XD Now Playing
Dog Man
Cast: Pete Davidson, Stephen Root, Isla Fisher
Director: Peter Hastings
Love Hurts
Cast: Ke Huy Quan, Ariana DeBose, Daniel Wu
Director: Jonathan Eusebio
Heart Eyes
Cast: Jordana Brewster, Olivia Holt, Devon Sawa
Director: Josh Ruben
• 97 min
Now Playing
Sonic the Hedgehog 3
Ben Schwartz, Colleen O'Shaughnessey, Idris Elba
Mufasa: The Lion King
Aaron Pierre, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Seth Rogen
• 120 min
Den of Thieves 2: Pantera
Gerard Butler, O'Shea Jackson Jr., Evin Ahmad
• 144 min
Flight Risk
Mark Wahlberg, Michelle Dockery, Topher Grace
I'm Still Here
Fernanda Torres, Fernanda Montenegro, Selton Mello
• 136 min
One Day
Leo Woodall, Ambika Mod, Amber Grappy
Moana 2
Dwayne Johnson, Alan Tudyk, Auli'i Cravalho
Companion
Sophie Thatcher, Harvey Guillén, Jack Quaid
• 97 min
Coming Soon
Captain America: Brave New World
Harrison Ford, Rosa Salazar, Liv Tyler
Last Breath
Woody Harrelson, Cliff Curtis, Simu Liu
In the Lost Lands
Milla Jovovich, Dave Bautista, Arly Jover
Alto Knights
Robert De Niro, Cosmo Jarvis, Kathrine Narducci
A Working Man
Jason Statham, David Harbour, Michael Peña
Mickey 17
Robert Pattinson, Toni Collette, Mark Ruffalo
Movie Guru's Current Movie Briefs
Since I write many of these briefs the day before the movies are released, what we have here are mostly ruminations on movies I have not yet seen. You will have to decide for yourself if these briefs have any value. I believe the less you know about a movie, the better chance you might enjoy it to the upside. Too many reviewers seem to go out of their ways to ruin for you with way too much information your upcoming movie experience. In fact my D graded Master’s Thesis proposed that reviews should be embargoed until after the opening weekends allowing moviegoers to see the movies fresh and without plot summaries taken right out of the press kits.
- I’m Still Here
An award winning Brazilian film directed by Walter Salles, this tells the biographical memoir about one family’s survival despite the “disappearance” of their father and husband during Brazil’s 1970’s military dictatorship. Nominated for three Oscars including Best Picture and Best Actress, serious film goers need to see this film.
- Love Hurts
When you open your tongue in cheek action movie on Super Bowl weekend, you have silently said a mouthful. Though the previews look like a quirky John Wick genre satire, opening it against Kansas City – Philadelphia and the week before the release of Captain America: Brave New World is not fair.
- Heart Eyes
Though I avoided paying attention to the previews, I noticed the print media calling this a horror rom-com, not anything to which I want to take the grandkids. Low budget horror can be full of fun scares, but this does not look like one of the better ones.
- The Brutalist
I have watched the trailer several times. Obviously this is an epic tour de force. Does it take you on an exhilarating journey inside the mind of an auteur filmmaker? We shall see. It is nominated for a Best Picture Oscar and will probably either sweep the board or be shut out. I hope it is great, though I can’t tell you what it is about because I do not know. I always like Adrian Brody who seems to be the lead and prefer attending films when they are a blank slate.
- Dog Man
The crowds pile in for Moana and Mufasa and Sonic the Hedgehog but give me Dog Man and Bad Guys any day of the week. Bugs Bunny is not lovable but is funny. Roadrunner is not lovable but is funny. Dog Man will be funny. (I agree with regular readers that we would all be better off with intern Michael Harris handling these family films, but he has school interfering with our needs.
- Companion
Instead of a Chucky doll wiping out all who come near, this looks like an AI robotic companion tuning up to wipe everyone out. Megan actually told this story very well. We can hope Companion is equal to the task.
- Fight Risk
Mark Wahlberg in an action flick after several years of smaller films. What makes this one special is the director, Mel Gibson, who goes unnamed in the promotion of this movie. Check out Gibson’s directorial filmography. He makes this movie worth a look.
- Den of Thieves 2
The latest Gerard Butler action extravaganza tops the first Den of Thieves which was good enough. There are plenty of plot points with which anyone can quibble. But it works for action fans, and after watching/rewatching the first Den of Thieves is fun seeing younger actors aging into this new film.
- A Complete Unknown
Written by Holiday Season intern Michael Harris
I am not going to pretend I can give A Complete Unknown due justice. Going into this film, I knew nothing about who Bob Dylan was or the 1960s, specifically the Cold War. However, this movie spoke for itself. With the outer appearance of a well-made romance drama, it is packed with a deeper meaning. A Complete Unknown is the story of people finding something to put their hope in during a time where uncertainty imprisoned the world. They were looking for freedom, and this well-made film questions what this truly means. No matter how much or little you know about this movie, you will be touched. - Sonic 3
Written by Holiday Season intern Michael Harris
In 1949, a book called A Hero with a Thousand Faces was published by mythologist Joseph Campbell. This piece argued that all stories follow the same story structure. Sonic 3 stood out to me for this reason. It is essentially the PG adaptation of the Spider-Man movies. Humor, action, power, and responsibility, the major themes of the Spider-Man movies, are all intertwined perfectly. The stakes are never higher in this dramatic film of anger, honor, and loss, ending in the ultimate sacrifice. This is a movie that will not only entertain your children, but make you laugh at the pop culture references. This is the first movie I am going to honestly and wholeheartedly recommend. Happy Holidays everyone. - Moana 2
Written by Holiday Season intern Michael Harris. As the Lion King has Hamlet, Moana 2 has The Odysseus. Disney has always had a custom of turning classic literature into children’s movies, and this is no exception. The sequels of successful movies are always difficult to make, so aligning this movie with a great work seems like a safe move. However, in the attempts to add depth to the series, it has lost some of its identity. The songs were forced and the humor did not land, but the animations were still incredibly impressive. The climactic scenes are intense, but still enjoyable for a younger audience, as the movie does a good job at keeping the viewer mesmerized. I would rate this movie as the best written children’s movie this year, and definitely a movie your children will enjoy. It is ultimately your choice whether to see this movie this Thanksgiving.
- Wicked: Part 1
Movie musicals of all sorts have not been performing at the box office lately no matter how well made. The 160 minute run time on this one makes it adults only, though too many will bring their children and suffer through their understandable rejection of any too long movie. But I digress. Wicked’s early access screenings and $30 special event showings have all sold out. The Wicked masses have spoken. My wife and I both enjoyed a road show performance of the play at Las Vegas’ terrific downtown Smith Theater (just do not purchase tickets for any of their events in the top level). Anyway – Happy Thanksgiving 2024.