Freeze Frame

So, what does the term "live-action version" really mean? In the case of Disney's remake of their 2016 animated musical hit "Moana," it means there are some real actors on screen along with a whole lot of computer-generated animation tweaked to look realistic. Same songs save for one. Dwayne Johnson is back as demigod Maui, and we have a new Moana nicely played by Cathrine Laga'Aia. Otherwise, it...

Looking for a holiday weekend flick to get the kids out of the blazing heat? You could do a lot worse than "Minions & Monsters," the third installment in the "Minions" prequel series and the seventh installment overall in the "Despicable Me" franchise. This time out, circumstances find the Minions in 1920s Hollywood, and they decide to make a monster movie. The pacing and animation are solid i...

While newcomer Millie Alcock soars as the new punk "Supergirl," her movie never quite flies. Giving her a personality that contrasts with her strait-laced cousin Superman was a smart choice, but the filmmakers aren't quite able to pull all the elements together. Still, the eye candy is first-rate, and the action sequences are well-staged. Maybe the best thing you can say is that "Supergirl" is a s...

Can the folks at Pixar continue to extract gold from the "Toy Story" mine after over thirty years? As "Toy Story 5" deftly demonstrates, the answer is definitely, "Yes." This time out, the focus is on cowgirl Jessie and how she and the other old school toys are threatened by high tech devices. As we've come to expect the folks at Pixar spend most of their efforts on creating a compelling and heart...

Kansas City's channel 4 news gets invaded by aliens in the wild new Stephen Spielberg sci-fi opus "Disclosure Day." Emily Blunt plays a KC meteorologist, and Josh O'Connor is a cybersecurity expert who each experience a psychic connection to an alien intelligence, putting them at odds with a shady non-government agency. The actors are fine, the suspense is palpable, and the camerawork and action s...

With movies like “Once,” “Begin Again” and “Sing Street,” Irish filmmaker John Carney has found a way to make movie musicals relevant for contemporary audiences. His latest effort is "Power Ballad." Kansas City's Paul Rudd stars alongside Nick Jonas in the story of a struggling wedding singer who bonds with a pop star. When the former boy band member steals a song from his friend, things get dicey...

When JFK asked Dwight Eisenhower why the Normandy invasion was a success, Eisenhower replied, "Because we had better meteorologists than the Germans." That's the crux of the new WWII historical drama, "Pressure." In this taut movie, Andrew Scott plays a brilliant British meteorologist who butted heads with Eisenhower, played by Brendan Fraser, over the timing of the D-Day invasion. “Pressure” is a...

If you're a fan of the Disney+ TV series, "The Mandalorian," then you'll probably find enough to like in the big screen edition, "Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu." The story plays like a few TV episodes folded into one and ballooned onto the big screen. That’s because the movie version was apparently an afterthought. Still, there's plenty of action, visual razzle dazzle and cute aliens to spa...

The new horror entry "Obsession" falls into the 'be careful what you ask for, you may get it' genre. This effective little chiller is about a man who buys a supernatural toy that grants him a wish. He wishes that a girl he has a crush on would fall madly in love with him. Emphasis on the "madly." Her obsession with him quickly escalates into violence. Well-acted by relative newcomers Michael Johns...

Pop phenom Billie Elish joins forces with Oscar-winning filmmaker James Cameron to present a cinematic adaptation that captures her 2024-25 concert tour, "Billie Elish - Hit Me Hard and Soft." Since Elish doesn't employ choreography or elaborate costumes, Cameron uses dozens of swooping, acrobatic cameras and clever editing to add additional visual dazzle. The backstage footage is minimal, but int...

George Orwell's classic totalitarian critique "Animal Farm" gets a dumbed-down animated big screen incarnation. Yes, the pigs take over the farm, but the metaphors don't fly. The all-star voice cast includes Seth Rogan, Glenn Close, Kieran Culkin and Woody Harrelson but their efforts are for naught. Screenwriter Nicholas Stoller and director Andy Serkis deserve some credit for trying a new approac...

If you're looking for an in-depth, warts-and-all biopic about the King of Pop, keep looking. If you want a slick, entertaining reenactment of some great music, then "Michael" is the movie for you. Jaafar Jackson is fine portraying his famous uncle Michael Jackson in this family-sanctioned overview of the first 20 years of Jackson's career. The movie seesaws between Jackson's relationship with his...

