KUNG FU PANDA 4 (2024) review
written by: Jonathan Aibel, Glenn Berger and Darren Lemke
produced by: Rebecca Huntley
directed by: Mike Mitchell and Stephanie Ma Stine
rated: PG (for martial arts action/mild violence, scary images and some mild rude humor)
runtime: 94 min.
U.S. release date: March 8, 2024
You may be thinking, wait, there’s been three of these “Kung Fu Panda” movies? Yes, there has, but what’s more challenging to believe (at least for me), is that the first one came out back in 2008. Maybe it’s just as hard to believe that the last time Dreamworks Animation released one of these movies was eight years ago, and that one seemed like a perfect way to close it all out. But, just like Disney/Pixar and their “Toy Story” franchise, Dreamworks & Universal can’t help themselves, and here we are with “Kung Fu Panda 4”. The temptation to stretch out a known property is just too strong for studios. That being said, this third sequel comes at a time when theaters are currently woefully lacking kid-friendly movies in U.S. theaters, so maybe such familiarity is welcome. Read more…
DUNE: PART TWO (2024) review
written by: Denis Villeneuve and Jon Spaihts
produced by: Mary Parent, Cale Boyter, Denis Villeneuve, Tanya Lapointe
& Patrick McCormick
directed by: Denis Villeneuve
rated: PG-13 (for sequences of strong violence, some suggestive material and brief strong language)
runtime: 165 min.
U.S. release date: March 1, 2024
“Dune: Part Two” continues director Denis Villeneuve’s devotion to bringing Frank Herbert’s literary sci-fi classic to the big-screen, with an emphasis on grand world-building and a spectacle of sound and vision. Indeed, the biggest screen possible is where this ambitious continuation should be experienced. When his previous movie, “Dune”, was released in 2021, it was released on HBO Max (now just “Max”), the same day as its theatrical release, after multiple release date delays due to COVID-19 and to avoid competition from other movies. Once the movie was met with predominate praise from critics and moviegoers (even some loyal Herbert fans), it made sense that another movie would come, especially considering the “To Be Continued” ending it had. Read more…
RED RIGHT HAND (2024) review
written by: Jonathan Easley
produced by: Basil Iwanyk, Erica Lee, Mike Gabrawy, Jason Tamasco, Zak Kristofek & Michelle Lang
directed by: Ian Nelms and Eshom Nelms
rated: not rated
runtime: 111 min.
U.S. release date: February 23, 2024 (theaters & VOD)
It’s a surprise when actors who’ve been around for a while show up in a role they’re not typically known for. Most likely you know they’re in the movie you’re watching, but once they show up they warrant a double take. That’s what I experienced as I watched Orlando Bloom and Andie MacDowell in “Red Right Hand”, the latest movie from brothers, Ian and Eshom Nelms (“Small Town Crime” and “Fatman”). I hate to use the cliched phrase, “as you’ve never seen them!”, but in this case, it’s true. Working off a debut screenplay from Jonathan Easley, the directors have crafted a Kentucky-fried yarn with vivid characters familiar with escalated violence, that just so happens to be set in the Bluegrass State. Read more…
ORDINARY ANGELS (2024) review
written by: Meg Tilly and Kelly Fremon Craig
produced by: Jon Berg, Roy Lee, Dave Matthews, Johnathan Dorfman, Sarah Johnson, David Beal, Kevin Downes, Jon Erwin & Andrew Erwin
directed by: Jon Gunn
rated: PG (for thematic content, brief bloody images and smoking)
runtime: 118 min
U.S. release date: February 23, 2024
If you’re curious about this “based on a true story” tale after watching and looking up “Ordinary Angels” online, you’ll likely see it’s described as a “faith-based” cinema. Such a description is a head-scratcher since there’s nothing overtly Christian or religious about the movie. While it is directed by Jon Gunn, who helmed 2017’s “The Case for Christ” and co-wrote last year’s “The Jesus Revolution,” at no point does a movie revolving around the kindness of strangers where a community comes together to help a gravely ill girl in need, feel like it’s a story that’s exclusive to Christianity. That’s a good thing. Kindness and serving others shouldn’t solely derive from faith in God. Instead, it should just come from seeing and meeting that need by any means possible. Read more…
Oscar-Nominated Animated Shorts (2024) review
