  He's capable.  He just doesn't want to.

A Quiet Place Part II

rating: ***

review: I still haven't seen the first place.  Presented no discernable problem to enjoying this one.

Mortal Kombat

rating: ***

review: A fine pivot into a more serious direction for the franchise.

Profile

rating: ***

review: Far more movies than you'd think believe the gimmick of presenting themselves solely from the lens of social media exist.  This one's worth watching.  It revolves around the horrors of terrorists recruiting unwitting victims.  This one is using herself as bait.

Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard

rating: ***

review: Both of these films are enjoyable throwbacks with excellent casts.

Voyagers

rating: ***

review: I'm not overly fond of material that actively seeks to make its audience uncomfortable, and so that's the weakness of this one (it costars Colin Farrell, although he's dispatched relatively early) about teenagers stumbling over themselves to survive a long journey in space.

Black Widow

rating: ***

review: The much-much belated solo film from one of the characters who debuted earliest in the MCU is fairly standard material for the franchise(s).

Nomadland

rating: ***

review: Periodically the Oscars insult the demographic it otherwise abhors by lavishing praise on movies that star Frances McDormand.

Wrath of Man

rating: ***

review: I wasn't really into Guy Ritchie earlier in his career, but I am now, and this was a fine way to help segue to what I consider 2023 being a career year.

Naked Singularity

rating: ***

review: I'll be honest; I really just need to watch this one again.  Mind-bending spotlight for John Boyega.

Reminiscence

rating: ***

review: Between this and The Fountain, Hugh Jackman seeks to corner the market in sleepy high concept dramas.  But it's nice to see him in something, anyway.  Always likeable.

State Like Sleep

rating: ***

review: I actually liked this one starring Katherine Waterston.

Lansky

rating: ***

review: A fine minor mob movie featuring Harvey Keitel and Sam Worthington.

Spiral

rating: ***

review: To get me interested in the Saw franchise again, you really do need an infusion of Chris Rock.

The Virtuoso

rating: ***

review: A nice spotlight for recent Star Trek renaissance actor Anson Mount.  His narration as the start of the movie is itself worth watching to experience.  I guess I just like his voice.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife

rating: **

review: Really, even before the climax proves to be an exact copy of the original, I wasn't as wowed as I expected to be by this.

The Suicide Squad

rating: **

review: I'm hoping James Gunn isn't as enamored with his weirder tendencies with his further DC duties than he allowed himself to be with this one.

Till Death

rating: **

review: Proof that Megan Fox is still hot even if she's handcuffed to a corpse.  So there's that.  Really not that bad.  Just not much compared to other movies.

Those Who Wish Me Dead

rating: **

review: There's really nothing wrong with this Angelina Jolie vehicle, either.  Just needed more, I guess.

Godzilla vs. Kong

rating: **

review: I actually haven't seen the whole thing, but from what I did see it seemed much more interested in continuing one of the two monster movies series than both.  But it's both anyway.

Midnight in the Switchgrass

rating: **

review: The latter-day Bruce Willis has now been explained, so we all understand what's happened to the quality of his acting and career.  I caught this one since it was filmed and had its premiere here in Tampa, and has an interesting title.  Will watch again at some point to see if it's worth anything.

Lady of the Manor

rating: **

review: For years now critics have been trying to convince me that Melanie Lynskey is worth more than the character of Rose in Two and a Half Men.  I think this movie officially convinced me otherwise.

Crisis 

rating: **

review: An excellent cast.  Not the firebrand it otherwise wishes it were.

Licorice Pizza

rating: *

review: I'm just not a fan of Paul Thomas Anderson, I guess.  I find him needlessly indulgent.  This particular version of his work stars the son of Philip Seymour Hoffman, who is no Philip Seymour Hoffman, but Paul Thomas Anderson will indulge his belief that he is anyway.

2020 Capsule Reviews

Crazy Samurai Musashi

rating: *****

review: Wow! In recent years an increasing number of filmmakers have pursued the "single tracking shot" concept, from Birdman to 1917 to even One Shot, and as far as I'm concerned it's always on the face of it impressive on that level alone.  Musashi is much like One Shot insofar as it's a horribly obscure movie, but it's such a brilliant execution of the concept, one samurai facing off against an entire clan, just a constant stream of sword-fighting, but always staged with keeping the action interesting.  For me I fell instantly and hopelessly in love with the results.  I doubt this even received a theatrical release in the States.  As far as I can tell distribution was negligible, and I only even knew it existed when I saw the movie at Walmart (and since physical media is rapidly declining, the chances of finding something like this outside an equally lucky find at Dollar Tree have only further diminished), and reviews have been hopelessly dismissive.  So this won't even show up in streaming platforms, probably.  I don't care.  I discovered it.  It's now one of my favorite movies.

