GinaK

Too much dull plotting and the "monsters" didn't have much character either. I kept thinking this was meant for children and not for fans of all ages, but honestly, I was bored with the lack of anything new or creative or lively in a movie containing not just one, but two classic characters.

An unpretentious film that was a lot of fun. Seriously deadpan acting with a plot that was full of surprises.

An enjoyable summer film with Liam Neeson looking a bit more pained than usual, and I could have done without the "children in peril" schtick, but overall enough action and plot to make a trip to the movies (and relief from the heat and humidity) worthwhile.

A fun film to see on a hot day in a cool movie theater. I personally also like to see films from other cultures, even if they are "monster" movies like this one. If you are a movie snob, stay away. Let the rest of us have an unpretentious good time.

As always with Tom Cruise and the Mission: Impossible franchise, this was a decently made movie that held my attention and I enjoyed it more or less. The only character who seemed mildly sluggish was Cruise himself as Ethan, but the direction was more than competent, and the plot moved along even though nothing very original or interesting happened. Basically, it was the same old Ethan saves the world without the wit and cleverness of a James Bond film, where the producers are smart enough to find the best Bond available and provide more sophisticated plots – and characters. All the other actors gave lively and committed performances without stealing the spotlight from Cruise.

Not the best or most engrossing horror film I have ever seen, but it held my attention with its plot and the convincing performances of its young cast.

A very inventive script with Liam Neeson giving an interesting performance. Yes, the film is very derivative of Polanski’s masterful Chinatown, but I enjoyed the film and the acting overall.

Was this movie perfect? Perfectly fascinating. The “doll” herself and the concept behind her was perfect, and the actress/robot flawlessly conceived and convincing. And looking back, I don’t remember a dull moment, just thoughts of what on earth is going to happen next.

It’s great to find a film where it’s impossible to decide who is better -- the lead actor (Ralph Fiennes) or actress (Anya Taylor-Joy) -- in a beautifully written, knife-sharp satire of pretentious upscale dining that is delightful from beginning to end and never puts a fork wrong. The entire supporting cast is wonderful too. Great fun from beginning to end.

A riveting film, beautifully acted, about the fall of movie producer Harvey Weinstein who held the fate of so many actresses in his hands and took full advantage of his power.

A gentle character study set in a world totally foreign to Americans with excellent performances by Colin Farrell and Brendon Gleeson.

A great performance by Cate Blanchett in a fascinating film about a driven artist and a troubled woman, and you really can't separate the two. Without doubt one of the best films and perhaps the greatest, most complex performance I will see this year.

The hugely fat people who were sitting in our reserved seats when we arrived were much more frightening than the movie, but there were plenty of empty seats available. A franchise that has simply run out of inspiration and plot devices. Far from a great or even a very good movie, but not totally terrible either.

A crazy but fascinating film about a crazy person – or someone who is possessed. Very well done. Are you watching a film – or were you actually possessed by this strange person for 90 minutes or so? You may never know.

This is the worst, most disheartening and dispiriting movie I have seen in a very long time. It was directed by someone I would never want to meet in person. Gross and mean-spirited, it was also brainless and devoid of any emotion you might feel for a human being, in this movie or elsewhere. It was also boring.

A great way to spend a muggy summer afternoon, especially for horror film buffs. The cast was excellent and completely believable. Julie Styles was particularly good, along with the young girl who played Esther. Kudos to all of them, and especially to the director who took the film’s premise seriously, which is the only way to make horror work.

An absolutely fantastic film about love and longing. Idris Elba could really show his emotional range and sensitivity to language and situation, and Tilda Swinton was perfect, never setting a foot or uttering a word wrong. It was also nice to sit in an audience that was riveted and utterly silent.

Suspenseful and fun overall. Fairly believable animal attackers, but generally very contrived. Idris Elba good as always, but not very convincing as a Dad. Nothing special. Just another day at the movies.

I am shocked at the low ratings this film has gotten. It is a fun satire and a great way to spend a hot summer afternoon. The acting was pitch perfect, and the director did a fantastic job.

