Movie Reviews

Sully tells the story of Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger (Tom Hanks), a pilot who became a national hero when he landed a plane in the Hudson River, saving the lives of all 155 people on the plane.  The film looks at the events that followed the landing, including an investigation questioning the events that happened. Director Clint Eastwood continues his recent trend of biopics, following Invictus (2009), J. Edgar (2011), The Jersey Boys (2014) and American Sniper (2014).  Sully is his best biopic yet,…

Derek Cianfrance really knows how to pull at the heartstrings.  His first two films, the relationship horror masterpiece Blue Valentine (2010) and the ambitious family drama The Place Beyond the Pines (2013), are some the most emotionally powerful movies I have ever scene.  His newest film, The Light Between Oceans, is just a powerful.  This is a sprawling, intimate, stirring movie, featuring a trio of spectacular performances. Taking place after World War I, former solider Tom (Michael Fassbender) takes a job…

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama get the Linklater Before treatment in Southside With You, which focuses on the couple’s first date together when they were both colleagues at a Chicago law-firm. Did we actually need this movie?  Probably not, as I believe an account of what happened this night was already publicized at some point.  But, I am glad that we did.  Southside With You is a charming, smart, always interesting love story with…

Don’t Breathe should really be called Don’t Fuck with Stephen Lang.  This movie is an hour and a half of Lang kicking ass and taking names, as he plays a blind war veteran, known only as Blind Man, defending his house from three hooligans (Jane Levy, Dylan Minnette, Daniel Zavatto) who break in trying to steal a large amount of money. The first half of the movie is incredibly intense.  The kids think they have it easy,…

I am claiming 2016 The Year of Animation.  So many animated movies have been released and most of them have been very, very good.  Finding Dory and Sausage Party led the way in terms of quality, but both may have just been jumped by Kubo and the Two Strings.  This is an imaginative, heartwarming, exciting film that features some of the best animation I have ever seen on screen. Kubo and the Two Strings follows our cycloptic…

It takes a wild and crazy director to bring a wild a crazy story to life.  War Dogs has both of these things.  Director Todd Phillips, known mostly for his comedic work, lends his directorial talents to this incredible true story about two twentysomething stoners (Miles Teller and Jonah Hill) who become international arms dealers. The story is almost too obscure to be real.  But Phillips knows how to handle chaos well and not over do…

Sausage Party is possibly the most vulgar movie I have ever seen.  It makes South Park: Bigger Longer, and Uncut (1999) look like Sesame Street.  It is a coarse, crude, gross, hour and a half-long sex joke that is uproariously funny, incredibly quotable, and wonderfully animated. Sausage Party is about a hot dog, Frank (voiced by Seth Rogen), who is patiently waiting to be purchased with his hot dog bun girlfriend, Brenda (Kristen Wiig) so that he can finally…

“Worst.  Heroes.  Ever.” That’s the tag line for Suicide Squad.  And while they may not be the absolute worst, they’re pretty bad. “Worst.  Movie.  Ever.” That’s the thought that ran through my mind a couple times while sitting through the neon-colored vomit that is Suicide Squad.  It may not be the absolute worst, but it’s pretty bad. Suicide Squad is a complete and utter disaster.  A film so thin in story and so bloated with characters that…

There is a line in Jason Bourne where Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) is talking to former C.I.A operative and confidant Nicky Parsons (Julia Stiles) about the new government threat, Iron Hand.  Bourne wants to know why Parson’s has taken him out of hiding to stop Iron Hand. Parsons: “It matters.  Everything matters.” Bourne: “Not to me it doesn’t.” These lines perfectly summarize Jason Bourne.  This movie doesn’t matter.  The only people this movie matters to is the studio…