Waiting for the Barbarians

rating: *****

review: Hollywood, and the press, and critics, often collude in destroying careers, and there's not a reasonable argument against this.  Barbarians costars Johnny Depp, in the period where everyone still believed he was probably the bad guy in the Amber Heard situation.  Now, of course, there's far more wiggle room, but people don't really re-evaulate movies, especially ones that were instantly obscure.  But this is another work of genius.  No doubt in my mind.

True History of the Kelly Gang

rating: *****

review: For me, Russell Crowe was one of the big cinematic heroes of the early pandemic, between his small role here and one of the wide releases that dared open in 2020.  Another hopelessly obscure work of genius.  That's three.

Emma.

rating: *****

review: Anya Taylor-Joy in a joyously inventive revisioning of the classic.

WW84

rating: ****

review: Everyone went gaga over the first one, but I instantly preferred this one, which was a better overall showcase for Wonder Woman, and had a memorable villain or two besides.  The opening sequence alone is a classic, and I guess I'm a sucker for ones showcasing someone in a cathartic flying experience, since I loved that best about Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, too.

Tenet

rating: ****

review: Christopher Nolan was cinema's big champion that year, and he was widely criticized for it, but for me all I cared about was that Tenet was as close to matching the action scope of The Dark Knight as he'd attempted to that point.  I also love how it audaciously tackles the idea of combatting terrorism, which is basically the whole point of the movie.  Plus a lot of visual gimmicks to satisfy viewers who still think Inception was his best movie.

Bill & Ted Face the Music

rating: ****

review: One of the pandemic miracles, or so it seemed then, was the appearance of this late third entry in the series, thereby further solidifying Keanu Reeves as a modern master of franchises, if somehow anyone still doubted it.  Probably bolsters the reputation of the whole series.

The Gentlemen

rating: ****

review: Critics kind of fell all over themselves trying to explain why Guy Ritchie no longer had it (they're still trying to make the fatuous argument here in 2023), but at least this played out before the pandemic hit.  For me, a great cast, and a standout supporting role for my favorite actor, Colin Farrell.

Capone

rating: ****

review: I can think of very few actors who without the benefit of some scandal have garnered such undeserved scorn from critics as Tom Hardy.  For anyone else this would've been hailed as a genius showcase.

The Way Back

rating: ****

review: Gavin O'Connor has been one of my favorite directors of the past decade.  Ben Affleck has surprised a lot of people by how much they liked him in the same period.  Here they work together for an affecting sports drama that's heavy on the drama and light on the sports. A great combination.

Sonic the Hedgehog

rating: ****

review: The hedgehog is entertaining, but for me it's a hugely welcome spotlight and return to form for Jim Carrey after years of exile.

News of the World

rating: ****

review: For years I was uninterested in the movies Tom Hanks was making.  For me this was a comeback of interest.  Kind of a later spiritual sequel for Road to Perdition, but one that allows him to have a little fun, too.

Downhill

rating: ****

review: Wow, so Will Ferrell, I don't know if you've noticed, isn't as popular as he once was.  Downhill came and went I think without the pandemic affecting no one noticing.  But it's a great dramatic film for Ferrell, from filmmakers Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, both still somehow highly underrated.

Greenland 

rating: ****

review: Gerard Butler can sometimes (okay, a lot of the time) seem as if he chooses projects without regard to quality, but this was an exception, a standout survival drama that feels like a blockbuster in the style of Independence Day, but keeping things at a strictly human scale.

Ava

rating: ****

review: I keep mentioning in these capsules how critics are inexplicably undervaluing major talent, and Jessica Chastain is a favorite victim of this.  Here she's combining her penchant for human drama with the needs of action films.  Another supporting spotlight for Colin Farrell.  He had a banger year for those.  I never have gotten around to seeing the Disney+ exclusive Artermis Fowl, in which Farrell is literally plugged into the movie post-production to try and save it.

Let Him Go

rating: ****

review: One of the benefits of starring in a critic-proof, stubbornly hugely successful TV series like Yellowstone seems to be Kevin Costner gets to once again revive his movie career, and this was well worth his time in doing so.

