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Movies

Solo: A Star Wars Story

Solo: A Star Wars Story

This is what happens when you sell your franchise to Disney. Oh, there’s nothing really wrong with it as unnecessary prequels go, but it will appeal most to moviegoers who really, really needed to see more space battles and weird aliens, and were absolutely dying for the origin stories of Han Solo and Chewbacca (and […]

American Assassin

American Assassin

After his fiancée is gunned down by terrorists in the initially happy opening scene (saw that coming), a young man signs up for counterterrorism lessons from a former Navy Seal (a scene-stealing Michael Keaton). With its exploitative, increasingly ludicrous plot every bit as unimaginative as the title, and its seizure-inducing machismo, this ultraviolent, generic Little […]

Z for Zachariah

Z for Zachariah

A woman (Margo Robbie) surviving on her own in a post-apocalyptic world seemingly devoid of other humans rescues a passing scientist (Chiwetel Ejiofor). Possibly the last two people on Earth, they have formed a tenuous bond by the time a second stranger appears (Chris Pine) and the inevitable triangle takes shape. As the story quietly […]

Winchester

Winchester

The San Jose tourist attraction Winchester Mystery House is a sprawling collection of architectural oddities, built with no apparent master plan by the mad widow of the rifle maker. Of course it’s inevitably rumored to be haunted by the spirits of those killed by the gun maker’s guns. Australia’s Spierig brothers (who made the vastly […]

Brigsby Bear

Brigsby Bear

And now for something unabashedly different. The 20-something James (“SNL”’s Kyle Mooney) was kidnapped as an infant and raised in a sealed desert biodome. His only connection to “reality” has been a cheesy kids’ TV show his parents produced for him as a teaching tool. When this man-child is finally rescued, he decides he cannot […]

Mom and Dad

Mom and Dad

“Family Feud” taken to a whole new level

Maze Runner: The Death Cure

Maze Runner: The Death Cure

Enough with the YA dystopia stuff

24 Hours to Live

24 Hours to Live

Macho baloney

Mine

Mine

Like 127 hours, but without being interesting

Last Flag Flying

Last Flag Flying

Slyly subversive anti-war dramedy

Wonder

Wonder

Perfunctory compassion

You Were Never Really Here

You Were Never Really Here

Transcendent revenge thriller