Out of this year’s three Oscar-Nominated Shorts categories – Documentary, Live-Action, and Animation – you’ll find that all five of the nominees for Animation are great! Is that unusual? Well, it’s surprising, considering that’s not always the case with any of these Shorts categories. Indeed, all of the Animated Shorts this year are great and they also show the artistic range that the medium can offer. Most of the stories told are quite personal and reflective and one is inspired by a Christmas song from a Beatle. Only two of this year’s nominees are from the USA, which is certainly a plus considering it is always fascinating to see what other countries are doing with animation. Read more…
Oscar-Nominated Live-Action Shorts (2024) review
Some years the Oscar category for Best Live-Action Shorts has me puzzled. One would think that the five nominees are the best of the best, but there are years where only a couple are really great…that’s how it feels this year. I thought there were only two real standouts this year. Of course, it’s all subjective and you may like director Wes Anderson’s “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar” (which is predicted to win the award) more than I did. Typically, I expect to see something different or new in this category and Anderson is delivering a shortened version of what we’ve come to expect from him. Apart from Anderson’s short, I only found a couple that stood out. The rest were woefully heavy-handed and painfully obvious, with frustrating endings. Read more…
Oscar-Nominated Documentary Shorts (2024) review
While there are many complaints about all the streaming platforms out there these days, the fact four (out of five) of this year’s Oscar-Nominated Documentary Shorts are all available in some manner online proves that there is a positive side to all these options. So, if you have access to Disney+, Paramount+, and YouTube, then you can see most of these nominees. However, like every year, select cities in the U.S. are presenting all of the Oscar-Nominated Shorts categories, leading up to the Academy Awards ceremony on Sunday, March 10th. Read more…
MOLLI AND MAX IN THE FUTURE (2023) review
written by: Michael Lukk Litwak
produced by: Ben J. Murphy, Candice Kuwahara, Mallory Schwartz, Michael Lukk Litwak & Kate Geller
directed by: Michael Lukk Litwak
rated: not rated
runtime: 93 min.
U.S. release date: March 11, 2023 (SXSW) and February 9, 2024
The title suggests a quirky endeavor, which is confirmed by the synopsis of “Molli and Max in the Future”. It’s a story that takes familiar conventions of meet-cute rom-com and sets them all a billion years in the future, yet it still feels timeless. In his feature-length debut, writer/director Michael Lukk Litwak posits that the same love and dating relationship woes have existed and will continue yesterday, today, and tomorrow. It’s not a stretch to describe it as “When Harry Met Sally” meets “Tron” if Jared and Jerusha Hess and Jemaine Clement wrote it. But it also feels like an amalgam of “Spy Kids” and something written by Trey Parker and Matt Stone. It sounds like a lot, perhaps because the ambitious film is attempting a lot. Read more…
ANSELM (2023) review
produced by: Karsten Brünig and Wim Wenders
directed by: Wim Wenders
rating: not rated
runtime: 93 min.
U.S. release date: October 11, 2023 (limited) and February 2, 2024 (Music Box Theatre, Chicago, IL)
While watching Wim Wender’s latest documentary “Anselm” I had forgotten it was a 3D experience. Not because the 3D wasn’t good, but actually due to the opposite. Most of the time, I felt like the screen had utterly disappeared and it was as if I was peering through an open window. That’s a rare theatrical viewing experience and an impressive 3D achievement. It is indeed a clear and immersive viewing experience, but also an artful and beautiful one as well. Quite fitting considering Wender’s subject is German artist Anselm Keifer. Read more…
THE BEEKEEPER (2024) review
written by: Kurt Wimmer
produced by: Bill Block, Chris Long, Jason Statham, Kurt Wimmer
directed by: David Ayer
rated: R (for strong violence throughout, pervasive language, some sexual references and drug use.)
runtime: 105 min.
U.S. release date: January 12, 2024 (theaters) & February 2, 2024 (VOD)
“When someone hurts an older person, they are often left to face the hornets alone.”
Confession time: I’ve never been a big fan of Jason Statham movies. In fact, up until his brilliant appearance in 2015’s “Spy,” I was operating under the impression that he was the sort of guy who took himself very seriously. However, after seeing the trailer for—and getting several hearty laughs out of it—his latest starring vehicle, “The Beekeeper,” I began to rethink this entire perception. Had Statham finally embraced the utter absurdity inherent in the premises of his leading man vehicles? I am thrilled beyond measure to report that, yes, indeed he has. Read more…