Unhinged

rating: ****

review: A critical darling for a few years, Russell Crowe fell from grace years ago, and it's only freed him to make increasingly interesting choices.  Here he's an unabashed villain.  Whatever publicity he gets now shamelessly mocks his weight gain, in an era that's supposed to be tolerant of such things.  So you kinda know how hollow such campaigns really are.

The Night Clerk

rating: ****

review: For me much of the early pandemic meant as releases thinned out there was at least a greater chance of minor films getting noticed, and many of them evoked classic Hollywood, and while all the attention of course instead went to streaming services (critics ended up being slavish in their new devotion, so that if awards are given out, they go to streaming releases almost exclusively), films like Night Clerk gave good material to stars like Tye Sheridan.

Bloodshot

rating: ****

review: An attempt at jumpstarting a new cinematic superhero universe for most viewers, even before the pandemic, was instead a nonstarter, with Guy Pearce gamely trying to rub off whatever remaining Memento magic he had on Vin Diesel.  But Vin Diesel never really has fans outside of the Fast & Furious movies, alas, even if he makes decent action movies out of the concepts driving them.

Birds of Prey and the Fabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn

rating: ****

review: After the belated popular failure of Suicide Squad (one of those unpopular box office successes), even if Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn was an instant icon, it really didn't matter what she appeared in next.  But for the life of me I don't understand ignoring an obvious spotlight like this, and object lesson in proving that no matter what's happening around her, she still shines.

Bad Boys for Life

rating: ****

review: Will Smith and Martin Lawrence return for this belated sequel that revived interest in Smith's career, and wisely acted as if it was basically a Smith spotlight in the style of the bright '00s period of it.

The Burnt Orange Heresy

rating: ****

review: Like Night Clerk a bright throwback spotlight vehicle for a worthy aspirant, this time Elizabeth Debicki.

The Rhythm Section

rating: ***

review: Tagged with some of the worst reviews of the year (and before the pandemic!), this one stars Blake Lively and Jude Law, and it's a movie I'll need to revisit, since I remember liking it, but I have few specific memories of it.

The New Mutants

rating: ***

review: Holds the dubious distinction of being the last of the Fox productions of X-Men movies, with a troubled release date history that no doubt benefited from the pandemic for finally happening.  Not a bad movie by any means, but its existence in a vacuum is disappointing given how most of the other films in the franchise went out of their way to provide some tangible link to the rest of it, usually with a throwaway cameo or two.

The Last Full Measure

rating: ***

review: In a prior era this would've been a standard adult drama anyone would've known existed, but in this one it falls into instant obscurity.  Features the likes of Sebastian Stan, Samuel L. Jackson, Ed Harris, William Hurt, Peter Fonda...Worth assembling such talent.

Mulan

rating: ***

review: For me the original animated version was Mushu (as voiced by Eddie Murphy).  This live action version doesn't even have Mushu.  But I guess the greater point of the story still stands.

Archenemy

rating: ***

review: After The Man Who Killed Hitler and then the Big Foot, I kind of wanted another cult-sized experience.  Joe Manganiello, as great as he is, turns out to not quite be Sam Elliott, but the results are still worth a look.

Irresistible 

rating: ***

review: It turns out Jon Stewart reuniting with Steve Carell wasn't quite the second coming of The Daily Show for critics.  But it's still a biting political satire well worth checking out.

The Hunt

rating: ***

review: A totally different political satire!  But worth watching, too!

Jungleland

rating: ***

review: Not quite Warrior.  But worth a look.

The Tax Collector 

rating: ***

review: David Ayer's career plummeted after Suicide Squad.  But that doesn't mean he's any less interesting a filmmaker. If you still like End of Watch, you'll like this, too.

Infidel

rating: ***

review: Jim Caviezel still gamely pursuing the audience of The Passion of the Christ.

Emperor

rating: ***

review: It's a testament to how shallow the movie era is when one of the most famous and infamous figures in American history, John Brown, shows up as a supporting character in this and the results are completely ignored.

The Vanished

rating: ***

review: There was a time when Jason Patric's unusual career choices interested critics.  That time is long past.  But this is another of those, and it's worth a look.

Fatman

rating: **

review: Mel Gibson has been pumping out b-movies.  They're not all terrible.  In fact he's made some brilliant choices!  But this Santa Claus thriller ain't necessarily one of 'em.

