Alan Ng

Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3 has way too much story crammed in its two-and-half-hour runtime, but the reason to see the movie is the Guardians themselves and how they’ve grown and evolved since they were first introduced.

No Address is very much an issues-based drama. Its purpose is to provide a soul behind the statistics.

The heart of the film and the source of this thriller’s tension is the interplay between the two brothers, played beautifully by Derek Phillips and Josh Crotty.

At its heart, The Senior is about forgiveness and second chances.

The film never takes itself too seriously, considering there are some serious actors in it. In the end, it’s all good fun and a great movie to turn on when you want to hand out with friends and see something truly insane.

Quiz Lady works because as wacky as Annie and Jennie’s adventure gets, it’s a grounded story of sisters and siblings, thanks to writer Jen D’Angelo. Director Jessica Yu brilliantly manages the overall tone of the film, shifting effortlessly between comedy and drama. Lastly, it has a cast that’s more than up for the challenge.

Ultimately, The Naked Gun reboot delivers enough laughs to make it worth the ride, even if it never quite escapes the shadow of its predecessors.

Changing the Game makes important arguments that need to be heard.

The Secrets of Dumbledore is hands down the best of the series.

Schadt’s story is solid in choosing the three paths for his characters to go down. He then takes the consequences of their inaction to its logical conclusions and a decidedly thriller-esque conclusion.

In Created Equal, Justice Clarence Thomas and his wife Virginia tell his life story using over 30 hours of interview time, personal photos, and archival news footage and does not shy away from the big moments of his life.

Yes, God, Yes is a good movie overall. The narrative is strong and takes a more serious tone than Saved!.

The King’s Man doesn’t pick up in any truly incredible way until the second half, where a fantastic narrative twist happens.

Anyone familiar with the global gender-gap problem will find nothing surprising about the themes presented in Platform. However, where Mossayebi’s documentary sets itself apart from other similar stories is how he captures the drive and determination of the three sisters and their good luck and misfortune along the way.

In the end, while I did struggle to follow its central narrative, Bi Gan has my admiration as a filmmaker, though I was hoping it would be a little more profound as it was artful in the end. He connects with you from an emotional standpoint

What Superman felt like was that someone had taken my childhood box of action figures and found a way to tell an exciting story with it.

It’s a good thriller with excellent performances.

Life and love are like a song, and Música will have you falling in love with your toes tappin’ and knees slappin’.

Ihara and Aw’s love story feels real and plays well as represented through fine cuisine.

Reza Emamiyeh and Tokiko Kitagawa deliver fantastic performances.

Director Peter Segal knows what strings to pull to elevate the cuteness factor, and he pulls them hard. It’s all good, actiony fun, when you need a moment to unplug your brain. Even though you’ve seen this all before in other cop buddy movies, it works.

What works is the relationship between Mahilo and Chisato. The characters are so well defined and contrasts one another perfectly. The depiction of their friendship is just as good as the fight scenes. Action-wise, it really does take a while to warm up, but getting to the final battle is worth the wait.

While The Last Tree is not a happy story nor a political one, it is a real account of immigration with no easy answers. Watch it because it is an honest tale, and Amoo’s masterfully handling of it puts you directly into the shoes of Femi himself.

What makes See You Yesterday work for me is its fresh take on the overtold, worn-out, time-travel trope and the pitfalls of time travel. A fun and solid story that score big points with its originality and good lead performances. All this to say, See You Yesterday is good science fiction.

If you persevere, Stargirl will grow on you and ultimately pays off.

As unique as the story is, Becoming Burlesque succeeds in large part to Shiva Negar’s performance as Fatima. She’s engaging and charismatic, and she guides Fatima character arc flawlessly. Your eyes are on her, and you’re with her all the way from caterpillar to butterfly.

In the end, Max Tzannes’ Found Footage: The Making of the Patterson Project delivers a smart, self-aware film that plays with the mockumentary format without getting lost in the gimmick. It’s funny and it’s creepy. It delivers where many have failed before.

I recommend Die In a Gunfight to any film fan that wants to see a different take on the mob love story. I think the romance takes a back seat to the violence when I think an equal footing would have made the film so much better.

Kulap’s life is on full display in Origin Story. I don’t think I could do it if I were in her shoes. The chamber of secrets has been opened, and she holds nothing back. Her story is fascinating, but also in a way, we become this voyeur into her life, like slowly passing a severe car accident on the freeway getting a good look at the damage.

The Fall Guy is a fun action flick with something for everyone.

