ARTaylor

The good news is that the movie is not a total failure. The bad news is that neither is it a triumph. The second film in James Gunn's DC Universe falls as flat as last year's Superman soared. The movie always faced an uphill battle. She may be loved by comic fans but to mainstream audiences she was the star of a mostly forgotten 1984 film and a sidekick to the far more recognizable Superman. While there is potential in any character, focusing a new universe's first two movies on two very similar characters seems a poor choice. It would be like if Marvel's second film was about War Machine. Not necessarily a bad choice, but another character from a different corner before doing someone so similar.

The movie is based on the critically acclaimed 2021 story Woman of Tomorrow, which itself is based on the novel/movies True Grit. The problem with so closely adapting a specific story is that it invites comparisons and as any book reader knows the movie is never as good. That's why other movies that are based on one story like Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War reimagined their comic book stories. Even without knowing Woman of Tomorrow, it's hard not to see the seams of the source. The story too often is episodic as it adapts the individual comics rather than flowing together as one story. As such, there's too much that's underdeveloped. Too many ideas half-formed. It seems confused as to what kind of story it's trying to tell.

Similarly, the tone is all over the place. Too often it feels like it's trying to be Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy but comes off as Taika Waititi's Thor. Too many jokes that don't land. Too much music that doesn't fit, the worst being "Cheek to Cheek" in the alien bar. The last DC movie universe got off to a bad start with everything trying to be Zack Snyder, so this feels the other side of the same coin.

Milly Alcock is the fifth live action Supergirl and also the weakest. She does a fine job as the drunk party girl, but hardly feels like this is a person who can bend steel with ease. Not helping is that the movie keeps nerfing her with red suns, Kryptonite, and poisons. While last year's Superman seemed to be holding back, this keeps knocking her down just as she gets going. There's not really that joyous moment when she gets to go all out. The character also follows a once-dead trend where she tries to spend the entire movie not being the hero only to reluctantly get pulled into it. It wasn't interesting then and isn't now.

The movie could have made up for that with a good supporting cast, but it doesn't. Eve Ridley as Ruthye is pretty dull. She tries but she's definitely no Kim Darby or Hailee Steinfeld. Worse is Matthias Schoenaerts as antagonist Krem. A superhero is only as good as their villain, and this one is as forgettable as the worst of the MCU. True Grit made a point of keeping the villain mysterious so when he's finally caught he's revealed to be a loser doing bad things. This movie does too much with him so it's hard to really be threatened by that. Plus, making him a child sex trafficker may have certain real world parallels to current events but feels needlessly shoehorned in.

The best parts of the movie are the ones it deals with least. Krypto once again steals all his scenes. The dog is proving to be the heart and soul of this universe. David Corenswet's few scenes as Superman provides a morality the movie is otherwise lacking. Of course, it's Jason Mamoa as Lobo who steals the movie. While fine as Aquaman, this was the role he was born to play. He captures the character perfectly. Too bad none of them are in the movie enough. A better adaptation would have had them go along playing the angel and devil on Kara's shoulders.

There is one major technical issue, the movie doesn't look very good. Gunn's Superman was bright and colorful, but this one is dominated by dull browns and grays. Comics in general pop with color, especially Woman of Tomorrow. Some simple color correction could have made the look more visually appealing.

It's not all bad. Kara plays well off both Ruthye and Lobo. The action scenes are fine, even if not reaching the highs of other better superhero movies. It does show some promise for future movies. Director Craig Gillespie has done plenty of good work before, from crowd pleasers like Fight Night and The Finest Hours to strong female-centric movies like I, Tonya and Cruella. So he knows how to do a good job with what he's got.

The Monkey's Paw is a classic story about getting what you want in the worst way possible. Dozens of stories have been based on that, from The Simpsons to the Wishmaster series. Applying it to a romance mostly works but this particular result has some major issues.

The best part is the performance of Inde Navarrette. She absolutely hits it out of the park with one of the creepiest performances in modern horror. Nikki goes from the appropriately subtle at the beginning to possessed crazy by the end. The vacant eyes, the creepy smile, the hysterical laugh. It's all perfectly unhinged.

