Freeze Frame

Dennis Quaid may be best-known for his good-guy roles in movies like “The Rookie” and “The Right Stuff.” But he takes a successful turn to the dark side in the new thriller, “The Intruder.” Meagan Goode and Michael Ealy play …

Dennis Quaid may be best-known for his good-guy roles in movies like “The Rookie” and “The Right Stuff.” But he takes a successful turn to the dark side in the new thriller, “The Intruder.” Meagan Goode and Michael Ealy play a nice couple who buy Quaid’s lovely Napa Valley home. Problem is, the strange senior […]

Certain movie franchises have been blessed by the cinematic gods. The Harry Potter, James Bond, Star Wars and Toy Story sagas immediately jump to mind. But in terms of pure box office gold, nothing quite compares with the Marvel Universe. …

“The Chaperone” is an adaptation of a novel by Lawrence, Kansas author Laura Moriarty. Elizabeth McGovern (“Downton Abbey”) stars in this story of a suppressed Wichita housewife who accompanies 15-year-old dancer Louise Brooks to a dance workshop in New York in …

Yes, the laborious stop-motion animation technique still has a place in a world dominated by CGI cinema. “Missing Link” is a visual treat from the folks at Laika Studios. Hugh Jackman, Zoe Saldana and Zach Galifianakis provide the voices in …

Yes, the laborious stop-motion animation technique still has a place in a world dominated by CGI cinema. “Missing Link” is a visual treat from the folks at Laika Studios. Hugh Jackman, Zoe Saldana and Zach Galifianakis provide the voices in this comic tale about a big-headed Victorian explorer who discovers and befriends a big-footed sasquatch. […]

With the exception of the exceptional “Wonder Woman,” most of the recent superhero movies from the DC universe have been dark and dour or dumb and dull. Thankfully, “Shazam!” has come to the rescue! Zachary Levi leads the cast in …

With the exception of the exceptional “Wonder Woman,” most of the recent superhero movies from the DC universe have been dark and dour or dumb and dull. Thankfully, “Shazam!” has come to the rescue! Zachary Levi leads the cast in this witty, heartfelt work of escapism that that brings the fun back to the DC […]

The 1941 Disney animated classic “Dumbo” soared because of its charm. That’s the crucial element that’s sorely missing in Tim Burton’s live action remake. The superb art direction provides an immersive atmosphere, but Burton’s quirky style is ill-suited to the …

The 1941 Disney animated classic “Dumbo” soared because of its charm. That’s the crucial element that’s sorely missing in Tim Burton’s live action remake. The superb art direction provides an immersive atmosphere, but Burton’s quirky style is ill-suited to the gentle story. It’s passable, but this overlong “Dumbo” never quite takes off.   Keira Knightley, […]

Originality is a rare commodity in Hollywood, but Oscar-winning writer/director Jordan Peele demonstrates more than his fair share in his new horror film, “Us.” Multiple social allegories are explored in the story of a family of four that is terrorized …

Originality is a rare commodity in Hollywood, but Oscar-winning writer/director Jordan Peele demonstrates more than his fair share in his new horror film, “Us.” Multiple social allegories are explored in the story of a family of four that is terrorized by a murderous quartet that looks exactly like them. Lupita Nyong’o gives a stunning dual […]

Argentine/French filmmaker Gaspar Noé has a full and impressive command of the medium. But he has the darkest, ugliest world view of any working filmmaker. His latest descent into cinematic hell is “Climax.” A group of dancers enjoy a party …

he Marvel Universe offers yet another superhero origin story, this time set in the 1990s. “Captain Marvel” stars Bree Larson as Vers, a member of the alien Kree Starforce. But through a convoluted series of plot twists, she discovers that …

he Marvel Universe offers yet another superhero origin story, this time set in the 1990s. “Captain Marvel” stars Bree Larson as Vers, a member of the alien Kree Starforce. But through a convoluted series of plot twists, she discovers that she’s actually Carol Danvers, a former U.S. Air Force pilot now imbued with high-energy powers […]

Argentine/French filmmaker Gaspar Noé has a full and impressive command of the medium. But he has the darkest, ugliest world view of any working filmmaker. His latest descent into cinematic hell is “Climax.” A group of dancers enjoy a party until someone spikes the punch with acid and the affair degenerates into a hallucinatory orgy […]

Acclaimed French actress Isabelle Huppert plays a troubled woman who stalks young Chloë Grace Moretz around New York City in the campy thriller, “Greta.” Written and directed by Neil Jordan, the Oscar-winning filmmaker behind “The Crying Game,” “Greta” tells the story of a naïve …

Acclaimed French actress Isabelle Huppert plays a troubled woman who stalks young Chloë Grace Moretz around New York City in the campy thriller, “Greta.” Written and directed by Neil Jordan, the Oscar-winning filmmaker behind “The Crying Game,” “Greta” tells the story of a naïve girl who finds a woman’s purse on the subway. When she tracks her down to […]

“How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World” brings the wildly popular animated adventure trilogy to a satisfying conclusion.  Hiccup and his faithful dragon Toothless are forced to lead the Viking villagers to a new home when an evil dragon …

The Lebanese film “Capernaum” is a social drama about a poor boy who does the best he can to survive on the streets of Beirut. Written and directed by Nadine Labaki, the film is a nominee for this year’s Oscar …

“How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World” brings the wildly popular animated adventure trilogy to a satisfying conclusion.  Hiccup and his faithful dragon Toothless are forced to lead the Viking villagers to a new home when an evil dragon hunter brings an armada to enslave the flying reptiles. While the visuals and action are […]

Producer James Cameron and director Robert Rodriguez team up to adapt the Japanese manga comic “Alita: Battle Angel.” In a dystopian future, a cyborg with a human brain is brought back to life to become the hero in a game …

When “The LEGO Movie” debuted in 2014, it took audiences and critics by surprise…and the box office by storm! While the sequel “The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part” lacks the freshness of the original, there’s still plenty of creativity …

The ‘down-on-his-luck cop trying for redemption’ genre gets a gender change in “Destroyer.” Nicole Kidman goes grimy and gritty in this dark character study about an LAPD detective with a lot of personal baggage whose past comes back to haunt …

The ‘down-on-his-luck cop trying for redemption’ genre gets a gender change in “Destroyer.” Nicole Kidman goes grimy and gritty in this dark character study about an LAPD detective with a lot of personal baggage whose past comes back to haunt her as she tries to unravel a murder mystery. Kidman goes all out in a […]