Movie reviews of The Massie Twins

Licorice Pizza is an enormously entertaining, touching journey, with an unwaveringly feel-good vibe. Review

The notions of identity and individuality are fascinating. Still, some of the surprises toward the finale are nearly laughable in their coincidental extremes... Review

The premise that bridges and addresses the overabundance of prior Spider-Man pictures is moderately amusing, getting the band back together to some extent for an entertaining exercise in second chances. Review

The plot progression and personas are so formulaic that it’s all merely a collection of obvious good guys and bad guys, futilely pit against one another without much of a goal other than to stir up trouble and then to quell it. Review

Fortunately, despite the depressing yet levelheaded viewpoint on the current sociopolitical climate, there are moments of humor that work, including several excellent comic-relief performances, namely by Jonah Hill and Mark Rylance as a nepotistic appointee and a tech tycoon, respectively. Review

It is intermittently funny, however, thanks to writer/director Aaron Sorkin’s skill with witty insults and rapid-fire retorts. But clever verbiage isn’t enough to overcome the dismal qualities of fame and fortune failing to provide Lucy and Desi with happiness, revealing that their delightfully pleasing show obscured a wealth of infighting, unfaithfulness, and a deteriorating marriage. Review

The story, an urban twist on Romeo and Juliet, remains amusing (familiar as it is), as do the catchy tunes, frequently embellished by fast, energetic, splashy dance routines. Review

Cyrano is an exceptional romantic drama, relying on the strength of its characters and premise to remain effective, regardless of the impact of the musical additives. Review

Sadly, the setting is too straightforward and grounded for del Toro to infuse much of his signature styling – though the carnival sets and the foggy atmosphere are appropriate milieus for the foreboding activities of deception and destruction. Review

Sadly, although this story is unexpectedly macabre and sinister, the finale is easily guessable and better fit for a Twilight Zone episode than a feature-length production, marking this effort as a moderately memorable curio – but far from an indelible film noir classic. Review

Sadly, the end result isn’t a memorable film as much as it’s merely a memorable performance – and a clever closing scene (even if the romantic pairing isn’t the least bit convincing) – neither of which can make up for the blandness of the supplementary content. Review

Much like the real JR’s life so far, this movie is tremendously inconsequential and almost infuriatingly simple. Review

It’s undoubtedly entertaining to revisit the Ghostbusters franchise, especially with an attention to visual and character authenticity, but the end result here is too much familiarity and not enough innovation. Review

Red Notice” proceeds to follow a pattern like an absurd The Defiant Ones merged with a slapstick Indiana Jones knock-off and the very worst parts of Sherlock Holmes, embellished with nonsensically convenient solutions to ridiculously laborious tasks. Review

It’s an epic picture, predating the action-packed likes of Ben-Hur and Spartacus, though its centered around drama more than excitement, most apparent at the climax. But the love story is what is most absorbing, similarly amplified by heroic sacrifices of individual happiness for the greater good. Review

The picture is smartly paced, well constructed, and doesn’t overstay its welcome. In its study of writing, communication, and understanding the filmmakers have transformed a small collection of actors and locations into something notably grand. Review

To go with the continually engaging look of the film is a spectacularly creative script, brimming with humor and a buoyant lunacy. Review

The film is also exceptionally funny, buoyed by keen scripting, light slapstick, and joyous performances. Review

The way this story is shaped and designed leaves plenty to be desired; most of the characters are extremely generic, while the plot is terribly straightforward. Review

The end result is simple yet cinematic, unrealistic yet effectively fanciful, combining eventide action, a genuinely suspenseful rescue and showdown, and a charming finale. Review

By the end of it all (which takes a long time to reach, considering the colossal length), the unexplained powers and the utter lack of definitions surrounding the stars and their opponents lends to the feeling that solutions and resolutions are made up on the spot. Review

The film isn’t dull; there’s something absorbing about the most basic notion of warring factions vying for superiority over resources and civilians. Review

The French Dispatch is a terribly funny, intermittently tender, tremendously pleasant work. Review

It’s difficult to fully appreciate (and judge) a piece of a story as anything other than the fragment that it is, even if Villeneuve’s acumen for visual imaginativeness is extraordinarily spellbinding. Review