Science Fiction

‘Amazing Spider-Man’ (2012) experiments with a darker tone

Like what the Dark Knight Trilogy is to the 1990s “Batman” movies, and what the 21st century “Superman” films are to the Christopher Reeve versions,

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‘Black Mirror’ Season 5 is easily the weakest so far (TV review)

With the failed experiment of the “choose your own adventure” movie “Bandersnatch” in the rear view, I was happy to hear “Black Mirror” Season 5

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‘Ghostbusters’ (2016) leans into comedy, drops suspense

“Ghostbusters: Answer the Call” (2016) was labeled as ill-conceived before it came out, with people asking “Why remake a classic?” The good thing is that

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‘Ghostbusters II’ (1989) a big step down, but still fun

“Ghostbusters II” (1989), which feels even more Eighties than the 1984 original, is a prime example of one of those old-school blockbuster sequels that’s defined

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‘Ghostbusters’ (1984) masterfully mixes comedy, critique

Thirty-five years later, “Ghostbusters” (1984) stands as a master class in how to smoothly mix genres. Bill Murray is consistently in a wry comedy while

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‘Spider-Man 3’ (2007) packs too much into trilogy capper

“Spider-Man 3” (2007) packs too many villains and character threads into the last chapter of the saga starring Tobey Maguire. Many of these elements are

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‘Spider-Man 2’ (2004) is everything a superhero sequel should be

From the opening credits that recap the first film’s narrative with pencil drawings to the closing moments of Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst) deciding to give

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Raimi’s ‘Spider-Man’ (2002) nails casting and tone

I thought “Spider-Man” (2002) was run-of-the-mill when I saw it in theaters, but I got into it more on this rewatch. It’s a down-the-middle origin story

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‘Unbreakable’ (2000) a rare ‘real-world’ superhero story

Ten years ago today, I started this blog with a (shamefully positive) review of “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” so I’m marking the anniversary with the launch

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‘Avengers: Endgame’ is prestige superhero entertainment

The grand experiment is over, and it’s a success. The first 22 films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe comprise a saga similar to a TV

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