Movie reviews of Don Shanahan

The arcs for Ridley and Driver fare the best, but the periphery is scattered with superfluous glaze. The isolation elements of The Last Jedi slowed matters down to create tangible suspense. This over-packed trilogy capper favors sprinting set pieces instead. Moving at a rush does not automatically or always create one in return, magic be damned. Review

Kinetically engineered to simulate real-time, 1917 moves with a propulsive momentum like no other film of 2019 and no other combat flick of recent memory. Review

Marriage Story is a fountainhead of creative brilliance behind the camera. Review

The endearing brilliance of Little Women is earned in those quaint sways and movements as much as, if not more than, it is by its crests of high drama. With masterful leadership and bold thematic choices applied to well-worn ideals, Greta Gerwig continuously captures an uncanny vibrancy out of a literary setting that otherwise would be frozen in stagnant despair. Every fiber and morsel of this movie swells with this sense of spi... Review

The sheer energy of this movie has knockout power. Review

This new film is a wise and modest update to one of Disney’s best romances of its Silver Age. Review

Where the typical pulse rate of this kind of story opens and ends with a bang between a tedious, saggy middle, Knives Out is all about that rich center. What an equally delectable and sinful treat it is! Review

The trouble is the regality becomes the smoke in your eyes. There is delight to be had in these details, time capsule performances, and in the pointed plodding through dramatized history, but we have seen so much of this before from Scorsese and in better concentrations. Furthermore, different temperaments and tastes are going to project their own inflated values all over this morose movie. Review

John Cena is cut with cuteness and has all the charm necessary for Playing With Fire. The fact Cena can squeeze heartfelt smiles and laughs, whether covered in some mess or wearing a My Little Pony half-shirt, is more than good enough for a family-friendly movie option for the upcoming holiday season. Review

Gusto meets gravitas in one of the most oddly poetic and beautifully brazen movies you may ever see. Review

The formula used may be simple, complete with a dollop of a Hollywood-ish pivotal climax, but the effort and dedication is as true as the deserving light being shed on the unvanquished history at hand. Review

No matter if the version of The Lion King being shown is sketched or coded, we too may bow to the grand splendor on display. Review

The Lighthouse is more mundanity that madness, which is surprising given the pedigree involved. Review

One could play Loyalty in any classroom setting, urban, suburban, or rural and the life lessons would ring true. That’s a fantastic accomplishment from a humble, yet determined source. Review

Gemini Man, with all its finely sharpened pixels, cannot lacerate our enthusiasm. Review

Despite the immense talent shining from the recording studio and the animation workshop, the traits and choices of Toy Story 4 lack being worthwhile. Review

Joker’s artistically seedy aesthetic for moral decline and unchecked depravity creates the proper cesspool for energizing the corrupt title character. Review

Its success also fueled a star’s rise (Costner), secured another’s lasting legacy (Connery), and reminded audiences just how sharply talented its steward was. Review

It takes a special kind of acting to make every bite on-camera look orgasmic while still carrying the throwaway sexual humor and scripted lines. Review

This shrewd and stellar work creates a viewing effect in Auggie that tantalizingly bounces your comfort level between intimacy and voyeurism. This moral rattler deserves attention and praise as indie gem. Review

All the sheen and shine of Ad Astra matter not without Brad Pitt’s committed lead performance. Review

This story, in movie form, fails to make one care. Anything that lingers feels extraneous at best. Review

Yes, it is wonderful Disney sought people of color for this ethic fairy tale, but the clout of their portrayals and the substance of their actions are not improvements. If you’re going to do the right thing by diversity, go all the way, not just halfway or selectively. Dare to combat stereotypes completely. Review

Knightley’s work makes Official Secrets and its restrained tightness a measure of hero respect not blatant hero worship. Straightforward was exactly the necessary bearing. Review