 |
| Dwayne Johnson stars in Baywatch |
From our friend, Arch Campbell...
The Lost City of Z - 4 Stars. Classic film epic based on the life of British explorer Percy Fawcett and his obsession with the Amazon. A grand experience with echoes of "Heart of Darkness" and "Lost Horizon."
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 - 3½ Stars. Delightful follow-up to the original summer blockbuster action movie starring Chris Pratt. Funny, ironic and a lot of fun.
 |
| Arch with Will Ferrell & Zach Galifianakis (r) |
Get Out - 3½ Stars. Breakthrough satire/comedy/horror tale. Black kid visits white girlfriend's secluded home, and suspects something weird. Comic Jordan Peele directs with a sure hand.
Their Finest - 3½ Stars. A young woman comes of age during the World War II London Blitz as a script writing working on morale boosting government films. A winning mix of oddballs and romance, amidst the daily threat of death.
Norman - 3 Stars. Richard Gere as a New York sharpie. A brilliant character study in the style of "Being There," about a guy who just has to be in the action, and the price he pays,once he gets in it.
Snatched - 3 Stars. Amy Schumer teams with Goldie Hawn as a daughter & mother, kidnapped in the jungle. The laugh-out-loud moments come early and often. Usually "R" rated and great fun.
I Am Not Your Negro - 3 Stars. James Baldwin’s haunting writings brought to life with the voice of Samuel Jackson.
The Lovers - 2½ Stars. Inspiring story of three brilliant black women who faced prejudice and gender discrimination working in the space program in 1961. They kept John Glenn aloft.
Gifted - 2½ Stars. Family custody drama over a math prodigy. The kid is cute; but the story's familiar. and I didn't buy the resolution.
Going in Style - 2½ Stars. Better-than-expected remake of 1979 George Burns comedy, with Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, and Alan Arkin as angry senior citizens, turned bank robbers.
Paris Can Wait - 2 Stars. Diane Lane travels the French countryside with Arnaud Viard, while her husband (Alec Baldwin) goes to Budapest for business. Will she or won't she?
The Zookeeper's Wife - 2 Stars. A Warsaw family uses their zoo to protect Jewish refugees during the Nazi reign. Falls short of better Holocaust stories.
Worst New Bet > Baywatch - 1 Star. Weak comedy, based on the 1990s TV show. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson can't save this weak script.
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword - 1 Star. Exhausting King Arthur "origin" story goes long on special effects and CGI monsters, and short on good storytelling.
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.
