Movie Theater at South Point
Cinemark Century 16 in Las Vegas

Movie Guru's Current Movie Briefs

• Sketch
  

  Written by Michael Harris
  When Hollywood is void of creativity, sometimes entertainment can come from other places. Sketch is a low-budget independent film, which means it has the freedom to take creative risks. It is the first theater release for the new and upcoming director Seth Worley, who is known for his innovative and funny short films. Yet, Sketch seems to have missed its mark. Even though it is a beautifully crafted story about processing grief, it does not really have an audience. The movie is not funny, more disturbing than intended, and overall not entertaining for a young audience. Likewise, its childish animations and lack of horror elements prevent it from reaching adults. Honestly, Sketch is a rewarding film to watch if you want to explore complex themes in a clever way. However, for most people, I would recommend giving it a pass.
• Bad Guys 2
  

  Written by Michael Harris
  DreamWorks Animation is responsible for movies that are either critically acclaimed or with high box office sales. Sometimes films, such as Bad Guys 2, have the potential to be both. While this movie is not particularly impactful or philosophical, not all films need to be. It knows that its place is being a silly and entertaining movie that does not feel overly immature. Bad Guys 2 guarantees enjoyment with impressive animations, emotional characters, and professional voice acting. The entire goal of the film is to be amusing, even if this leads to deviations in art style at certain points and an illogical plot. This film does fall short in character development amongst many plot twists, as even though a lot happens throughout the events of the story around the characters, they themselves do not really change. I sincerely believe Bad Guys 2 is the best children’s movie that has been released this summer and is worthwhile for the whole family.
• Naked Gun
  

  Reboots are all the rage.  Some flop (e.g. Smurfs).  Some take off (e.g. Fantastic 4).  And this is neither.  This is what is referred to as a legacy sequel, Liam Neeson playing the son of the original detective Frank Drebbin in all his doofus glory.  Hopefully the funniest parts have not been spoiled as is often the case with comedy trailers.  If you are in the mood for slapstick absurdity, this should be just the movie for you.
• Together
  

  Dave Franco and Alison Brie are an interesting low budget pairing in this low budget horror film. For every ten of these attempts where budding filmmakers try for a box office breakthrough with bloody mayhem, maybe one succeeds and assures the director and producers at least one more film without the same budgetary restraints.
• Fantastic Four: First Steps
  

  Written By Michael Harris
  Fantastic Four: First Steps feels more authentic than most Marvel movies, as it does not expect previous knowledge about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, given that it is a reboot, or force the audience into liking the characters. Instead, it succeeds in telling a compelling, unique story with meaning deeper than expected. However, Marvel’s shift in attention created previously unseen problems for a superhero film: the characters are flat, dialogue is dull, and the story is much slower than it should be with only a few distinguishable events. The graphics, while impressive, are not justified with such a low amount of action. Ultimately, by trying to make a creative reboot, producers have changed the identity of The Fantastic Four to more of a family drama than an action movie. It is your decision whether you want to be a part of this new direction for the franchise.
• Oh Hi!
  

  I do remember this film being noted as a winner at Sundance.  What looks like a rom-com must be deeper since the festival crowd usually goes for deconstructed genre flicks.  The 94 minute running time  turns me on because it means the filmmakers did not feel the need to include all the scenes that were shot but went for the meat, not the bones.    
• The Home
  

  It looks like a horror film set in a senior living home.  Isn’t the horror of living your final days in a home more than enough horror that the reality can be left alone and not recreated for teen entertainment.  Yeah.  I will try and watch it.  But I will also be looking out for the creep who thinks it is a subject worth pursuing.  I believe his resume is mostly a bunch of Purge films where one should have been enough.
• Smurfs
  

  Written by Michael Harris
  I think the producers of Smurfs (2025) were more worried about the cast rather than the quality of the movie. Just because a film has famous cast members and a household name, it is not guaranteed to be good. Even though no Smurfs movie has ever been critically acclaimed, each film was silly and likable. Smurfs (2025) tries to target itself to children so much that it does not have much humor that any age would enjoy. This movie is more confusing than magical. Logical progression is nonexistent, it has many plot holes, the music does not fit the theme, there is no human interaction, and lazy writing techniques are used to progress the plot. The movie has many character arches but with the absence of consequences and any real challenges, they do not feel very meaningful. Overall, I would recommend skipping Smurfs (2025) this summer.
• Eddington
  

