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| EFC STATS |
| Movies Listed: |
31792 |
| Total Ratings: |
248279 |
| Total Reviews: |
28094 |
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| GLASS (2019) |
"Superheroes: An Introduction"
Peter Sobczynski says... "With the exception of his super-obscure debut effort, I have seen all of the films made by M.Night Shyamalan over the years (yes, even the one with Rosie O’Donnell playing a nun) but when I entered the screening for his latest effort, “Glass,” I felt a sensation that I have never before associated with his work—a genuine sense of anticipation. To be honest, Shyamalan has never quite been my cup of tea—although an undeniably gifted stylist, he too often shoots himself in the foot with his oftentimes ludicrous plotting (especially regarding his increasingly dubious twist endings) and his occasional penchant for self-aggrandizement (this is a guy who once wrote a character in a script who was a writer whose work would one day literally change the world and then made sure to play the part himself). Even his breakthrough film, “The Sixth Sense,” did not impress me that much—it was well made and contained a nice performance by Bruce Willis but the whole thing was essentially an elongated “Twilight Zone” episode that wasn’t nearly as clever as it clearly thought itself to be. The one exception to this mild sense of disdain has always been “Unbreakable,” his haunting 2000 meditation on the whole superhero mythos starring Bruce Willis as a seemingly ordinary man who seemingly could not be injured and Samuel L. Jackson as the brittle-boned madman trying to get him to see his potential. This was a film that contained smart writing, strong performances, beautiful direction and a narrative that did not rely entirely on some goofball twist. Although perhaps not technically a part of the genre since it was not based on known characters, I would still rate it as one of the very best superhero movies ever made. Unfortunately, it arrived in theaters a few years before the current boom in superhero movies and while it was a hit, it wasn’t as big as many assumed it would be and the planned trilogy that Shyamalan had already been talking up at the time fell to the wayside." (more)
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| REPLICAS |
"Not even a bad copy of an interesting original."
Jay Seaver says... "As much as we've all come to see Keanu Reeves not so much as a bad actor as a guy who can do quite well when he's playing something within a certain range, "ethically-conflicted scientist" is pretty damn far outside that comfort zone. It is, unfortunately, more or less the entirety of this movie, and makes "Replicas" a pretty tough slog. It's got about five times more in the way of interesting sci-fi ideas than it does actual story, and never finds a good way to close the gap." (more)
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| ESCAPE ROOM |
"A capable if seldom-surprising little thriller."
Jay Seaver says... "For a movie opening in the early-January dumping ground, "Escape Room" is surprisingly competent. That is, obviously, a bit of damning with faint praise, especially since it's only a few months before people find it on streaming services and have no expectations based upon award-season and holiday cycles. They'll just see a thriller that chews up a hundred minutes without misstepping often enough to spoil anything." (more)
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| MOJIN: THE WORM VALLEY |
"Something of a budget sequel, but still kind of fun."
Jay Seaver says... "There's a certain look to the actors who replace stars when a series goes from theaters to video or television (or, in this case, gets a budget cut): A little smaller, a little more blandly good-looking, wearing someone else's costumes and hairstyles, neither of which quite suits them. Every single person in "The Worm Valley" has this look, as does the film itself, and it probably doesn't matter whether you've seen the previous "Mojin" movie or not; this one's going to feel like a lesser copy of something." (more)
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| IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK |
"Barry Jenkins continues to make extraordinary movies."
Jay Seaver says... ""If Beale Street Could Talk" is the sort of film that announces in the first couple of minutes that it's got a chance to be special and then never lets the audience down. Writer/director Barry Jenkins builds a warm cocoon of love around the viewers and characters, enough to make the less perfect examples shock, a bit, as well as remind one that sometimes you need that powerful love to counter pervasive hate. A character all but says as much at one point, and while that moment is not quite so polished as the rest of the film, you can't exactly fault it for having a character see what's going on." (more)
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| NEVER-ENDING MAN: HAYAO MIYAZAKI |
"Miyazaki turns flipping papgers into alchemy."
Lybarger says... "Much of the reason Hayao Miyazaki’s movies have been so rewarding is that they reflect their creator. They are a type of funhouse mirror of his own life. It’s certainly helpful that he’s a fascinating guy." (more)
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| WELCOME TO MARWEN |
"Zemeckis's whole career has been leading to this, for better or worse."
Jay Seaver says... "I swear, this movie is Robert Zemeckis trolling every one of us who has grumbled about the latter portion of his career and how we wish he'd do more of the sort of comedic fantasy that made him his name. Instead, "Welcome to Marwen" not only seems to be a compilation of every questionable choice he's made since "Contact", but the climax practically taunts you with the reminder that, back in the 1980s, he made a damn near perfect movie. This doesn't get close to that high-water mark, but it may also be the most memorable thing Zemeckis has done in a good long time." (more)
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| BUMBLEBEE |
"'Best Transformers Movie' may not be a high bar, but it's better than not."
Jay Seaver says... "Having bailed on the live-action "Transformers" movies after the first because it was just not my thing despite my 1980s fandom a few neat sequences, I can't describe "Bumblebee" as the best of the lot with particular authority, but I wouldn't be surprised: It scores more direct hits on its nostalgia targets while just being generally less of a mess and friendlier than Michael Bay's work, and it probably doesn't hurt to step back and do something simpler rather than trying to go bigger every few years. It's maybe not the best possible movie you could get from a studio trying to squeeze a little more out of a series based upon a 30-odd-year-old line of toys, but it's impressively competent and charming, which is not a bad way for a franchise with impressive box office but a bad reputation looking for a new direction to go." (more)
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'I GOT A FEELING THAT BEHIND THOSE JEANS IS SOMETHING WONDERFUL JUST WAITING TO GET OUT.'
- Jack Horner, Boogie Nights
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