Movie Reviews

R(eally).M(eh). Renfield

  • Title: Renfield
  • IMDb: link

Renfield, which puts Dracula‘s (Nicolas Cage) long-suffering familiar R. M. Renfield (Nicholas Hoult) in the starring role, is a clever concept and about half a good movie. Playing on themes of codependency, unhealthy relationships, and being stuck with the worst boss ever, the film gives us Renfield in a support group, struggling with Dracula’s demands, and beginning to find the courage to stick up for himself after meeting a local cop (Awkwafina) in a police force so corrupt it makes the GCPD look respectable.

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The Adequate Mario Bros. Movie

  • Title: The Super Mario Bros. Movie
  • IMDb: link

The 8-bit plumber who launched a franchise gets his own big budget animated movie in Illumination’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie. You can tell Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, the team that gave us the more successful Teen Titans GO! To the Movies, have genuine affection for the Super Mario franchise and the script finds some clever ways to work various gameplay elements into the story. It’s the story, however, that falls a bit short. Even at only 92 minutes, the film runs out of gas, noticeably dragging in spots. You could easily trim 20 minutes off its runtime.

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Air

  • Title: Air
  • IMDb: link

I have to say, I’m really enjoying the last few years of Matt Damon‘s career. You could easily slot Air into an entertaining double-feature with either The Martian or Ford v Ferrari. Using a well-worn Hollywood trope of an underdog fighting the odds, Air stars Damon as Nike salesman Sonny Vaccaro who in the mid-1980s pushed the running shoe company into an unlikely deal by signing rookie basketball star Michael Jordan to an industry-changing contract.

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Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

  • Title: Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
  • IMDb: link

Wait, someone made a good Dungeons & Dragons movie? The long-delayed film various studios have been trying to make for a decade finally hits the big screen. It may only be spring, but Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is the type of summer popcorn flick you’ve been waiting for. Sure, those who know D&D are going to get more references than those just sitting down for a fun action-comedy, including a nice nod to the 80s cartoon, but, despite your level of familiarity with the role-playing game going in, you’re in for a great time.

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John Wick: Chapter 4

  • Title: John Wick: Chapter 4
  • IMDb: link

John Wick: Chapter 4 has the same strengths and weaknesses of the earlier films. We get bloody, brutal, and at times spectacular, violence set against the backdrops of music video sets brought to life, which are dragged down at times by stretches of world building unnecessary for our enjoyment of the former. The fourth entry of the franchise plays at cross purposes with John Wick (Keanu Reeves) looking to work his way back into the life he abandoned for his wife in order to get out again. In terms of story, it’s a bit of a mess. In terms of action, there are a couple of long sequences which fans will not doubt enjoy.

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