Legion

rating: **

review: Mickey Rourke was another critical darling tossed to the scrapheap whenever the mood struck them, and this is another lean period.  It was suggested his turn here was an embarrassment.  It isn't, and it's also the best reason to watch.

Robert the Bruce

rating: **

review: Another very belated sequel!  This one sees Angus Macfadyen reprise his most famous role, from Braveheart.  This one's less rousing.

The Empty Man

rating: *

review: Very, very unfortunately, James Badge Dale cashed in all his chips from his small-scale career revival for this mainstream horror movie.  If I ever try watching it again, it'll again and this time emphatically be for Dale alone.

The Warrant

rating: *

review: I remain a big fan of Neal McDonough, who I first saw in Star Trek: First Contact and later starred in the brilliant but short-lived TV series Boomtown.  This is a low budget western.  Alas.

2019 Capsule Reviews

The Man Who Killed Don Quixote

rating: *****

review: Terry Gilliam's much-delayed masterpiece probably works better than it would have originally infused with Adam Driver.  I don't suppose critics were disposed to adoring the results anyway, so forget their lukewarm reception.  Gilliam is always just this side of genius, and sometimes is firmly on it, and this is his best film.  Absolutely worth all the hassle to get it done, worth the wait, and all the needless later loopholes to actually see it.

Yesterday

rating: *****

review: Critics were equally dismissive of this one, since they couldn't wrap their heads around the Beatles being popular today, and maybe it's because I'm unabashedly a fan, but I put well aside my usual apathy for romantic movies for this, and eagerly so.  Between the Beatles themselves, Across the Universe, and now this, I've witnessed the same songs executed to perfection in widely different ways.

Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood

rating: *****

review: Quentin Tarantino returns to the laconic form of Jackie Brown to rewrite history in a story about two lives that really had nothing at all to do with the Manson murders, but comment on the nature of living the film life better than anything I've ever seen.

Joker

rating: *****

review: Opinions range from brilliant to apathy, depending on how invested the viewer is in the legacy of the character.  The stairway sequence alone makes the results iconic, and Joaquin Phoenix a worthy successor to Heath Ledger.

Knives Out

rating: *****

review: Daniel Craig powers an ensemble that redeems Rian Johnson's reputation after The Last Jedi.

Star Wars - Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker

rating: ****

review: At this point you were either onboard with the sequels or had already dismissed them.  I found the conclusion of Rey's journey, her relationship with Kylo Ren, to be perfect, a response and the antithesis to how things played out in the original trilogy (and even the prequels), daring to believe in hope in a most cynical age.

Zombieland: Double Tap

rating: ****

review: An underrated gem of a series in the modern era, and a worthy follow-up to the original, both of which I've grown to appreciate more over time.

John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum

rating: ****

review: The bombastic third entry in this series turned it into a legitimate blockbuster, and knew exactly what it was doing, turning John's survival into a true epic experience.

Jojo Rabbit

rating: ****

review: Burned by my experience with Thor: Ragnarok, I was hesitant to follow Taika Waititi down this, heh, rabbit hole, but once I did, I fell in love with its unlikely magic.

Hotel Mumbai

rating: ****

review: The age of terrorism finds perhaps its perfect cinematic depiction in this unheralded ensemble drama.

Serenity

rating: ****

review: My appreciation for this one is possibly only beginning; where others were baffled by its twist, I thought it added to the movie's power, and all the same, became another great example of why Matthew McConaughey should never, ever be underestimated.

Where'd You Go, Bernadette

rating: ****

review: Actresses often find it hard to star in truly worthy vehicles for their talent, and Cate Blanchett has been no exception, but this is one of them.

1917

rating: ****

review: Presented as one long cut, a truly harrowing depiction of WWI trench warfare.

The Standoff at Sparrow Creek

rating: ****

review: James Badge Dale saw a resurgence of interest from filmmakers at this time, and this was the best result, a riveting look at the preppers phenomenon.

Terminator: Dark Fate

rating: ****

review: Ever since the second one, this franchise has been hellbent at sabotaging itself. Dark Fate was the rare instance of everyone sort of agreeing to trust the results. I've generally enjoyed every film, but this one was a cut above.

The Lighthouse

rating: ****

review: Robert Pattinson has been keen to find oddball projects, and this was perhaps his most successful at getting the mainstream to notice.  Personally I need to watch it a few more times, since I find his performance to be unusually showy, but I guess others didn't.

