 Rating: 2 out of 5 starsGenre: Action, Adventure, Mystery
Run Time: 2 hours, 10 minutes, Rated PG Starring: George Clooney, Britt Robertson, Hugh Laurie, Raffey Cassidy, Tim McGraw, Kathryn Hahn, Keegan-Michael Key Written by Damon Lindelof, Brad Bird, Jeff Jensen Directed by Brad Bird (The Iron Giant, The Incredibles, Ratatouille, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol) The future ain't what it used to be. Today's vision of the future - in films ranging from Edge of Tomorrow, to Interstellar, to last week's most recent Mad Max film - is often quite bleak. There is usually some man-made catastrophe that creates some kind of disastrous dystopia, where man-kind's very existence is threatened. And while there have always been cautionary fantasies about the future (see George Orwell's 1984 or Fritz Lang's Metropolis), it seems that the 1950s and 1960s offered a much more optimistic view of our impending path...especially if you have ever seen the future through the eyes of Walt Disney. If you've ever been to EPCOT center, you know that Disney saw technology not as a threat, but as a means to advance our growth as a species. Flying cars, video phones, smart-robots and space suits were key elements in his vision of a future that exuded hope, peace and optimism. It is no surprise then, that Walt Disney Pictures' Tomorrowland (opening today), represents everything that would have made Walt proud: His cheerfulness, his positivity, his idealism. And while the Disney brand clearly has millions of faithful enthusiasts, it also has a legion of haters that gag at the squeaky-cleanness of it all. Well haters, rejoice. Tomorrowland is everything that people hate about Disney. It's such a powerfully toxic dose of vanilla, that it even made me - a life-long Disney devotee - gag.
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 Rating: 3 out of 5 starsGenre: Drama, Thriller
Run Time: 1 hour 42 minutes, Rated R Starring: Ethan Hawke, Bruce Greenwood, Jake Abel, January Jones, Zoe Kravitz Written & Directed by Andrew Niccol (The Host, In Time, Lord of War, S1m0ne, Gattaca) As explained to us in Good Kill (opening today) by U.S. Air Force Lt. Colonel Jack Johns (Bruce Greenwood), make no bones about it: The "UAV" (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) - better-known as drones - and their operators, kill people. You can call it a "surgical strike" or a "tactical raid" but the result is the same: Real people are going to be killed. The movie's purpose can be explained in many ways as well, but make no mistake: It aims to inform you of the dangers of modern warfare, at a time when the military is manufacturing more drones than it is manned jets.  Rating: 4 out of 5 starsGenre: Action, Adventure, Science Ficetion
Run Time: 2 hours, Rated R Starring: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult, Hugh Keays-Byrne, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley Co-Written & Directed by George Miller (Mad Max, Mad Max: The Road Warrior, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, Babe: Pig in the City, Happy Feet, Happy Feet Two, Lorenzo's Oil, The Witches of Eastwick) Tom Hardy is no stranger to the road. One of his most recent acting performances was in last year's critically-acclaimed but scarcely seen Locke, where he quite literally spent the entirety of the movie behind the wheel of a car. Needless to say, that's the only similarity between that performance and his performance in the highly-anticipated sequel Mad Max: Fury Road (opening today), where he takes over the mantle of Max Rockatansky, the titular role in Mad Max that made Mel Gibson famous when it was released in 1979. That film spawned two other sequels prior to Fury Road: 1981's Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (considered by many to be the best entry) and 1985's Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. This latest entry is once again directed by George Miller, who has helmed all of the previous Mad Max films. There is no one better to have steering the franchise, despite the fact that somewhere along the way during Fury Road, he starts spinning his wheels.  Rating: 4 out of 5 starsGenre: Documentary
