Close Encounters of the Smart but Ugly Kind. Last week, I reviewed “Jules,” which was a dramedy with Ben Kingsley finding an alien that crash lands on his flowers. Even though it […]
Landscape with Invisible Hand
Strays
A dog of a raunchy comedy. We’re in a time when raunchy comedies poke fun at children’s entertainment. There was the pot-smoking Teddy Bear in Seth MacFarlene’s “Ted,” the horny hotdogs in […]
Jules
Ben Kingsley works as a man who has a close encounter. Obviously, Ben Kingsley’s character Milton Robinson doesn’t watch Sci-Fi movies or shows, because he thinks he can call 911 to report […]
Red, White & Royal Blue
These two rivals are likable, once you get to know them. As I begin to watch “Red, White & Royal Blue,” I figure it’s going to be a mess, when we get […]
Only Murders in the Building: Season 3
A new season that slays us more new stars and more new mysteries. Paul Rudd and Meryl Streep are the latest additions to the third season of Hulu’s groundbreaking whodunit comedy series […]
The Pod Generation
The visual world is fascinating, but the story lays an egg. I’m a slow learner when it comes to some of today’s modern amenities. You know smart homes, smart watches, and smart […]
Shortcomings
This breezy comedy has good taste in characters. Randall Park’s directorial debut of “Shortcomings” uses echos from “Clerks” and “Crazy Rich Asians,” because it features a main protagonist who blames his sad […]
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
Now these turtles are teenagers! This is coming from a film critic, who never grew up on “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” but still knows they’re all named after famous painters. There’s Michelangelo, […]
Haunted Mansion
Humor and heart get conjured up in this fun ride-to-film transition. 20 years ago, we had the Eddie Murphy film version of the popular Disneyland ride “The Haunted Mansion,” which didn’t work […]
The Beanie Bubble
Colorful performances overshadow under-stuffed script. Beanie Babies have become one of the most demanded toys in the world. Enough for a truck carrying them to crash, and people grabbing them at the […]