Detective Pikachu

rating: ****

review: A genius depiction of the Pokemon franchise, starring Ryan Reynolds in another perfect role.

The Hustle

rating: ****

review: Trashed or outright dismissed otherwise, I found the comedic pairing of Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson to be irresistible (between this and Serenity, as far as I'm concerned this was a career year for Hathaway).

Dumbo

rating: ****

review: I'm not overly attached to much of Disney's animated canon, so this particular live action edition landed well with me, which was certainly helped along by costarring Colin Farrell.

Glass

rating: ****

review: Putting the focus squarely on the franchise's best character helped achieve a solid hit for me from Shyamalan.

High Life

rating: ****

review: I actually like this Pattinson (performance) better, but the films in this de facto ranking are still probably accurate in terms of overall worth.

Ad Astra

rating: ****

review: Falling in the same basic range is the similar Brad Pitt experience, made before Hollywood realized Tarantino was revitalizing his career.

The Upside

rating: ****

review: The film that made me a fan of Kevin Hart.  I guess I could care less for him as a strictly comedic performer, but he plays dramatic roles surprisingly well.

The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot

rating: ****

review: The movie with the most ridiculous title ever is absolutely worth experiencing, especially the tense first half, which leads to getting to just spend time with Sam Elliott, since the actual climax isn't worth as much.

Ford v Ferrari

rating: ****

review: Christian Bale as a loose cannon racecar driver trying to prove Ford can make something good is worth Matt Damon not particularly clicking with the material, mistaking smugness for confidence.

Donnybrook

rating: ****

review: Another career seeing a bit of sunlight during this time was Frank Grillo, who unlike Dale carried the momentum further along.  Here he's stuck in a rut of being a thug, but it's still a far cry from not even knowing he was an actor in Warrior.

Under the Silver Lake

rating: ****

review: Basically the Andrew Garfield version of Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood.

Motherless Brooklyn

rating****:

review: Edward Norton made this one happen, otherwise he'd still be looking for another starring role. Also Bruce Willis' last shot at legitimate cinema.

Richard Jewell

rating: ****

review: I figure Clint Eastwood was being allegorical with this one.

Toy Story 4

rating: ****

review: For me the third one was needless rehash, but I figure there was actual new ground in this one, chiefly in the existential crisis of the toy that was made by a kid.  Although if there's another one they might validate the idea a little better.

Captain Marvel

rating: ***

review: Nothing wrong with it, except there's no way it can validate the hero's claim to icon status, which is the one thing it really needed to do.

Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbes & Shaw

rating: ***

review: If Johnson & Statham had to be relegated to their own vehicle (heh), it could've been worse.  

Frozen II

rating: ***

review: I still don't know what my niece thinks of this one.  So I don't really know, either.

Fighting with My Family

rating: ***

review: Being familiar with the source material, these results are okay, but at least they depict in cinematic terms The Rock's persona.

The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part

rating: ***

review: Can't really compete with the poignant twist at the end of the first one.

Men in Black: International

rating: ***

review: There's nothing wrong with this, except it doesn't have Will Smith.  Or Tommy Lee Jones.

Dark Phoenix 

rating: ***

review: Kind of ironic that the end of the Fox franchise proper circles back to the point everyone thought killed it in the first place.

Avengers: Endgame

rating: ***

review: I was thoroughly underwhelmed by the whole Thanos experience.  They just didn't know what to do with him, so fittingly, he's barely in this one.  This is the definition of the MCU's villain problem.

Alita: Battle Angel

rating: ***

review: Nothing wrong with this one except it feels like small potatoes compared to most of the other things from the year.

Shazam!

rating: ***

review: As it turns out, if people keep saying your movies are too grim, it's not the appropriate response to make a movie that features a kid in the body of an adult.  The results aren't bad, but keeping them disconnected from everything else is definitely the wrong move.

Gemini Man

rating: ***

review: I have a full review with a much different rating (I'm pretty sure), but this one's more accurate to relative results.  I guess I really would rather watch Men in Black without Will Smith than two Will Smiths.  This is '00s Smith rewarmed.  He'd already moved past this kind of material.

Spider-Man: Far From Home

rating: ***

review: I just wasn't a fan of the MCU Spider-Man, until he was joined by the other Spider-Men in No Way Home (which like Far needlessly belabored the title of the first one).

