 Bleecker Street, 2021. There are several smallish, independent comedies that see release each year, many centering on relationships. But none quite operate like the new gem "Together Together," about a man and a woman who need each other, just not in the way you might think.
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 Netflix, 2021. Melissa McCarthy is one funny lady, and we know that she must be fiercely loyal too. Because once again she puts her career on the line to try to make the most out of her husband's, Ben Falcone's, flimsy comedy, "Thunder Force."
Bottom line: It's terrible. But so were Falcone's last few films - "Superintelligence," "Life of the Party," "The Boss" and "Tammy," - films that were all directed by Falcone and with the exception of "Superintelligence," written by him as well. And they all share another commonality in that each film stars his wife, Melissa McCarthy, who is a tremendously funny and gifted actress whenever she is not trying to make the most of a Ben Falcone movie.  Netflix, 2021. The deciding factor as to whether a family-friendly comedy is "good," usually comes down to this: Is it something that can be simultaneously enjoyed by kids and adults alike? With "Yes Day," the answer to this question is an emphatic "no."
 Amazon Prime, 2021. Fans of the original 1988 "Coming To America" film will understand the following reference: "Coming 2 America" is to "Coming to America" what MacDowells is to McDonalds.
Is it inspired by the original or is it a remixed knock-off? Only time will tell what fans think of the long-awaited return of now King Akeem (Eddie Murphy), his lap-dog Semmi (Arsenio Hall), and the cast of characters big and small that return for "Coming 2 America." But even as this film was an underwhelming disappointment when compared to the original, I guess it's fair to ask: Exactly what did I expect?  HBO Max/Warner Bros. Pictures, 2021. The classic Hanna-Barbera cartoon characters are given the live-action film treatment in the new "Tom and Jerry" (in theaters and streaming on HBO Max).
But fans of the overly-violent frenemies will be left shaking their heads at just how uninspired their new "big-screen" adventure is, and how some things are better off left alone.  Lionsgate, 2021. I'm not sure I've ever seen a film quite with the same comedic tone (or tones) than the clunky-titled "Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar." But in an era where comedies are few and far between, "Barb and Star" feels like the right movie at the right time, for an audience desperately clamoring for something light and goofy.
 Sony Pictures Classics, 2021. About midway through the quirky black dramedy, "French Exit," a dead father (Tracy Letts) literally chats with his overlooked adult son (Lucas Hedges) and eccentric wife (Michelle Pfeiffer), via a medium (Danielle Macdonald). They stare at a candle on a table, and as the candle flickers, the dad's voice speaks. Dad may or may not have been reincarnated as a black cat, and the entire ordeal doesn't make even one character bat an eye.
If this scene sounds strange, that's because it is...but it's an oddness isn't entirely earned. And while "French Exit" has moments of sharply written dialogue, and gives Pfeiffer more to chew on than she's had in several decades, the entirety of it feels like a jumbled, tonal mess that never quite materializes into anything worth watching.  Focus Features, 2020. Say hello to Carey Mulligan, your 2020 Best Actress, for her unpredictable, deliciously wild role in the ambitious crime-drama, "Promising Young Woman."
 Pixar/Disney, 2020. The audience has come to expect more from Pixar than your average animated movie. And once again, Pixar delivers.
 Shout! Studios, 2020. Released earlier in 2020 and lost in the shuffle created by the pandemic, "Standing Up, Falling Down" is a great film to stumble across (it can be found on Amazon Prime, Starz, or Hulu Premium). It features a sharp, funny script (first-time feature-film screenwriter, Peter Hoare) and a deeply touching, surprisingly effective performance by none other than Billy Crystal.
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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 film critic for WXYZ Channel 7 Action News in Detroit,
and appeared weekly on FOX-2 in Detroit from 2016-2020.
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