Movie Theater at South Point
Cinemark Century 16 in Las Vegas

Movie Guru's Current Movie Briefs

• 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.
• 28 Years Later
  

  This may be the end of an apocalyptic trilogy that may stand the test of time.  28 Days Later was an original take on the possible end of humanity as we know it.  It could easily have stood alone as classic horror.  But years later 28 Weeks Later arrived and did not meet the high bar set by the first. Now decades later 28 Years Later arrives and the previews are chilling.  Yes.  It is a good idea to watch the first two before going to this latest.  But no harm going and then deciding if there was enough to send you streaming for the first two.  
• 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.
• The Unholy Trinity
  

  A new Western in movie theaters.  Hallelujah!  Pierce Brosnan who is doing his best work these days on both TV and movies, and Samuel Jackson are two of the unholy three and there is not much I can say about the movie.  The trailer pretty much looks like an old time B western, often the best type of western to see.  No pretensions.  Just a plot, some good locations, a couple of shootouts, and we will all have a good time.  This movie will not bring more Westerns to movie theaters.  Westerns do not lend themselves to sequels which is where the money is.  But I do give the filmmakers credit for actually getting the film into movie theaters instead of the streaming racket.
• 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.
• Bring Her Back
  

  Recently a well regarded horror thriller, Talk to Me, from Danny and Ryan Philippou was released and while fans of this scary movie have been waiting for the sequel, the brothers have released a scarier original, Bring Her Back.  Starring British actress Sally Hawkins, who is definitely in the top tier of actresses, whatever villainy she explores in this film, I want to see it, but I am afraid.
• 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 Last Rodeo
  

  Angel Studios keeps releasing faith based family films that are so much more than concurrent animated mayhem.  Neal McDonough is recognizable, though lightly known.  When he turns up in low budget movies and TV shows, I always find his performances worthy of much larger feature roles.  I look forward to seeing him play this 50 year old retired bull rider making a comeback attempting to win the prize money and save his desperate family.
• Lilo & Stitch
  

  This live action remake of the original animated hit is a no brainer.  And there is good news.  Disney has put an A+ effort into this sure thing, and families will get their money’s worth.
• 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.
• Minecraft
  

  Written by Michael Harris
  A Minecraft Movie is a film children and diehard fans will enjoy. The success of this movie is perhaps the wide audience to which it appeals. Even though Minecraft is old, it is still a household name, easily recognizable for this newer generation. This movie does not have a clear theme with its mix of drama, sentimentality, and juvenile humor unless the balatent emphasis on creativity is counted. Yet, A Minecraft Movie does not play itself too seriously and is focused more on being an amusing tribute to a legendary game than a masterpiece. Even though A Minecraft Movie was criticised for having the main characters live-action, the film explores a different, creative perspective on Minecraft. However, it is faithful to game mechanics and even includes a reference to the now deceased Minecraft YouTuber Technoblade for long-time fans. Overall, if this movie is understood as nothing ground-breaking, A Minecraft Movie is a definite movie to watch for families and fans.
• 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.