On the other hand is Michael Johnston as Bear, a dull performance of an annoying protagonist. The character has no positive qualities. Johnston does little to liven up the role. He's either whiny or creepy, and has little character development.

But this speaks to a larger issue. The movie portrays Bear's desire to date Nikki as the problem, as if wanting romance is itself bad. They could have played up his inability to actually make a decision as a symptom of a larger issue. But he's just bad because. Then there's Ian who manipulates everyone for his own selfish reasons. It also treats Nikki as just a helpless victim. The only other woman is just there. A shame considering how horror has long been the genre that gave women more agency. There's no real reason to follow anyone.

For a horror movie, it's not all that scary. It's more disturbing in what's going on, kind of like Stephen King's Firestarter. But Nikki, a small woman, just standing there or screaming randomly isn't particularly frightening. There's one jump scare that is telegraphed from the beginning of the scene. A horror movie should never be predictable.

Steven Spielberg once defined whole generations with one classic after another. Unfortunately, his latest is perhaps his weakest effort ever. A movie that's just there without any of the magic he brought to screens.

The story is basically a combination of 1977's Close Encounters of the Third Kind and 2017's The Post. One character is trying to understand the extraterrestrial experience they went through while others are trying to release a huge cache of government secrets. The premise should certainly work given the real world release of information regarding unidentified anomalous phenomena. But it's missing what made those two earlier movies work. It lacks Close Encounters' wonder and Post's necessity.

It skips much of the character build-up of Spielberg's early movies. We jump into the movie in the middle of Daniel's story, and barely see Margaret before she's speaking in tongues. It doesn't give us much reason to root for them besides they're the perspective the movie follows. There's too much illogical moments and baffling character decisions. The scene where Margaret goes to the military base, just tells people about their family, and walks out like no one's there. It makes no sense.

Obviously, Spielberg is losing his touch. His recent movies haven't been bad, but not the must-see events he once was. Though the issues clearly stem from the script. Writer David Koepp has lost his mojo long ago. He may have done both of Spielberg's Jurassic Park movies, the first Mission: Impossible, and the first Spider-Man, but his most recent works include the colossal duds Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, 2017's The Mummy, Indiana Jones 5, and Jurassic World Rebirth. Whatever magic the two had before is gone now.

The acting is okay but nothing special. Emily Blunt is fine, but she's coming off recent successes like A Quiet Place and Oppenheimer. And her character is missing what made Richard Dreyfuss in Close Encounters charming. Similarly, Josh O'Connor is okay but not as lively as he was in Wake Up Dead Man.

The action is the best part of the movie. It has Spielberg's usual flair for excitement. The scene of the two trying to get onto the train is the highlight. Conversely, there's not much action and nothing stands out in today's environment.

The movie is the most entertaining movie based on a 1980s animated series designed to sell toys since 2018's Bumblebee. Not a surprise considering they were both directed by Travis Knight. Both movies deliver on what made the classic shows so beloved, while also updating them for new audiences.

The movie absolutely nails the tone. It's exciting, funny, and self-aware. It's at times too self-aware, but it's so much fun it's easy to ignore. It fully embraces the inherent silliness of the franchise. I loved the way the movie incorporated the campy names of the characters by having Adam forget their real names as a child.

The acting is good all around. Nicholas Galitzine and Camila Mendes are good considering this is the first big budget movie for both. Alison Brie and Morena Baccarin both give their usual good work. The Dolph Lundgren cameo is fun for longtime fans. Though it's Idris Elba and Jared Leto who steal the movie. Man-At-Arms has the most dramatic story arc in the film and some of the funniest lines. Elba proves he is one of the most reliable high quality actors in everything he does.

Leto is the big surprise. He's an indie darling but a big budget dud. His method acting just never seems to translate to big franchise films. But he understood the assignment and nailed it. The character has always been the highlight of the franchise. Skeletor is one of the most iconic kids villains of the 80s and Leto captures that perfectly. He's scary when he needs to be while also nailing the humor. One of his best scenes is when He-Man tries to understand his motivations and he claims he's just evil and doesn't need a reason. It's refreshing to see a villain be the villain just for the sake of it without needing a sympathetic backstory.