The Secret Life of Pets 2

rating: ***

review: I'll clue you in on a little secret: usually when I don't have strong memories of a movie I don't include it in these things.  This one was close, and I only saw it at all because of my niece, and isn't exactly something I'd go out of my way to watch again (unless I was still living with her and she insisted, which could just as easily turned its reputation around).  But I remember enough.  It was basically a decent experience.  Gruff Harrison Ford.  That's what I remember most.

Hellboy

rating: **

review: I was never the biggest fan of the original films.  This one is a marked step down from them.

Midsommer 

rating: **

review: Florence Pugh is the golden child of critics these days (she also starred in Fighting with My family, which is probably the only reason it was taken seriously by them).  And mostly, I just don't get it.  This was one of her breakout movies.  I found it needlessly impressionistic.  Because it's really just one of those weird movies that desparately wants to be profound but isn't.  The exact opposite of the movie at the top of this.

2018 Capsule Reviews

Isle of Dogs

rating: *****

review: The movie that definitively made me appreciate Wes Anderson, his second stop-motion animated flick, about a nightmare scenario striking a Japanese city which exiles all its dogs to "Trash Island," and the courageous dogs (and humans!) who struggle to save the day.  Packed with Anderson's trademark ability to collect great stars to his projects, including what's now my favorite Bryan Cranston performance as Chief, the unlikely leader of this pack.  The whole film is amazing, including a perfect soundtrack.

The Death of Stalin

rating: *****

review: What do you get when filmmakers take the Monty Python approach to Soviet Russia?  I think the answer ought to be obvious: an instant classic.

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald

rating: *****

review: The media found a perfect storm of scandals to break the appeal of this series, whether it was J.K. Rowling, Ezra Miller, or Johnny Depp, who took center stage in this middle installment as Grindelwald, with Jude Law debuting as the young Dumbledore.  Competes with Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire as the definitive cinematic installment in the franchise, for me anyway.  Completely brilliant.

The Old Man & the Gun

rating: *****

review: For nearly everyone else David Lowery is still trying really hard to impress them, but for me he's very easily one of today's best filmmakers.  I really thought he'd reach that point with this latter-day starring role for Robert Redford, but 2018 in general was kind of a black hole, a transition, a singularity leading to the present day, in which the old rules simply no longer apply.  

Solo: A Star Wars Story

rating: ****

review: For most Star Wars fans, my opinions are the exact opposite of mainstream opinion.  Just recently, I thought Rogue One was basically an abomination, and the sequels were brilliant.  And I loved Solo, exactly what the character Han Solo needed to solidify his legacy, including an extremely clever interpretation of the old Kessel run record he bragged about in his first appearance.  If ever Star Wars truly became more than just the Skywalker saga (sorry, Mandalorian fans), this is what it looks like when Han takes center stage, and exactly how it ought.

Damsel

rating: ****

review: The Robert Pattinson career revival that led to his successfully starring in The Batman last year continued, quietly, with this oddball western, with Pattinson thoroughly embracing his inner Brad Pitt in a gonzo performance thoroughly worth experiencing.

Super Troopers 2

rating: ****

review: I didn't really get into the Broken Lizard boys until Club Dread, so the first Super Troopers had for a long time been a comedy milestone for other movie fans.  I was more than ready for this late sequel, however, especially thanks to all the Canadian humor infused into the shenanigans.

The Favourite

rating: ****

review: Director Yorgos Lanthimos first landed on my radar with his previous standout collaborations with Colin Farrell, including the classic The Lobster.  He had me without Farrell thanks to his including Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone in this one.  Dude knows how to pick, and showcase, his stars.

Dark Crimes

rating: ****

review: Jim Carrey's brief comeback began with this obscure thriller in which he commits to a serious character role, which he nails.  In career overviews, hopefully it'll garner more attention later.

Gringo

rating: ****

review: A classic ensemble farce lampooning corporate nonsense.  Another movie that demands a much wider and acclaimed reputation.  This year was full of 'em.

Tag

rating: ****

review: Famously the movie that broke Jeremy Renner's arms (he's had some terrible luck, okay?) and limiting his resulting chances to be featured heavily in the later Avengers movies (but was that really ever going to happen?), but well worth it.  A classic comedy.

Holmes and Watson

rating: ****

review: Ferrell and Reilly team together for another classic.  Reputation certainly suggests otherwise.  But...people developed increasingly poor taste.  Keep reading the list, okay?

The Yellow Birds

rating: ****

review: A who's who of great young actors (Alden Ehrenreich, Tye Sheridan, Jack Huston) power this war drama.

