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2.5/4
|
On Chesil Beach
(2017)
|
Anita Katz
|
The movie's focus and storytelling methods prove problematic.
Posted May 24, 2018
|
|
3/5
|
Gigi
(1958)
|
Phil Hall
|
Lovely to behold, but the story has dated very badly.
Posted Jul 01, 2016
|
|
3/5
|
When Bette Met Mae
(2014)
|
Phil Hall
|
Entertaining documentary on the unlikely meeting of two silver screen icons.
Posted Jul 01, 2016
|
|
3/5
|
Nicholas and Alexandra
(1971)
|
Phil Hall
|
Opulent and well-acted, although fidelity to history is occasionally frayed.
Posted Jul 01, 2016
|
|
3/5
|
In Cold Blood
(1967)
|
Phil Hall
|
Visually striking, with two astonishing lead performances, but it never quite plumbs the emotional depths of the Truman Capote source material.
Posted Jul 01, 2016
|
|
4/5
|
True Grit
(1969)
|
Phil Hall
|
Maybe it is not great cinema, but it is great entertainment.
Posted Jul 01, 2016
|
|
4/5
|
Art Bastard
(2016)
|
Phil Hall
|
An invigorating celebration to a one-of-a-kind genius.
Posted Jul 01, 2016
|
|
3/5
|
The Legend of Tarzan
(2016)
|
Travis Hopson
|
The film seems stuck between the pull of tradition and the need to resemble a super-powered comic book character.
Posted Jun 30, 2016
|
|
2/5
|
Fathers and Daughters
(2015)
|
Travis Hopson
|
Despite a starry cast it's just another cloying sap fest.
Posted Jun 30, 2016
|
|
4/5
|
The BFG
(2016)
|
Travis Hopson
|
The film is built almost entirely on the wonderfully expressive performances by recent Oscar winner Mark Rylance (of Spielberg's "Bridge of Spies") and newcomer Ruby Barnhill.
Posted Jun 30, 2016
|
|
3.5/5
|
The Purge: Election Year
(2016)
|
Travis Hopson
|
Call it a dystopian vision of Trump's America if you want, but "The Purge: Election Year" is terrifying because it's not as far-fetched as we may want to believe.
Posted Jun 30, 2016
|
|
3.5/5
|
Hunt for the Wilderpeople
(2016)
|
Travis Hopson
|
May sound like a National Geographic special but is actually a genuine, offbeat road trip comedy/coming-of-age film.
Posted Jun 30, 2016
|
|
3.5/5
|
Independence Day: Resurgence
(2016)
|
Travis Hopson
|
"Independence Day: Resurgence" is every bit as fun, every bit as silly, and every bit as destructive as the original.
Posted Jun 24, 2016
|
|
3/5
|
The Phenom
(2016)
|
Travis Hopson
|
Buschel is interested in the character study of an athlete, pure and simple, and he takes his time making the examination.
Posted Jun 23, 2016
|
|
4/5
|
The Neon Demon
(2016)
|
Travis Hopson
|
"The Neon Demon" is exactly where Refn needs to be, embracing his gruesome, shallow side with unabashed glee and a gallon of blood.
Posted Jun 23, 2016
|
|
3/5
|
The Shallows
(2016)
|
Travis Hopson
|
The setup is lean, the star is Blake Lively, and for 60 of its 80+ minute runtime the film has some serious teeth, until the final stretch bites off more than it can chew.
Posted Jun 23, 2016
|
|
2.5/5
|
Free State of Jones
(2016)
|
Travis Hopson
|
The ponderous 140-minute runtime begins to feel like a week-long miniseries on The History Channel.
Posted Jun 23, 2016
|
|
4/5
|
Central Intelligence
(2016)
|
Travis Hopson
|
"Central Intelligence" puts this unlikely pair together and the result is comedy gold that totally flips the typical Hart formula.
Posted Jun 16, 2016
|
|
2.5/5
|
Genius
(2016)
|
Travis Hopson
|
There's probably a great story about Wolfe's genius in relation to his apparent madness, but "Genius" has edited it all out.
Posted Jun 11, 2016
|
|
4/5
|
Finding Dory
(2016)
|
Travis Hopson
|
One of the great joys of "Finding Dory" is that every character you loved will be just as dear to your heart as before.
Posted Jun 11, 2016
|
|
2/5
|
Careful What You Wish For
(2015)
|
Travis Hopson
|
You'd be forgiven for thinking it was one of those awful "Wild Things" or "Poison Ivy" sequels.
Posted Jun 10, 2016
|
|
4/5
|
Destination Planet Negro
(2013)
|
Travis Hopson
|
One of the funniest movies of the year that you've probably never heard about.
Posted Jun 10, 2016
|
|
3/5
|
The Conjuring 2
(2016)
|
Travis Hopson
|
Will surely shock the faint-hearted and leave them sleeping with a night light, even if at times it appears Wan has bitten off a little more than he chew.
Posted Jun 10, 2016
|
|
3/5
|
Warcraft
(2016)
|
Travis Hopson
|
Every bit of its stunning special effects is a nod to Blizzard's meticulously designed fantasy environments.
Posted Jun 10, 2016
|
|
3/5
|
Approaching the Unknown
(2016)
|
Travis Hopson
|
There's value in watching a man come face-to-face with the triviality of his own existence, and see it as an opportunity for greater exploration.