The movie looks really good. The CGI is well developed. But it's the practical effects that are really good. It takes the Jurassic Park approach of using real effects whenever possible leaving CGI for everything else. These combine to bring the campy show to glorious life.

Legacy sequels are tricky. The original was beloved enough to warrant a return. But play it too close to the original relying too much on nostalgia and fans will wonder what's the point. Drift too far away and fans feel betrayed. Luckily, Joseph Kosinski's revival of the Tony Scott classic is well worth it. In fact, it's probably the best legacy sequel out there. One that honors and builds on the original in the best way.

Shifting the story from learning advanced arial combat techniques to actually using them is a great way to expand the story. Having Maverick take on the Tom Skerritt and Michael Ironside role certainly makes sense, though they keep that independent personality. Whereas too many legacy sequels seemed determined to destroy the image of the original hero, this one treats Maverick with the honor that made fans love him so much. The original kept the training and dogfights separate, bookends to a largely unrelated story. This one makes the dogfight the purpose of the training, tying things together better.

There's lots of callbacks and Easter eggs to the original. Stuff that makes it fun for old fans but doesn't take away from new audiences. Though it feels a bit odd that only Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer make a return considering all those actors were still alive at the time. Not even a mention of anyone besides Goose and his wife. That funeral scene would have been a perfect opportunity to have a few cameos.

The cast is all around terrific. Tom Cruise is doing what he does best. Miles Teller is great as Goose's son and keeps the original film relevant. Kilmer's return is touching given how they incorporated his real life health struggles. Bashir Salahuddin is plenty fun playing off Cruise. Jennifer Connelly is pretty good as Maverick's love interest, and is a little better playing against Cruise than Kelly McGillis was. Though it's Glen Powell and Lewis Pullman who are the standouts, given how much their profile exploded after the movie. On the other hand, Jon Hamm does a good job but his character is nothing but an obstacle with little development. Ed Harris' role seems too short for the actor like he's just a set-up for a potential third film rather than a decent addition to this one.

Of course, the real standout of the film is the flight scenes. That's what made the first so much fun and this one ups that. It's an amazing feat having the real actors piloting real planes in real maneuvers and it absolutely pays off. This adds a sense of realism that so many other movies just couldn't achieve. And the final fight, with Maverick back in a F-14, is probably the most fan-friendly moment of the movie.

Any fault with the movie is minor. First, it's not quite as fun as the original. The first was young guns playing off each other. With Maverick being older it deals with more serious issues, not bad on its own but lacks the fun that comes about with a bunch of twenty-somethings competing against each other. The other is that the soundtrack just isn't as good. The 1980s produced some of the best movie soundtracks ever, with so many songs becoming iconic due to their inclusion in a hit movie. This soundtrack is fine, but there's no modern equivalent to Kenny Loggins, Berlin, Larry Greene, etc. Though the score is just as good and exciting as the original.

A movie that sounds good on paper but falls shorts in practice. The teaser trailer, essentially the first scene, was very promising and is the best part of the film. A shame then that the bulk of the story isn't as inventive.

The idea of the movie is interesting with plenty of promise: a supernatural force that latches onto travelers. It's kind of like 2014's It Follows with cars. But whereas that film tried new ideas, this one feels like it's just rehashing that. After the opening, not much feels new. It becomes a series of well-worn tropes and cliches. It's pretty clear when the creature will pop up, and one thing a horror movie should never be is predictable.

There's a few too many plot holes, especially once the true nature of the creature is revealed. When dealing with the supernatural, there must be a certain set of rules or else it will only make the audience question everything. It can essentially do anything yet doesn't stop the heroes from stopping it. Beyond that, there's still too many things that aren't developed. Like why the couple is doing the van life thing if one of them really doesn't want to, or how they can find the one person who knows what's going on on a cross-country trip. Things that prove the script needed a rewrite or two.

