“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” is a visual feast
At one point in the movie, we’re told that “anyone can wear the mask.” And that transcends not just in the story of young Miles Morales but also in the manner in which Sony Pictures presented Phil Lord’s vision for the webslinger we’ve all grown to love. “Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse” is a complete surprise […]
“Johnny English Strikes Again” brings the same old laughs
More than a decade after ditching the cute teddy bear and donning the sleek suit as the secret agent Johnny English, Rowan Atkinson is back for the third outing of the spy-comedy franchise in “Johnny English Strikes Again” where he relives his role as the hapless and lucky-unlucky British intelligence agent. After a terrible cyber […]
“A Star Is Born” is close to perfection
Remakes can be tricky because you’re more likely going to be compared to their predecessors. It would require a lot of guts to sprinkle your own magic movie dust to avoid being referred to as the “remake of that classic movie.” Bradley Cooper proved he had that with his directorial debut, “A Star Is Born.” […]
“Venom” is not as bad as most people think
Let’s make one thing clear before I start talking about Ruben Fleischer’s “Venom”: it doesn’t suck. In fact, it’s one of the more entertaining Marvel films of late. That doesn’t mean, however, that it warrants a 4 or 5-star rating. This is where it gets really interesting. I am even unsure of what to feel […]
“Night School” is hilarious, thanks to Tiffany Hadish
There’s always a second chance for someone who’s willing to go through shit. That’s basically what Malcolm Lee’s “Night School” is about. The movie follows Teddy Walker (Kevin Hart), a highschool dropout who has huge dreams. He’s doing really well working as a barbecue grill salesman–he drives a Porsche, lives in a duplex, and dates […]
Formidable writing makes “Smallfoot” one of the best animated movies today
What’s great about writer-director Karey Kirkpatrick’s child-friendly film “Smallfoot” is that it doesn’t give any false promises of grandeur but delivers more than what you were hoping for. I have to admit that, at first, there was no excitement whatsoever for the movie. What’s to rave about a group of yetis, right? I’ve seen more […]
“The House with a Clock in its Walls” lacks gore but it’s a good thing
The year was 1955 and a young orphan, Lewis (Owen Vaccaro), is on the way to New Zebedee, Michigan to live with his uncle Jonathan, who has a little secret hidden inside the walls of his creepy house. An outcast at school, Lewis tries to fit in by befriending Tarby (Sunny Suljic), who happens to […]
“Sol Searching” is funny but will sear your consciousness
One should always scratch the surface to get to the bottom of things. This is one of my key takeaways from Roman Perez Jr.’s entry to To Farm Film Festival, “Sol Searching.” This dark comedy about the plight of teacher Lorelei and student Bugoy as they try to find a place to put Teacher Sol’s […]
“Kauyagan” is great to listen to but hard to watch
Next in line to becoming the chieftain, a reluctant Piyo makes a sudden decision to reject his birth right and duty, much to his tribe’s dismay. He disappears from the lives of the Talaandig tribe. Unknown to them, Piyo was incarcerated for a crime he didn’t commit. Armed only with his love for music and […]
“Mga Anak ng Kamote” is (initially) a technical masterpiece
Secluded in the mountains, Iyong (Katrina Halili) religiously tends to her sweet potatoes along with her husband Banong (Alex Medina). As the sole means of their livelihood, the couple works diligently to protect the crop from an unseen wild boar, which is introduced to us in the opening scene. Set in 2048, “Mga Anak Ng […]