Woman Walks Ahead

rating: ****

review: Jessica Chastain's whole career kind of falls into the black hole of this era, and so this movie certainly was completely overlooked.  With a voice likes hers you'd think she'd only have so much range, but she always surprises.  If she's somehow not enough for you, there's also Sam Rockwell.

Operation: Finale

rating: ****

review: Sometimes it really seems that what people are telling you and what they possibly really believe are in fact two different things.  Here's another movie that should have been a huge deal, as Oscar Isaac goes Nazi hunting in South America.  Riveting, with a signature turn from Ben Kingsley to push things along.

Sorry to Bother You

rating: ****

review: LaKeith Stanfield had a breakthrough year (he also had a small but striking supporting role in The Girl in Spider's Web), headlined by this wicked satire.

Peppermint

rating: ****

review: If you'd asked me twenty years ago if it was at all possible to completely take Jennifer Garner for granted, I would never have believed you.  She attempts a comeback that strongly evokes Alias (or at least her acting in it), and that's how it's greeted.  Figures.

Paul, Apostle of Christ

rating: ****

review: Jim Caviezel's second biblical epic drew considerably less attention (here he's only Luke, alas, and by the end of the film really just a supporting player), but a pretty impactful experience, once you let it sink into you.

Sicario: Day of the Soldado

rating: ***

review: The opening scene is so mesmerizing, I really haven't been able to make it through the rest of the movie even now.  Seems more of a spotlight for Benicio del Toro than Josh Brolin.  I'm okay with that.  Will eventually experience the whole thing!

The Girl in the Spider's Web

rating: ***

review: Once I got into Lisbeth Salander, I saw her as a true modern icon.  Book buyers bought and then abandoned her, and this second of her two American movies didn't make much of an impact, and yet she remains compelling, for me.

Can You Ever Really Forgive Me?

rating: ***

review: The downslope of Melissa McCarthy's sudden wave of massive popularity was precipitous; this excellent dramatic spotlight was paired in 2018 by the movie that finally did it in, which you'll find later on in this list.

Vice

rating: ***

review: Adam McKay's biting political bio wasn't bold enough for the viewers who wanted him to really savage Cheney (and/or Bush), but I figure it did its job well enough.

Widows

rating: ***

review: I think ultimately its sprawling cast of standout performances overwhelms the overall experience.  But what a cast!

Stan & Ollie

rating: ***

review: Y'know, Laurel & Hardy.  This biopic is perhaps a little too depressing in its spotlight of their declining years.  But well worth experiencing as a tribute to their enduring appeal.

Ant-Man and the Wasp

rating: ***

review: Paul Rudd is such a great hand, it's easy to forget why he's generally not really considered a leading man.  This is even more obvious in the recent third installment, but in this second one, there's plenty of assisting parts, including an upgrade so Marvel could claim it used its female characters better than its record had really stated by this point. 

Mission: Impossible - Fallout

rating: ***

review: Ah!  Right!  The infamous Henry Cavill role that produced the mustache!  Tom Cruise had developed a nasty habit in this series to curb the wider appeal of any potential usurpers (Jeremy Renner, previous victim, Ghost Protocol), and Cavill's best scene, preparing for a fight in a restroom, showcased in the trailers, is relegated to much less impressive results in the film itself, and of course a reveal as one of the bad guys.  But I really do love this series.

Avengers: Infinity War

rating: ***

review: Elsewhere on this blog you can see where my original thoughts were considerably more positive, but hindsight places the best sequence, and the only one I really think fondly about, in Steve Rogers' dramatic comeback.  Otherwise, dramatically underscores all the failings of the MCU to be anything more than throwaway entertainment.  

Venom

rating: ***

review: Hey, I'll follow Tom Hardy anywhere!  Typically great performance.  Rest of the film around him...well, it's there, anyway.

Aquaman

rating: ***

review: I just haven't really gotten around to revisiting it.  I love Jason Momoa's Aquaman.  But he doesn't feel as electric as he does in (either cut of) Justice League, here.  Role of a lifetime all the same.

Deadpool 2/Once Upon a Deadpool

rating: ***

review: The novelty of Ryan Reynolds getting to have the first one made overlooks that the results are seriously obnoxious, without anything around the performance remotely capable of or interested in balancing it out.  This second one has Zazie Beetz as Domino.  It's pretty much enough.

Ocean's 8

rating: ***

review: Well worth revisiting the formula with an all-female all star cast.