Lucasfilm under Disney has been mired by issues. A trilogy with no coherent vision. One-off films that feel superfluous. Shows ranging from merely okay to downright insulting. Dozens of shows and movies that got announced only to be quietly cancelled months later. Theme park lands that aren't the movies. A hotel that couldn't get guests. Where once Star Wars was the must-see events of their years, now their successes can be measured on one hand. Jon Favreau's The Mandalorian has been the brightest spot, showing the potential of the franchise going forward even if the third season was a dud. A shame then that the film continuation doesn't really do anything important.

The series told a relatively small story about a bounty hunter surviving the post-Empire galaxy, before eventually expanding as it included Boba Fett, Anakin's former apprentice, and Luke Skywalker. The benefit from being smaller was it was more intimate. It told more personal stories from across the galaxy, all boosted by the excellent dynamic between the titular hero and his baby sidekick. The movie continues in that style. But that's its problem, it feels too small. When other shows like Star Trek and The X-Files made the transition to the big screen the stories also got bigger. Kirk, Picard, and Mulder started dealing with bigger threats, stories that would have been impractical on television budgets. It made those movies events that needed to be seen. This movie doesn't do that. In fact, it's smaller and less consequential than the stories of each season. There's no real connection to the other films or the larger post-Empire going-ons. No major developments with the characters. Nothing that justifies having the big screen experience.

Though the producers have denied it, one can't help but feel that it's just a condensed version of a planned fourth season. The story is too episodic, individual moments that would clearly be each episode. For example, there's the extended sequence of Grogu taking care of Djarin. It's sandwiched between two exciting action scenes, but slows the movie to a crawl. It's the kind of thing that would have made a great episode given a weekly release schedule, but for the movie ruins the pacing.

The acting is fine, though nothing special. Grogu is, like the series, the standout and a tribute to the works of the puppeteers. Sigourney Weaver does a good job with the little she's given, but nothing of much importance to the story. Martin Scorsese may not be much of an on-screen actor but definitely does good in his voice work. Steve Blum reprising his Rebels character is probably the most lively performance. On the other hand is Pedro Pascal flat performance as the titular hero. He was great for the first two seasons, but as his acting profile has had an inverse relationship with Djarin. He was lively when he started the show, but as it has gone on it's no secret he's moved into just doing the voice. So it's missing that personal mannerisms Pascal brought to it, much like Peter Mayhew's Chewbacca or David Prowse's Darth Vader.

The most confounding character is Jeremy Allen White as Rotta the Hutt. The character himself is fine, but it's the voice that is disconcerting. There's something unsettling about a Hutt speaking in English. It was odd in the Clone Wars movie and worse in "live" action. When Jabba showed up in Return of the Jedi he was truly alien, and the fact that he only spoke in another language helped that larger than life portrayal. The Twins continue that, and when one twin speaks in English it's broken further reinforcing how alien the Hutts are. So seeing a Hutt speak in perfect English and in a normal human voice just doesn't work. It's not like it's unheard of to have a Star Wars character speak in something not understandable.

The movie certainly look good, and the action scenes are exciting. The director of the original Iron Man certainly knows how to make action fun. The opening scene of the titular duo capturing the Imperial warlord is a joy to watch. The gladiator battle is well shot.

Favreau has always been a mixed bag. When he's good he's great, but when he's lousy it really falls flat. For every Iron Man, Elf, and The Jungle Book there's a Cowboys & Aliens, Chef, and The Lion King. This is definitely on the lower tier of his work.

The original 1995 movie got by on its cheesy B-movie charms, but its sequels got worse eventually devolving into direct-to-video slop. The remake embraced both the seriousness and silliness of the games in equal measures to deliver a fun movie with some actual pathos. Luckily, the sequel maintains what made the last one so entertaining while also improving on some aspects.

