Enola Holmes was raised to be independent. At least, Mother tried. When this her best friend and teacher goes missing, we’ll see if Enola is truly ready to walk her own path.
Unexpected situations seem to be around its every bend. It’s hard to say whether those, or Enola’s problem-solving, are more fun to watch.
One thing is for sure: This movie has energy. Good music and writing chug us along, with lead actress as conductor. Sitting with her, the ride flies by.
Heavenly powers have a plan for Ne Zha. So do his parents. Neither seems to matter to the kid, who’s as stubborn as they come.
Can you blame him? It’s hard to learn right from wrong when everyone under the sun thinks your fate is sealed. But what makes life difficult for Ne Zha is what makes this movie worthwhile.
Complex but cute animation creates a fantasy world worth exploring. Quirky characters keep things light, balancing out a heavy premise.
Wendy holds back most day days. She’s become a pushover who can’t support her family.
It doesn’t have to be this way. If Wendy lets loose, she can take on anything. But her solution is her problem: Superhuman abilities can hurt people as easily as they can get things done. We watch as she (and some new friends) struggle through this dilemma.
This is a bit slower, and has less action than your typical superhero movie—which makes it refreshing and believable. Instead of yet another fight scene we can guess the ending to, each new interaction brings excitement and mystery.
That said, there’s no good without evil. Some scenes have distracting continuity issues. Characters are underdeveloped, and plot holes are jumped, all in the hopes that we’ll be happy enough rooting for the good guy.
Akash may be blind, but he’s always on the lookout. Somewhere out there is the key to better music. He’s sure of it.
Good intentions aren’t helping, though. In fact, they usually lead Akash into trouble. This is when the movie is at its best: Akash’s reactions are as cheeky and inventive as his predicaments.
It’s clever yes, and long. We meet many characters, some of whom are frustrating, and some of whom add nothing to the story. But isn’t that life? Long enough to be unexpected, funny, confusing, dangerous? And so this movie.
Hua Mulan is gifted. We all have qi, but she’s got a country’s worth.
The problem? Boundless energy is not marriage material. The bigger problem? Invaders threaten the nation, and if Mulan wants to help defend it, she’ll have to break all the rules.
What follows is a colorful, nuanced, and exciting epic, suitable for all ages. Perhaps more impressively, it is all these things while examining what it means to live a virtuous life.
This is no fluff, or nostalgia trip.
The Old Guard is something new.
In a world filled with wrongs, they fight for what’s right. And there’s nobody better.
Why? It’s a secret few know, and one that Big Pharma will stop at nothing to learn. So begins the latest fight.
It’s not every day an action movie blends espionage, fantasy, history, and philosophy into something that goes down easy. This one does. A cast more-representative-than-usual adds to the justice theme, and the writing can be downright poetic.
Guns Akimbo shoots and misses.
Skizm livestreams real deathmatches. Miles has always preferred screen life over real life, but even he knows this is wrong. He fights back by trolling Skizm’s fans; real tough guy stuff.
Bad decision. When Skizm toys with Miles, he has no choice but to fight for real—and for his life.
The movie has an interesting premise, but it’s no more than one long chase scene with gun battles. Writing aims for woke though uses violence just like the bad guys do: to glorify and entertain.
Early camerawork and editing hit the target at least. They are powerfully disorienting, forcing us to feel a sickening situation.
Shakuntala Devi was a human whirlwind.
And she knew it. It doesn’t take a math genius to figure that, if you’re going to school just to teach the teachers, your future is bright. She happily sped past hometown and family.
Her globetrotting journey is exciting and impressive. But the second half of the movie is as much about her capabilities as it is about her mistakes. Family life was never her strong suit, and raising a daughter forces her to deal with this.
The movie is based on a true story, though was clearly edited to be light, entertaining, and modern. Some points drag, but they’re soon picked up by Shakuntala’s devastating aptitude and charm.
The Lovebirds have flown into something.
Leilani and Jibran were in love. Now their relationship is failing. It’s a tough conversation to have—and tougher when they come across a murder.
To avoid the police (and gather enough evidence to prove their innocence), they must do exactly what they’ve just realized they can’t: stick together. Their adventure is bumbling, heartfelt, and sometimes hilarious.
The leads have nailed both dramatic and comedic timing. Smart writing gives us realistic worries and reactions, while effortlessly poking fun at tactics used in more outlandish crime-buster movies. It’s a fun time.
Da 5 Bloods are back at it.
Well, four are. Reuniting in Vietnam to recover the remains of their friend and leader. It’s all smiles and stories. But da Bloods have another, fantastically dangerous and exciting job to do, too. And so an epic story unfolds.
This jungle of a world will require their sacrifice once again. But they’re older and wiser now. They take time to call out the black (male) trailblazers who continue to inspire their lives. In these moments, the movie turns documentary, giving us real names. Real images. This chops the flow a bit, but is informative and powerful, reflective and celebratory.
