CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Dan Baker on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on March 21st, 2024, reviewing the new streaming series “Manhunt” – based on the bestseller by James L. Swanson – currently streaming on Apple TV+.
Spike Walters
Strong Cast Makes ‘Bad Moms’ Good for Some Laughs
Submitted by PatrickMcD on July 29, 2016 - 8:55amRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “Bad Moms” is another raunchy women behaving badly comedy that never met a curse word it didn’t like. But I’ll say this for ‘Bad Moms,’ it’s rebellion comes from a relatable place. What parent hasn’t wondered if they were in some way failing their children in some way by failing to live up to our pinterest levels of perfection?
‘The Secret Life of Pets’ Neuters Promising Cast
Submitted by PatrickMcD on July 8, 2016 - 7:31am- Albert Brooks
- Bobby Moynihan
- brian lynch
- chris renaud
- Cinco Paul
- Dana Carvey
- Ellie Kemper
- eric stonestreet
- Hannibal Buress
- HollywoodChicago.com Content
- Jenny Slate
- Ken Daurio
- Kevin Hart
- Lake Bell
- Louis C.K.
- Movie Review
- Spike Walters
- Steve Coogan
- The Secret Life of Pets
- Universal Pictures
- yarrow cheney
Rating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – A promising voice cast of comedy greats is effectively neutered in the blasé animated family film “The Secret Life Of Pets.” It doesn’t have the multi-layered story of the best Pixar movies – or even the “Despicable Me” films – to satisfy both kids and grownups. The bigger it tries to be, the more exhausted it seems.
‘Finding Dory’ Essentially Finds Its Sweet Spot
Submitted by PatrickMcD on June 16, 2016 - 3:06pmRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Pixar’s sequel to its underwater animated tearjerker “Finding Nemo” isn’t quite in the same league, but “Finding Dory” is satisfying all the same. This time the story focuses on Marlin and Nemo’s forgetful friend Dory, as she searches for the family she can’t quite remember.
‘Warcraft’ Tries, But Eventually Has Got No Game
Submitted by PatrickMcD on June 10, 2016 - 8:22amRating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The best that can be said for the video game adaptation “Warcraft” is that it’s not the incoherent, CGI heavy and Michael-Bay-type nightmare it could have been. It’s still somewhat incoherent – full of computer generated cannon fodder – but I am surprised and happy to report it did not induce any headaches, even in pointless 3D.
Pointless Trip Back to ‘Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 19, 2016 - 11:20pm- andrew j. cohen
- beanie feldstein
- brendan o'brien
- Chloe Grace Moretz
- Christopher Mintz-Plasse
- Dave Franco
- Evan Goldberg
- Hannibal Buress
- HollywoodChicago.com Content
- ike barinholtz
- jerrod carmichael
- Kiersey Clemons
- Movie Review
- Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising
- Nicholas Stoller
- Rose Byrne
- Selena Gomez
- Seth Rogen
- Spike Walters
- Universal Pictures
- Zac Efron
Rating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The original “Neighbors” was a funny enough movie, that still boasted at least a couple of big laughs. “Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising” only manages the occasional chuckle here and there. As far as big budget studio comedy sequels go, it’s not as bad as “The Hangover 2.” It’s more in line with “Ghostbusters 2”.
Marvel Studios Reaches New Heights in Satisfying ‘Captain America: Civil War’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 5, 2016 - 9:10pm- Anthony Mackie
- Captain America: Civil War
- Chadwick Boseman
- Chris Evans
- christopher marcus
- Daniel Bruhl
- Don Cheadle
- Elizabeth Olsen
- emily van camp
- HollywoodChicago.com Content
- Jeremy Renner
- Marvel Studios
- Movie Review
- Paul Bettany
- Paul Rudd
- robert downey jr
- scarlett johanssen
- Sebastian Stan
- Spike Walters
- stephen mcfeeley
- Tom Holland
- Walt Disney Pictures
- William Hurt
Rating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “Captain America: Civil War” is more of an “Avengers” movie than it is a Captain America movie. But that’s okay because this is easily the best Avengers movie Marvel Studios has ever made, and it also might be the best movie the studio has ever made.
‘The Jungle Book’ is a Technical Marvel Missing Some Magic
Submitted by PatrickMcD on April 15, 2016 - 7:57amRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – While Disney Studios’ new live action version of “The Jungle Book” is an improvement over the 1967 animated version, it’s more of a technical marvel than magical fable. And it’s unable to completely transcend the earlier version’s limitations.
Melissa McCarthy Really Proves She is ‘The Boss’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on April 9, 2016 - 9:34amRating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – If anything, “The Boss” is a bigger testimony to Melissa McCarthy’s status as a comic superpower than her breakthrough role in “Bridesmaids.” That one had a veritable treasure trove of comedic talent, while McCarthy has considerably less to work with here.
‘10 Cloverfield Lane’ is a Dull Detour to a Dead End
Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 11, 2016 - 10:31pmRating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – With “10 Cloverfield Lane,” Producer J.J. Abrams attempts a classic bait and switch on his audience. The name and the tagline suggest a connection to Abrams found footage monster movie, 2008’s “Cloverfield.” But in all honesty, this film has very little to do with the events of that movie.
‘Zootopia’ is an Odd But Endearing Disney Animated Film
Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 4, 2016 - 6:09amRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Walt Disney Studio’s latest animated extravaganza is best viewed as a child’s introduction to the buddy cop movie, since you can’t exactly start a toddler on “Midnight Run” or “Lethal Weapon 2.” But in this case it’s a bunny cop movie.