‘INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY’ A Lackluster Farewell to an Iconic Franchise

June 29, 2023 by Matt Oakes Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged David Koepp, Harrison Ford, indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, James Mangold, Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Toby Jones 2 Comments

Old dogs can’t learn new tricks in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. With the history books finally set to close on the beloved Indiana Jones series, and a sturdy director in James Mangold behind the camera, expectations were high for this final installment, which was tasked with righting the perceived wrongs of the previous entry, The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and sending our beloved grave robber out on a high note. With the original trilogy holding a special place in the hearts of many, including myself, as some of the greatest adventure films ever made, the anticipation was palpable. However, as the film made its debut at this year’s Cannes Film Festival to overwhelmingly lukewarm reviews, enthusiasm skidded to a halt: this wasn’t the final crack of the whip many had hoped it would be. Nevertheless, with a mix of hope and trepidation, I journeyed into the theater, hoping for a thrilling and satisfying conclusion to the legendary archaeologist’s expedition. Read More

Pixar’s ‘ELEMENTAL’ a Derivative Love Story That’s Stuck in the Kiddie Pool

June 12, 2023 by Matt Oakes Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged Brenda Hsueh, Elemental, John Joberg, Kat Likkel, Leah Lewis, Mamoudou Athie, Peter Sohn, Pixar, Ronnie del Carmen, Shila Ommi 1 Comment

Until its acquisition by Disney in May of 2006, Pixar’s primary mandate was originality. The lifeblood of the Emeryville-based animation studio, every new picture was a tapestry of bold ideas, original characters, rich emotional complexity, and boundary-pushing digital animation. After being swallowed up by the House of Mouse, the studio’s focus shifted towards franchising, leading to a rise in Pixar sequels and a watering down of their “original” features. The conflagration of originality that once defined there every feature seemed to gradually wane into but a dim glow.

‘THE FLASH’ Speeds Past Expectations, Strikes Lightning in the DCEU

June 8, 2023 by Matt Oakes Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged Andy Muschietti, Christina Hodson, Ezra Miller, Michael Keaton, Michael Shannon, Reviews, Sasha Calle, The Flash 3 Comments

In a time- and universe-bending world where superheroes have become a constant fixture on our screens, their welcome wearing thinner by the appearance, The Flash emerges as a super enjoyable surprise. A “solo” venture that sees the DC Extended Universe taking their crack at the whole multiverse thing that has been so popularized in superhero films of the past “phase”, The Flash actually focuses on dynamic storytelling and character complexity to impressive results. Despite a runtime that confidently skates past the two and a half hour mark, director Andy Muschietti (Mama, It) and screenwriter Christina Hodson (Bumblebee, Birds of Prey) have crafted a tale that zips by in an exhilarating flash of character, nostalgia, and good old-fashion storytelling. Read More

‘TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEAST’ is Just Another Tired Entry in a Robotic Saga

June 5, 2023 by Matt Oakes Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged Anthony Ramos, Dean Scott Vazquez, Dominique Fishback, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts 1 Comment

1994 – a year when hip hop was flourishing, the Internet was a nascent wonder, and the Autobots were still saving the Earth – or something to that effect. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, the seventh installment in the live-action Transformers series, leaps back to this era for yet another round of robot-on-robot rumblings. However, unlike the cool nostalgia of the 90s, the film is a profoundly uninteresting amalgamation of brain-deadening franchise IP and connective brand synergy. Read More

‘SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE’ Weaves Vibrant Web of Creativity

June 1, 2023 by Matt Oakes Posted in Most Popular, Out in Theaters Tagged Christopher Miller, Dave Callaham, Hailee Steinfeld, Issa Rae, Oscar Isaac, Shameik Moore, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse 3 Comments

Five years after swinging the doors off the whole superhero multiverse thing, the highly anticipated Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse springs into action to deliver an arachnid-sized punch of fresh, inventive, and emotionally compelling spider-story that’s a true eye-popping wonder. Directed with electrifying visual panache by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson, our reunion with Miles Morales, Gwen Stacey, and a host of countless other spider-variants across an ever-expanding multiverse elevates the stakes in this second installment, ambitiously pushing the creative and narrative boundaries along the way. Read More