Peaches Goes Bananas is one of the weirdest and most touching music documentaries I’ve seen.

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.

Homeroom is a fantastic piece of documentary storytelling

The 355 is good old action fun with a well-constructed story and better than all of the bad James Bond movies. That’s right, Octopussy! I’m talking about you. I’m hoping The 355 is the right direction for female-driven action movies.

As someone who played too much pool in college, I’ve been starving for a good pool hustle movie. Break is just what the doctor ordered. Now I’ll have to pull the old cue out of storage and lose a grand or two in the process.

The narrative is mournful about a man who lived a long tragic life, a dark and depressing tale of young men having to hide their sexual orientation and its emotional and psychological toll in carrying their secret into their senior years.

Mayfair’s The Third Wife is a powerful reminder that the oppression of women is not strictly a Western problem and everyone—women or men—want to be free to choose their own path in life.

It’s all about the action. The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare may be forgettable in the long run of Guy Ritchie movies, but it’s fun.

Colvin’s downward spiral not only sucked the positive energy from her friends and colleagues, but it will take it away from you as well. Quite frankly, this is a good thing. Films don’t always have to end with rainbows and lollipops to be powerful.

The Reunited States is an essential documentary for anyone who’s frustrated with the state of politics today, not only in Washington but at home.

Hobbs & Shaw is an action film in every sense of the word. You’re meant to check your brain at the door, shove your face with popcorn, and have a good time. Why would you expect more? This isn’t Shakespeare!

Directors Jack Clark and Jim Weir deliver an unpredictable and eerie narrative that lingers long after. With its sharp character development and refusal to sanitize its dark themes, this Australian indie is an unsettling yet thrilling watch you won’t forget.

Ultimately, Sight brings audiences a good, wholesome tale of someone who wouldn’t let his past keep him from doing good in the world.

Although a standard story of teacher and students overcoming their environment, Critical Thinking has enough thrills, excitement, and, most of all, hope to recommend.

The fun of Sigourney Weaver in directors Wallace Wolodarsky and Maya Forbes’ feature, The Good House, is watching a master actor create an everyday character so believable that she could literally walk into a room and pass as one of us. By the way, everything I said about Weaver equally applies to her co-star Kevin Kline as well.

Jungle Cruise is just plain, good, not-to-be-taken-seriously fun.

The movie, like the play, is a series of delightful songs strung together by a thin, loose thread of a plot, which lends a little credence to all the criticism and mockery online. But once you know this and have been warned by the trailer, what you’re in for is a remarkably fun time at the movies.

There’s enough good and exciting to recommend Sexual Drive, but oh, the sweet-savory possibilities that were missed.

There’s much to like about The Electrical Life of Louis Wain — the Victorian setting, cats, Cumberbatch, and its visually stunning cinematography. But it may not be enough to spark enough life into a movie-going audience that wants something new.

Queen of Paradis is a fun art documentary from the beautiful collection of Reine Paradis. She, at times, imperils herself for her art and has a sharp sense of humor about it.

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.

If you’re a fan of zombie stories, Peninsula absolutely works. Writers Joo-Suk Park and Sang-Ho Yeon do a spectacular job of world-building beyond the first film.

Tells a fascinating story backed up by solid, compelling performances by Rockwell and Henson.

This little drama serves as the perfect alternative to the big studio dreck, plus no subtitles! Simple and sweet!

The best laughs of Boys vs Girls come at the end, so be patient, and you’ll have fun.

Other Music is a compelling story of nostalgia and a memento of what once was.

The film boasts a sizeable effects budget too for some nice explosions, blood squirts, and bullet ballet. Sit back, disconnect, and have fun. Even with the lack of an A-List star, Triple Threat finds a way to stand on its own.

It made bold choices to be a memorable sequel, and most of those chances are exciting. While it has some definite hits and misses, it finds its rightful place in the franchise.

This excellent cast of veteran actors makes comic-book dialogue palatable. In lesser hands, it would’ve come off hokey.

Shazam! just refused to take any risks and put all its eggs in the family and comedy basket. The performances by all the leads are the best part of the film.

Sequestrada is a beautiful film showing off the elegance of the Amazon river and the simplicity of the indigenous villages. The drama is shot with handheld cameras giving off a fly-on-the-wall documentary style of filmmaking. The acting isn’t that great but oddly feels authentic.