The grisly body horror flick "Lee Cronin's The Mummy" owes a lot more to "The Exorcist" than Boris Karloff or Brendan Fraser. A little girl goes missing and, eight years later, she's discovered to be alive and possessed by an ancient Egyptian demon. There are some effectively scary moments, but the movie is overlong and over reliant on gruesome makeup effects. Writer/director Lee Cronin had succes...

The grisly body horror flick "Lee Cronin's The Mummy" owes a lot more to "The Exorcist" than Boris Karloff or Brendan Fraser. A little girl goes missing and, eight years later, she's discovered to be alive and possessed by an ancient Egyptian demon. There are some effectively scary moments, but the movie is overlong and over reliant on gruesome makeup effects. Writer/director Lee Cronin had succes...

The latest cinematic treatment of Shakespeare's "Hamlet' tries an interesting new angle, placing the action among the Southeast Asian community of contemporary London. Riz Ahmed gives a strong performance in the title role, and fine turns are provided by Morfydd Clark as Ophelia, Timothy Spall as Polonius and Art Malik as Claudius. But some of the power of The Bard's poetry is lost when rushed or...

In 2023, the animated comedy "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" took in over a billion dollars at the box office and became the biggest video game adaptation ever. Naturally, a sequel has arrived. "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie" offers more of the same. Same players, same game inspired goofiness and the same strengths and weaknesses. Once again, the intrepid Italian plumbers are called upon to save Prin...

The story of acclaimed French writer and filmmaker Marcel Pagnol is depicted through animation in the unconventional biopic, "A Magnificent Life." Directed by Sylvain Chomet of “The Triplets of Bellville” fame, it’s a colorful overview of Pagnol’s life, from his childhood through his adult years focusing on his artistic and commercial successes…and failures. While mildly interesting, “A Magnificen...

You can have all the great special effects and cute aliens you can muster, but without the charisma and star power of Ryan Gosling, the sci-fi opus "Project Hail Mary" would drift aimlessly into space. Gosling plays a science teacher who reluctantly becomes an astronaut and attempts to save our sun from a bizarre destructive force. While in deep space, he encounters an unlikely ally. While it's ov...

"Cohorts," the loyal followers of bestselling author Colleen Hoover, have been anxiously awaiting the cinematic adaptation of her latest novel, "Reminders of Him." They likely won't be disappointed. Maika Monroe gives a strong performance as a young woman recently released from prison after serving time for involuntary manslaughter. She returns to her hometown in hopes of meeting her daughter who ...

Even second-rate Pixar is better than most other animated features. The latest offering from the renowned studio is "Hoppers," a unique sci-fi fantasy about a rebellious girl whose mind is transplanted into a robotic beaver in an attempt to save a pristine glade from the bulldozers of shortsighted developers. Excellent animation, sharp voice work and a thoughtful screenplay elevate “Hoppers,” whic...

If you don't know what the term BDSM refers to, then the comic drama "Pillion" may not be for you. Alexander Skarsgård and Harry Melling star in the very...I repeat, very...adult story of a dominant biker and his submissive partner. While it's well written and smartly acted, much of the content of this R-rated movie pushes it close to the NC-17 designation. Still, for open-minded viewers, the unco...

The black comedy thriller "How to Make a Killing" is inspired by the classic 1949 British film, "Kind Hearts and Coronets." But this version isn't quite sure what it wants to be. Glen Powell stars as an heir to a vast fortune who's been disowned by his callous family. He plots to bump off all his relatives who stand in the way of his inheritance. The audience is challenged to root for a guy who's...

"Crime 101" is a slick and engaging thriller featuring Chris Hemsworth, Halle Berry, and Mark Ruffalo. Hemsworth portrays a jewel thief who is emotionally conflicted and determined to complete one final heist. Guided by a personal code of ethics, his character refuses to harm anyone and targets only insurance companies with his schemes. The film's impressive supporting cast includes Barry Keoghan,...

First world problems plague a pop star in the unpredictable mockumentary "The Moment." Charlie XCX plays a fictionalized version of herself in the story of her preparations for a concert and tour. While not a comedy per se, it pokes fun at the whole "Brat" phenomenon and satirizes pop stardom. “The Moment” is an interesting experiment more than a satisfying movie and features surprisingly little m...

The latest Jason Statham thriller "Shelter" provides exactly what you'd expect. It's packed with over-the-top action and ridiculous implausibilities. Statham is a disgraced special ops agent hiding out on a remote Scottish island who's forced back into action to protect an innocent preteen girl, well played by Bodhi Ray Breathnach. The action gets more elaborate and sillier as the movie progresses...