CHICAGO – Got an act? Got a camera phone to record it? Then YippieFest wants you! The fourth annual Theater, Music, Film, Comedy and Performance festival is doing what all the hep cats are doing, going online and virtual to keep everyone safe (details closer to the actual dates of YippieFest, August 14-16, 2020).
HollywoodChicago.com Movie Reviews
‘The Secret Life of Pets 2’ Feels More Like a Cat Nap Than Catnip
Submitted by JonHC on June 14, 2019 - 4:55am Rating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – As a pet owner, I know firsthand that I want an exciting life for my guinea pigs. When I’m off at work, I’d like to think that they throw parties or have some sort of hangouts with other guinea pigs or pets in the area. The alternative being the sad realization that they are stuck in their cage while I’m away, probably bored out of their little minds. “The Secret Life of Pets” franchise continues to brings the fantasy to life, even if the sequel feels too tame.
Boot This Reboot of ‘Men In Black International’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on June 13, 2019 - 10:48pm Rating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “Men in Black International” is less a reboot than a frantic attempt at CPR for the once viable franchise … which never should have made it to a fourth installment. That’s not to say this is totally unwatchable. But it’s a kind of okay not-that-great-not-that-awful iteration which neither reminds us why we liked the series in the first place nor has much of a reason to exist.
‘Dark Phoenix’ Rises Above Typical Comic Book Action
Submitted by PatrickMcD on June 5, 2019 - 10:30am- 20th Century Fox
- Beast
- Dark Phoenix
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- James McAvoy
- Jean Grey
- Jennifer Lawrence
- Jessica Chastain
- Magneto
- Marvel Entertainment
- Michael Fassbender
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- Nicholas Hoult
- Patrick McDonald
- Professor X
- Quicksilver
- Raven
- Simon Kinberg
- Sophie Turner
- Tye Sheridan
- Walt Disney Pictures
 Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Leave it to Marvel Entertainment to produce another “marvel-ous” take on their angst-ridden superhero characters. The latest X-Men film, called the last of this series, is “Dark Phoenix,” and it contains comic book action that is unprecedented for its originality and sheer power. It’s another winner.
Melodrama Mire in ‘Godzilla: King of the Monsters’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on June 1, 2019 - 9:59amRating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Everyone’s favorite city-flattening radioactive reptile, “Godzilla: King of the Monsters,” gets stuck in a mire of third-rate-TV-network domestic melodrama in this disappointing follow up to the thrilling 2014 reboot. But before I roar about the many ways this misbegotten miscreant messes up, let’s throw a few pebbles of praise.
Elton John Bio ‘Rocketman’ Doesn’t Deliver
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 31, 2019 - 10:31amRating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – As a wee lad, one of the first records I bought was Elton John’s Greatest Hits. The album was magnificent, each song expressing the very emotion it sought to deliver. With that basis in mind, I approached John’s biopic “Rocketman” with a hope of deliverance. It felt flatter than a pancake under a steam roller.
Exploring an Inverse Superman Makes ‘Brightburn’ Shine
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 25, 2019 - 4:31am Rating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The opening to the 1950s “Adventures of Superman” TV series includes the words “strange visitor from another planet.” But because Supes had used his subsequent powers for good, he eventually was found not so strange. What if, however, he had been evil, and used his powers destructively? The new film “Brightburn” speculates on such a phenomenon.
‘Aladdin’ Remake Doesn’t Live Up to Animated Source
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 23, 2019 - 6:42pm Rating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The Walt Disney Studio (cash) obsession with turning their animated film hits to live action movies continues this Memorial Day weekend with “Aladdin,” which adapts the 1992 classic. What worked in 2018 with “Beauty and the Beast” falls flat with this title, because the animated version plays better.
‘John Wick 3 Parabellum’ is More Bang For Your Buck
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 17, 2019 - 9:54amRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – I must admit that upon initial viewing, I didn’t care much for the original “John Wick” film. Coming as it did in the post “Taken” wave of old guy revenge thrillers, I found it to be stylish but supremely silly nonsense, since it was the death of puppy as the spark that lit the fuse. However as time has gone by, John Wick has grown on me.
‘Poms’ Stumbles and Fumbles Through a Stale, Familiar Routine
Submitted by JonHC on May 13, 2019 - 6:07pm Rating: 1.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – There is an undeniable amount of skill and talent that goes into cheerleading. I happen to be rhythmically challenged so I am in awe of anyone, regardless of age, who can keep a beat while doing any sort of choreography. “Poms” promised to keep in step with a fresh premise, an all-star cast, and a new perspective on this tried-and-true genre but it tumbles along the way.
Predictable, Unfunny ‘The Hustle’ Has No Game
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 10, 2019 - 6:53amRating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – As the “Oceans Eight” remake of last year proved, it is simply not enough to redo a film and flip the gender focus. Anne Hathaway may be the kiss of death for this genre, as she appeared both in O8 and the current “The Hustle,” which in turn is a remake of “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” (1988). Rebel Wilson, doing what Rebel Wilson does, portrays her sidekick.
‘Pokémon Detective Pikachu’ is Family Fun for All
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 9, 2019 - 11:27am Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Let’s face it. If you’re not already obsessed with Pokémon, or the parent of someone who is, you’re not likely to land in a darkened theater with “Detective Pikachu” on the marquee. But for any newbies who happen to walk in, there are a few pleasures in this big budget kid friendly blockbuster.
History & Culture Co-Exist in Exemplary ‘The White Crow’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 5, 2019 - 8:31pmRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – In any ear for pop culture, the name Rudolf Nureyev is well known. A Soviet Russian-born ballet virtuoso nicknamed “Lord of the Dance,” RN lived large until he died, of complications due to AIDS at age 54 in 1993. But before that, he was born into poverty, danced into fame, and historically defected to the West in 1961. “The White Crow,” a new film directed by Ralph Fiennes, tells his story.
'Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile' Unfortunately Lives Up to Its Name
Submitted by JonHC on May 4, 2019 - 4:14pm Rating: 1.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Hearing the details of tragic stories, we often find it hard to understand how they got into that situation in the first place, especially since all the red flags are so obvious to us. “I’d never be so dumb,” we tell ourselves. “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile” takes us through how easy it is to miss something that we’ve never truly seen.
