The overlong It: Chapter Two at times feels like a mere compilation of deleted scenes from the previous movie, an unfortunate consequence of its needless, nearly fatal dependence on flashbacks. Director Andy Muschietti in adapting Stephen King’s behemoth of a novel made a key change: the book, and the original 1990 miniseries, jumps back and…
The Chucky franchise is approached from a different angle entirely in Child’s Play, the new horror film for which the term “remake” hardly seems appropriate. It might have the same title and basic premise as the 1988 classic, but in virtually every way, this is a fundamentally different story. In this case, though, that’s not such a bad thing, even if the…
The dust is just now starting to settle from Game of Thrones‘ highly divisive series finale, an episode full of plot points perfectly fine in theory but highly flawed in execution. “The Iron Throne” was not the disaster it could have been to be sure, nor was it a triumph. Instead, it’s the kind of hit-and-miss final outing…
Avengers: Endgame is in almost every way the perfect ending to Marvel’s Infinity Saga, and no character earned a more satisfying resolution than Captain America. But did the logistics have to be so confusing? (Warning: Spoilers ahead) After Thanos is dealt with at the end of the film, Steve Rogers is tasked with returning each…
The Marvel Cinematic Universe goes backward in order to show us the way forward in Captain Marvel, a solid origin story and an effective throwback to the franchise’s roots that still feels relatively fresh and innovative. While certainly not without its flaws, as the next episode in this now 21-part series, it ultimately leaves us with a…
Professional wrestling is a fascinating art form. It’s far from a traditional sport and more like a combination of a live stunt show and a long-running soap opera. Clearly, given the number of people who dismiss the whole thing since it’s “fake,” it’s also fairly misunderstood, leaving room for a film to explore the inner…
I’ve got some concerns about the future of The Good Place, and not for the first time. Part of this series’ appeal since Season 1 has been its willingness to burn through plot and transform itself seemingly with such reckless abandon that we’re always a little nervous that the house of cards is about to come…
Had a list of this year’s highest grossing films been sent back in time for an avid follower of the box office to look over in January 2018, it surely would not have been believed. Black Panther outgrossing Avengers: Infinity War domestically? Venom becoming the fifth highest-grossing film worldwide? The new Star Wars not even…
There’s a scene in Mary Poppins Returns in which Lin Manuel-Miranda’s character, Jack, tells the eponymous magical nanny, “It’s a good thing you came along when you did.” But about an hour-and-a-half later, I left the theater wondering, “Was it, though?” Disney’s hilariously belated sequel is a delightful moviegoing experience full of dazzling visuals and musical numbers…
Star Wars has vanished. For the first time in four years, December is underway without a new adventure in the galaxy far, far away, as Disney and Lucasfilm this year opted to put out Solo: A Star Wars Story over the summer instead. But bucking the yearly tradition of releasing every Star Wars film shortly…
The Russo Brothers were right to keep us in the dark about the Avengers 4 title. The lying and the trolling was worth it.
David Gordon Green and Danny McBride talked at length leading up to Halloween about their decision to erase all of the previous sequels out of canon. But did they ever think for a minute about how the franchise actually got to the point that this move was necessary? It wasn’t because things got too “convoluted” or that there…