The movie shifts focus to newcomers Johnny Cage and Kitana, and they are the best parts of the movie. Both are wonderfully developed. Changing Cage from the boisterous narcissist of the games to the has-been looking for renewed glory is an interesting choice that pays off. Kitana's story may be too close to Marvel's Gamora, but it still works great. Original character Cole Young was okay in the first but somewhat superfluous, so it's not surprising he becomes a side character. Returning characters Kano and Scorpion once again steal their every scene along with Cage, and their interactions together mine the obvious humor for all its worth. Kitana has an obvious but well earned emotional payoff. Though his part is brief, Baraka is lots of fun.

The movie focuses on the titular tournament, and the villain absolutely ups the tension. Shao Kahn is not only a powerful brute but a cunning strategist. Every time he shows up it's obvious things won't end well. And it's nice to see a villain just be a villain, no need to add unnecessary backstory or sympathetic motivations. He's just evil for the sake of it.

The cast is good all around. The returning cast are equally good. Josh Lawson is lots of fun. Hiroyuki Sanada brings the necessary emotional weight. Karl Urban is always amazing, especially when he's poking fun at his own roles. Adeline Rudolph is great at playing conflicted. Though it's Martyn Ford who's the surprise. The wrestler has had a few roles as the big strong guy, but this time he gets to stretch out delivering plenty of range.

Once again, the movie looks great. This time it adapts more of the games' settings and does so beautifully. The Blue Portal stage is gorgeous. Though the Netherrealm feels a bit overdesigned and at times too chaotic.

The movie definitely delivers on its title. There's lots of combat, and plenty of gore. While the first movie mostly had the good guys winning everything, this one has plenty of fatalities on both sides. And this may be the bloodiest non-horror movie ever made. It does not skimp on the blood and cuts. Definitely not for the faint of heart.

Once upon a time, every Pixar movie was a must-see event. These days, it's rare for one of their movies to standout and be memorable. Too often, their stuff is mediocre at best and just bad at worst. This movie lands right in the middle. Neither anything special nor insultingly awful. A movie that's just there, dull and mediocre, something to put on in the background.

The backbone of any movie is its story, and this one is pretty weak. Referencing James Cameron's Avatar only highlights just how close this is copying cinema's biggest moneymaker. And it feels like a cheap copy. While plenty of people give Cameron a hard time for how familiar Avatar feels, it's hard to deny that he knows how to tell a good story. The same can't be said here. It's clear the once-vaunted Pixar Brain Trust that produced some of the best movies ever is long gone. Too often the story feels like a series of individual moments loosely tied together. This has the side-effect of rendering logic largely absent.

Characters act inconsistently according to the demands of the scene rather than in natural ways. None of the characters are particularly interesting. Outside of Mabel, the characters' motivations are vague. Like Elio, Mabel is a frustrating protagonist, lacking the subplots and quirks that make most heroes interesting.

The environmental message was obviously heavily retooled and lessened. The story itself lends itself to a stronger message. But it gets lost in the chaos of its climatic conflict. Mayor Jerry is essentially every sleazy politician who doesn't care about environmentalism stereotype rolled into one. But it keeps getting pulled back before making any meaningful statement. Considering the serious topics covered by Toy Story, The Incredibles, Finding Nemo, etc it's a shame Pixar no longer feels comfortable sticking to something.

Worst, the animation is pretty poor. Pixar hasn't exactly been innovating for a while, but it's a step down from their recent efforts Elemental and Inside Out 2. It looks like something a lesser effort from DreamWorks would produce.

An amazing film that hits all the right notes. Funny, emotional, exciting, heartfelt. The spiritual sequel to The Martian uses what made that movie so successful in telling its own story.

Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller have been on the up and up lately. Movies like 21 Jump Street, The Lego Movie, and the Spider-Verse films have pushed the medium into new areas while still being crowd pleasers. Combine that with Andy Weir, whose first book was made into a Best Picture nominee, and you have another great movie. Weir's writing brings equal weight to both the science and fiction so that even though there's a lot of talking and explaining it still feels entertaining.

