Filters:

"Wonka" is a fun and imaginative family film – certainly better than one might expect from a production crassly viewed by some as a "cash grab."

Run Time: 1:45
U.S. Release Date: 2023-11-03
MPAA Rating: "R" (Profanity)
Genre: Romance/Comedy
Director: Meg Ryan
Cast: Meg Ryan, David Duchovny

Like most rom-coms, it is comfort food although it lacks the fantasy element associated with characters who are less seasoned.

What director Gina Prince-Bythewood provides is more than enough for a rousing motion picture filled with well-choreographed battle scenes effectively folded into stories of human interest.

It's not without flaws but it draws the viewer into its specific time and place and offers an engaging two-hour escape into the life of a memorable individual.

Run Time: 1:46
U.S. Release Date: 2020-03-06
MPAA Rating: "R" (Profanity)
Genre: Drama
Director: Gavin O'Connor
Cast: Ben Affleck, Janina Gavankar, Michaela Watkins, Al Madrigal, Melvin Gregg

Although the screenplay occasionally falters, Affleck’s performance is rock-solid throughout and that makes "The Way Back" a journey worth taking.

Eschews the simplistic animated story arc as it explores the power of imagination and innovation to overcome grief.

Run Time: 1:40
U.S. Release Date: 2018-08-31
MPAA Rating: "R" (Profanity, Sexual Content)
Genre: Drama
Director: Björn Runge
Cast: Glenn Close, Jonathan Pryce, Max Irons, Christian Slater, Annie Starke, Harry Lloyd, Elizabeth McGovern

A engaging story anchored by two powerful performances, with Glenn Close being is as ferocious as she has ever been.

Run Time: 1:35
U.S. Release Date: 2018-06-08
MPAA Rating: "PG-13" (Profanity)
Genre: Documentary
Director: Morgan Neville
Cast: Fred Rogers, Joanne Rogers, Francois Scarborough Clemmons, Joe Negri, David Newell, Yo-Yo Ma

Functions as a time machine to take the viewer back to the days of “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood” while re-introducing the man who functioned as a friend/mentor/father-figure.

There’s always a place for good acting, clever dialogue, and a sense of humor, even if the narrative teeters between incidental and irrelevant.

Without jettisoning the tropes and clichés of the disaster film genre ,"The Wave" provides a little more intelligence and drama.