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FlickFilosopher.com

film criticism by maryann johanson | handcrafted since 1997

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Zoe Saldana

Avatar: The Way of Water movie review: blueface on a blue planet

Fri, Dec 23, 2022
3 comments

The filmmaking craft may be (mostly) astonishing. But the craft must always — always — be in aid of a compelling story populated by compelling characters… and that’s not so much the case here.

| 3 Comments

movies by or about women opening US/Can Aug 09

Sun, Aug 11, 2019
no comments yet

Andrea Berloff writes and directs The Kitchen, starring Elisabeth Moss, Melissa McCarthy, and Tiffany Haddish; more… [This post is for Patreon patrons only for the first month.]

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Missing Link movie review: unevolved throwback

Sat, Apr 06, 2019
no comments yet

A quite literally cartoonishly awful protagonist, a plot that makes no sense, lowbrow humor, and terrible gender dynamics add up to an unpleasant retro mess.

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Avengers: Infinity War movie review: it’s all been leading to this

Fri, Apr 27, 2018
42 comments

Ten years of Marvel superheroism culminates in a battle for the universe itself. Exhausting, bitterly humorous, and gripped in a stunning finality, it’s almost too much to take in, yet somehow not enough.

| 42 Comments

I Kill Giants movie review: the terrible burden of secret fears

Wed, Mar 28, 2018
12 comments

A movie as thrillingly weird as its protagonist. We are totally enrapt by the wonder and the terror of her imagination, and the power of it to create joy and solace.

| 12 Comments

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 movie review: 2 same 2 spurious

Thu, Apr 27, 2017
152 comments

Thinks it’s edgy and transgressive, the punk little brother of all those other stodgy comic-book movies, but it isn’t. It’s just slightly more candy-colored.

| 152 Comments

Star Trek Beyond movie review: future positive (but it won’t come easily)

Thu, Jul 21, 2016
18 comments

Intense action; smart, funny nods to its roots while moving in a new direction; and explicit confrontation of a problem always at the heart of Star Trek.

| 18 Comments

from Facebook: the complicated issue of Zoe Saldana playing Nina Simone

Thu, Mar 03, 2016
no comments yet

[This post is not behind the paywall.]

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The Book of Life movie review: what’s a woman for?

Fri, Oct 24, 2014
93 comments

The animation is fresh, unique, and gorgeous. But we don’t need another tale of a man having exciting adventures while a woman waits around to marry him.

| 93 Comments

Guardians of the Galaxy movie review: empty space

Wed, Jul 30, 2014
183 comments

Just another rote space adventure. It’s not actively awful, but there isn’t a single damn thing in the least bit surprising or memorable about it.

| 183 Comments
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