Movie reviews of The Massie Twins

Whimsical musical notes to supplement steely characters or actions isn’t enough to counter the grimness, nor are complementary missions smart enough to feel necessary. But the finale is a welcome surprise (of sorts), returning to the dependable romance of lighthearted fantasy. Review

The more than two-hour picture is simply too stretched out for a comedy – and there are several too many singing-and-dancing routines, as if Victor Victoria is a variety show on top of a role-reversal farce. Review

With such an engaging start, the final revelations are a major letdown – so great, in fact, that it will be interesting to see if this picture manages enough commercial success to warrant the follow-up story... Review

But a considerable amount of this film is posturing and flexing and stalling; the actual plot is mostly uneventful, doing little other than adding details about the various characters – of which there are too many. Review

Ultimately, however, much of it looks like mediocre cosplay, while the climax devolves into a mess of pitiful CG animalities – video game finishing moves that definitely shouldn’t have been translated into the realm of cinema. Review

It’s the best of the Mortal Kombat feature films, but that’s saying virtually nothing. Review

The leads are so good (working with a strong script by Arthur Laurents) that the events surrounding their relationship rarely feel as significant. Review

Many of the physical gimmicks and stunts are complex, dangerous, and brilliantly arranged. And yet, as they flounder through the act of staying alive, there’s also a sweetness and a pleasant romantic quality to their ordeal; Treadway may be incompetent, but he’s always a gentleman. Review

The epic romance never really evolves or culminates, though Anna’s hope that she’s set into motion an unstoppably progressive, gradual curtailing of showy, barbaric rule is undeniably gratifying. Review

Like the best sports movies, Hoosiers isn’t just about basketball. Second chances, willingness to embrace change, moving beyond troubled pasts, sticking up for others, and standing up to an intimidating majority are key concepts, handled with sincerity and potency. Review

Ultimately, however, the film isn’t about character development or an engaging plot. Virtually the entire running time is devoted to glistening, taut, gyrating figures in varying stages of undress. Review

The execution may not always be sound, but the sense of adventure is grand – a welcome accomplishment for the most expensive film ever made up to 1978. Review

But, as with the previous reboots, nonstop demolishment of familiar cityscapes can’t sustain an entire film; when the story is so cluttered and the human characters so unaffecting, the result is an indistinguishable collection of monster melees. Review

It’s clear that the greatest heroes are normal people summoning extraordinary courage in the face of prevalent adversity; Rae’s ordinariness lends to extraordinary onscreen entertainment. Review

There’s still far too much comedy; any sense of awe (of which terribly little exists) is drowned out by constant, immature, generic attempts at laughs. Review

It’s a little too conflicted, a little too familiar, and incredibly farfetched. Review

But inevitably sticky conclusion aside, Big is full of exquisite moments – from a trampoline session to a dance on an interactive floor piano – that help the film become both continually hilarious and unforgettably unique. Review

As an absolute polar opposite to the depictions in something like A Clockwork Orange, this hilariously absurd send-up offers creative yet foolish ideas on the future of drugs, technology, food, sex, clothing, and more – even if they’re cheap and rickety. Review

It’s a unique, noble effort to recreate the comedy stylings of a bygone era, but it’s never completely convincing. Review

The Courier reminds of “Bridge of Spies” from 2015, though the tone here is slightly off, struggling to balance severity with levity. Review

The Replacement Killers isn’t boring, but it could have amounted to a lot more, particularly as the final showdown is thrillingly chaotic and brutal. Review

Coming 2 America ultimately works as a rehash or remake as much as a sequel; for its entire duration, even with its pleasant nostalgia appeal, it struggles to justify its own existence, which is probably about three decades too late. Review

The secrets – and the repetitive refusals of any of the lead characters to ask questions – tend to be irritating. Fortunately, effective humor surfaces on occasion, and fairly continuous action keeps the pacing tight. Review

Brief, simple, and incredibly sweet, this clever, vibrant, inspirational picture is an absolutely sumptuous appetizer; it’s almost a shame that it doesn’t carry on past its 7-minute runtime, especially with its lively score and its heartwarming stars. Review