Movie reviews of Sandy Schaefer

2016, Drama, Comedy, Crime

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

2016, Drama, Western, Suspense, Crime

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

2016, Drama, Action, Suspense

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

2016, Adventure, Fantasy

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

2016, Action, Suspense

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

2016, Horror, Suspense, Mystery

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

2016, Drama, Suspense, Crime

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

2016, Adventure, Animation, Comedy

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

2016, Adventure, Action

Too overstuffed and rough around the edges to fly high.

2016, Adventure, Fantasy

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

2016, Drama, Action, History, War

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

2016, Horror, Suspense, Mystery

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

2016, Action, Comedy, Mystery

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

2016, Horror, Suspense, Mystery

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

2016, Music, Comedy

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

2016, Adventure, Fantasy

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

2016, Action, Comedy, Crime, Mystery

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

2016, Drama, Suspense

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

2016, Adventure, Action, Science fiction

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

2016, Action, Comedy

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

2016, Drama, Action, Suspense, Crime, Science fiction, Mystery

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

2016, Adventure, Action, Science fiction

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

2016, Comedy

A solid mainstream comedy elevated by its star.

2016, Comedy, Love

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