Andy Samberg stars in Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping |
From our friend, Arch Campbell...
The Jungle Book - 4 Stars. Dazzling Disney live-action update of the classic animated cartoon.
A Bigger Splash - 3½ Stars. Tilda Swinton & Ralph Fiennes comedy-thriller with a jaw dropping Hitchcock-style twist.
Keanu - 3 Stars. Hilarious comedy with Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele as two wimps caught in the middle of a drug war, while trying to retrieve a kitty.
Arch with Will Ferrell & Zach Galifianakis (r) |
The Meddler - 3 Stars. Susan Sarandon drives daughter Rose Byrne crazy, until they both deal with the loss of a love one.
Eye in the Sky - 3 Stars. Helen Mirren as British officer with opportunity to target (i.e. kill) several terrorists with a drone, but what about collateral damage? Gripping.
A Hologram for the King - 3 Stars. Tom Hanks as a wistful middle-aged sales guy trying for a big sale in Saudi Arabia.
Love & Friendship - 3 Stars. Jane Austen adaptation of seductive, conniving Kate Beckinsale looking for a new husband for both her and her daughter.
Best New Opening > Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping - 2 ½ Stars. Music world satire with Andy Samberg as the world's dumbest pop star. Uneven, but often jaw-dropping funny.
The Nice Guys - 2 ½ stars. Private eye comic riff with Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling as hapless detectives, chasing scandal in 1970’s Los Angeles.
Money Monster - 2½ Stars. The financial cable show, hosted by George Clooney & produced by Julia Roberts gets taken over by a gunman demanding answers from Wall Street. Tense and fun to watch, but never feels plausible.
Captain America: Civil War - 2½ Stars. Marvel Comics parade of superheroes. A fan's delight, even when it runs way long.
Maggie's Plan - 2½ Stars. Greta Gerwig falls for Ethan Hawke, who leaves his wife Julianne Moore. Once together, Greta hatches a plan to give him back. Great plot, but talky and not as precious as it thinks.
X-Men: Apocalypse - 2 Stars. Tiresome episode of a worn out series, set in the 80's this time. Argh.
The Boss - 2 Stars. Melissa McCarthy creates an outrageous Donald Trump-like business woman, who lands in jail for insider trading. The first half is a guilty pleasure, but the ending runs out of gas.
Everybody Wants Some!! - 2 Stars. Tiresome college coming-of-age comedy.
The Huntsman: Winter's War - 2 Stars. Prequel to "Snow White" can't quite decide if it's action, comedy or spooky fairy tale.
Mother's Day - 1 Star. Garry Marshall cranks out another sentimental comedy drama, and tries to sell it with actresses Jennifer Aniston & Julia Roberts.
Visit Arch's website for his (unrivaled) take on movies. He remains the only other (we're not self-hating) critic, whose opinion we admire and respect.'