It’s a complex movie in other ways, looking at pain across years and borders. Of how people pushed up against the wall can claw at each other. Paul’s journey is expertly played, and includes one of the most enveloping soliloquies you’ll see in movies.
The Platform is a whole ’nother world.
We don’t know why it exists, who’s in charge . . . or how many people it tortures. Goreng doesn’t either, but he may be the first to explore enough to find out. As the only person to voluntarily enter this place, he’s either its savior or biggest stooge.
From the first moment, our world shrinks to the size of this vertical prison. Trapped with Goreng, his hopes and despairs become ours. Earworm music captures our unease, reminding us that truly, this very moment is all there is.
It is a thought-provoking, exciting, and twisted piece.
MFKZ be wilin!
Sooner or later, Dark Meat City will eat up Angelino. The scrawny punk commands no respect, at work or on the streets. He has more roaches in his apartment than friends in the world.
It’s confusing to everyone, then, when he begins to be chased as if he’s the world’s most wanted. Maybe there’s something to him after all.
This movie is a hood fairy tale of grand proportions. A modern David unlocks his true potential, while uncovering an evil so pervasive Goliath would drown in it. The illustration and writing are meticulous, and create a world where fantasy and cold, hard ghetto mix. Though there are some head-scratching moments, all in all it’s a different and fun movie.
Jojo is a sweet little boy who loves his mom. He’s also a Nazi.
Or at least, he thinks he is. You see, Jojo is growing up in Germany during World War II. Nazi posters decorate his room, and Hitler is his imaginary friend. What else is a kid to do?
Attend Nazi youth camp, for starters. But there, it appears that Jojo may not be cut out for the Nazi life. His early-life crisis gets much worse when he learns his mom is hiding a Jewish girl from the authorities.
As Jojo grapples with these realities, he’s determined to get to the bottom of why Elsa and her fellow Jews are evil. In these sad, funny, and touching moments, the movie shines.
The context is horrific, and the movie tries hard to balance it out (even if it may overcompensate). In any case, with its goofy humor; its saturated and magnificent colors; its catchy and upbeat music, it seeks to remind us that even the worst pain is fleeting, and that there will always be beauty in this world.
Meru is a story of adventure and resilience.
Three professional climbers decide to try their luck on an unconquered peak. This is a bad idea: Meru has never been summited because it’s both technically challenging and very dangerous. Suffice it to say, the climbers encounter several obstacles.
This movie captures well the life of a climber: the day-to-day; the internal dialogue; how some messages remain unspoken when life is on a razor’s edge.
To keep the city safe, the Mayor has banished all dogs. Some citizens are skeptical of the Mayor’s motivations. Young Atari simply cares about losing his loyal hound, Spots. With some help, Atari races against time to find boy’s best friend.
Though the characters are downbeat, this is a heartfelt adventure. The puppet-work, framing, and detail are gorgeous.
Downsizing is a dramedy about being small. Its ideas are big.
Paul Safranek is humble to a fault, and so, he has regrets. Shrinking himself could be a fresh start though: His money would go farther, and his carbon footprint would disappear. The change might finally allow Paul to feel that his life has been worthwhile. That’s assuming it all goes as planned…
This movie has a manic vibe: It jumps from light-hearted to existential, from funny to depressing, without notice. This can be jarring. And, the movie is a bit long. Aside from all that, though, is a pretty story.
Outlaw King is based on true events.
The Scottish and the English have feuded for years, at great cost. An uneasy peace now exists, with England in charge. But for how long will the Scots allow a foreign tyrant to rule?
The sets and settings will transport you to medieval Scotland. Some (though not all) of the acting will, too.
Du Qiu is a corporate lawyer who has saved his company from ruin. The future is bright. Then, Qiu’s spotless record is called into question. Soon enough, both his company and the authorities are out for blood. Does our lawyer have enough brains to survive? Does he deserve to?
This movie has a fun multicultural aspect, with alternating Mandarin, Japanese, and English lines. But little character development and lots of unbelievable interactions make it more silly than serious.
The Train to Busan might be the only way to hide from the zombies.
Workaholic Seok-woo has neglected his daughter for the last time. Soo-an is fed up, and demands to see her mother in Busan. Dad obliges, buying two train tickets. Why, then, is Soo-an still so upset? A zombie infection tearing through the population might have something to do with it.
This is a good, exciting story. And the movie doesn’t rely on jump scares or manipulative music.
Neil Armstrong was the first human to set foot on the moon. First Man is the story of what it took to get there.
Neil was a hard worker and a family man. But rocket science was difficult work—for him, his family, and countless others. While we already know the ending to this story, we now get to learn a bit more about the journey.
This is a movie made tenderly, and with respect. Though it’s a simple story, it is beautiful, and makes us think about the big questions: Why do we do what we do? Who do we do it for?