What’s in a name? If you’ve seen the original Zootopia – or if you’re fond of puns – you would likely know that the name of this animated anthropomorphic town derives from it being created as a utopia for animals. Zootopia 2 takes up where the first film about a bunny and a fox being partners in crime solving left …

It is not as much a film about William Shakespeare, but about love and loss and grief made real through the centuries with exquisite storytelling and acting. For those who love The Bard, this will give a look at his life not from the dry pages of a book, but from the eyes of his wife, his children and, finally, …

Wicked: For Good invites us to continue following the Yellow Brick Road that leads to Oz, picking up where the two witches, Glinda and Elphaba, left off. Publicly branded as “wicked”, Elphaba now lives in the forest, honing her magic and hiding her heart. Her sister Nessarose has been appointed Governor of Munchkinland, and the glittery Glinda is now engaged …

The Roses is a witty update of the story of a married couple whose egos collide with the passion they have for each other. They have passion but not compassion. Theo is an architect, Ivy, a chef. His career is brought crashing down – literally – by the very tempest that brings the spotlight on to Ivy’s restaurant. Theo stays …

I think the real Mission: Impossible for Tom Cruise, a.k.a. Ethan Hunt and his cohorts of the IMF team, is to top THIS Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, the latest in the action-espionage films. The first of two parts of a craftily told spy thriller, the movie has a long run-time – more than two and a half …

Tom Cruise is one of the few bona fide “box office heroes” in Hollywood. He has charmed and thrilled audiences for more than forty years and he has been doing the impossible – Mission Impossible that is – for about thirty years. Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning may be the last. If it is, it’s going out on a …

Gladiator II is not a mere sequel, it is an epic historical film that so brims with exceptional performances, sets, costumes and ferocious action that it stands on its own. Ridley Scott builds on his legacy of the 2000 film, taking the story further. Lucius Verus, portrayed by Paul Mescal, is the son of Maximus Decimus Meridius and Lucilla, the …

It takes an outstanding production to meet up to the expectations of die-hard fans of the 1939 classic The Wizard of Oz and the hit Broadway musical Wicked. It takes pure magic to exceed those expectations. Jon M. Chu’s film Wicked did just that. Visually sumptuous with an explosive cast and music by John Powell and Stephen Schwartz, it is …

Full and fair disclosure: I like those little Minions and I would go see Despicable Me 4 regardless. But as an accredited film reviewer, I can’t let personal biases get (too much) in the way. Therefore, when I went to see the new Minions-and-Gru mash-up, I brought a secret weapon with me – a 14-year-old nephew who grew up on …

Every decade or so a movie comes out that sets a new standard and invokes a description vocabulary that, if it were not true, would sound like a pod of marketing gurus on caffeine overdrive. Dune: Part Two is one of those. The word “blockbuster” seems pale. “Stunning” seems tepid. Dune: Part Two raises the bar for visual effects, photography, …

Napoleon, which debuts this month, is not a documentary, it’s a Ridley Scott film. Do not expect meticulous historical accuracy but do get ready to immerse yourself in a film about one of history’s most celebrated and controversial leaders as told through Scott’s atmospheric and highly concentrated visual style. Director Scott does not do anything small, and this is about …

How do you go about telling the most terrifying story about war, raw humanity, genius and political mire? Christopher Nolan tackles this brilliantly in his truly stunning Oppenheimer. Three hours may sound like a long film but when you are seeing it, in its diamond-sharp non-linear editing, you will not just feel that time is fleet, but that the film …

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is a fun, fond farewell to a favorite action hero and a franchise that started over four decades ago. The story is set in 1969, and Jones is retiring from teaching. The world has changed, and the archeologist/treasure hunter has too. But when his goddaughter, Helena, shows up in his final class, it …

If you’re a Wes Anderson fan, you will probably really like Asteroid City. If you are new to the quirky style of the director, this movie might leave you wondering what the heck you just saw. And you may just find yourself thinking you ought to see it a second time to make sense of it – and you just …

If you’ve seen the previous Guardians of the Galaxy, you’ll need to see this one too. You know going in that GotG Vol. 3 is the final part of the trilogy, and Marvel’s beloved band of intergalactic superhero oddballs is going to tie up a lot of story lines and loose ends. With that said, this review is spoiler free. …

I’ll put my 20-sided die on the table: I’ve never played Dungeons and Dragons in my life. But that didn’t stop me from enjoying Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. This film doesn’t take itself too seriously and you don’t need to be a D&D devotee to appreciate the fantasy costuming and the camaraderie of the ensemble cast. The film …

Avatar: The Way of Water is the spectacular sequel to the original ‘Avatar’ film created by James Cameron in 2009. It was a long time coming, and it was worth the wait. Visually sumptuous, Cameron made great use of the advances in CGI and 3D technology, crafting an underwater world that is even more extraordinarily engaging than the first which …

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the second installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Black Panther franchise, has a lot going for it. Nearly two and three-quarter hours long, and with multiple sub-plots and new character introductions, maybe a bit too much going, at times. Still, it has dazzling visuals, the costumes and sets are outstanding and Ludwig Goransson’s music is a …

If you are expecting the latest George Miller offering to be like Mad Max: Fury Road, or if your idea of a good movie is lots of CGI and fast-paced action, this is definitely NOT a film for you. On the other hand, if you love a good story told exceptionally well, with gorgeous, saturated visuals and top-notch acting, you …

It was a long time coming but it’s so worth the wait. Top Gun: Maverick is a full-throttle adrenaline rush from start to finish. It’s rare that a sequel is better than the original but this one is, by far. It still has all the elements that made it an ‘80s classic, from Tom Cruise strutting his stuff and flying …

First, a disclaimer: I would watch Dame Maggie Smith open an envelope, and still give her a glowing review. Now that is out of the way, if you’re a fan of Downton Abbey, you very likely will enjoy the movie. If you’re unfamiliar with the BBC television series, there’s a primer at the opening that will help make sense of …

If there’s one thing we know from comic book and science fiction-based films, it’s that nothing is as it appears to be, no one is necessarily as dead as you may have been led to believe, and things can – and they usually do – get weirder. In the new Marvel Cinematic Universe movie, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of …