Movie reviews of The Massie Twins

Stillwater is ultimately, however, a performance piece, allowing Damon to shine in a weighty, dramatic role. He’s entirely believable as a failed father figure searching for the possibility of redemption, of doing something right to attest to a worthiness for the people he loves. Review

Boasting a chemistry that attempts to mine the best parts of The African Queen – and somewhat succeeding from time to time – Jungle Cruise’s leads help to keep things amusing, even when the story proceeds with a formulaic quality that prevents it from being as original as it could have been. Review

The simplicity of the basic plot is handled well (the running time is still a touch overlong), while the pervasive morbidity generates consistent entertainment value. Review

Not surprisingly, this origins tale ignores much of the considerable lore already established by the action figures, comic books, cartoon series, and previous films – a decision that will perplex longtime fans, especially considering that the numerous alterations and deviations aren’t better fitting or more creative. Review

Although the cinematic combination of an invincible heroine, one-dimensionally evil villains, and unremitting revenge ploys should work, nothing comes together with clear harmony; every element battles against one another, as if a dozen disparate writers contributed to the script. Review

In the end, the humor is significant, turning the incongruity of African plights and sincere antagonists into opportunities for fourth-wall-breaking, nonsensical, fantastical feats of stupidity and playful sabotage – even though few of them are memorable and most are of the low-effort, cartoonish variety... Review

Winger clearly has the harder role and she’s very convincing; in contrast, Gere has a difficult time conveying believable sentiments, even when he’s supposed to be angry, which should be the easiest. Still, the story is engaging, chronicling the efforts of two disparate people as they struggle not to end up like their parents... Review

In the end, however, it’s not enough; Cage may be mesmerizing in every scene, but only because audiences are anticipating some spontaneous, chaotically absurd freak-out (utilizing a very special set of skills), which this production just isn’t able to deliver. Review

Storytelling clearly isn’t the priority here; instead, once the alien attackers are finally shown in full, the picture is all about sci-fi action. Review

Problematically, the main characters are too bland to create much of an impression; heroes are largely defined by their ability to survive, while villains are designated by spouting words of hate and bigotry or wielding blood-soaked munitions. Review

As it shifts away from a take on La Femme Nikita to the dystopian sci-fi routines of Equilibrium, ultimately betraying a distillation as a simple revenge flick, Black Widow proceeds to remind viewers that all of this could have been so much more powerful and riveting without the over-the-top tech or superheroes of any kind. Review

The humorous moments are terribly effective, while the romance and action are thoroughly entertaining. Review

In the end, the entertaining moments of colossal destruction are overshadowed by exhaustingly moronic, fantastically unthinkable undertakings... Review

Sticking primarily to the humor, the elements of adversity pose fleeting severity, which helps keep the mood airy. Review

The pacing is swift and the design of the action engaging (even though the resolution feels as equally hasty as the opening, and therefore largely unconvincing), lending to a simple (perhaps overly so, especially for a Pixar piece) yet pleasant little fable. Review

While the musical numbers are the highlight, always spirited and inspirational, bits of commentary on life in the Heights are also notable. Review

The pacing is likewise impaired, unable to keep things engaging as the dry dialogue, blander character designs, and failed comic relief bog down the plot. Review

Yet the rambunctious relationships heaped with silly cynicism pose a reasonably enjoyable – and likely forgettable – piece of filmmaking. Review

It clearly resembles its stage origins, with limited sets, few characters, and unremitting dialogue, but the leads are absolutely charming enough to carry the picture... Review

Along with Cole’s carefree attitude, a considerable amount of humor weaves its way through the script, punctuating the typical Western conflicts with hilarious moments of deception and flirting. Review

With its greater resources, the film also enjoys more sets, more props (and costumes and Muppet-like animatronics), and more computer animation – none of which increases the quality or the entertainment value. Review

Unexpectedly, much of the ludicrousness works: the misadventures pose a decided cheeriness, the modern soundtrack complements the eccentricity, the leads’ unyielding positivity is inspiring, and the humor musters laughs. Review

Plenty of humor snakes its way into the premise, but its effectiveness rests somewhere in the 50% range. Review

A Quiet Place Part II may not be as solid as its predecessor, but it’s an impressively designed, nicely matched, thoroughly entertaining follow-up that deserves to be seen on the big screen. Review