The movie entirely rests on the shoulders of Ryan Gosling, just as The Martian did with Matt Damon, and he absolutely nails it. A nebbish high school teacher forced to save humanity is a tall order for any actor, and Gosling gets it all. He's funny and witty, nails the science, and gets serious when he has to. Weir definitely has a preference for his heroes, as Ryland Grace and Mark Watney both are not the smartest guys but the ones who figure everything out. Whereas Damon had to act alone Gosling gets a terrific co-star.

The other major standout is the alien Rocky, the surprise heart and soul of the movie. Combining the best of puppetry and CGI has always been the best approach, as with the original Jurassic Park and The Lord of the Rings. For not having a face, Rocky is more alive than many humans. Their relationship starts off like 2016's Arrival and quickly goes to The Odd Couple. Making it better is puppeteer James Ortiz's perfect delivery, like making his line "Fist my bump" go from funny to poignant.

Beyond Rocky, the film looks great. The ships are detailed. The shots of space are gorgeous to look at. It proves it's worth letting the computer animators take their time to do it right.

This is how the series ends, not with a scream but a whimper. The movie starts off well and has some good ideas. But the ending is a complete faceplant, so awful it completely undoes any goodwill the movie might have had.

The series has struggled since the loss of Wes Craven. For all their faults, his four were at least entertaining. The last two struggled to find that same style, instead relying too much on nostalgia rather than innovation. This one ups the problems that's been getting worse with each sequel.

There is some good to be had. The kills are suspenseful and full of gore. It is missing some of that playful torture the killers of the first three films engaged in. There is some fun with new slasher movie tropes, though admittedly slashers aren't quite what they were when the first came out. Kevin Williamson may not be Craven, but it does look good.

The acting is good all around. Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox continue to be the backbone of the franchise. Too bad Gale seems inconsequential to the story. Joel McHale is a fine addition as Sidney's husband, though it's a shame they couldn't get Patrick Dempsey to return. Isabel May does a good job as Sidney's daughter living in her shadow. On the other hand, the other new characters are underdeveloped and forgettable. The Meeks-Martin twins, like Gale, are unnecessary and just there.

The return of original killer Stu Macher should have been an easy win for the movie. He's been speculated to be alive since the first, and slated to return for the third before the Columbine shooting changed the original plans. And Matthew Lillard is the best part, having the most fun returning to the original's twisted dark humor. Too bad it's all for nothing. Instead of just giving the fans what they want, they try to shoehorn some A.I. subplot into the movie that contradicts its own statements. At one point video of him is "far too perfect" to be A.I. only to backtrack on that. Along with the burning down of the Macher house, it would have made far more sense for him to still live. As the film relied so heavily on nostalgia, why not just embrace it fully instead of copping out at the last moment.

Finally, there's the final act. Movies live and die on their ending. Especially when there's a whodunit mystery involved, so that's especially true for the Scream movies. The reveal of the first set such a high bar that it would've been impossible to match or beat. The second came close due to the quality of the actors playing the killers. But it's gone downhill since and this is undoubtedly the worst of the bunch. The reveal makes the secret half-brother reveal of the third seem Shakespearean in comparison. I enjoyed the red herring reveal halfway through and was hoping the finale would be equally clever. But the two killers are so inconsequential to the movie that one struggles to remember they even existed. Even their motivations are just horrible copies of Richie and Amber from the fifth.

The movie is a fun mashup of Cast Away and Misery. Never one to play by the rules, director Sam Raimi uses his off-kilter style to make something both fun and disturbing.

The movie starts off feeling cliched. Rachel McAdams' Linda is the poor put-upon junior executive being taken advantage of by the higher ups. So when she and the CEO are the only survivors of a crash it seems like she's finally going to show her worth. But that's where the Stephen King inspirations come in. That's when both Linda and Dylan O'Brien's Bradley are fleshed out and given dimension. Bradley isn't just an alpha male jerk and she has her own secrets. By the time things end, it feels like a completely different movie. That's the best part, playing with genre expectations do deliver something new and fresh.

The movie rests entirely on the shoulders of McAdams and O'Brien. Though it's McAdams who delivers the more memorable performance. She's the one with the wide range of emotions, going from a 9 to 5 style secretary to full on Annie Wilkes.

