Action

‘Bumblebee’ (2018) is a cute robotic ‘E.T.’ riff

My friend who likes to laugh at bad movies dragged me to “Transformers” in 2007, but I’ve forgotten everything about that movie and haven’t followed

READ MORE

‘The Spirit’ (2008) a weak imitation of ‘Sin City’

I love the two “Sin City” films (2005, 2014), so the existence of “The Spirit” (2008) is both good and bad. On one hand, it’s

READ MORE

‘Rambo’ (2008) a shell-shocking portrayal of war

For the fourth “Rambo” film, simply titled “Rambo” (2008), director/co-writer Sylvester Stallone taps into one of the world’s longest-running civil wars. The Burma (aka Myanmar)

READ MORE

‘Rambo III’ (1988) is a fun (and unintentionally funny) actioner

Wading into the “Rambo” sequels, I braced myself for the point at which they’d get dumb. It doesn’t happen with the underrated “Rambo: First Blood

READ MORE

‘Jumanji: The Next Level’ still a fun and funny romp

I imagine director/co-writer Jake Kasdan and his four lead actors, upon finishing 2017’s “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” – the surprisingly great sequel to 1995’s dull

READ MORE

John’s top 10 movies of 2019

These were my 10 favorite movies of 2019, a year when superheroes continued to dominate but when we also got prime slices of action, comedy

READ MORE

‘Kick-Ass 2’ (2013) finds its groove

Writer-director Jeff Wadlow, taking the reins from Matthew Vaughn, delivers a funnier and more focused “Kick-Ass 2” (2013). It’s formulaic, but that makes it better

READ MORE

‘Lethal Weapon’ (1987) shouldn’t be overshadowed by ‘Die Hard’

“Lethal Weapon” (1987) introduced the masses to writer Shane Black (and his penchant for setting his films at Christmastime) and gave director Richard Donner a

READ MORE

‘Rambo: Last Blood’ shrinks the scope for a brutally efficient rescue/revenge tale (Movie review)

“Rambo: Last Blood” is an efficient, brutal, gritty and appropriate capper (if it is indeed the capper) to Sylvester Stallone’s five-film series. It poetically marks

READ MORE

‘Alita: Battle Angel’ a final blast of cyborg sci-fi for the decade

It’s hard to predict a decade’s place in history while you’re living it, but the 2010s strike me as a Gateway to the Future. So

READ MORE