Oh, man are the Bronies mad at me for my review of the “My Little Pony” movie. Sorry, my dudes, but it is not good. It’s like eating a giant bag of Skittles, then throwing it all up in a fit of sugar-induced nausea. So if you’re down for that, have...
Read more
Reviews
Revisiting The Sound of Music
That ear-splitting, glass-shattering sound you hear is me, yodeling. I’ve been doing it for the past several days, ever since I took Nicolas to see “The Sound of Music,” and I can’t stop. It’s fun and it drives my kid nuts, which provides an extra layer of enjoyment. I’ve seen...
Read moreRogerEbert.com — Moana
The latest musical extravaganza from Walt Disney Animation Studios follows the adventures of a young woman who finds her own voice and forges her own identity as she becomes the first female leader of her people. It’s a complete blast with a great message. But for all its thrills, laughs...
Read moreHail, Caesar!
Universal Pictures Rated PG-13 for some suggestive content and smoking. Running time: 106 minutes. Three stars out of four. The Coen brothers — my favorite filmmakers, I should mention at the outset — have always been hit-and-miss when it comes to straight-up comedies. For every “Raising Arizona” or “The Big...
Read morePitch Perfect 2
Universal Pictures Rated PG-13 for innuendo and language. Running time: 114 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four. Stop me if you think you’ve heard this one before. A perky group of college a cappella singers suffers an embarrassing on-stage mishap, then fights to redeem itself and regain...
Read moreWhat the Flick?! — Jimi: All Is By My Side
This is a Jimi Hendrix biography without any Jimi Hendrix music in it. That would sound like a problem, but writer-director John Ridley actually has taken an innovative approach to a famous life. I liked this movie a lot. Alonso was not so impressed....
Read moreWhat the Flick?! — God Help the Girl
Belle & Sebastian singer-songwriter Stuart Murdoch wrote and directed this indie rock musical starring Emily Browning as an escaped mental patient who wanders the streets of Glasgow bursting into song. It’s sometimes awkward but often charming, with an appealing messiness about the production numbers....
Read moreGet on Up
Universal Pictures Rated PG-13 for sexual content, drug use, some strong language and violent situations. Running time: 138 minutes. Three stars out of four. Anyone who knows me well knows of my deep love for the criminally underrated “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story.” We quote lines and sing songs...
Read moreJersey Boys
Warner Bros. Pictures Rated R for language throughout. Running time: 134 minutes. Two stars out of four. The Four Seasons’ music was poppy, frothy, infectious. Clint Eastwood’s movies are moody, weighty, elegant. These two artistic instincts wouldn’t seem to be a good fit for each other, and as it turns...
Read moreWhat the Flick?! — Jersey Boys
Hopefully by the time you watch this, we all will have purged the Four Seasons songs from our brains. They are darn catchy. Clint Eastwood’s film itself, though — while glossy and entertaining — is also rather conventional and safe....
Read more