PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN:
DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES
3 out of 5 stars
This fifth adventure on the high seas still provides a sufficient diversion; however, there’s just a smidge of magic left on the Black Pearl. Sparrow is drunkenly stale yet Bardem & Rush’s swashbuckling contains an everlasting duende.
PERSONAL SHOPPER
2.5 out of 5 stars
An unusual, immersing ghost story, until the shifts in tone scare its artful smarts away. Sadly, capturing chilling moments becomes a disappearing act in the process. Yet Stewart is compelling, being haunted from the inside out. Her Twilight days are undeniably dead & gone.
THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS
3.5 out of 5 stars
This family bond will stand the test of time in a franchise that’s almost as dumb as it is entertaining. Plausibility is thrown out the window, but damn the engine still has some juice. The cast’s chemistry is dynamic & Theron is wicked fun, fitting right in to this nucking futs world of F&F.
COLOSSAL
4.5 out of 5 stars
Hathaway & Sudeikis give monstrous performances in a crazy,beautiful film that bends the rules on fitting in to a particular genre. Romance, alcoholism, revenge, hatred, they all leave their gigantic footprint on a singular, yet strangely spectacular, story that becomes larger than life.
THE LOST CITY OF Z
3 out of 5 stars
A grand adventure for a lost civilization sounds more fun than it actually is in this film. Slow & duplicative, the story is stretched too thin. Not until the last exploration does something of real interest happen. But Hunnam & Miller are exceptional as husband & wife living & breathing sacrifices & their consequences.
BORN IN CHINA
4 out of 5 stars
Krasinski voices the right amount of childlike perspective in @Disneynature newest astonishing doc about China’s majestic land & its incredible inhabitants. Families,instinct &survival is identifiable to all creatures & the captured footage never ceases to amaze.
THE PROMISE
2 out of 5 stars
A horrible genocide somehow is suppose to serve as a backdrop to a love triangle that’s not the least bit convincing or compelling. An impressive cast ruins the romance in this failed & forgettable film.
SLEIGHT
2 out of 5 stars
The mysterious magic that garners your attention doesn’t last in a movie that appears to have some tricks up its sleeve; yet as it goes on & we get a closer look, it becomes clear we’ve been fooled.
ALIEN: COVENANT
3 out of 5 stars
A slick sci-fi film w/ customary scares we’ve come to expect in this saga, along w/ some stupidity it just can’t shake. The philosophical themes are there, but incapable of bursting through the grisliness of the creation of the xenomorph. Still, Waterston kicks ass & Fassbender is dynamite at being devilish.
CASTING JONBENET
3.5 out of 5 stars
A cleverly unique, haunting approach to the infamous murder 2 decades ago. We will never know nor understand what happened, but the performer’s own revealing experiences delicately builds another layer to this grisly events’ lasting impact.
A DARK SONG
2 out of 5 stars
There’s an unsettling, eerie atmosphere that consumes this small horror film about a mother wanting to talk to her dead son, but where’s the scares?! As deranged as it gets w/ all of the preparation & waiting, the finale doesn’t nearly reward us for our generous patience.
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2
5 out of 5 stars
This spectacular sequel stands on the shoulders of the original & elevates this galactic gang’s story of who they are & the maverick family they’ve grown in to.The wit, excruciating emotion, killer tunes & visual splendor make this an extravaganza everyone needs to experience. #GotG is a standout @Marvel franchise, & after these 2 volumes, it may be the greatest.
THE WALL
3.5 out of 5 stars
A lean, mean war film that aims for not only the physicality of combat, but the mental survival as well. Taylor-Johnson is electric as a tormented soldier caught in a calculated trap where strategy can be suspenseful.
THEIR FINEST
3.5 out of 5 stars
There’s no room for the harsh realities of war in this charming, sophisticated British film about using the power of cinema to show inspiration & hope to a nation. More importantly, Arterton is superb at supplying a voice for women who play an under appreciated, yet pivotal role behind the scenes.
THE DINNER
3.5 out of 5 stars
All four performances are dynamic w/ big appetites for self-indulgence & status within their small world. It’s a psychological thriller that makes you earn every bite while slowly disliking every character at the table; still, when this messy meal is done, you may be outraged & disturbed, but that’s the point. The dark side of human nature is never easy to digest.
KING ARTUR: LEGEND OF THE SWORD
3 out of 5 stars
This loud, rambunctious tale doesn’t give a damn about history. Ritchie injects a completely different kind of energy that’s pumping w/ rapidness & fantasy, & Hunnam ain’t scared to go toe-to-toe w/ it. And Law is haughtily dreadful & loving every minute of it.
Brandon Vick is the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and star of Brandon’s Box Office In Your Mouth. Follow him on Twitter@SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.
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