Ethan Anderton

Anaconda taps into a sweet spot that's just edgy enough to make adults laugh and just family friendly enough to let kids have a good time with their parents too. It's hilarious, harmless, and puts a fun spin on a familiar formula, even if the snake still looks fake as hell.

It cannot be overstated how integral Arnett and Dern are to making this movie work. It's deceptively simple in its presentation, but it couldn't be a more complex tale of a crumbling marriage and two people struggling to keep their lives together for the sake of their kids.

The Roses is the kind of movie you should be seeing with a crowd, even if it doesn't seem to demand a big screen experience. See it with your parents. See it with your significant other. Just see it.

When it comes down to it, Freakier Friday is lively, fun, charming, and just plain delightful.

The Naked Gun is one of the most consistently and even exhaustingly funny movies in a long time, the kind of outrageous, outlandish comedy that multiplexes have been missing for years. It's truly a revelation to have a movie where the laughs come so fast and furious.

Happy Gilmore 2 is a poor excuse for nostalgic comedy, and you'd have more fun getting a colonoscopy with a rake.

Admittedly, How to Train Your Dragon is not terrible like some of the Disney remakes out there, and it's better than almost all of them, but it's not substantial enough to warrant its existence.

Like any given episode of "SNL," Jason Reitman's "Saturday Night" is not perfect; there are highs and lows, and the cast just might be too big to adequately hit all the finer points in a satisfying way. But the outcome is an ultimately satisfying showbiz romp with equal parts comedy and drama that is full of effervescent life, outstanding performances, and a wealth of laugh-out-loud moments.

Austin Zajur and Siena Agudong make for such a cute high school romance prospect that the movie doesn't feel like a total wash. Kevin Smith is still good at constructing funny dialogue and crafting characters you like to watch.

On the positive side, Cailey Fleming makes for a compelling young lead with a touching performance.

Butterfly in the Sky is a heartfelt, beautiful celebration of one of the most influential educational children's programs to grace our television, but it also comes with a point to make.

A somewhat ambitious but messy and ultimately unsatisfying sequel, despite packing some decent laughs and a couple of genuinely exhilarating sequences.

For the most part, Ricky Stanicky is an entertaining comedy with enough laughs to keep your attention, but ultimately, it tries too hard to pull at your heartstrings without enough authenticity to back it up.

Granted, the story leaves something to be desired, and it's missing one of the franchise's signature traits, but as someone who was underwhelmed by the trailers teasing Po's return, I walked away feeling adequately entertained.

At the very least, the filmmaker offers up some cool things that we haven't seen in a modern action movie like this, which can be very challenging in the wake of many "Mission: Impossible" and "John Wick" movies. For that, Argylle is worth a trip to the theater.

So while Timothée Chalamet doesn't have the magic to hold the movie on his back, the movie around him is still rather splendid and enjoyable. Even if Chalamet ends up leaving a displeasing taste in your mouth, he doesn't end up ruining this sweet treat. 

Ultimately, Pay or Die is an infuriating documentary that will make you hate the capitalistic approach to healthcare in America, especially since this is only one disease and one medicine out of many that are being exploited by pharmaceutical companies every day.

Once Upon a Time in Uganda is the perfect representation of the enduring spirit of independent cinema, our love for movies, and how they bring the world together.

Though it stumbles in parts, Jason Momoa is there to keep the car in drive before he hits the nitro and blows everything to hell. It's over-the-top, outrageous entertainment that is worthy of seeing on the silver screen with the biggest tub of popcorn you can find. BOOM!

Scrambled has razor-sharp wit, with McKendrick driving the film with an energy that is both feisty and vulnerable, reminding one of Portia DeRossi in "Arrested Development," but with a thoughtfulness that evokes "Sex and the City."

Radical doesn't reinvent the wheel when it comes to what we've come to expect from teaching dramas. The movie's message may not be profound or revelatory either, but that doesn't keep this from being an uplifting story full of hope and heart.

It's a standard talking head documentary with plenty of archival footage, as well as some cool, animated interstitials to introduce the album artwork being discussed. But it's the stories from the fathers (hell, they're even grandfathers now) of classic rock and roll, combined with insights from Hipgnosis, that make this a fascinating film.

Though there are certainly moments that will pull at your heartstrings, Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie is more uplifting than sad, and it's also quite funny thanks to Fox's natural charm and the wealth of comedy from his on-screen career.

