Tag: Movie Review

REVIEW: Go ahead and skip this game of ‘Tag’

I was already skeptical walking in the screening room for “Tag.” Unfortunately, it turned out even worse than I anticipated.

The film follows a group of men who’ve not only been friends since childhood, but also reserve the month of May as a time to play the classic game of Tag with each other. The group includes Hogan (Ed Helms), Bob (Jon Hamm), Randy (Jake Johnson), Kevin (Hannibal Buress) and Jerry (Jeremy Renner).

Since they started, Jerry has been the undisputed champion of the game, having never been tagged from day one. However, with Jerry having his wedding during the month of May, the others see an opportunity to catch Jerry off guard and finally tag him. While this is taking place, the group, (more specifically Bob as he’s the head of a major company) are being interviewed by a Wall Street Journal reporter named Rebecca (played by Annabelle Wallis).

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REVIEW: ‘Incredibles 2’ retreads some old ground, but is still a great time

“Incredibles 2” lives up to its name. It might not be as incredible as its predecessor, but it still does the trick.

So, this movie doesn’t just start directly after the first film, it begins during the end of the original. The film opens with the Parr family trying to take down the latest villain threat who goes by “the Underminer.” The Incredibles are eventually able to take down the villain’s giant drill machine, but not before it wrecks on much of the city where they live.

As a result of the destruction caused, superheroes are even more looked down upon than before and the family are forced even deeper into hiding. That is until they are approached by a sibling pair, Winston and Evelyn. The brother and sister duo run a mega corporation and decide that it’s time for supers to make a comeback. They opt to make a public campaign with Helen Parr (Holly Hunter) going back into crime fighting and putting on a good public face for supers while Bob (Craig Nelson) stays home and looks after the kids, Dash (Huck Milner), Violet (Sarah Vowell) and Jack-Jack.

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REVIEW: ‘Ocean’s 8’ powered by cast, weakened by script

Now we just need an “Ocean’s 9” and “10” to bring it full circle.

All jokes aside, “Ocean’s 8” continues the saga with a new cast of characters, but maintains its connection to the original series. This time the movie focuses on Debbie Ocean, the younger sister of Danny Ocean, who was played by George Clooney in the original trilogy.

In the film, Debbie has her sights set on pulling off a heist at the Met Gala. The target is a diamond necklace to be worn by an actress named Daphne (Anne Hathaway). To pull off the heist, Debbie recruits her partner in crime Lou (Cate Blanchett), the jeweler Amita (Mindy Kaling), a profiteer Tammy (Sarah Paulson), pickpocketer Constance (Awkwafina), a hacker who goes by Nine Ball (Rihanna), and a fashion designer Rose (Helena Bonham Carter).

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REVIEW: ‘Hotel Artemis’ has its moments, but is weighed down by the story

Normally, I love staying at hotels. However, I’m not sure I’d like staying in the “hotel” featured in this picture.

“Hotel Artemis” takes place in the not-too-distant future and is set in Los Angeles. We pick up in a riot-torn city, with residents upset over rising water prices. In the middle of all the chaos, a criminal named Waikiki (Sterling Brown) and his brother go to the Hotel Artemis after a job goes bad.

The audience soon learns that the Hotel Artemis is sort of combo, with overnight rooms as well as a medical staff, making it somewhat of a hospital. The facility is run by a character who just goes by Nurse (Jodie Foster) and the building is rather secure, with no weapons or violence allowed. However, with rioting in the streets and one of LA’s top gangsters headed to the Artemis, tensions rise.

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REVIEW: ‘Hereditary’ is top notch horror

Even if you walk into “Hereditary” thinking you’re prepared for what you see, chances are, you aren’t.

The film, a first-time feature length picture from Director Ari Aster, tells the story of the Graham family, particularly the mother, Annie (Toni Collette). The movie opens on the day of the funeral for Annie’s mother. From the start, it’s not only evident that Annie had an estranged relationship with her mother, but that there are also some dysfunctions with the rest of her family as well.

As the film moves on, the family is met with a traumatic event that triggers terrifying situations.

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REVIEW: Learning everything about ‘Solo’ didn’t make for compelling cinema

Audiences get to see the backstory of the legendary space cowboy in “Solo,” but that wasn’t necessarily a good thing with this feature.

As the title implies, “Solo” is about the outlaw, this time played by Alden Ehrenreich. The film details how Han went from an orphan on a dilapidated planet to a pilot academy dropout and then to a man surviving in the criminal underworld.

The latter comes about when Han begins working with a man named Beckett (Woody Harrelson), who needs a crew for a heist mission. Through a series of events, the crew becomes rounded out with Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo), his childhood friend Qi’ra (Emilia Clarke) and Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover).

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REVIEW: ‘Book Club’ powered by talented cast

Academy Award winners Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda and Mary Steenburgen, along with Golden Globe winner Candice Bergen unite in this feature about four women who read “50 Shades of Grey” at their Book Club.

That’s the premise of the aptly named “Book Club,” with four professional, older women named Diane (Keaton), Vivian (Fonda), Carol (Steenburgen) and Sharon (Bergen) all taking a break from their usual novels to see what all the fuss is about with the best seller. As one might guess, comedic hijinks ensue as Diane, Vivian and Sharon are inspired by the book to get back into the dating game while Carol attempts to reconnect with her husband Bruce (Craig T. Nelson).

As the film develops, Diane starts a relationship with a pilot named Mitchell (Andy Garcia), Sharon begins using a dating app and Vivian has the first meaningful relationship she’s had in years with Arthur (Don Johnson).

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REVIEW: ‘Show Dogs’ is a passionless canine caper

I don’t know if anyone was asking for a version of “Miss Congeniality” with dogs, but it was made anyway.

“Show Dogs” tells the story of Max, a Rottweiler voiced by Chris “Ludacris” Bridges who works as a police dog in New York City. The film picks up with him working on a case of panda theft. I know, stick with me. So, because of the case, Max has to team up with an FBI agent named Frank (Will Arnett) to go undercover at a dog show.

So, the dog and dude duo set out to Las Vegas for a prestigious dog show where they suspect the panda thieves will be. While there, Max meets some new friends and discovers that dog shows are more meaningful than he first thought.

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REVIEW: ‘Life of the Party’

Melissa McCarthy is a talented individual but there’s no doubt her track record with movies hasn’t been perfect. As a result, there is only cautious optimism when I walk into one of her features, such as “Life of the Party.” Fortunately, this one was actually a pleasant surprise.

McCarthy’s latest starring role is playing Deanna, a housewife who didn’t finish her college degree and is suddenly met with divorce papers from her husband. As she weighs her options, Deanna sees this life-changing event as an opportunity to go back to college and complete her archaeology degree.

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REVIEW: ‘Isle Of Dogs’ Is A Witty, Funny Stop-Motion Animation Venture

Nearly a decade after producing the stop-motion feature “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” Director Wes Anderson is back with another film using the same animation style, this time with “Isle of Dogs.” Like his previous animated feature as well as his other live action films, Anderson adds his own flair in both the visuals and writing.

“Isle of Dogs” takes place in a completely fantastical world. The movie is set in the city of Megasaki, located in Japan. The city seems to be a thriving metropolis except for one problem, the canines living there are infected with “dog flu” and have become a nuisance for their owners.

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