Ultimately, Blonde is a recommend but loaded with caveats and disclaimers. It’s not for everyone. Its artistic visuals and Ana de Armas’ spot-on performance as Marilyn Monroe is worth seeing, but the almost three hours of emotional trauma may be a hard pass for most.

What The Phantom of the Open has going for it is a sweet and unconventionally inspirational story.

Along with Hanks’ story and performance, the reason to see Greyhound is how it builds mystery and creates thrilling moments.

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.

Sketch isn’t the greatest movie ever made, but it’s great at being a touching and thoughtful story of young kids and preteens.

Doin’ My Drugs is an informative and inspiring documentary about a man and his guitar trying the change an entire nation, one person at a time.

As much as I thought the film’s heist element was unnecessary, which it is, Liman sure knows how to make it exciting and even in a pandemic. Locked Down could have been a much worse movie, but ultimately it’s a love story and a good one too.

Sometimes, a movie’s impact transcends its story, delivering something we desperately need—a chance to reflect, connect, and simply breathe. Somewhere in Montana is one such film offering a heartfelt reminder that, despite our differences, people can win the day.

Jim Carrey as Dr. Robotnik does what he does best. His portrayal is over-the-top funny and clearly, Carrey is in his element. It reminds me a lot of Fire Marshall Bill.

As far as thrillers go, The Night Clerk is a little light on thrills. That said, there are more interesting things going on, which makes the film worth watching.

The film is good and will appeal to fans of the genre, but doesn’t do enough to transcend it, which is what you hope when you watch dozens of Rom-Coms every year and when you want to broaden the appeal of your film altogether.

Flight Risk is a fun yet simple and straightforward thriller where you have a general sense of where things are headed at first, and then Gibson pulls in a surprise or two or three.

Angel of Mine is a good movie for fans of the dysfunctional family melodrama. Primarily from the performances from its leads and a strong story that holds together to the end. The thrills are thrilling but sadly never gets to Fatal Attraction level outcomes.

Goodbye, Petrushka is a heartfelt narrative and very much writer/director Nicola Rose’s story. It’s not a perfect film, but it’s a very personal one.

Anya is a less than perfect film, but attempts to answer a few intriguing questions, making it worth watching.

On the grand scare scale of Asian horror, with The Ring and The Grudge as its standard-bearers, Room 203 is on the lighter side of horror.

It does get a little sappy without a hint of darkness at all. By the end, every plotline is wrapped up nicely with a pretty bow.

The final product more than overcomes its weaknesses.

What you find is this isn’t a political film about the self-destructive life of a conservative blowhard. It’s a family drama, set in the world of politics with a message of daring to change the conversation by listening to one another.

The true star and the reason to watch Pig Hag is Anna Schlegel as Jodie. She puts it all out there—her anger, vulnerabilities, and sexuality are on full display.

The Call of the Wild is actually a good story and ultimately works as a movie.

It’s not going to change your life, but it has a solid story, and it’s sexy as hell.

Enter Horse Girl with an open mind and enjoy the ride.

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.

This film could have been an excellent introduction to the world of Pokémon but alas it’s a squandered opportunity.

Erasing Eden’s story is not for everyone. Sometimes I wanted to quit in the same way I almost (and actually) gave up on my friends like Eden. But it pays off in the end if you open your heart and stick it out.

My only real issue is the two leads. They’re crazy and hold nothing back. They are revolting and lovable, but there’s not much contrast between the two or real depth to their characters other than being lazy reprobates.

There’s really only one reason to see Fisherman’s Friends, and it’s the singing.

I like that Bull is shot beautifully in a slice-of-life style of storytelling. ... It’s a subtle tale about the bonds of friendship in times of hopelessness.

Dark Money does succeed in presenting a strong case for campaign finance reform.

Ultimately, I walked away wishing the story would leap out of the good category into greatness. But grab your young kids, lower expectations a bit, and you’ll have a good time with the animated antics.

It’s a good film…a better version of the Coen Brother’s Hail Caesar! A film that kept popping up in my head.

As an indie thriller, American Siege does what it needs to accomplish in building tension as the filmmakers bring us into a town where everyone is compromised one way or the other and these compromises cause the town to implode.

This cast keeps the story grounded as each man is tested throughout the film.

Well Groomed serves more to alert you that creative grooming is a thing, but most likely will find it hard to win over those uninterested in the subject.

The best cure for a bland movie is quality ingredients, and in this case, it’s Manville and Neeson’s performances.

I like Mr. Jimmy solely because of its fascinating character study of an obsessed fan, Akio Surakai.