The film occasionally has trouble balancing the two subjects, with the more personal side of the doc occasionally getting lost in the archival clips and photos of the Hollywood fervor Spaz stirred up with his innovations. But it's still fascinating, insightful, and certainly entertaining.

This is the hilarious hidden gem of the holidays, and it's better than any of the other new releases trying to hit that Christmas sweet spot this season.

Unfortunately, no matter how hard A Christmas Story Christmas tries to replicate what audiences loved about the original, it can't help but feel overshadowed by the legacy of nostalgia that the 1983 classic inspires.

"Brainwashed" isn't so much of a shocking revelation as it is an eye-opening wake-up call to be more thoughtful about how women are depicted in film and how that translates into our everyday lives.

Though Mija finds a powerful emotional core between these two young women, it feels somewhat incomplete.

Laugh out loud funny, strangely charming, and a truly unique endeavor, "Nude Tuesday" is exactly the kind of movie you love to discover on the film festival circuit, and it deserves to find an audience on the big screen, even if it's just for the indie crowd.

Kids in the Hall: Comedy Punks is an insightful, celebratory, uplifting, and uproarious documentary that celebrates some of the best and brightest comedic talents.

An endlessly charming, funny, and delightfully lo-fi British comedy.

"The Secrets of Dumbledore" has the most competent story yet, even if it's missing some crucial details to properly flesh out new elements of the wizarding world.

As unnecessarily intricate and eyebrow-raising as the story might be, "Spin Me Round" at least feels original — it's never boring, and what unfolds is admirably entertaining enough that it's hard to downright dislike. But not unlike the Italian "cuisine" of Tuscan Grove, it still leaves something to be desired.  Read More: https://www.slashfilm.com/796873/spin-me-round-review-alison-brie-gets-embroiled-in-a-meandering-but-entertaining-comedic-thriller-sxsw/?utm_campaign=clip

Gillian Jacobs doesn't necessarily break new ground with More Than Robots, but the film is still a lovely look at some promising kids from all walks of life getting the chance to spread their wings and find a community of like-minded peers who make them feel a sense of belonging and purpose.

This is the definitive chronicle of Tony Hawk's incredible rise to become the face of modern skateboarding. ... Though the documentary could have been tightened up a little bit, "Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off" is still a thoroughly captivating film about one of the most famous figures in sports.

"To Leslie" doesn't reinvent the wheel when it comes to alcoholic drama, but director Michael Morris ... knows how to dig into these characters without relying on overt sentimentality. Alongside the performances, this is largely what makes "To Leslie" work so well in the face of being conventional.

Linoleum is much more than meets the eye, and as the film wades into its final 15 minutes or so, you'll find yourself overwhelmed by an emotional revelation that not only clears up any lingering fog from the story's puzzling evolution but really pulls at the heartstrings with a wonderfully woven tapestry of life and love. 

There's a big beating heart at the center of the movie that keeps you close to the ground and makes it an absolute triumph of twisted humor and love.

It gets lost while trying to offend, and then comes to an abrupt end when it seems like the Guit brothers ran out of ideas. But maybe that's for the best.

Amy Poehler relies heavily on this intimate collection of media, provided with the full support of both the Arnaz and Luckinbell families, and honestly, it's the most fascinating way to tell their story. It adds the kind of intimacy and personal touch that fans hope to see from a documentary like this.

While the story at the center of 892 is undeniably compelling, the film has trouble keeping the engine running beyond the natural tension that comes from holding up a bank. If it wasn't for Boyega and Beharie's performances, this probably would have been a letdown. But thankfully, the movie still packs a powerful punch.

Nighy brings a dignity to the proceedings that you can't help but admire, especially when it comes to Williams' sudden self-awareness in his final days, and that helps keep your attention.

The result is a chaotic, surprisingly funny, and intense night gone wrong that masterfully balances comedy, drama, and suspense. 

Nostalgia is fine in limited doses, but the sequel ends up feeling like J.J. Abrams directed "Now That's What I Call Ghostbusters," undoing any of the goodwill established by the film's first two acts. The movie is trapped in the past so much that it might taint any potential future there might be to keep the franchise alive with these new characters.

It follows in the footsteps of the Mr. Rogers documentary Won’t You Be My Neighbor? by shining a light on the making of the iconic series, revealing things you may not have known about its creators, and bringing some good old fashioned nostalgia to your heart.