Movie Film Reviews

Moana (2026) is creatively void. The writing is a strict, line-for-line copy of its superior predecessor. Therefore, the excitement is gone. No longer an immersive journey, it's a cynical cash grab. All the former strengths of this story (its cultural portrayals and nonviolent resolution) are muted because they seem less sincere. Meanwhile, its weaknesses (heavy exposition, filler side quests, and McGuffins) are easier to notice since the experience is actively disengaging. I

Minions & Monsters is chaotic. A jumble of disconnected fragments, its script bounces between formulaic concepts rather than developing specific ideas. This overstuffed narrative initially gives the illusion of a story, but it constantly rings hollow. Without drama or motivation, events just happen out of contrivance. There's obvious comedy, pointless subplots, and weak setup/payoff. Some might give the movie credit for being meta, but merely referencing itself instead of pro

Muddled between a retrospective and its own installment, Jackass: Best and Last has an identity crisis. Instead, it's a clip show with lackluster new content tacked on. Concerted commentary as the team reminisces would've been refreshing. As is, those fleeting, vulnerable moments (plus the team's camaraderie) are what stand out. Unfortunately, the film largely ignores those qualities until its end credits, spending its runtime rehashing the routine crude exhibitions (feeling

Supergirl is messy. Grounded by relatable motivations, its protagonist has a clear objective. Her contrasting sidekick highlights the main theme: processing grief. This feeds into the heroine's internal struggle, resolving with a decent arc. However, this is watered down by a clunky plot. The script feels distant because its emotional beats aren't evenly dispersed. Instead, it moves through cliche secondary quests, rarely developing drama along the way. There's a bland villai

The Death of Robin Hood is a thoughtful deconstruction. It subverts both its protagonist and his storytelling genre. Instead of an adventurous epic, this becomes a morally conflicted character study. Subsequently, its themes of redemption, legacy, and connection are emphasized. Some might deem the narrative thin, but that allows nuanced emotions to resonate. There's setup/payoff as well as motifs to support its developed drama. Although not outright ranged (since his internal

Though muddled, Toy Story 5 addresses modern issues while remaining heartfelt. Its cumbersome plot distracts from deeper contemplations, convoluted by unnecessary characters and subplots. This is a missed opportunity because the central conflict is rich enough to stand alone. In turn, critiques of technology's effect on play, community, and self-esteem are undermined. Furthermore, its drama could've been more effective if the script had stayed focused. Still, there's setup/pa

Despite flaws, Disclosure Day is proper entertainment. Its thriller plot becomes straightforward once everything is revealed. In fact, the payoff feels antiquated. Still, its consistent mystery plus tension is engaging. There are themes of truth, faith, and empathy. Though rooted in social commentary, these ideas evoke timeless wonder. However, merging classic optimism with today's cynical affairs can be corny. The drama is underdeveloped. Characters have motivations and mild

Masters of the Universe is average. Though an overstuffed collection of formulas, the plot functions. Drama as well as themes are passable, entertaining a modern view of masculinity that values communication plus self-acceptance. Despite minimal development, it's a fitting update to this intellectual property. Still, there's forced dialogue, McGuffins, too many characters, and superfluous scenes. Its broad humor is excessive, often undermining emotions with diminishing return

Scary Movie is annoying nonsense. There's no story, just lazily connected sketches. Without critiques, pop culture references aren't satire. Without wit, crude topics aren't humor. Without insight, bringing up social issues isn't commentary. Instead, it's amateur, juvenile ramblings. Genuine comedy requires structure, creativity, and observation. This mindless writing rejects all of those qualities. There's blunt dialogue, superfluous characters, contrivances, filler, and sel

Backrooms tries to connect a mystery box premise to psychological meditations. Though an honorable effort, this can feel forced. The thin plot mostly just introduces its concept. That could be considered immersive, but it also exacerbates the under-integrated subtext. Similar to its themes, the attempts for emotional depth occasionally seem tacked on. Despite throughlines of self-discovery, memory, and mental pathways, it often comes across more like a promising collection th