A harrowing and suspenseful film, well worth your time on a hot summer afternoon. The lead performances from the two young women marooned on the tower were excellent. I cared about them, and perhaps you will too, with just enough family ties not to make the film too saccharin. The bird wranglers deserve an Oscar nomination for getting performances right up there with “The Birds” in Hitchcock’s famous film.

Good performances, lots of pointless action, and some funny lines, but not a great film. I bought the book when it first came out, but never made much progress in it. Still not quite sure what all the hype is about. If you want to see a great train film, watch Sidney Lumet's Murder on the Orient Express.

A very American story, by which I mean it didn’t have enough “universal” elements to make it more than a very interesting film. The acting was excellent as was the direction.

Utterly delightful film about a shell in search of his family. I was amazed at the stop motion animation and the incredible voice acting. Completely believable, and not just for children.

A very American story, by which I mean it didn’t have enough “universal” elements to make it more than a very interesting film. The acting was excellent as was the direction.

A fantastic film by Jordan Peele. It certainly rivals 2001: A Space Odyssey for both originality and craft. Never a dull moment. If you are interested in film and especially if you love Science Fiction, don't miss this one.

A lot of fun with a wonderful performance by Lesley Manville who brings to life Mrs. Harris’s adventures at the House of Dior. The perfect summer movie.

An excellent suspense film with a first-rate cast and an original, surprisingly believable plot. How could I tell the audience paid attention? No one checked their phones during the entire film. I know. I was sitting in the last row as usual.

A perfect ten for fans of Alfred Hitchcock (namely, Psycho) and the best psychological horror. There is no shower scene, but the murder itself is graphic. But that is not the essence of this film, which is really about a woman who tries desperately to convince her husband and her neighbors that she is being stalked. They don’t believe her until they see the tragic result. She tries everything to convince her husband and her neighbors, but no one believes her. The result is terrifying, graphic, and very, very sad.

This is called milking a franchise dry. The actors kept things moving (God love them!), but there were no new ideas, and frankly I wasn’t as keen as I thought I would be to see all my old dinosaur friends again. Even they seemed bored, and rather moth-eaten.

Not a terrible film, but not a very good one either. I will tell you what I learned – how to place my hand exactly to block out the light when someone checks his smartphone in front of you. This happened a lot. I thought the cast was “spirited” but the direction and special effects were – dare I say this? -- dull.

Went on and on and on. I felt like I walked into the middle of a series, and I guess I did. Everyone else knew but me. A silly movie where no children attended, and the adults walked in and out – more than we usually see.

A hilarious and thoroughly enjoyable film about the hyperactive, constantly argumentative family.

One star in honor of all the actors who had to slog through the mud to make this awful movie. I have seen at least two fine films directed by Eggers in the past with more or less no budget. One great example – The Lighthouse. A sad and annoying afternoon at the movies.

I have to go with the audience on this one, especially because it contained yet another interesting performance by Jared Leto (I refer to his earlier performance in House of Gucci, which is quite a different kind of film). I don't deny that this was a strange movie, but it's a strange time, and appropriately it's about a strange disease, although equating Covid and vampirism is a stretch. Yes, this film had much of the Marvel fire and fury, but it is also oddly human, as the best Marvel movies are (for example, Dr. Strange). Although I am not exactly a Marvel movie fan, this one made for a very lively and enjoyable afternoon of escape.

A beautifully acted, claustrophobic film set entirely in a tailor’s shop on Savile Row in London during a single menacing afternoon. A great cast skillfully creates a constant tension and feeling of imminent danger, forcing the audience to hold its breath until the final resolution.

Liam Neeson walks and grimaces through a typical Liam Neeson movie. If you want to get out of the house, you could do worse.

If you want to get out of the house during the pandemic and like horror films, you will find this film mildly interesting. The filmmaker has talent as do the actors, but the script is not very original, and the director occasionally tries to make up for this with a bit too much gore.

Another great film by Almodovar that is not only intensely interesting for its deeply moving political story but also for the fantastic performances by Penelope Cruz and the rest of a very fine cast.

