Movies with music written by John Powell

How's a studio to proceed when it wants to do something with a classic, family-friendly property but believes a straightforward remake to be redundant? The solution, as recently explored by several would-be franchises, is to expand the canvas. Ma...

When one distills Rio to its essentials, it's all about a bird traveling several thousand miles for the express purpose of getting laid. However, since such a reduction of the plot would not go over well with the parents planning to send (or accomp...

Robots is every bit as visually engaging as the best of the Pixar (or Dreamworks) digitally animated fare. The landscapes are stunning, the characters are intricately formed, there's plenty of break-neck action, and Robin Williams provides a helpi...

Dreamworks Pictures' wonderful, whimsical Shrek proves to be the latest family film to live up to its billing. With its blend of high adventure, light romance, and double-layered dialogue (which will take on a slightly different meaning for the un...

Solo: a movie no one was clamoring for that has been made without any distinguishing qualities. Pretty much everything that needed to be said about the iconic character of Han Solo was accomplished during his on-screen appearances in Episodes ...

Despite dismal box office results across-the-board, the major movie studios have yet to figure out that the American public is not interested in preachy movies about the war in Iraq. Filmmakers interested in producing compelling dramatic films abo...

What can I write about Two Weeks Notice that I haven't written about every mediocre romantic comedy to come down Hollywood's pipeline? There's the cotton candy comparison – the movie is sweet (sometimes too sweet) and airy, with so little substa...

It is not an easy thing to walk into a theater and willingly open oneself to being transported back to the blackest day (at least thus far) of the 21st century. There are those who believe this movie should not be released, that it is "too soon." ...

The filmmakers have decided to append the subtitle For Good onto this, the conclusion to their bifurcated adaptation of the insanely popular Broadway musical. An equally appropriate title might be Wicked: More of the Same, because that’s exactly...

Let me start out this review by asserting that those who consider themselves die-hard fans of the stage musical Wicked, upon which this movie is based, will almost certainly love what director Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians, In the Heights) has deli...