Run Time: 1 hour 30 minutes, Not Rated Co-Written and Directed by Dave LaMattina & Chad N. Walker (Brownstones to Red Dirt) One of the most unforgettable moments in TV history, for me, was watching Fred Rogers being given the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 1997 Daytime Emmy Awards. Many from my generation grew up with his Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, and watching the entire theater rise - celebrities old and young - and give what seemed like a minute-long standing ovation for this special man was truly memorable, and it reflected back the importance and the impact his work had on the youth of America. Of course, there are several sources of influence in a child's early development and upbringing, but for many, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, and Sesame Street, are right there at the center of what can be recalled. Watching the new documentary film, I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story (opening today and available on VOD), I was reminded of Fred Rogers, though the film has absolutely nothing to do with him, or his TV show. It has to do with a man who may be equally influential, though I'd guess that few have ever heard of him. He is Caroll Spinney, who for nearly the past 50 years, has been the man inside the life-size suit we all know as Big Bird, and who at the age of 78, shows no signs of stopping  Rating: 4 out of 5 starsGenre: Comedy, Music
Run Time: 1 hour 37 minutes, Rated R Starring: Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Hailee Steinfeld, Brittany Snow, Skylar Astin, Adam DeVine, Katey Segal, Anna Camp, Ben Platt, Alexis Knapp, Hana Mae Lee, Ester Dean, David Cross, John Michael Higgins, Elizabeth Banks Written by Kay Cannon (Pitch Perfect, 30 Rock) Directed by Elizabeth Banks (feature-film debut) When Pitch Perfect was released in 2012, it was one of the most surprising comedy hits of the past decade. What looked to be a painful, teenage, Glee-inspired romp, ended up being on of the best and funniest films of that year. It's amazing how much you can like a movie when you enter into the theater with the lowest of low expectations. That brings us to the sequel, Pitch Perfect 2 (opening today), which comes with much higher expectations this time around. Inevitably, it doesn't seem quite as good as the original due to these high hopes, but it surprisingly matches the goofy vibe of its predecessor.  Rating: 4 out of 5 starsGenre: Comedy, Drama
Run Time: 1 hour 37 minutes, Rated R Starring: Jack Black, James Marsden, Kathryn Hahn, Jeffrey Tambor, Russell Posner Written and Directed by Jarrad Paul and Andrew Mogel (feature-film debut for both) Yes, the premise is far-fetched, a bit stilted at times and even off-putting. It has one foot firmly planted in comedy and the other in drama, and usually it's hard for any film to successfully keep its footing in both. But damn, if The D Train(opening today) wasn't oddly fascinating and rich. It's one of the strangest films I've seen in years, and there is no question that it will not be for everyone. But the truths that are touched on beneath the layers of situational comedy - powered by two great, unexpectedly nuanced performances - kept me engaged and enthralled right on through to the very end.  Rating: 3 out of 5 starsGenre: Action, Adventure, Science Fiction
Run Time: 2 hours 21 minutes, Rated PG-13 Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, James Spader, Samuel L. Jackson, Don Cheadle, Elizabeth Olsen, Anthony Mackie Co-writtend and Directed by Joss Whedon (Much Ado About Nothing, The Avengers, Serenity) And the Marvel juggernaut rolls on. The assembled super-hero team known as The Avengers may be Earth's Mightiest Heroes, backed with Earth's Mightiest Promotional Campaign, but movies that pit good against evil are only as great as their villains. That makes this second Avengers movie, Avengers: Age of Ultron (opening today) just about average...and average is several steps below what is expected for this highly-anticipated film franchise  Rating: 4 out of 5 starsRating: 4 out of 5 stars
Read it on: http://www.axs.com/movie-review-clouds-of-sils-maria-strong-performances-and-perspective-99701  Rating: 3 out of 5 starsGenre: Comedy, Drama
Run Time: 1 hour 30 minutes, Rated R Starring: Nick Kroll, Rose Byrne, Bobby Cannavale, Jason Mantzoukas, Bobby Moynihan Directed by Ross Katz (feature-film directorial debut) The mere fact that Adult Beginners (opening today) stars comedian Nick Kroll sets the movie up as a potentially raunchy, push-the-envelope comedy. Kroll is known for his sarcastic droll and for equally outlandish characters...just check out Comedy Central's "Kroll Show" or his character Ruxin on FX's "The League." So it's a bit jarring when the first 15-20 minutes of Adult Beginners isn't all that funny. |
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tom santilli movie reviews
Tom Santilli is a professional film critic, TV personality, host and
the Executive Producer of Movie Show Plus.
He also is the featured film critic appearing on WXYZ Channel 7 Action News in Detroit,
and appeared weekly on FOX-2 in Detroit from 2016-2020.
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