with the strokes of simplicity and unadulterated joy is one we all
deign to indulge in once in a while. And with so many vehicles to quench that thirst so close at hand, we recommend dropping all pretense and just letting the nostalgia wave crash over you in the darkness of the theaters. Stories are here to spark memories of your first love, your transition to adulthood, your successes and failures as a young adult, your first hostage crisis in the White House. Well, maybe not that last one, but hey — everyone’s childhood is different. So what will your (inner) youthful soul choose to see? Let us know in the comments below! Then go bask in the warmth of your lost innocence and squandered naivete.
“Admission.” Directed by
Paul Weitz. Starring Tina Fey, Paul Rudd, Nat Wolff, Gloria Reuben, and Lily Tomlin. Our review: “It’s as if Weitz knows he’s got a corpse of a film on his hands — nevertrust a movie when it feels as though you can see the director clasping
the defibrillator.” Metacritic: 48 Rotten Tomatoes: 44% The Playlist: D+
it’s impressive in many technical and surface ways, ‘The Croods’ lets
us down on the essentials of character and story, and no amount of
late-stage father/daughter bonding or vertiginous 3D cliffside tumbling
can make up for that.” MC: 57 RT: 61% PL: B-/C+
the action sequences are competent, much of the second half of the
movie takes place in the wrecked White House, in diffuse lighting
conditions, which makes for hazy visuals that further obscure the action
sequences’ sense of spatial geography. Worse yet, is that the movie is
so apolitical; there could have been a nice slant to the movie, about
how both sides of the aisle could get together to kick out these Korean
terrorists. Instead, it remains totally void.” MC: 42 RT: 50% PL: C-
from the Stax and Motown catalogues and more, ‘The Sapphires’ has the
potential to be a big audience winner…It never pretends to be more than what is: popcorn entertainment,
with songs, earned laughs and a genuine heart.” MC: 66 RT: 93% PL: C+
whole impresses too. One could argue that originality is not its strong
suit, but it puts together a lot of things we’ve seen before into a
package that perhaps we haven’t, and makes them feel fresh and exciting.” MC: 74 RT: 97% PL: B+
insubstantial pageant,’ too gentle to have any impact, as uncertain of
what it will ultimately be as its young subjects are of themselves.” MC: 46 RT: 56% PL: C
and charmingly unpretentious” and notes, “Hickson and Washington, both
attractive and charismatic enough to be stars, carry the film with an
air of lightweight pleasure, keeping it light and bouncy.” MC: 84 RT: 100% PL: A-
doesn’t seem to inform a perspective beyond a few cheap scares. For
those familiar with the original film, there’s almost nothing to see
here. But given that 99% of this film’s audience will likely never hear
of ‘Who Can Kill A Child?’ [on which ‘Come Out and Play’ is based] it
still won’t seem fresh.” MC: 42 RT: 58% PL: D
that meets expectations dead on, and provides a nifty little story told
with just enough spark to make the familiar feel fresh. If you’ve been
looking for another ‘The Departed‘-esque movie to keep you guessing,
this would be a good place to start.” MC: 58 RT: 67% PL: B
leaped at
the chance to work with Gould, or maybe they paid her in gold doubloons.
Whatever
the case, she deserves better than this tedious effort.” MC: 36 RT: 0% PL: D-
never feels too clumsy or overarching. Instead, it’s a character study
with thriller elements; it exposes you to a horrible underworld without
ever beating you over the head with it.” MC: 67 RT: 79% PL: A-