Odie Henderson

When the film leans into the anarchic spirit of its hero, its sins are easily forgivable. The origin story flashback is well done. The needledrops are groan-inducing (Irving Berlin? Really?!), but they still made me smile. A slow-motion battle, something we’ve seen so many times before, is given new life because of its eyeroll-worthy musical accompaniment. If the fight sequences were lit better, we might have had a winner on our hands.

Leviticus is the most haunting love story to hit theaters in a long while. It’s also an effective horror movie, which makes writer-director Adrian Chiarella’s successful balancing act all the more impressive.

None of this is remotely involving, because we don’t give a damn about Robin Hood or his moments of clarity.

Kiyoko keeps a light touch, opting to let the characters’ actions speak for themselves. There’s no preaching here, and I was surprised at how well Coley was written. She’s willing and able to stand up for herself, but she is still a vulnerable teen, full of hormones and emotions, and able to be deeply hurt by the callousness of others.

Co-director and co-writer (both with McKenna Harris) Andrew Stanton is no stranger to this franchise — he co-wrote the first two films. That familiarity allows Toy Story 5 to make several very funny in-jokes about the logic of its universe, as well as use callbacks to emotional moments from prior installments. Jessie discovers a truth about herself that actually made me tear up.

My lack of good taste is why I’m disappointed in “STOP! THAT! TRAIN!” The gags don’t fly fast enough to distract from the dead spots, and unlike more successful spoofs, there aren’t enough jokes bombarding the screen to help with the hit/miss ratio. However, the actors are all very good, and there are two hilarious musical numbers that STOP! THE! SHOW!

I think Disclosure Day will be divisive as hell. I loved it, because this thrilling film is all about its questions, not its answers. That is the mark of a true elder statesman’s wisdom.

Though it’s not as captivating as Carney’s other films, and has an ending that’s too abrupt to fully satisfy, “Power Ballad” is still an entertaining mix of singing and plot. The filmmaker hasn’t yet lost his touch.

Unfortunately, the biggest product this movie is selling is the outdated notion that fathers are so incompetent that they don’t know where their own kids go to school, or how to make toast, or how to do the laundry.

Tuner hums by on its lively performances and flashy visuals until we get to the last act, which is so awful that it curdled every issue I had been able to ignore or forgive.

The majority of “Pressure” is people doing their jobs and slinging the appropriate lingo. Yet the film is driven by a complex performance by Scott, who plays real-life Scottish meteorologist Group Captain James Stagg.

I’m not sure if the movie works overall, and there are a lot of loose ends that may frustrate some viewers. But I was hooked and couldn’t stop watching Riley’s raunchy, outrageous vision unfold.

When Pascal and Baby Yoda have their quiet moments, “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu” is involving. Unfortunately, the Disney folks should have called this “One Battle After Another,” because that’s basically all we get. Some of the scenes look great in IMAX format, and there’s some great puppetry here.

Like any good murder mystery movie, the real fun lies in watching the performances and taking the overall journey. “The Sheep Detective” scores big on both of those counts. This is one of the most enjoyable movies of the year.

The screenplay tries to say something about female autonomy and male selfishness, yet the film plays like an overlong, 108-minute riff on the old reliable stand-up routine subject “girlfriends be crazy” that never subverts the trope.

Marty, Life Is Short allows you to be a fly on the wall for all that relentless merriment while reminding you to enjoy your own life while you can.

[Harris’s] Southern Gothic story of domestic violence, and the repercussions of revenge, has the aura of Greek tragedy and the darkest heart of neo-noir. Its soul is an unapologetic howl of Black female rage represented by the superb lead performances of Kara Young and Mallori Johnson.

Not since Charlotte Wells’s 2022 film “Aftersun,” about a woman remembering a pivotal trip she took with her father as a child, have I seen this level of personal filmmaking presented in such superb and original fashion. “Blue Heron” is one of the best films of the year.

Once again, Streep is a fierce force of nature, slaying all with an icy stare and a cutting verbal wit.

With this entertaining, funny, and informative movie, McKenzie can add documentary filmmaker to his CV. I doubt it will convince anyone who has bought into the legends of cryptocurrency to change their outlook, but skeptics will definitely get a kick out of this three year journey, which started during the pandemic in 2020.

Along with an equally superb Scott Ellis Watson, who plays Davidson as a teenager, Aramayo is the best thing in this movie. Unfortunately, the rest of it is Biopic 101, which at times makes the story feel too simplistic and thin.

The back and forth between the two actors becomes fraught with confusing allusions and muddled metaphors before ceding control to some unsuccessful supernatural elements.

Director Antoine Fuqua traffics in fan service of the highest order and the lowest quality. This is nothing more than a 127-minute series of poorly executed recreations of milestones in Jackson’s life.

McKellen and Coel give a master class in line readings throughout “The Christophers.” It’s a real pleasure watching two seasoned actors bounce off each other in service to creating their characters. It’s even more delightful to see this in a film made for adults that has plenty to say about human nature, love, and the inspirations that fuel our lives.

As a documentary about Lorne Michaels, “Lorne” isn’t much; it’s more of a look at “Lorne Michaels,” the character his mysterious nature created.

Soft girl era is something the socialmedialites are desperately in search of, and so am I. “You, Me & Tuscany,” takes us there.

Exit 8 is based on a best-selling video game released in 2023. I have not played it, but if it’s anything like director Genki Kawamura’s adaptation, I’d say it’s enough to drive a person crazy.

Ahmed gives his all, but it’s not enough to elevate this version above near-miss status.