CHICAGO – In anticipation of the scariest week of the year, HollywoodChicago.com launches its 2024 Movie Gifts series, which will suggest DVDs and collections for holiday giving.
HollywoodChicago.com Movie Reviews
The Tumbling Delicacy of Life in ‘Blindspotting’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on July 20, 2018 - 11:17am Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – How can we understand the day-to-day factors of men and women who continued to be judged by their skin color, economic circumstances, difficult jobs or gender fluidity, if we are not any of those categories? Our art can help us, as given a great example in the new film “Blindspotting.”
‘Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again’ is a Bubbly Musical
Submitted by PatrickMcD on July 20, 2018 - 10:26am Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – I give in. “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again,” the sequel to the much derided “Mamma Mia,” is a bubbly, frothy here-come-the-good-times musical that fits summer like a glove. The flashback format will also answer all the burning questions that were left unanswered from the first film, and the cast includes Cher!
Excess & Dwayne Johnson is How ‘Skyscraper’ Works
Submitted by PatrickMcD on July 13, 2018 - 4:02pm Rating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The Dwayne Johnson formula is what it is, as it seems for about three to five films a year. A disaster strikes, but the Johnson character has loved ones among the victims, and in his background (military, police, mercenary) there is enough expertise to rescue them. “Skyscraper” is the latest.
Pungent & Trippy Satire in ‘Sorry to Bother You’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on July 9, 2018 - 8:47amRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – If the film “Get Out” was a shot across the bow in satirizing black and white skin relationships, then “Sorry to Bother You” is a freaking Tomahawk missile. It’s about the time, the space and the state of the human race, which comes to a crescendo of wild and untamed proportions.
‘Leave No Trace’ is Emblematic of Our Times
Submitted by PatrickMcD on July 6, 2018 - 3:41pmRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The temptation to “drop out” must weigh heavily on the minds of many Americans on a daily basis. “Leave No Trace” views this phenomenon through a prism of many factors, including materialism and mental illness. Ben Foster and Thomasin McKenzie are a father/daughter duo who drop out, then tune in.
Truth Upstages Fiction Again in ‘Three Identical Strangers’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on July 6, 2018 - 9:58amRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The eternal debate of what affects human development more, our nature or our nurturing, opens up again in the wild story of “Three Identical Strangers,” a new documentary about triplets who were separated at birth, only to discover each other by chance and uncover some difficult truths about that separation.
‘Ant-Man and The Wasp’ is Abuzz with Laughs & Shrinkage
Submitted by PatrickMcD on July 4, 2018 - 9:55pmRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Gag writers, it’s time to head to Marvel Studios. Apparently the direction their superhero franchises are going for is laughs. “Ant-Man and the Wasp” is a prime example… the second film in the “Ant-Man” series amps up the humor, priming a hero that can go super small or massive. Go ask Alice, I think she’ll know.
‘The First Purge’ is Nothing But Tedious Trash
Submitted by PatrickMcD on July 3, 2018 - 6:37pm Rating: 1.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – I saw the original “The Purge” five years ago, but missed the other two installments. Let me say that nothing in the new prequel “The First Purge” makes me want to make up for lost time and catch up. The setup is the same… one night of legalized violence each year where the citizens are allowed to do whatever they want without the fear of prosecution.
'Sicario: Day of the Soldado' Ripped From Headlines
Submitted by PatrickMcD on June 30, 2018 - 10:47amRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – We don’t really know what is going on at the Mexican border, nor if we’re lucky understand the desperation in crossing over. “Sicario: Day of the Soldado” is a cynical and sad film, but gives a bit of perspective on the this ongoing situation, especially as it deflates the current presidential administration.
‘Uncle Drew’ Scores Points as a Feel Good Film
Submitted by PatrickMcD on June 29, 2018 - 10:04amRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Sometimes, you just want to escape to the surreal “Land of The Feel Good,” where all relationships work themselves out and all results are victorious. “Uncle Drew” is that film for this pre-holiday weekend, and although this basketball comedy is not a slam dunk, it certainly hits several heart-and-soul points.
‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’ is Classic Jurassic
Submitted by PatrickMcD on June 22, 2018 - 4:10pm- b.d. wong
- Bryce Dallas Howard
- Chris Pratt
- Citizen Kane
- Danielle Pineda
- Geraldine Chaplin
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- Jurassic Park: Fallen Kingdom
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Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – For a franchise celebrating its 25th Anniversary, with three original films and on its second reboot, the dinosaurs-living-on-modern-earth dynamic would pretty much be played out. But after a shallow first reboot, “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” takes on a more classical approach, and returns to form.
John Travolta Captures the Life & Times of ‘Gotti’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on June 16, 2018 - 3:21pmRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Probably the last classic era of romanticized organized crime (mafia, mob, etc.) in New York City was the reign of John Gotti… the high profile boss of the Gambino family from 1986-1992. Nicknamed both the Dapper Don and Teflon Don (because of his ability to avoid prosecution), he is brought back to life by John Travolta in the sparely titled “Gotti.”
‘Incredibles 2’ is a Sequel That Returns for Fine Fun
Submitted by PatrickMcD on June 15, 2018 - 4:59pmRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – If you liked Pixar Animation’s original “The Incredibles” of 14 years ago, then you’ll find a lot to like with this sequel, which puts these “supers” back in their suits for another go around to save the world. The action in “Incredibles 2” picks up almost immediately after the original film left off.
