The "Minions" gibber-jabber their way to success on the big screen in their own hit film after being consigned to secondary roles in "Despicable Me" (2010) and "Despicable Me 2" (2013). Director Pierre Coffin (at the helm of both "Despicable Me" projects), who lent his voice as [..]
A Walk in the Woods (2015)
Robert Redford and Nick Nolte provide plenty of laughs, and some serious moments as well, in the buddy picture "A Walk in the Woods." The story is of two friends who decide to walk the 2,100 mile Appalachian Trail, which stretches from Georgia to Maine. Redford [..]
Fantastic Four (2015)
"Fantastic Four" is a poor attempt to make a comic book story into an action-adventure motion picture. Poor direction by Josh Trank ("Chronicle" 2012) and lackluster screenplay by Jeremy Slater, Simon Kinberg, and Trank in this third version seem to lack the excitement of Walt Disney's new [..]
Ant-Man (2015)
"Ant-Man" is more superhero fun and games from Marvel Studios and Walt Disney Pictures. This twelfth installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe features Paul Rudd as Scott Lang, an average guy down on his luck who gets a second chance in life as Ant-Man. Rudd not only [..]
Far From the Madding Crowd (2015)
"Far From the Madding Crowd" is a pretentious story about an independent single woman being pursued by three very different male suitors. This obnoxious feminist statement of a motion picture was based on the 1874 novel by Thomas Hardy, adapted by screenwriter David Nicholls and directed by [..]
Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation (2015)
Tom Cruise continues in his more than three decade reign as one of Hollywood's top movie stars with "Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation." This is his fifth appearance as IMF agent Ethan Hunt in this movie series (1996, 2000, 2006, 2011) and likely the most popular one yet [..]
Inside Out (2015)
The innovation and ingenuity at Pixar Animation Studios never ceased to amaze. "Inside Out" is the story of the inner workings inside the mind of a young girl, with an original story, an excellent screenplay, colorful animation, and exceptional voice performances. Viewing in 3-D only enhances [..]
Max (2015)
"Max" is a family friendly adventure film about a military trained dog used to help U. S. Marines in Afghanistan. There is little to complain about in this picture, as it has an even pace with a well thought out storyline from a fantastic screenplay by Sheldon [..]
Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015)
In a year of numerous action-adventure movies in general release, it takes a lot for one of them to stand out, such as a high quality script, good directing, and excellent performances. "Kingsman: The Secret Service" has none of these qualities. [..]
Terminator Genisys (2015)
Arnold Schwarzenegger is back in his most famous role as The Terminator in "Terminator Genisys." Director Alan Taylor ("Thor: The Dark World" 2013) has supplied loads of action and special effects, but the screenplay by Laeta Kalogridis and Patrick Lussier has created a world of confusion with [..]