Archives for : film
The summer blockbusters are rolling in! Steven Spielberg’s newest alien sci-fi, thriller, “Disclosure Day,” has arrived. And after bringing us legendary extraterrestrial stories like “E.T.” and “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”, I’m sad to say this highly anticipated alien mystery lacks the Spielberg magic we’ve come to love from his previous theatrical treasures.
“Disclosure Day” asks the question, what if you found out we are not alone and someone was able to show you undeniable evidence of alien life. Would that scare you? It’s an interesting question and could be an interesting movie if the script and the characters were not all over the place. In the film, Dr. Daniel Kellner is on the run from his underground government boss; he carries a great deal of proof that aliens are among us and feels that entire world should finally know the truth. Luckily for him, a Kansas weather girl, who shockingly is linked to the aliens, can help Kellner get the message out.
There are several issues with this film. It appears; there wasn’t a clear intention of which direction they wanted to go. The tone bounces around from a serious drama to a hokey and unconvincing kids’ movie. There are numerous plot holes in the convoluted storylines, and the underdeveloped characters make any “emotional” or climatic scenes feel unearned. The saving grace of “Disclosure Day” and the real reason to watch, is Emily Blunt’s award-worthy performance as Margaret Fairchild. She brings energy and personality, as well as humor to the very long, two and half hour, underwhelming sci-fi. Though the rest of the all-star cast, including Josh O’ Connor, Colin Firth, and Coleman Domingo do a fine job, their surface-level roles are not as memorable.
There is thrilling action that entertains, and the comedic relief makes the film worth a trip to the box office but set your expectations low. It does pain me to speak negatively about this movie, especially because of Blunt’s performance, but Spielberg can and has done much better than this. The intent to reflect on humanity and have empathy for the known is admirable and greatly appreciated, but the efforts made to bring that message to the screen fell flat and rings hallow.
Rating: C-
“Disclosure Day” opens in theaters June 12, 2026.
Some of us, like myself, try to forget the abysmal 2021 Mortal Kombat movie. Thankfully, the filmmakers took notes from dissatisfied fans and made a sequel that pays homage to the video game while achieving a bloody good time.
In “Moral Kombat 2” fan favorite champions, including the addition of washed-up 80’s action-movie star, Johnny Cage, are pitted against one another in the ultimate battle to defeat the dark rule of Shao Kahn that threatens the Earthrealm. There is not much more to the story than that. This film plays out more like a high quality, theatrical tournament from the game. Though you would think that would garner another misfire, the martial arts and action sequences are almost magnetizing. There’s a lot more effort and creativity put into the fights as well as who’s fighting in them.
Last time around we were so focused on an uninteresting and random Cole Young, that it was difficult to care about the plot. The second film shares the wealth, with screentime for the entire cast, and highlights the entertaining characters, especially Karl Urban as Johnny Cage. And while Urban is a bonus, the heart of the film beats through Adeline Rudolph as Kitana. Her back story and commanding performance gives the plot a morsal of depth. It shows us there is potential for a deeper premise with compelling character development.
“Mortal Kombat II” is a significant improvement over its predecessor, providing more thrills, graphic, high-energy battles, and crowd-pleasing entertainment that fans of the video game might call “flawless victory”, but the average moviegoer can label it as a lively and enjoyable popcorn flick.
Rating: B-
Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway return to portray their iconic roles as Miranda Priestley and Andy Sachs. While some may have been skeptical at first, this stylish dramedy is a sequel we didn’t know we needed.
Twenty years later Andy is an awarding winning journalist, who has just been let go from her publication, along with her fellow journalism colleges. She receives a life-changing phone call to return to Runway and become the magazine’s features editor in hopes of saving the company from financial struggles and the decline of print journalism. Things have changed since the last time Andy was here. These days, the things Miranda used to say to her employees are not appropriate anymore and she even has to hang her own coat. Read full review here.
Rating: B+
“Long-buried wounds rise to the surface when iconic pop star Mother Mary (Anne Hathway) reunites with her estranged best friend and former costume designer Sam (Michaela Coel) on the eve of her comeback performance.”
This week I had the opportunity to speak with acclaimed filmmaker, David Lowery about his newest thriller, “Mother Mary”. Starring Anne Hathway and Michaela Coel.
“Mother Mary” opens in theaters April 24, 2026.
Have you ever dared to ask yourself, what’s the worst thing you have ever done? In the new dark comedy, The Drama, the answer rocks the lives and upcoming nuptials for a happily engaged couple that now questions everything. Writer/director, Kristoffer Borgli brings audiences a twisted romantic tale that’s sure to inspire some tough conversations.
Robert Pattinson and Zendaya play Charlie and Emma, a newly engaged couple who are just a week away from their wedding. As they are sampling food and several glasses of wine with their best friends, the four of them light-heartedly discuss “the worst things they have ever done”. The evening quickly turns sour when Emma reveals a dark past. Friendships are broken, and the seemingly solid foundation between a blissful couple begins to crack. This raises a thought-provoking question of whether you can truly love every version of your partner? Read full review here.
Rating: A
Based on the bestselling series of children’s books by Deborah Diesen, “The Pout-Pout Fish” is a heartwarming, animated underwater adventure that is sure to turn anyone’s frown upside down.
The film stars Nick Offerman, Nina Oyama, and “American Idol” winner Jordin Sparks. Offerman voices Mr. Fish, who always carries a pout on his face because he has been taught to avoid strangers all his life, isolating himself from the world. Suddenly, his quiet, loneliness is interrupted by a sea dragon named Pip. He accidentally destroys her home and reluctantly agrees to help her find a wish-granting fish named Shimmer, who might be able to help her create a new home for her soon-to-be very large family. However, Pip and Mr. Fish need to find her before Benji, a cuddle fish, does first and uses up her one wish for his own purposes. Read full review here.
Rating: B
“The Pout-Pout Fish” opens in theaters March 20, 2026.
Project Hail Mary is the second film adaptation of a book by Andy Weir and is directed by the hilarious dynamic duo, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. Their comedy is prevalent throughout the film, but the whopping two hour and 36-minute runtime needs more than humor to keep audiences engaged.
Ryan Gosling stars as Ryland Grace, a science teacher who has woken up alone on a spaceship light-years away from earth with no memory of who he is or how he got there. As he slowly starts to remember his mission, he learns he must stop a mysterious substance from killing the sun and save Earth from extinction. Thankfully, an unexpected friendship with an alien life form leads to a touching bond that just might be the key to saving the world. Read full review here.
Rating: B-
“Project Hail Mary” opens in theaters March 20, 2026.
It has been 8 years since the release of “I Can Only Imagine”, the story of Bart Millard, a young musician who came from an abusive childhood and went on to become the lead singer of the hit band MercyMe. But is this sequel another musical hit?
“I Can Only Imagine 2” picks up long after the death of Bart’s father, with whom he had reconciled after years of trauma. His band MercyMe is hot off the heels of their breakout success from their record-breaking song and are currently living the dream. But Bart’s world stumbles when he discovers his son, Sam, has a life-threatening illness. His obsession to consistently monitor Sam negatively weighs on him and his family. When newcomer Tim Timmons joins the band on their biggest tour, yet he forms an immediate and uplifting bond with Sam. Tim’s faith in Sam and his fresh outlook on life inspires Bart to regain the relationship with his son he had always hoped for with his own father. Read full review here.
Rating: C
“I Can Only Imagine 2” opens in theaters February 27, 2026.
