Alan Ng

This finally feels like Pixar storytelling again.

Ultimately, Hille Norden’s Easy Girl does everything it takes to humanize and empathize with the “easy girl.” Between Dana Herfuth’s devastating performance and Norden’s refusal to look away from the hard stuff, the film leaves you with more moral questions than answers — and that feels exactly right.

The Breadwinner is a faith-based comedy without the faith. The comedy is safe and slapsticky, which means it’s pretty dull. It’s a family comedy for all ages, but for me, I wish this film would punch down once in a while.

My assessment is that this is a kid’s movie. If you think Grogu and the other tiny creatures are cute, you’re going to love and adore this movie. Pay special attention to the new breakout character, Trapper Wolf. But honestly, I wanted more, and Trapper Wolf is not enough. The stakes are not that high. The story continues the character development of both the Mandalorian and Grogu. If they failed their mission…whelp, off to another. This is essentially four episodes of the television series padded to feature length.

For a movie like this, good is not good enough; it has to be well above average for a recommendation. Unfortunately, I found myself bored through most of Mortal Kombat II.

There are many flaws in Animal Farm, but its message is what I’m recommending the film for. Look, it will make great dinner conversation with your toddlers.

The Devil Wears Prada 2 succeeds because David Frankel trusts his cast and Aline Brosh McKenna’s script to handle both nostalgia and modern complications without preaching to the audience.

Jaafar Jackson doesn’t sing a note (nor should he), but he’s got his uncle’s moves locked in cold, and there are moments where you genuinely forget you’re not watching the real thing. Colman Domingo as Joe Jackson is flat-out frightening — the man commands every scene, and the movie actually plays down how bad Joe was, which is saying something.

The endless loop, the anomalies, the reset — all of it connects back to who the man is and what his fundamental flaw as a person is. When the ending hits, it doesn’t explain itself. You just sit there and work backward, and then it clicks.

If you’re going in hoping for something the whole family can genuinely connect with on a deeper level, you’ll be disappointed. It’s a kids’ movie, plain and simple, and there’d be no way I’d see this if I didn’t have kids.

In the end, Project Hail Mary works because it is thrilling, smart, and emotionally engaging, turning a giant cosmic problem into an exceptional adventure. It earns its emotional payoff by making every problem, every choice, and every human connection matter.

Bushido is an epic story, but instead of warring samurai factions fighting it out on the open plain, the battle takes place on a 19-by-19 lined gameboard. Don’t get me wrong, there is swordplay, but here, even a game of Go has never felt more dangerous.

In the end, the film and its storytelling is meh.

Great movies to me are stories that engage from start to finish and ask important questions at the end. The Dutchman does that from start to finish. Moral tales point out how flawed we are, and suggest a better way forward. And for Clay, that journey is far from over. Enjoy.

I Swear is not looking for pity. It’s looking for empathy and understanding, as if to say there is no such thing as good or bad disabilities.

The movie is funny, but for me, the fun is watching this well-controlled mess unfold.

Besson’s film is a magnificent achievement. More romance than terror and more faith than devilry, this film is sure to pull the heartstrings.

Solo Mio is good, sappy fun, and the perfect date movie for all the craziness going on in the world at the moment.

Scarlet is at its best when it is simply moving and letting the visuals, the fights, and the bond between Scarlet and Hijiri do the heavy lifting. Even when the destination feels obvious, the ride is so gorgeously constructed that it’s hard not to admire how confidently Hosoda brings it home.

Let’s be real: the only reason to see a Jason Statham movie is for all that juicy action. Fist fights, knife fights, gunplay, machine-gun mayhem, explosions… all in this game of cat-and-mouse.

If you’re hunting for a fresh animated quest for the under-ten crowd, Tafiti: Across the Desert delivers a simple, sweet ride with Tafiti and Bristles proving that the best adventures come with an unexpected (yet familiar) partner.

Greenland 2: Migration is all mind-numbing action with nothing to say. If you’re a fan of Gerard Butler or Morena Baccarin, you will probably have fun with this one. Otherwise, it’s a skip.

At the risk of being hyperbolic, Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die is a great movie. It offers laughs, thrills, and it’s a thinker; you will not be disappointed.

The world of Calle Málaga is small. It takes place on a simple street in a simple town where everyone knows everyone else. Everyone is cordial and competitive at the same time, as the film focuses on the place we call home and how leaving can be a bitter pill to take. In the end, this family drama hits you in the feels like a warm cup of cocoa before turning in for the night.

You feel the horrors of those 12 hours. Abeckaser tells the right stories, from innocent festivalgoers to military-trained fathers, and to the mothers and children who perish. Before you utter the words, “Yeah, but…,” 12 Hours in October is pretty one-sided, and I’m not blind to the protests that have occurred in the streets and on university campuses in the U.S.

Ultimately, David is a strong, solid film for kids. But I can’t help feeling the filmmakers were holding back on the true glory of God in this story.

Between Black’s signature enthusiasm and Rudd’s insecure actor persona, there is fun to be had. Plus, Selton Mello walks off with every scene, leaving the audience at his mercy. Overall, this is good, not great.

Song Sung Blue is one of my favorite movies of the year. It all has to do with Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson’s performances, along with a touching script by Craig Brewer and Greg Kohs. What makes this story so compelling is not only that it is true, but also that Mike Sardina and Claire Stengl are us. They are normal people who want to perform and bring happiness to the world.