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fantasy

IF movie review: a fantastical vibe in search of a story

Thu, May 16, 2024
5 comments

Writer-director John Krasinski’s absolute desperation to whip up magical whimsy utterly fails. No matter how he tries to force enchantment into existence, this is more fever dream than flight of fancy.

| 5 Comments

Madame Web movie review: absurdly tangled

Sun, Feb 25, 2024
11 comments

A travesty of corporate cynicism. Its desperation to ride Spider-Man’s coattails is pathetic, but its convoluted, coincidence-laden nonsense is duller than you’d imagine: it’s not even so bad it’s fun.

| 11 Comments

Dream Scenario movie review: (un)likely boogeyman

Sun, Nov 26, 2023
1 comment

Nicolas Cage is comedic in a dry, subtle, nakedly painful way, playing with his “Cage rage” persona; his performance is profoundly moving. I only wish the film was more deserving of what he’s doing.

| 1 Comment

Trolls Band Together movie review: cheerful kindness, weirdified

Fri, Nov 10, 2023
2 comments

There is gentle nonstop chaos in the trippy candy-colored assault. Genuinely good-natured, sweet without being sappy, more strange (in a good way) than kids’ movies usually are, and hard to dislike.

| 2 Comments

My Animal movie review: out of the wilderness (and into a bigger one)

Sun, Sep 10, 2023
no comments yet

A mysterious, mournful film about proscribed teenaged-girlhood and feral female sexuality. There’s nothing entirely original here, but what it has to say, it says with enormous confidence and panache.

| Leave a comment

Mavka: The Forest Song movie review: the dark of the woods comes too late

Fri, Jul 28, 2023
no comments yet

Traditional folk music and beautifully animated mythic motifs may be rightfully validating for homegrown Ukrainian audiences, but there’s little else beyond that novelty to capture others’ imagination.

| Leave a comment

The Pope’s Exorcist movie review: ham and cheese on why?

Wed, Apr 12, 2023
3 comments

More of the same old religious-horror hoohah, plus Russell Crowe hamming it up, complete with terrible Italian accent. Its only twist on the usual exorcist-movie nonsense is genuinely pretty appalling.

| 3 Comments

Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves movie review: dudgeon and draggin’

Sun, Apr 02, 2023
9 comments

A high-fantasy action comedy of tedious slapstick and obvious punchlines you scry the instant a wannabe medieval wag opens their mouth. It’s all borderline incoherent, sketched in cheap-looking CGI.

| 9 Comments

Violent Night movie review: ho ho holy shit

Sat, Dec 24, 2022
4 comments

Many movies have attempted to replicate the festive insouciant brutality of Die Hard. No movie has come closer to this lofty goal than this dementedly delicious nightmare before Christmas.

| 4 Comments

The Bad Guys movie review: criminally fun

Fri, Apr 08, 2022
2 comments

A snappy, snarky, never-ever sentimental concoction of cartoon chaos meets hip heist flick. Its breezy swagger extends to the delightful animation, organic and mellow, hot and cool at the same time.

| 2 Comments
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