Posted Jun 04, 2016
|
|
3.5/5
|
Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping
(2016)
|
Travis Hopson
|
Funny and witty enough to be a comic chart-topper this summer season.
Posted Jun 03, 2016
|
|
3/5
|
The Idol
(2015)
|
Travis Hopson
|
"The Idol" rides this wave of emotion to crowd-pleasing effect, just as millions of fellow Palestinians rode along on Mohammed's journey to stardom.
Posted Jun 03, 2016
|
|
3/5
|
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows
(2016)
|
Travis Hopson
|
'Out of the Shadows' brings every bizarre facet of their comic book origins into the spotlight for an exercise in fan service that should leave them satisfied.
Posted Jun 03, 2016
|
|
2/5
|
The Do Over
(2016)
|
Travis Hopson
|
"The Do-Over" is Sandler doing literally anything he wants whether it makes sense or not.
Posted May 29, 2016
|
|
1/5
|
Countdown
(2016)
|
Travis Hopson
|
There's less physicality than the opening 20-minutes of Monday Night Raw, and what there is can only be described as mediocre.
Posted May 29, 2016
|
|
1/5
|
Alice Through the Looking Glass
(2016)
|
Travis Hopson
|
Are we quite sure the Mad Hatter isn't responsible for the screenplay rather than the returning Linda Woolverton?
Posted May 27, 2016
|
|
3.5/5
|
Dheepan
(2015)
|
Travis Hopson
|
Audiard humanizes his characters in such a way that it's easy to forget you're watching a film and not a documentary subject.
Posted May 27, 2016
|
|
4/5
|
Weiner
(2016)
|
Travis Hopson
|
"Weiner" is a fascinating look at one man's absolute addiction to the media spotlight, and how that addiction led to his downfall.
Posted May 26, 2016
|
|
3.5/5
|
Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising
(2016)
|
Travis Hopson
|
It's the rare case of a comedy sequel that is even better than the original.
Posted May 19, 2016
|
|
4/5
|
The Nice Guys
(2016)
|
Travis Hopson
|
The sheer chaos of it all is exactly what makes "The Nice Guys" such a fun ride.
Posted May 19, 2016
|
|
2.5/5
|
Last Days in the Desert
(2015)
|
Travis Hopson
|
The film is so slow and distant it's more likely to test one's patience than their faith.
Posted May 17, 2016
|
|
2/5
|
High-Rise
(2015)
|
Travis Hopson
|
The level of disorder prevents the film from gaining any perceptible momentum, and the result is one of Wheatley's most tedious efforts.
Posted May 12, 2016
|
|
3.5/5
|
A Bigger Splash
(2015)
|
Travis Hopson
|
A big soapy exploration of sexual desire, romantic longing, and lies set against an idyllic, sun-kissed Italian paradise.
Posted May 12, 2016
|
|
3/5
|
Money Monster
(2016)
|
Travis Hopson
|
The cast and Foster's direction make it a film worth investing a little time in.
Posted May 12, 2016
|
|
3/5
|
X-Men: Apocalypse
(2016)
|
Travis Hopson
|
Considering the amount of time spent watching Apocalypse round up his forces, you'd think he'd be a marginally interesting villain but that isn't the case.
Posted May 09, 2016
|
|
2/5
|
Mothers and Daughters
(2016)
|
Travis Hopson
|
It's like somebody has some kind of personal vendetta against Moms with all the crappy movies being made about them.
Posted May 05, 2016
|
|
3.5/5
|
The Family Fang
(2015)
|
Travis Hopson
|
A nuanced and funny look at art, creative genius, and mental instability, "The Family Fang" doesn't swing for the fences with big, overdone antics.
Posted May 04, 2016
|
|
4.5/5
|
Captain America: Civil War
(2016)
|
Travis Hopson
|
Marvel has no peer in this arena, and the utter perfect and sheer awesomeness of "Captain America: Civil War" is the best example of their superiority.
Posted May 03, 2016
|
|
4.5/5
|
Keanu
(2016)
|
Travis Hopson
|
"Keanu" is a treat for die-hard film fans and those who just love the comedy of Key & Peele.
Posted Apr 28, 2016
|
|
0/5
|
Mother's Day
(2016)
|
Travis Hopson
|
Taking your mom to see "Mother's Day" might sound like a great idea, but by the time it's over she may be ready to disown you.
Posted Apr 28, 2016
|
|
3.5/5
|
The Meddler
(2015)
|
Travis Hopson
|
If there's a film to take mom to for Mother's Day, this is the one.
Posted Apr 28, 2016
|
|
3/5
|
Jane Got a Gun
(2016)
|
Travis Hopson
|
That the film even got made and is reasonably competent should be seen as a victory in itself.
Posted Apr 26, 2016
|
|
3/5
|
Elvis & Nixon
(2016)
|
Travis Hopson
|
The chance to watch Spacey and Shannon square off in a contest for scene-chewing dominance, is well worth the hour long slog to get there.
Posted Apr 21, 2016
|
|
2.5/5
|
Nina
(2016)
|
Travis Hopson
|
But the biggest issue is Saldana's shoe polish appearance, which is sure to inflame those already dubious of her casting.
Posted Apr 21, 2016
|
|
3/5
|
The Huntsman: Winter's War
(2016)
|
Travis Hopson
|
If "Frozen" and "Lord of the Rings" spawned it would look something like this.
Posted Apr 20, 2016
|