I Love Boosters is gonzo. Though strange, it oozes with maverick creativity. The overstuffed plot cramps its drama, which can feel muddled (despite a motivated protagonist whose central relationship fosters an earned arc). However, this is saved by passionate themes of classism, solidarity, and expression. Proposing that art and community need each other, the harmony between these ideas is also explored. Its comedy is absurdist social commentary. Fantastical narrative devices

The Mandalorian and Grogu is inconsequential. Its plot is a convoluted patchwork of fetch quests. Despite constant cliches, the script overflows with exposition. There's elementary detective work, desensitizing plot armor, and contrivances. Because the protagonist has no internal conflicts or growth, its drama is nonexistent. There's also little in terms of themes. Western influences plus a smaller scale are refreshing playgrounds for this franchise to explore, but those conc

Obsession turns a familiar premise into sinister social commentary. Themes of autonomy, rejection, idealization, and codependency highlight how mature love is often misunderstood. The plot steadily ramps up (though sometimes its escalations feel arbitrary). There's setup/payoff, natural dialogue, and an arc. Still, its drama seems underdeveloped. Motivations plus internal conflicts are established, but the protagonist changes because of the external situation rather than an i

Mortal Kombat II is a mess. Despite a simple premise, pointless characters and lore convolute its plot. Cliche contrivances litter the story. Dialogue is either obvious exposition or broad humor. It has desensitized stakes as well as constant predictability. Attempts at drama are forced, clashing with the cartoonish camp around them. Weak motivations lead to arbitrary arcs, apathetic tragedies, and dull relationships. There are no themes because this is pure commercialism. Th

Hokum has layers. Driven by mystery, its plot distills into a concise conflict. The drama revolves around a traumatic backstory that informs the protagonist's flawed cynicism. This leads to themes of isolation, self-hatred, processing the past, and surrendering to the unknown. While it doesn't perfectly weave into its external narrative, the internal arc is earned. Its supernatural elements serve as allegories. There's minimal dialogue (showing, not telling), fitting humor, s

The Devil Wears Prada 2 is forgettable fan service. Its convoluted plot has tacked-on emotions and themes. Ideas of integrity, modern media, workplace toxicity, and wealth inequality are superficially acknowledged. Conflicts are overcome without challenge, feeling unearned. The drama is an afterthought (its generic romance in particular), including an internal struggle that's scarcely motivated and disconnected from the main narrative. There's heavy exposition, broad (though

Mother Mary's poetry borders on pretension. Its dialogue is dense and the narrative turns metaphorical. Yet, while its themes become heavy-handed, the story feels genuine. Personal topics like connection, legacy, abandonment, expression, and fulfillment are explored honestly. Naturally layered, the drama reveals tangled flaws as well as conflicted motivations. Viewers may dislike the thin plot, but at least its external obstacle unites with the internal resolution. Arcs plus

While it outlines his relationship with his abusive father, Michael is primarily a sanitized summary of well-known events. This sidesteps examining Michael as a person. It alludes to his loneliness, lost innocence, body image, and dysfunctional family (culminating in an arc), but these layers aren't unpacked. He's depicted with such hero worship that he has no flaws. Characters and conflicts are oversimplified. There's no resolution; it just stops. Despite this sterile materi

Lee Cronin's The Mummy is a concept without a story. Its plot slowly reveals the premise viewers already know. Worse, there’s no drama because characters are hollow devices. This is a missed opportunity since its inciting incident should naturally generate interpersonal conflicts. Thus, the script is a conveyor belt of horror cliches strung together by an obvious mystery. Meanwhile, there's mediocre humor, blunt dialogue, excessive exposition, contrivances, and absent resolu

They Will Kill You is almost there. It establishes relatable motivations. The high-concept plot invites satire. This leads to broader themes of dehumanization plus more personal ideas of abandonment. However, it lacks sufficient payoff. The story becomes repetitive and needs an arc (though at least there's external resolution). This is because its protagonist acknowledges her flaw immediately, so there's no internal conflict to overcome. There's decent setup/payoff, clear st