Alan Ng

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.

This is an action film, meaning that’s where the fun lies. Cage gets to show off his special skills with unique bits of punctuation after each kill. There are plenty of chases, gun combat, and hand-to-hand fighting. The only disappointment you’ll feel is that everything is done for comedic effect. This is much lighter in tone than you probably want it to be.

Remember when action films were fun? Get yourself into the theaters, exercise those subtitle muscles, and enjoy an intense and wild ride with Jawan.

Boy Kills World is a two-hour roller coaster. You’ll leave exhausted and beaten, and yet feeling like maybe you too can defeat the fascist dictators in your life.

In Amerikatsi, Michael Goorjian channels his inner Roberto Begnini and even Charlie Chaplin to bring humor and levity to a solemn subject. But the best part is he shines a light on the Armenian people and their resurgence to re-establish their culture after great tragedy.

Documentarian Patrick Gramm manages to weave a fascinating tale.

Bottoms falls right in my wheelhouse of comedy. Be offensive and don’t care about offending anyone. Bottoms goes after everyone without apology. It’s what comedy used to be; we’ve strayed so far off the path in the last ten years. There’s no place to play it safe in comedy. We need to return to this form of comedy oh so badly.

Gran Turismo captures a truly remarkable young man and his journey to professional legitimacy. This is for anyone needing a jolt to the system and focusing on getting back on one’s true path in life.

I’d recommend Retribution if the weather is too hot and you want to spend a few hours in air conditioning. Otherwise, it’s a pass.

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

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

Strays hits my sweet spot in comedy. It is goofy, silly, and filthy. Your mileage may vary, but I can’t wait to see this again.

Blue Beetle is worth seeing, but it has many missed opportunities.

Bobcat Moretti speaks to everyone with its inspirational story.

Cruise and McQuarrie promised an action film like no other, and they delivered.

Joy Ride breaks through all the preconceived notions of female-led sex comedy and an all-Asian cast. Director Adele Lim has brought back for this brief moment in time the over-the-top sex comedy and delivers.

It’s tough to watch, and you will fight the urge to walk out but stick with it.

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

The gags are a series of really lame dad jokes, and it’s missing the awe and wonder that will delight children and adults.

The only thing wrong with Transformers: Rise of the Beast is that it’s bland and boring.

In the end, Past Lives plays with your brain and heart. It’s one of those films that leaves you thinking about and yearning for what might have been.

Ultimately, the story is the film’s star, and director Andrew Muschietti knows how to tell a comic book story. As much as there is excessive fan-baiting and nostalgia, it earned it at the end by holding most of it off until the end. I’m sold.

Could this version of The Little Mermaid stand alone if the original didn’t exist? Possibly. Howard Ashman and Alan Menken’s songs and story structure remain intact and are its only salvation. But, again, why watch the live-action remake when the original is so much better and suited more for kids?

If you love all things space, It’s Quieter in the Twilight is must-see viewing. A lot of technical information is unloaded upon the audience, but Miossi lays it out in digestible chunks.

Knights of the Zodiac is a good production in terms of its action and cast. But when one focuses so much on the fantasy-action set-pieces, having a soulless story makes all efforts fall flat.

If you’re a fan of crime documentaries or are fascinated by the grey areas of law, Michael Neelsen’s Beyond Human Nature is a sobering look at American justice at its best and worst.

Rally Road Racers may not change the world or elevate the art form of animated features. Instead, it’s one of those films my kid would watch over and over again. It is good, wholesome fun, with some classic actors to help appease the parents looking for things to do with their kids.