Movie reviews of Don Shanahan

Verchere and VanderWaal exudes comfortable chemistry that is not over-spiked. Review

Onward elevates from fantasy tomfoolery into a touching story of siblings and parents. Review

If the proper swell and inspiration of the Mike Burden story is his recovery and rebirth, Heckler’s movie takes far too long to get to that peak. Review

The Night Clerk is missing some of that possible pulp and edginess to really widen our eyes and drop our jaws. Instead, it takes on the calculated challenge of weaving a layer of empathy for the main character to override the egregious errors of consent. In doing so, the movie feigns sophistication when it really doesn’t exude it. Review

The full force of The Call of the Wild would go a great deal further in rattling souls and shredding heartstrings for impressionable viewers than more disposable fluff. The right writer was in place here with Logan Oscar nominee Michael Green, but punches were pulled all over the place. Review

This is a black voice presenting a refined story without the crutches of stirred-up race debates or hammy theatrics. Not an ounce of either is here and that matters enormously. Review

There is certainly fun to be had, but to shoot to fantabulous is going to count as overselling and the liberation most desired will be to escape this fever dream. Review

Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that authenticity always earns appreciation. It’s even better when it resonates. This movie earns both. Discover something astonishing and adorable at the same time. Review

To rightly thumb its nose at the historically warped expectations of young ladies, Troop Zero may not be high-minded cinema. What it is, however, is high-hearted entertainment. Review

This steadiness to not explode with all the rage you think is coming is precisely a strength and not a boring detriment to Just Mercy. Simply put, the case at hand and the true story provide the magma for the movie. Review

Alfre is beyond compelling in taking on the destructive darkness this character envelopes around us all. Review

Zoinks, does this movie have vigor! For those folks who constantly lament that there is nothing original and interesting to watch anymore in this multiplex marketplace of creative bankruptcy, look no further than the minor challenge of following Korean subtitles. The sly guile simmering behind the decadence of Parasite exceeds any trope one thinks that possible assign to this film. This is your jaw-dropper. This is your wate... Review

Powered by two impeccable performances, there is truly something marvelous to see these powerful men reach a true “meeting of the minds”. Review

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