The House with a Clock in Its Walls

rating: ***

review: Cate Blanchett and Jack Black as wizards in this kind of alternate take on Harry Potter (based on a book that predates Harry Potter, to be clear).  Well worth the look.

Tom Raider

rating: ***

review: Goodness, Alicia Vikander deserves a far larger legacy than she ended up getting.  This take on Lara Croft is far more credible than its two cinematic predecessors, and not just because it's based on later entries in the game series that grounded our hero more in the real world.  Last year's Uncharted shows where this one really fell short of the mark: besides Vikander, there's not much else to see.

Teen Titans Go! To the Movies

rating: **

review: Endure the stuff happening around it if you want to see Nic Cage officially as Superman!

Early Man

rating: **

review: A kind of disappointing creative follow-up from the genius creator of Wallace & Gromit.

Black Panther

rating: **

review: I still don't get why the character of Black Panther itself isn't considered hugely embarrassing, but it seems a sizable portion of both black and white audiences prefer a fantastical vision of Africa, and an African hero, to represent the best hopes of black people in America, than anything else.  In any other setting, this would work much better.  As the most famous and successful black superhero (at least at the movies), I just don't get it.  Might still end up the most enduring artifact of the MCU era.  If so, its legacy should grow accordingly.  As part of the MCU, it's just ridiculous.

Crazy Rich Asians

rating: **

review: Credited with raising the profile of Asians in American film (but somehow it took until last year's Everything Everywhere All at Once to have any kind of follow-up), but really just another fever dream of obscene wealth.

Robin Hood

rating: **

review: A fun update but decidedly a lower register than the Kevin Costner and Russell Crowe versions that preceded it.  I mean, is Taron Egerton ever going to be considered to portray a father figure to Superman???

Skyscraper

rating: **

review: The movie all those recent critics of Dwayne Johnson doing the same thing every movie most ignore (from his recent output), a decent effort at making him more human, but kind of focusing too much on the dramatic heroics to really qualify.

Death Wish

rating: **

review: Bruce Willis's last shot at a mainstream hit is a remake that doesn't really know how to spotlight him.

The Sisters Brothers

rating: **

review: A screwball buddy western that looks too grim to really soak in its comedic potential.  Or I just need to watch it again.

Mary Queen of Scots

rating: **

review: I probably really, really need to revisit this one, as it seems to waste both Margot Robbie and Saoirse Ronan.  How is that even possible???

Annihilation

rating: **

review: Much buzzed about, but mostly a wasted cast in a movie of total nonsense.

You Were Never Really Here

rating: **

review: Basically the exact experience of Joaquin Phoenix's Joker.  But worse.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

rating: **

review: Great animation (of the kind later put to equally stellar work in The Mitchells vs. the Machines), but otherwise lost in spastic storytelling.

A Star is Born

rating: **

review: The zenith of Bradley Cooper's star power from the unexpected huge success of American Sniper boils down to one really great song ("Shallow") and a spotlight for Lady Gaga, eating up with all her insecurities any decent chance for Cooper himself to stand out.  Well, she fits in House of Gucci much, much better.

BlacKkKlansman

rating: **

review: Spike Lee's comeback is by most rights a seminal experience with a number of great performances, from John David Washington and Adam Driver, but the results, at least for me, are completely sabotaged by the horrendous afro Washington sports throughout, which looks more like a turban than hair.  I mean...unless there was somehow a point being made, did nobody notice that?  At all?

Mary Poppins Returns

rating: **

review: Did no one notice in this one that the songs in it are not even remotely reminiscent of the ones in the original?  And if they're not...what is even the point???

Bumblebee

rating: **

review: A lot of viewers thought this one corrected the mistakes of the Michael Bay era.  But the results are basically exactly the same as the Michael Bay era.  But without the Michael Bay magic.  So...

The Happytime Murders

rating: **

review: I really, really wanted to like this.  But the absence of a truly sympathetic, comedic lead pseudo Muppet robs this Melissa McCarthy vehicle of rewatch appeal.  A fine thing for what it is, but in this case, probably rightly roundly rejected on release.

Ready Player One

rating: **

review: Modern Spielberg is desperate to please, and here's his shot at adapting a popular book.  It's not Harry Potter.

The Hurricane Heist

rating: *

review: My first viewing suggested a surprisingly amateurish experience.  Wanted to be kind of like the Fast & Furious films.  Fell well short of the mark.