NOPE is what OJ Haywood says when he sees something that does not sit well with him, be it what appear to be tiny visitors from another world invading his stable, or the offer to sell the family spread after a freak accident kills his father (David Keith). As played by Daniel Kaluuya, he is… Read More »
HUSTLERS
HUSTLERS is about as subtle as a pole dance when it comes to making a case for the poetic justice of what a gang of strippers did to the very Wall Street bankers who plunged the country into financial chaos back in 2008. And that is how it should be. The script written by director… Read More »
ICE AGE: COLLISON COURSE
The Ice Age series has always gone more for the heart that the funny bone, though there is no denying that Scrat’s eternal and Sisyphean struggle both to acquire and to retain the acorn he’s been chasing through the four previous films has, in equal parts, both hilarity and a keen commentary on the noble struggle of humankind against a basically unfeeling universe.
LONGSHOTS, THE
THE LONGSHOTS is a formula film done exceedingly well. Keke Palmer and Ice Cube (who co-produced) offer the sort of multi-layered performances that elevate a predictable plot into something special. The script, based on the true story of the first girl to quarterback in the Pop Warner Super Bowl for kids, plays to more than… Read More »
JOYFUL NOISE
JOYFUL NOISE has its heart in the right place. Unfortunately its like a neighbor with his or her heart in the right place, the one who responds to news of your car breaking down by volunteering to drive you somewhere and accidentally runs over your cat while backing out of the driveway. Not even Queen Latifah and… Read More »
AKEELAH AND THE BEE
What AKEELAH AND THE BEE offers is a sweet, unpretentious, and positive affirmation in the very best sense of that phrase. While the specifics are the struggles of a kid from the ‘hood to make it to the national spelling bee, at heart, and it has a lot of heart, it’s about learning to be… Read More »