Freeze Frame

It’s taken Pixar 13 years to come up with a sequel to the smash animated hit, “Finding Nemo.” But even after all these years, this fish is still fresh. Ellen DeGeneres again provides the voice for the forgetful blue tang in “Finding Dory,” as she and her aquatic friends go on a cross-ocean adventure to find her lost family. While the movie lacks the strong story of its predecessor, there’s still a...

If director James Wan had worked in the Golden Age of Hollywood, he might have made musicals. His camera work is more like choreography than direction. But it’s that showy style that makes his horror entry “The Conjuring 2” work as well as it does. The entire creative team behind the hit chiller “The Conjuring” is back, telling the so-called true story of a supernatural event. Vera Farmiga and Pat...

So, can the Mother of Dragons become the Queen of Weepies? "Game of Thrones" star Emilia Clarke takes on the lead role in the four-hankie romantic drama "Me Before You" and her sparkling performance is the best thing about the emotionally manipulative big screen adaptation of the popular novel by Jo Jo Moyes. Clarke plays Louisa, a working class young woman who is hired by a wealthy lady to be the...

The latest installment in the X-Men franchise follows the ‘younger mutants’ timeline from “X-Men: Days of Future Past.” Jennifer Lawrence is the nicer Mystique of days gone by and Michael Fassbender’s Magneto gets more than he can handle from Oscar Isaac’s mutant god, Apocalypse, the most powerful mutant of them all. Problem is, the appropriately named Apocalypse wants to cleanse the Earth of all...

The ‘buddy comedy’ gets a new treatment in an old way with “The Nice Guys.” The writer/producer/director team that brought you the “Lethal Weapons” movies reunite for a foul-mouthed action comedy set against the sleazy backdrop of 1977 Hollywood. Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling are terrific as a pair of mismatched private detectives who get in over their heads when working on the case of a murdered...

Although he died in 1920 at the age of 32, self-taught Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan (Sree nee vasa Raman Oojen) is considered a pioneer who made major contributions to the field. “The Man Who Knew Infinity” is an earnest and well-meaning biopic starring Dev Patel as the mathematical genius and Jeremy Irons as his British mentor, professor G. H. Hardy. The film, which is based on Hardy’...

The latest comic book extravaganza from the folks at Marvel, “Captain America: Civil War” is everything that “Batman v Superman” wishes it could have been. A villain cleverly manipulates The Avengers into a battle that splits the team in two, pitting Iron Man and his super allies against Captain America and his Avenger crew. Naturally, when these forces got into battle with one another, mayhem abo...

Key & Peele’s first feature film together may be a one-joke affair…but it’s a very funny joke. Fans of the duo’s Comedy Central sketch show will love “Keanu,” a raunchy, irreverent satire…and so will many newcomers. The comics play nerdy cousins who pose as hardcore drug dealers in an effort to regain a stolen kitten. There’s enough violence, drugs and foul language in this gleefully goofy rom...

Someone must have watched the Pixar/Disney films “Brave” and “Frozen” and then decided they should do a very gloomy amalgamation of those stories. The result is “The Huntsman: Winter’s War,” a sequel to 2012’s “Snow White and the Huntsman.” A great cast, terrific production values and impressive costumes almost save this murky and violent fairy tale…but it never achieves any real magic. Kansas Cit...

After viewing Melissa McCarthy’s goofy comedy “The Boss,” you may be tempted to say, “You’re fired!” McCarthy plays a self-centered business tycoon who gets busted for insider trading and attempts a comeback after her jail stint. The language is foul and the humor is as crass as it is broad. McCarthy’s comic skill is the movie’s only saving grace. To say “The Boss” is a slight improvement over McC...

Hank Williams was one of the greatest country music stars of all time. His short and complicated life could make a truly great movie. Sadly, the musical biopic “I Saw […] The post FREEZE FRAME: “I Saw the Light,” ” Eye in the Sky” appeared first on KKFI .

The much-heralded superhero smack down has finally arrived. “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” is action-packed and visually striking. Problem is, it’s just not much fun. Ben Affleck dons the […] The post FREEZE FRAME: “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2,” “Remember” appeared first on KKFI .

In a future dystopian society, pretty young people will stand around looking bored while computer generated mayhem swirls around them. Or at least that’s how it plays out in “The […] The post FREEZE FRAME: “The Divergent Series: Allegiant,” “Hello, My Name is Doris,” “The Bronze” appeared first on KKFI .

Back in 2008, producer J.J. Abrams surprised audiences with a nifty sci-fi opus called, cryptically, “Cloverfield.” It seemed to have arrived out of nowhere and when on to become a […] The post FREEZE FRAME: “10 Cloverfield Lane” appeared first on KKFI .

Although you’ll feel shamelessly manipulated by the cheery sports flick “Eddie the Eagle,” you probably won’t mind too much. Taron Egerton and Hugh Jackman star in the true story of a somewhat mentally challenged British ski jumper and the drunken ski bum who trains him to compete in the 1988 Olympics. The movie so lightweight that it threatens to blow right off the screen, but the likable stars a...

Many recent faith-based films have suffered from low budgets and mediocre acting. Not so with “Risen,” a new take on the story of the resurrection of Christ. Joseph Fiennes is excellent as a battle weary Roman Tribune who is charged with finding the body of Jesus after it disappears from its tomb. He reluctantly discovers that there’s something miraculous afoot. Well acted, skillfully produced and...

First, the bad news: The edgy R-rated Marvel superhero movie “Deadpool” is smutty, vulgar, tasteless and perverse. Now, the good news: “Deadpool” is funny, sharply made and Ryan Reynolds is terrific as the X-Men’s snarky, wisecracking antihero. If you’re not easily offended, “Deadpool” could prove to be a shamelessly raunchy guilty pleasure. Just leave the kids at home. Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson...

Russ covers the latest farce from the Coen Brothers as well as an Oscar-nominated British drama.  

The true story of a daring rescue at sea is the focus for Russ this week.   The post FREEZE FRAME: “The Finest Hours” appeared first on KKFI .

Russ covers two oddball offerings from screenwriters-turned-directors.

Russ covers the Golden Globe-winning Western starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

Russ covers the cream of the year's cinematic crop.

The theaters are loaded for Christmas. Some are gifts and others are lumps of coal. Russ sorts out all the holiday film releases, including "The Hateful Eight," "The Big Short," "Daddy's Home," "The Danish Girl," "Carol, "Concussion," "Joy," "Youth," and "Point Break."

Russ lets us know if the force is strong with series reboot, a Tina Fey-Amy Poehler comedy and the latest kids' opus featuring animated rodents.

Russ covers Ron Howard’s version of the seafaring epic that inspired “Moby Dick.” The post FREEZE FRAME: “In the Heart of the Sea” appeared first on KKFI .