Then there's Raimi's iconic style. He's always at his most fun when he returns to his horror roots. Covering McAdams and O'Brien in plenty of gore just for the fun of it.

J. R. R. Tolkien's iconic trilogy comes to glorious life with three of the best movies ever put to screen. A trilogy that truly goes above and beyond delivering one of the greatest cinematic experiences ever. And the best way to see it is in its full extended glory.

Ending an epic trilogy is always a difficult task, but Tolkien and Peter Jackson pull it off in the most epic way possible. Not since Return of the Jedi has a trilogy felt so perfectly concluded, all threads wrapped up, and everyone given a satisfactory ending. While all three are exceptional, though if any was to be called the weakest it would be this one. Despite the pacing being just as quick, it feels more bloated. At one point, there's four plot threads going on simultaneously. Sure it's part of the books, but it can feel like a lot watching it. Then there's the multiple endings that not all fans appreciated. Despite not being significantly longer than the others, it definitely feels like a butt scratcher and bladder blaster by the end.

Jackson's direction is astounding. Every moment feels perfectly epic. The charge of the Rohirrim, the arrival of the Dead of Dunharrow, Aragon's charge into Mordor. All perfectly emotional and exciting moments. It's also got the most emotional moments. Even minor stuff like Gimli and Legolas making peace at the Black Gate are beautiful.

The film looks amazing. The attention to detail is second to none. From vast cityscapes to the tiniest prop, everything is lovingly crafted straight from Tolkien lore. Minas Tirith is gorgeous and richly crafted. The blending of practical and visual effects proves just how well fictional worlds can be created when done right.

The entire cast perfectly captures the book's portrayals. Everyone feels like they just jumped off the page. For the finale, it's Sean Astin as Sam who takes the movie. His interplay with Gollum provides some of the best moments. Fighting Shelob is probably the best single fight in the series. And that moment he carries Frodo is the highlight of the movie. Astin has shown such range across his career that he needs more award recognition.

Further elevating the movie is Howard Shore's fantastic score. He definitely joins the ranks of John Williams, Danny Elfman, Elmer Bernstein, and Jerry Goldsmith delivering one of cinema's most iconic soundtracks. The climatic defeat of Sauron is one of the best scores ever put to film.

J. R. R. Tolkien's iconic trilogy comes to glorious life with three of the best movies ever put to screen. A trilogy that truly goes above and beyond delivering one of the greatest cinematic experiences ever. And the best way to see it is in its full extended glory.

All three are exceptional, though this one has a bit of the middle-entry problems without the set-up of the first or the conclusions of the third. The story isn't as concise as the first, though it's not as divided as the third. And it does have a more exciting conclusion to this entry than the first with the epic Battle of Helm's Deep, one of the best battles ever put to film. Of the three, this one probably benefits the most from the Expanded Edition, developing more of Merry, Pippin, the Ents, and Gollum.

Peter Jackson's direction is astounding. The marshes are creepy. Edoras is fantastic. Helm's Deep is epic. There are more deviations from the book, but Jackson makes it work so well it feels completely natural to the overall story.

The film looks amazing. The attention to detail is second to none. From vast cityscapes to the tiniest prop, everything is lovingly crafted straight from Tolkien lore. The blending of practical and visual effects proves just how well fictional worlds can be created when done right.

The entire cast perfectly captures the book's portrayals. Everyone feels like they just jumped off the page. This time it's Andy Serkis who is the standout. His Gollum/Smeagol steals every scene he's in. The big argument between his two sides, done actually on set, was alone worthy of an Academy Award nomination. The fact that he did everything for real on set in the motion capture suit really pushed forward the technology, something the Planet of the Apes reboot movies would perfect.

Further elevating the movie is Howard Shore's fantastic score. He definitely joins the ranks of John Williams, Danny Elfman, Elmer Bernstein, and Jerry Goldsmith delivering one of cinema's most iconic soundtracks. The Helm's Deep battle score is evocative of Williams' iconic Star Wars work.

