Freeze Frame

Are American audiences ready for a full-blown movie musical about struggling performing artists in Los Angeles? I hope so, because “La La Land” is easily one of the best movies of the year. Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone are splendid …

Don’t be surprised if you hear the title “Manchester by the Sea” being bandied about a lot at awards time. Filmmaker Kenneth Lonergan’s heartbreaking drama about loss and grief is a skillfully written and impeccably acted ensemble piece. Casey Affleck …

Earnest performances and good intentions don’t always lead to good movies. “Man Down” is a case in point. Shia LaBeouf gives a solid turn as a U.S. Marine who, upon his return home from serving in Afghanistan, discovers that his …

Harry Potter fans who mourned the end of his book and movie franchise, take heart. J. K Rowling has revived that universe with her original screenplay, “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.” Eddie Redmayne plays an English wizard who …

“Arrival” is a science fiction opus that walks a razor’s edge. It could be hokey in the extreme or profoundly moving. Luckily, it mostly keeps its balance thanks to skillful direction from Denis Villeneuve and a touching performance from Amy …

The 14th film from the Marvel Universe is easily the trippiest, yet. Benedict Cumberbatch plays “Doctor Strange” in a visually spectacular origin story about Marvel’s Sorcerer Supreme. While you may not be able to make heads or tails out of …

Tom Hanks and director Ron Howard may have gone to the well one too many times with “Inferno,” their third entry in the Robert Langdon “Da Vinci Code” series by novelist Dan Brown. This time out, our intrepid Harvard symbologist …

“Jack Reacher: Never Go Back” could be described as “’The Last Samurai’ with a Pistol.” Tom Cruise reunites with “Samurai” director Ed Zwick in Cruise’s second go round as Lee Child’s backside-kicking ex-military policeman turned lone vigilante. While it has …

  “American Honey” is the Shia LaBeouf drama that that was shot largely in the Kansas City area and won this year’s jury prize at the Cannes Film Festival. It’s an unusual coming of age drama about a hard-partying group …

“The Birth of a Nation” is Nate Parker’s controversial but powerful film about the educated slave Nat Turner who became a pastor and led an ill-fated slave revolt in 1831. Parker wrote, directed, produced and stars as Turner in this …

Disney’s “The Queen of Katwe” may be the sunniest view of Uganda you’re likely to see. David Oyelowo, Lupita Nyong’o and newcomer Madina Nalwanga star in the true story of a brilliant young girl who escapes her difficult circumstances when …

Western fans have been eagerly anticipating the remake of the classic 1960 shoot-‘em-up, “The Magnificent Seven.” Antoine Fuqua’s reimagining of the story isn’t magnificent, but it could be called “The Pretty Good Seven.” Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt and Ethan Hawke …

It’s been 12 years since the last Bridget Jones movie. It’s amazing how little she’s evolved in the meantime. Rene Zellweger and Colin Firth are back, this time joined by Patrick Dempsey in a love triangle involving Bridget’s pregnancy and …

Tom Hanks is an actor who, like the late Jimmy Stewart before him, has a natural aura of decency that comes through in his characters. That makes him the ideal person to portray a modest American hero, airline Captain Sully …

“The Light Between Oceans” comes tantalizingly close to being a great movie. Sadly, its missteps derail the efforts of an impeccable cast and a stunning production. Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander play a troubled Australian lighthouse keeper and his dutiful …

There are times while watching “Don’t Breathe” that you probably won’t. Yes, it’s yet another sordid, R-rated horror flick, but it’s an exceptionally well made edge-of-your-seat chiller. Three young and foolish thieves break into the house of a blind man, …

In terms of spectacle and emotional power, few films have equalled the 1959 epic, “Ben-Hur.” Although the new version big screen version is adequate for the uninitiated, it pales by comparison. Jack Huston steps into the role that won Charton …

Disney goes back to the well for yet another reimagining of one of their family film classics. This time, it’s “Pete’s Dragon,” a sweet but by-the-numbers remake of the 1977 adventure that featured a goofy, cartoon dragon. The story has …

DC Comics attempts to expand its universe with the highly anticipated superhero thriller, “Suicide Squad.” While involving, it never quite lives up to its promise. Viola Davis plays a U.S. intelligence big wig who assembles a team of dangerous incarcerated …

If you’re looking for frenetic action, car chases and general paranoid mayhem then look no further than “Jason Bourne.” Matt Damon returns for the fourth time as Robert Ludlum’s CIA super assassin seeking revenge against those who stole his identity. …

If you’re looking for frenetic action, car chases and general paranoid mayhem then look no further than “Jason Bourne.” Matt Damon returns for the fourth time as Robert Ludlum’s CIA […] The post FREEZE FRAME: "Jason Bourne," "Captain Fantastic," "Nerve," "Cafe Society" appeared first on KKFI .

From 1991 to 2012, the hard drinking, hard partying fashionistas from British TV’s popular sitcom “Absolutely Fabulous” had worldwide audiences laughing at their narcissistic antics. Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley have returned for “Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie,” a breezy farce …

When you wanna laugh, who you gonna call? Guess what, all you misogynistic Internet trolls who were certain that an all-female version of “Ghostbusters” would be a disastrous rip-off. The new “Ghostbusters” is actually good, goofy fun. Melissa McCarthy, Kristen …

When you wanna laugh, who you gonna call? Guess what, all you misogynistic Internet trolls who were certain that an all-female version of "Ghostbusters" would be a disastrous rip-off. The […] The post FREEZE FRAME: "Ghostbusters," "The Infiltrator," "The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble," "Weiner-Dog" appeared first on KKFI .

“Toy Story” showed us what toys did when their owners weren’t around. Ditto for Legos in “The Lego Movie.” The conceit should work for pets, too, and, by golly it does in “The Secret Life of Pets.” The folks who …