  Not even close to a real Western, and definitely what will be called a modern Western, but basically an off the wall look at the Covid pandemic through the eyes of a bunch of real Western type power brokers.  If that sounds strange, it is strange.  But the director Ari Aster makes strange movies of various types which audiences either love or hate.  No rebirth here.  Just a totally original movie that twists the Western  genre into knots, with excellent casting and locations and offbeat ideas.  My idea of a worthwhile trip to the movies.
• I Know What You Did Last Summer
  

  I am not certain whether this is a reboot or a sequel or a money grab in the fashion of Halloween’s rebirth which was a great financial success (so is the current Jurassic Park Rebirth, I just wanted to throw that in if you don’t mind).  Anyway this is a great weekend for movies with the release of a family film Smurfs (this might be a rebirth) and Eddington which is definitely not a rebirth, and this slasher classic along with the big summer three, Superman and Jurassic Park Rebirth (I love that title) and F1 (the best of the bunch for adults).
• Superman
  

  Written By Michael Harris
  It feels like DC films have constantly been testing the waters lately. Due to the company’s many box office flops in recent years, DC decided that it would be in their best interests to reboot the franchise under James Gunn and Peter Safran. Superman plays it safe and uses what they know will work. With high stakes, honorable characters, and incredible graphics, the viewer is compelled to be invested in the story and its characters. However, the would-be dramatic scenes are undercut by the feeling that they were specifically made for the trailers, the main characters are seemingly one-dimensional even among moral dilemmas, and many subplots feel like they were cut. Still, Superman (2025) has a sort of originality that impresses me, even though its characters have been reused for decades. Overall, Superman is definitely a worthwhile watch for new and old fans alike as DC starts its new chapter.
• Jurassic World: Rebirth
  

  Written by Michael Harris
  Hollywood is no longer about risks. Its new blueprint for success is to make a sequel, spinoff, or a new film by a popular director. Unique ideas will never make the cut. People enjoy seeing large scale dinosaurs and the Jurassic Park franchise is the only series with a large enough budget to do this. Jurassic World: Rebirth continues the formula with entertaining dinosaur chases and jump scares, without being too gory for the family. However, it tries to make too many characters complex, resulting in none of their subplots feeling very meaningful. The film seems to combine two different plots just to fulfill a long run time, which prevents any creative ending from being made. Everything is predictable in this movie, and logical fallacies are made just to make the story work. However, it is a Jurassic Park movie, and sometimes knowing what you are going into prevents disappointment.
• F1
  

  Written by Michael Harris
  F1 does not recreate the wheel but refines it. It takes the successful pieces of other franchises and joins them together in order to appeal to a wide audience. The protagonist, Sunny Hayes (Brad Pitt), fills a John Wick archetype, where his growth to become the best at what he does is not shown, but left to imagination in the form of a legacy. Because the film was by the director of Top Gun Maverick, it was given the technical tools to make it appear accurate to real life Formula 1 racing. However, the movie still feels unrealistic due to its downplaying of the dangers of racing and a predictable story. Filled with unnecessary subplots and a long two and a half hour run time, F1 loses most of its emotional impact, but is still an overall good action movie that is worth watching.
• Megan 2
  

  The first Megan was interesting and enjoyable.  Automated Ai Megan evolved into an almighty terror in believable ways always leading up to this inevitable sequel that looks a lot like Chucky 2.  That is sad.  
• Elio
  

  Written By Michael Harris
  Greatness cannot be forced. Simple ideas become great successes as they grow in complexity through their authenticity and originality. Elio plays by the rules and therefore does not take the risks required to become a cult classic film. However, the movie uses all of its tools in the toolbox to try to create compelling characters. It succeeds, but spends so much time in character development that the plot is diminished and characters don’t feel real. No real consequences are caused by mistakes and every person is more like personifications of ideas, which, while flawed, play into the magical theme of the film. The humor, while missing Pixar’s usual adult jokes, does land and makes Eilo very enjoyable. Overall, even though it is not deeply complex, Eilo is a compelling movie that is emotional and entertaining for the family.
• The Life of Chuck
  