J. R. R. Tolkien's iconic trilogy comes to glorious life with three of the best movies ever put to screen. A trilogy that truly goes above and beyond delivering one of the greatest cinematic experiences ever. Even those who have never read the books or even heard of a Hobbit before can enjoy the film. And the best way to see it is in its full extended glory.

While all three are exceptional, it's the first that really stands above them all. It's got the most concise story. Not only does it provide the entire backstory for the universe, not only does it clearly define all the characters, not only does it establish all the stakes, it does so with the shortest runtime of the series. Even with the added time on the Extended edition, the movie flows very quickly.

Peter Jackson's direction is astounding. He goes from the goofy silliness of Bilbo's party, to the dark horror of Moria, to the awe-inspiring beauty of Rivendell. The scenes in the mines definitely show that he hasn't lost his horror touch from his early work on Braindead/Dead Alive.

The film looks amazing. The attention to detail is second to none. From vast cityscapes to the tiniest prop, everything is lovingly crafted straight from Tolkien lore. The blending of practical and visual effects proves just how well fictional worlds can be created when done right.

The entire cast perfectly captures the book's portrayals. Everyone feels like they just jumped off the page. Though it's Ian McKellen's Gandalf who is the MVP of this film. He goes the full gauntlet of emotion from his friendly greeting of Frodo and Bilbo to the sheer terror when he discovers the ring. Though it's the standoff with the Balrog that is the true highlight. How he has never won an Academy Award is a mystery.

Further elevating the movie is Howard Shore's fantastic score. He definitely joins the ranks of John Williams, Danny Elfman, Elmer Bernstein, and Jerry Goldsmith delivering one of cinema's most iconic soundtracks. He made such an amazing score that nine men walking past a rock is one of the most iconic shots in movie history.

The original Anaconda wasn't exactly high grade cinema. Instead, getting by on its cheesy B-movie charms. So a self-aware meta reboot of the franchise works perfectly well.

The movie is exactly what it sets out to be, a fun time full of quirky humor and self references. The main four actors are all hilarious and the jokes land. It never goes too long without a well-timed joke. Though it does deliver some nice horror. When the anaconda is supposed to be scary, the film also delivers.

The cast is great. Paul Rudd, Jack Black, and Steve Zahn are all reliable and bring their quality. Thandiwe Newton, known more for her dramatic work, is able to hold her own against the other comedians. Selton Mello's snake handler does a pretty good job stealing his few scenes. Though Daniela Melchior feels a bit wasted as we've seen her more lively in other films.

Saying the movie has a plot is generous. It's more a collection of random scenes tied around the idea of remaking the original movie. There's plenty that doesn't make sense, like continuing to film after the giant snake appears and starts eating people. The threat of the titular snake comes and goes based on the scene. But the film and the cast are having so much fun it's easy to overlook.

James Cameron's Avatar trilogy has been an amazing journey. The latest entry may be the weakest of the three, but is still better than most of the other movies coming out.

The Avatar movies have most excelled at world-building. The introduction of a volcanic area that has no connection to Eywa and a collaborator tribe expand the planet and add new dimensions. I just wish the movie spent more time exploring the new facets like the second did with the water tribe.

The other highlight is the graphics. Cameron keeps pushing the limits of computer imagery with each movie. The level of detail is astounding, from the large vistas to the extreme close-ups. Everything looks real and feels lived-in. All three deserve to be seen on the biggest screen available.

The story is a mostly good continuation. There's a lot of nice evolutions for the characters, showing that the previous movies have taken their toll. Quaritch comes full circle having followed in Jake's footsteps while Neytiri has come to hate humanity.

The movie offers an exciting conclusion to a trilogy while still keeping the door open for more. Maybe not quite as satisfying as Return of the Jedi or The Return of the King, but still an enjoyable conclusion. The rescue at the RDA base is probably the standout action scene.

If there's anything holding the movie back it's that there's too much that feels like a copy of the first two. The finale, while exciting on its own, feels like a mishmash of the previous two. Jake is once again disappointed with his son just like he was in the previous. I wish the movie spent more time exploring the volcano people like the second did with the water tribe.