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Two years after its release, the impressions that linger about the original Deadpool are its snarkiness and audacity. The story itself is hard to recall, in large part because it was one of the least impressive aspects of a production that was...

While watching Dear Evan Hansen, I was reminded of the 1994 film I’ll Do Anything. Originally designed as a musical (with eight songs by Prince), the decision was made in the editing room to release the Nick Nolte vehicle as a straight drama...

Whether by coincidence or design, the three week period from August 20 through September 10 has been dominated over the last five years by Jason Statham. In 2004, there was Cellular. In 2005, there was Transporter 2. The 2006 entry was Crank, fo...

Fans of Death Race 2000 (they comprise a small but loyal group) argue that the movie’s strength lies not in its action but its political commentary. Although it would be fair to say that the film has allegorical elements related to a dystopi...

Wedding the phrase "Jerry Bruckheimer production" with the words "intelligent screenplay" might seem to be an unimaginable mismatch, but it has happened. Déjà Vu, the new thriller from Bruckheimer and director Tony Scott, impresses with both the...

There’s little doubt that director Christian Gudegast’s primary intention in making Den of Thieves is to emulate Michael Mann’s classic 1995 thriller, Heat. The similarities – from the overall plot to individual story beats – are too...

Seen in standard (non-IMAX) 3-D. 2010 has not been a vintage year for movies in general, but it has been an uncommonly good year for animated films. With Toy Story 3 leading the way, the latest crop of big screen animated fare has emphasized th...

Despicable Me 2 feels like a opportunity to get together with some old friends, hang out, and discover what they've been up to. The movie lacks the high voltage wit of its predecessor but the breezy charm is still in place and, especially for kids,...

Despicable Me 3 is an example of how even the most promising animated franchises can hit a wall if allowed to continue too long. One can understand why Universal greenlit this film. The previous two (or three if you count the spin-off Minions)...

I love the beginning – the sense of time and place. Part of this has to do with the introductory voiceover narration (provided by the writer of the novel, Donald Ray Pollock, whose intonation has all the right qualities for this job). Part o...