  Written By Michael Harris
  No masterpiece is ordinary. If “masterpiece” is searched on Google, many well-known pieces of art will appear. However, none of them are perfect, photorealistic paintings. Instead, they challenge expectations in a flawed way. The Life of Chuck does exactly this. It jumps from one time period to another, moving back from the end of the world from the perspective of a teacher to the preteen years of some seemingly random person’s life, Chuck’s life. The movie seems to tell random stories with no obvious purpose as if the movie has an unlimited run time. However, the quality of this film is entirely open to interpretation. Just like any Stephen King story, even though this is not a horror film, the ends justify the means. It feels deeply profound, but in a way that cannot be articulated. The Life of Chuck is an open door to emotional contemplation or disappointment: the choice is yours.
• Materialists
  

  Written by Michael Harris
  I expected Materialists to be a cheesy and lifeless romantic comedy, whose script is as unrealistic as it is bad. However, this is not the case. The movie was more authentic compared to the majority of films I have seen. It does not use unnecessary characters or desperate explanations of themes. Instead, the world seems to fade into the background around the main characters, as the storytelling brings their emotions and inner dialogue to life. Fairy tale superficial love is exposed, as love’s paradoxal, undefinable aspect is revealed in a wildly entertaining way. More questions than answers are asked about love in Materialists. This is the one movie I have seen that could make a person a new fan of romantic comedies. I would highly recommend it.
• How to Train Your Dragon (2025)
  

  The animated original was a treat.  It kept my attention with a good story and good visuals.  I am not big on family film critiques. If the movie has good intentions, not just a money grab, then it deserves to be left alone by adults.  Let the kids decide.  Anyway I will let the kids decide on this one which is a live action version of the original   
• From the World of John Wick: Ballerina
  

  Written by Michael Harris

  When a franchise is successful, it never wants to end. However, at one point or another it needs to reset itself. From the World of John Wick: Ballerina, is the series’s new direction. Following the same story structure, it has many improvised weapons, gory kills, a fight with the right-hand man, and the overall themes of vengeance and consequences. Yet, Ballerina is not John Wick. She does not fight as gritty, relying more on the explosives permitted by the movie’s large budget, rather than being an unstoppable force. Her speech does not demand respect like John Wick’s, but still sends the viewer on an emotional rollercoaster. In conclusion, Ballerina is a flawed but recommended movie for John Wick fans but I would not recommend it as someone’s introduction to the franchise.
• The Phoenician Scheme
  

  Written by Michael Harris
  The Phoenician Scheme is a Wes Anderson film, making it especially difficult to talk about. His films are focused on quirky humor, visually appealing scenes, and complex characters, creating a niche but faithful fan base. The visuals of this movie do not disappoint that feel natural and exotic at the same time, making it seemingly compelling. However, all the depth of the characters are undermined by an unorthodox humor that was as unfunny as the pre-movie commercials. The Phoenician Scheme does not make the common mistake of trying too hard to make the viewer care about the characters, but it does not try enough to fully support the actors’ impressive performances. In conclusion, this film is excellent at taking the viewer into a different world, but is no masterpiece.
• Karate Kid: Legends
  

  W@ritten by summer intern Michael Harris
  The Karate Kid franchise, starting with the nostalgic cult classic, had some high and low points with its greatest successes being The Karate Kid (1984) and The Karate Kid (2010). Because of this, the franchise decided to unite its fans by intertwining the two families through a new protagonist, named Li Fong, who grew up with Kung Fu but needs to learn Karate to fight in an American tournament. A good film doesn’t just pull at your heartstrings, but plays them like a harp. Karate Kid: Legends tries extremely hard to do this, but it was unable to fit all it wanted to in a two hour window, resulting in flat character development and a predictable plot. However, what it could include was done very well. This is a movie with outstanding actors, some comedic relief, and fight choreography, making it a worthwhile watch for anyone who likes an underdog story.
• Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning
  

  Tom Cruise is a brute.   In his Mission Impossible movies his stunt work really is impossible.  The movies themselves have deteriorated over time, but the action is young Jackie Chan but with millions of dollars in preparation and invention backing up every death defying moment.  This “final” impossible and the one before ir are more than I can handle though I am sure I will leave the theater in awe of an old man astounding us all.
• The Surfer
  

  Another Nick Cage movie comes out of nowhere.  And I am glad.  Cage continues to step up to the plate and hit homers in movie after movie surrounded by young filmmakers all putting forth maximum efforts creating low budget genre hybrids.  I could tell you a little bit about this movie but, as always, the less you know the better.
• 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.