Rating of
1.5/4
Atlas (2024)
Logan D. McCoy - wrote on 05/31/24
A movie for people who haven't seen enough movies, so they are clueless to how unoriginal and short on inspiration it is.
Rating of
3/4
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Chris Kavan - wrote on 05/31/24
Revenge is a Dish Best Served LOUDLY
Picking up before the events of Fury Road, George Miller decides to ditch the road warrior and instead focus on Furiosa - played in Fury Road by Charlize Theron and here by Alyla Browne (in her younger age) and by Anya Taylor-Joy in her more young adult phase. We also get a wider glimpse into The Wasteland with Dementus (Chris Hemsworth) and his biker horde, The Citadel - still ruled by Immortan Joe (Lachy Hulme taking over for the late Hugh Keays-Byrne) and also Gas Town and the Bullet Farm. …
Rating of
1/4
Unfrosted
Logan D. McCoy - wrote on 05/31/24
Calling "Unfrosted" a 90-minute sketch would be an insult to sketch comedy. It's not even that good. More like a 9090-minute Super Bowl ad complete with cameos for the sake of cameos and low-hanging hags and puns.
Rating of
3.5/4
The Last Stop in Yuma County
Logan D. McCoy - wrote on 05/24/24
It's always a treat to find little but unforgettable gems like "The Last Stop in Yuma County," which is like if Taylor Sheridan made "The Hateful Eight."
Rating of
2/4
Atlas (2024)
Indyfreak - wrote on 05/24/24
In the future, Jennifer Lopez plays a scientist distrustful of A.I. who must nevertheless partner with a sentient mecha suit to defeat a villainous rebel leader. Yeah it's one of those sci-fi movies. The first act is very slow. But once Jennifer Lopez suits up and forms a bond with the robot, it gets a bit better. The CGI looks fine for a Netflix movie. It's too bad the movie does feel very derivative.
Rating of
3/4
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Chris Kavan - wrote on 05/21/24
Evolution of the Franchise of the Apes
Jumping far ahead from the time of Caesar and the rebooted Apes trilogy - 300 years to be exact - we see a world in which mankind has devolved and apes have formed their own society. But, of course, not all is as peaceful as it seems as Noa (Owen Teague) prepares for a rite of passage in his Eagle Clan. Along with his friends Anaya (Travis Jeffery) and Soona (Lydia Peckham), their traverse the overgrown ruins of mankind and climb high to claim the egg of an eagle for themselves - one they will …
Rating of
2.5/4
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Logan D. McCoy - wrote on 05/15/24
I can appreciate the technical marvel and vision behind it, but when that is all a movie has to offer and it gets in the way of good storytelling, I lose interest. Add that to the mostly unoriginal story, predictable watered down message, and excruciatingly uninteresting protagonist, and you have something I didn't absolutely hate but can't say it was worth my time either. When it comes to blockbuster dystopian allegories about political and religious extremism, I think I will just stick with …
Rating of
3.5/4
The Contestant
Chris Kavan - wrote on 05/13/24
From Reality Guinea Pig To True Hero
Having run across a shorter version of the story of Tomoaki Hamatsu aka Nasubi on YouTube, I was interested to see what a full-length documentary would look like. Clair Titley doesn't disappoint as Hamatsu's ordeal (essentially going nearly a year alone and naked while he attempts to win mail-in magazine prizes to feed himself and "win" a game show) is both insane and infuriating. A precursor to the reality TV craze - but with a mean, biting edge (Hamatsu was unaware he was even …
Rating of
1/4
Unfrosted
Indyfreak - wrote on 05/09/24
Tonally unfocused farce of a movie that is unsure of what direction to take. Is it a satire? A live-action cartoon? Or something more earnest and sincere? Well, it turns out that it is good at none of those things.
Rating of
3.5/4
Challengers (2024)
Logan D. McCoy - wrote on 05/01/24
"Challengers" is a challenging film for sure. It's meandering and convoluted, but also riveting for its showcase of top-notch performances, electric visual style, and juicy love triangle plot that marries power dynamics melodrama to a sports metaphor about determination.
