With “Ant-Man and the Wasp” (in theaters Friday, July 6) marking the Big Two-Oh for the Marvel Cinematic Universe film franchise, it’s high time I reveal my rankings of all the MCU movies so far, from worst to first. Notes: Updated in December 2018 to include “Ant-Man and the Wasp.” You can find John’s rankings here.
It’s a damned shame “Upgrade” is going to fail at the box office. While built from standard sci-fi action parts, it really is something of a marvel, with crisp action, solid writing and brilliant execution.
First, some background on some apprehensions I carried with me into the theater when I saw “Solo: A Star Wars Story” last night. My excitement for “Solo” dropped to near zero when Lucasfilm fired directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller, two of the weirdest and most inventive filmmakers working today, and brought on Ron Howard, […]
Nothing in John Krasinski’s past would indicate that he had a film like “A Quiet Place” in him, and yet here we are. The onetime sitcom heartthrob has delivered a film that is not just frightening, but intimate and character driven. Sitting in the theater I was reminded of films like “The Descent” and “The […]
Can you believe the Oscars are nearly upon us? With the big show coming up in less than 24 hours, what better time to take a look at the nominees and tell you what will win and what should. You can trust me due to my lack of anything resembling a social life and a […]
As the Marvel Cinematic Universe entered Phase Three it seemed to take on a unique challenge, reinventing itself with each new film. “Thor: Ragnarok” was basically the MCU’s answer to Monty Python. “Ant Man” was an “Ocean’s” movie with a dude who could shrink. Even “Guardians 2” changed things up by being incredibly personal and […]
As a franchise, “Star Trek” has boldly gone many places, and not all of them have been good. While the original series is legendary, and “Next Generation” improves on it, things started to fall apart with “Deep Space Nine,” which cribbed so much from “Babylon 5” that it felt like a cheat calling it “Trek” […]
There were a lot of great films in 2017. So many, in fact, that this year I have decided to do a top 20 list instead of my usual top 10. It means more writing, but trust me, this is a problem any movie buff loves to have. 2017 was a good year for superheros […]
Last night’s Golden Globe Awards were a welcome surprise for me. I have gotten used to, in my time as a film and television enthusiast, the entertainment I support being consigned to the “also ran” bin. My favorite TV shows get cancelled. Many of my favorite movies have been ignored by critics and audiences alike. […]
Movie review: Lin Shaye’s Elise again takes center stage in this fourth “Insidious” entry.