Chilling ‘THE BOOGEYMAN’ Rekindles Fear of the Dark

May 30, 2023 by Matt Oakes Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged Bryan Woods, Chris Messina, David Dastmalchian, Horror, Mark Heyman, Out in Theaters, Reviews, Rob Savage, Scott Beck, Sophie Thatcher, The Boogeyman, Vivien Lyra Blair 1 Comment

A family reeling from the sudden death of their wife and mother. A creature that feeds on grief and weakness. Crippling fear of the dark. These are well-worn horror movie tropes through and through but they are executed to impressive effect by filmmaker Rob Savage in his first traditional feature, The Boogeyman. Savage takes these overcooked conventions and tosses them in a wicked blender of terror and tension to make for a wicked fright fest that could well fling you out of your seat. Read More

‘FAST X’ Accelerates the Tired Franchise Into a Wall of Absurdity

May 17, 2023 by Matt Oakes Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged Charlize Theron, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Fast X, Helen Mirren, Jason Momoa, Jason Statham, John Cena, Jordana Brewster, Louis Leterrier, Michelle Rodriguez, Nathalie Emmanuel, Out in Theaters, Reviews, Scott Eastwood, Sung Kang, Tyrese Gibson, Vin Diesel 1 Comment

Death has been tamed in the realm of the Fast and the Furious, a universe where mortality is less of a concrete reality and more of a minor inconvenience. Explosions, vehicular disasters, bullets, and even cosmic escapades seem to have lost their lethal touch. Notably, Paul Walker’s Brian O’Conner, who we mourned back in 2013, has somehow cheated death’s finality to make posthumous cameos in four subsequent films. It’s an impressive work ethic that redefines the very essence of ‘life after death’. Why die when resurrection is but as plot contrivance away? Read More

Kinky ‘Sanctuary’ an Intoxicating Two-Hander That Dominates Audience

May 17, 2023 by Matt Oakes Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged Christopher Abbott, Margaret Qualley, Micah Bloomberg, Out in Theaters, Reviews, Sanctuary, Zachary Wigon 1 Comment

It all starts in a hotel room. Hal (Christopher Abbott) orders room service and waits. Enter Rebecca (Margaret Qualley), a whip-smart dominatrix. Qualley, who you may remember from her standout performances in Maid and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, first poses as a lawyer there to “gather information, verify it, and write up a report.” Although it’s all part of a CEO/powerbroker role play, meticulously scripted to the last detail, it’s actually not that far from the truth. This is Sanctuary, a kinky, mentalist dom-sub rom-com, and it’s the stage for Qualley and Abbott’s most intoxicating performances yet. Read More

‘EVIL DEAD RISE’ Splatters the Screen, Breathing Fresh Blood into Lovingly Demented Franchise

May 13, 2023 by Matt Oakes Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged Evil Dead Rise, Gabrielle Echols, Lee Cronin, Lily Sullivan, Morgan Davies, Nell Fisher, Out in Theaters, Reviews 5 Comments

In the realm of horror, few franchises are as steeped in blood-soaked lore as Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead. The latest entry, Evil Dead Rise, cleverly distills the iconic universe’s brutal charms while simultaneously stirring in a fresh batch of viscera. It’s a gory, gruesome, gregarious ride that’s more than just a rehashed resurrection; this fifth entry to the franchise is a blood-thirsty demonic rebirth, that’s both reverential and innovative in equal measure. Much like a vinyl record that keeps on spinning, this franchise seemingly has an endless groove of gory goodness. Read More

It’s Grizzled Prospector vs. Nazis In Badass War Actioner ‘SISU’

April 24, 2023 by Matt Oakes Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged Aksel Hennie, Jack Doolan, Jalmari Helander, Jorma Tommila, Reviews, Sisu Leave a comment

There’s an entire genre of movies where a grizzled old-timer with a particular set of skills gets entangled with unsuspecting ruffians who mistakenly stick their noses in his business. Sisu, a Nordic import from writer-director Jalmari Helander, distributed in the U.S. by Lionsgate, is exactly that movie. Only a bit better than you’re used to. Helander’s down-and-dirty prospector vs. Nazi actioner has no interest in rewriting the bones of these familiar trappings so much as getting that formula almost perfectly right, in part by setting it in Nazi-occupied Finland in the closing moments of WWII. Focusing on over-the-top physicality and no-holds-barred brutality, Sisu is an ultra-violent exploitation B-movie that caters to its simple strengths at nearly every junction. Read More