Movie reviews of Sandy Schaefer

A solid movie, but only partly succeeds at blending Todd Phillips’ brand of bro-comedy with social/political commentary. Review

Makes for a contemplative dramatic thriller that is fueled by great performances and strong direction. Review

Offers solid genre film entertainment, but works better as a character piece than as a pulpy thrill ride. Review

Succeeds as a dramatic reimagining of its predecessor – giving rise to a soulful modern fairy tale in the process. Review

A serviceable Bourne franchise installment, but an uninventive and unnecessary epilogue to the original Bourne movie trilogy. Review

Makes for a lean and mean scare-delivering machine, but is less effective as a supernatural horror parable. Review

A stylishly crafted and well-acted dramatic thriller, but breaks little new ground despite fascinating subject matter. Review

Isn’t a mold-breaker for animated movies, but it’s a consistently funny and inspired madcap romp nonetheless. Review

Too overstuffed and rough around the edges to fly high. Review

A technically impressive adaptation of Roald Dahl’s novel – one with whimsy and heart to spare. Review

Well-crafted and tells a worthwhile story, but makes for a better history lesson than moviegoing experience. Review

A stylishly surreal, but hollow, horror/thriller – and another Nicolas Winding Refn film bound to divide audiences. Review

Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson’s comedic chemistry save it from being a passable, yet forgettable, mainstream action/comedy. Review

While it isn’t as innovative a horror film throwback as its predecessor, it’s an excellent ghost story in its own right. Review

Essentially a solid Lonely Island sketch over-stretched to fill a feature-length running time. Review

More of a shiny, yet hollow, Disney product than meaningful continuation of Alice’s story. Review

An entertainingly breezy buddy-detective romp that steadfast Shane Black fans ought to get additional mileage from. Review

A well-directed and well-acted dramatic thriller weighed down by heavy-handed social commentary and implausible plot beats. Review

A great superhero blockbuster that lays the groundwork for even bigger and better things to come in Phase 3 of the MCU. Review

May be a glorified feature-length Key and Peele skit, but it’s also an entertaining and thematically-layered action/comedy parody. Review

A half-baked action/thriller that fails to properly explore its sci-fi premise. Review

Only partly successful at using the first person POV format to create a unique cinematic experience. Review

A solid mainstream comedy elevated by its star. Review

Has enough of its predecessor’s charm and sincerity to earn a passing grade. Review