War for the Planet of the Apes (2017)

War for the Planet of the Apes (2017)

[8] Matt Reeves (Cloverfield, Let Me In) directs his second installment of the prequel trilogy to the famous sci-fi franchise. War isn't as epic and enthralling as the spectacular Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, but it's still a damn fine conclusion to…
Baby Driver (2017)

Baby Driver (2017)

[8] I was not looking forward to Baby Driver, because I haven't especially cared for any other Edgar Wright movie I've ever seen. (Watching Scott Pilgrim in the theatre with a full house was actually one of the most depressing movie-going experiences…
The Count of Monte Cristo (2002)

The Count of Monte Cristo (2002)

[8] Director Kevin Reynolds (Waterworld, Robin Hood Prince of Thieves) delivers his best effort to date with this telling of Alexandre Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo. Jim Caviezel stars as Edmond Dantes, a man betrayed by his friend Fernand Mondego (Guy…
Grand Canyon (1991)

Grand Canyon (1991)

[8] This ensemble drama from Big Chill director Lawrence Kasdan is perhaps the most metaphor-laden movie I've ever seen. The screenplay (cowritten by Kasdan and his wife, Meg) gets pretentious and overreaching at times, but a well-meaning message and a strong cast…
The Deer Hunter (1978)

The Deer Hunter (1978)

[8] Close-knit friends from a mining community share a harrowing experience during their tour of duty in Vietnam. Michael Cimino's three-hour long film focuses primarily on the aftermath of the ordeal, now one of the most famous scenes in movie history, a…
Beauty and the Beast (1991)

Beauty and the Beast (1991)

[8] Disney goes Broadway in the first animated motion picture ever nominated for a Best Picture Oscar (in the days before they rolled out a separate category for the medium). This version of the classic fairy tale is fueled by power-house songs…
The Lost City of Z (2017)

The Lost City of Z (2017)

[8] Just when I thought good old fashioned escapist adventure storytelling was dead, along comes The Lost City of Z. This movie renewed my faith in movies. I was beginning to think I'd seen the end of grand, romantic films like those directed…
Wonder Woman (2017)

Wonder Woman (2017)

[8] After many failed attempts (here, here, and here) to compete with Marvel by launching their own 'expanded universe', DC has finally pulled their shit together. Wonder Woman works. It works as an origin story for the character, it works as a…
Call Me By Your Name (2017)

Call Me By Your Name (2017)

[10] In picturesque Italy, 1983, a seventeen-year-old boy falls in love with an older man who is working as his father's research assistant. That's it. That's all Call Me By Your Name is about. And it's marvelous. So many other coming-of-age, coming…
Logan (2017)

Logan (2017)

[8] Writer/director James Mangold (3:10 to Yuma, Walk the Line) returns to the X-Men franchise after 2013's The Wolverine and serves up a highly satisfying conclusion for its centerpiece hero. Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart return as Logan/Wolverine and Charles/Professor X, respectively.…