Dark Phoenix is the X-Men franchise’s second attempt at telling the Dark Phoenix story, after attempting to tell it in 2006’s The Last Stand, and it is the second time they have failed to tell it properly and tell it well.  Now while The Last Stand was a complete disaster in terms of tone, character development, and story, Dark Phoenix is more so of a disappointment than a bad film.  There are aspects…

This review was originally published at VENTS MAGAZINE.  Link HERE.               Godzilla: King of the Monsters is a film reminiscent of 90’s summer blockbusters like Armageddon and Twister.  It’s a big, dumb, loud, chaotic mess with a lot of big name actors and a number of thrilling, visually stunning set pieces you can’t help but love. The title Godzilla: King of the Monsters implies that this is a Godzilla movie, which it only…

This review was originally published for VENTS MAGAZINE.  Link HERE.         After 2007’s Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, a film that tears every musical biopic apart by showcasing how nearly all musical biopics have the same tropes, plot points, and characters, it is very hard to take any new musical biopic seriously without thinking of John C. Reilly’s fop top and crooked smile.  The way that a musical biopic can be successful after Walk…

      Jennifer Kent’s follow-up to her 2014 horror sensation The Babadook is another horror movie, yet a completely different kind of horror.  The Nightingale is an unflinching, shocking, relentless revenge about one woman’s mission to get vengeance for her family, yet doubles as a road-movie and a look at the power of friendship and the effects of revenge. Set in 1825, Clare (Aisling Franciosi), a young Irish convict woman, chases a British officer (Sam…

          The Art of Self-Defense takes a dry comedic look at the toxic masculinity that plagues our environment today.  This is a film that blends comedic moments with unsettling realities of today’s society. After being attacked at random on the street, Casey (Jesse Eisenberg) enlists at a local dojo, led by a charismatic and mysterious Sensei (Alessandro Nivola), in an effort to learn how to defend himself. Jesse Eisenberg gives his best…

          Sabrina Carpenter proves she is one of Hollywood’s brightest up-and-coming actresses in The Short Story of the Long Road, a quiet little road movie about finding your place in the world. Teenage Nola (Carpenter) has grown up living out of a van with her charismatic father, Clint (Steven Ogg); two nomads against the world. When tragedy strikes, Nola must confront the reality of life on the road alone. She’ll need…

      Pink Wall plays like the cousin to Derek Cianfrance’s Blue Valentine in that it is a dark, sad look a couple’s relationship told through non-linear storytelling.  It is a heartbreaking look at a reality that we all face in our life at least once. Pink Wall looks at the relationship between Leon (Jay Duplass) and Jenna (Tatiana Maslany).  The film is broken down into six scenes, with each scene being a year in the…

        Since its premier at this year’s SXSW Film Festival, Booksmart has been touted as “female Superbad“.  Now while the plots are similar (a duo of unpopular teens try to get to a party while testing their friendship) and Booksmart being just as funny – which is incredibly high praise coming from someone who thinks Superbad is an all-time comedy – the movies are incredibly different.  Booksmart isn’t “female Superbad“.  Booksmart is its own movie…

This reviewed was originally published for Vents Magazine.  Link HERE.           Aladdin is the latest Disney classic to get the live-action treatment and it is further proof that Disney is doing something right with these remakes.  This is a loud, colorful, exciting film featuring a show-stopping performance from Will Smith. Aladdin doesn’t deviate far from the original story, as good hearted street rat Aladdin (Mena Massoud) finds a magical lamp with…