A melancholy and beautifully acted film with a superb cast. I loved Part 1 and loved this one equally. An engrossing and totally believable experience.

More style than emotion in a production that was much more an exercise in filming dark sets than in generating any of the traditional tragic emotions of pity and terror. Sound and fury signifying not very much. Not boring, but not particularly exciting either. Not the worst production I've seen, but far from the best. Grim is probably the best description.

I heard that the producers were forced to make this movie, and you can tell. It is lugubrious (aka, slow, dull, and uninspired). What an awful way to spend Christmas afternoon!

A very fine, engrossing film centered around a totally convincing, astonishing performance by Nicole Kidman as Lucy Ricardo. Javier Bardem is also wonderful as her husband Ricky and both are surrounded by a fine group of actors in supporting (but far from minor) roles.

An interesting film. Lady Gaga was good as was Adam Driver – actually there were no weak performances in the cast, although I was not particularly impressed with any of them. This film did not have the originality or energy of Scott’s Alien. Somehow the narrative seemed scattered here, and having so many glamorous locations actually hurt the film. Alien’s claustrophobia and original set design and story made for a much better movie. The Gucci film was not boring, although it lacked tension and seemed long. And frankly I didn’t believe a word of it even though it was seemingly a true story.

Am I really going to give this film the top score? It would be hard not to. Kristen Stewart never sets a foot wrong, and she is completely convincing as the enigmatic, troubled almost-queen of England. And the rest of the cast, although not at all as enigmatic, troubled, or interesting, provides solid support without any distractions. Right now, it seems impossible to believe that anyone will best Stewart this year in a role made in heaven for an actress. And so many things could have gone wrong, yet they didn’t. The pacing is wonderful, and her performance is fascinating and constantly commands attention, as Diana herself did in life. What will she do next? You can never quite guess, and that’s what propels the film forward and makes it fascinating. The rest of the cast never distracts, although you keep trying to guess how true-to-life they are.

I have been a horror film buff from childhood, and consider this film a classic from beginning to end, although perhaps not a personal favorite (time will tell). The young boy caught up in all the horror was completely believable, and a child of his age is next to impossible to cast as the focus of a horror film. The terror was very natural and not full of cleverness, so it always seemed genuine. The rest of the cast was convincingly rural and naive, and so their personal reactions also seemed genuine. And the gore was never gratuitous, but an integral part of the film.

A movie that stealthily creeps up on you as unpretentiously as the female lead and then turns out to be fantastic. It reminded me, about halfway through, of that timeless horror classic that also creeps up on you – Carnival of Souls. Excellent cast, superb script, great direction. A classic.

An endlessly inventive film that may not make sense to strait-laced, conventional moviegoers. The film has its own logic and unique style, and the “stars” immerse themselves into the director’s quirky vision of reality with gusto. You have to “go with it” and accept Anderson’s unique world where things are not quite “right” but make perfect sense. I enjoy films like this (and the actors seem to also), and they can be great fun. It’s a terrific escape from logic and real life for an hour or so, especially in the days of Covid.

An amazing film, and a great way to be welcomed back to seeing serious movies again. The best way to describe it, I guess, is as a preternatural film – a thoroughly believable film which initially seems unnatural, until the very end where one final image explains everything.

Not the worst Halloween/Michael Meyers film I’ve seen, and that’s possibly because of the involvement of Jamie Lee Curtis. Of course, it was not as great as the original, but it did have a point of view (that violence begets violence), but any “point of view” or “idea” about Michael was obscured by a series of ugly killings that just got uglier.

Overall, a disappointing waste of time – hectic and incoherent. Constant fight sequences and flashy special effects took the place of character and plot. There was some snappy dialogue, but a lot of it was inaudible in this noisy movie. The talents of Michelle Williams and Naomi Harris were wasted, and most of the male actors phoned in their mugging. A few funny bits, but mostly a lot of noise. Was it the editing, direction, or the script? In the end, I didn’t care.