Alan Ng

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.

You’ll like All Creatures Here Below because you connect with the leads and their story and want to take part on their journey…for better or for worse.

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.

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

While the film boasts an all Chinese cast, the story, culturally, is pretty tame.

Wander Darkly is a hard watch that is worth it, as the movie will pull a few tears from your eyes at the end.

It has to be said that the best thing about The Report is Adam Driver and Annette Benning.

If there was ever a film that screamed Best Actress Oscar-bait, it’s Judy. But damn, Renée Zellweger is absolutely fantastic in this role, and absolutely deserves Best Actress honors. Yes, I know the year’s not over yet, but the bar is set high.

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.

In the end, what we have with In Like Flynn is an homage to the action-adventure tales of old Hollywood, appealing to the fans of the adventure films of old.

Storywise, I’m good with the first two acts. It’s a new chapter in the series, and things have changed in the story. The world is evolving along with its primate inhabitants.

If they had gotten the music right, it could have stood by the original classic.

It’s a fitting tribute to Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse and makes you long for a time when storytelling was someone just telling a story.

Daisy Edgar-Jones is the star here and gives an incredibly endearing performance.

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

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.

Benedict Cumberbatch proves yet again he’s a star and Merab Ninidze is equally brilliant at his Russian counterpart.

In the final analysis, The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part is not as good as the first, but comes pretty damn close and is another example of a well-executed sequel. As cliched as it sounds, yes, this is a film for the kiddies, yet suitable for adults.

Twisters delivers a thrilling, albeit scientifically loose, ride that taps into the nostalgic fun of classic disaster films. Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glen Powell bring solid performances, capturing the high-stakes action and adventure with flair.

As a documentary, Rodents of Usual Size makes good use of animation illustrating how Louisiana got itself into this environmental disaster. The filmmakers interview a wide variety of citizens who come at the problem from their own unique perspective. They also capture some of the most once beautiful and now devastating images of Louisiana itself.

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

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is good, when it should have been great.

What you get out of Frozen II over the original is Anna and Elsa’s stronger relationship. They are together throughout most of the film, and their sisterhood is strong, fun to watch, and remains the heart of the film. Frozen II is a worthy sequel, and you’ll be glad Disney got greedy and made it.

It’s a fantastic World War II movie, the action is tense, and the stories on the ground are inspiring and heartbreaking.

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.

The First Step works because it’s as honest about the state of government as it is passionate about doing so.

This is must-see mafia viewing.

Its politics will please no one, but for fans of story and characters, the movie succeeds in its primary goal: telling a good story about humanity, warts, and all.