 Warner Bros. Pictures/HBO Max, 2021. "Director's cuts" are not a new concept...as far back as Charlie Chaplin's "The Gold Rush," filmmakers and auteurs have tinkered and fiddled with previously released versions of films, trying to perfect their original visions, right wrongs of the past, or undo the meddling of those pesky movie studios who apparently are only in business to feverishly attempt to suppress creator's masterpieces.
In case you're not on Twitter, "Zack Snyder's Justice League" (coming Thursday, March 18th exclusively to HBO Max) is not your average "director's cut" of a film, and actually has quite the story behind it. It's not a vanity project. It is in fact, a labor of love and an example of unfinished business being made whole. But let's not bury the lead, for those reading this in wild anticipation: This is a vastly improved film compared to the 2017 version. The new film - at over 4 hours!!! - is somehow a more focused and centered film than it's 2-hour-long predecessor. In other words, "Zack Snyder's Justice League" will be a direct smash hit with its target audience...but to the rest of the world, it will present itself as a mountain perhaps too steep to climb or worse, an effort in futility.
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 Warner Bros. Pictures, 2020. to Gal Gadot is back in what is clearly the most highly-anticipated film of 2020. Much of that anticipation built during the pandemic, when "Wonder Woman 1984" found itself delayed from its original June 5th release date, to August 14th, then to October 2nd, and finally landing on Christmas Day. It was the last and only superhero movie still standing, as other films such as "Black Widow" were pushed off of the 2020 calendar completely.
Even its Christmas Day release was in jeopardy, with many expecting that it would move yet again with COVID cases continuing to climb across the country. But that's when Warner Bros. made the bold move to not only keep "Wonder Woman 1984" in theaters, but to simultaneously release it on HBO Max, a move that has since shaken up the entire movie industry. Well, it pains me to report that we should be careful what we wish for. While many might be thrilled just for the chance to watch a superhero movie on the big-screen once again, I sure wish there was a better one for us to experience. "Wonder Woman 1984" is a mess of a film - several steps worse than the 2017 effort - and dare I say one of the worst movies of 2020.  Screen Gems, 2020. "Monster Hunter" has a plot and characters only a video game from the early 2000s could respect. This is a movie so stupid, that by the time the talking cat pirate shows up, you won't even think twice.
 Netflix, 2020. George Clooney produces, stars in and directs the new Netflix sci-fi drama, "The Midnight Sky."
Disney+ Review: 'Godmothered' not your grandma's version of a fairy-tale, and that's a good thing12/3/2020  Disney+, 2020. Synonymous with the phrase "coming to Disney+" is the idea that the film will be family-friendly. With few exceptions for new films, it also has been synonymous with mediocrity. "Godmothered" is no different, a film that just barely gets a passing grade despite the often-clever spin it gives to traditional "fairy-tale" expectations.
 Netflix, 2020. In recent years, there's this weird new category of films, where you find yourself giving sub-par movies a pass by admitting: "Well I'm glad I didn't pay for that in a theater, but you know, for a streaming release at home it's OK!"
That's not high-praise, but that's definitely where "The Old Guard" falls.  Lionsgate, 2020. It's hard to believe a movie like "Four Kids and It" was ever meant for the big-screen pre-pandemic. This is as throw-away as they come, probably better suited for a DVD bargain bin in a grocery store, let alone a streaming platform. But at least it's harmless.
 Disney+, 2020. Originally intended for a mid-Summer blockbuster theatrical release, the family-friendly adventure "Artemis Fowl" finds its way to Disney+ this weekend.
 Lucasfilm/Disney, 2019. 42 years in the making, the Skywalker Saga draws to a close with its ninth and final Episode. So will fans be pleased with "The Rise of Skywalker"? There are MILD SPOILERS to follow, so prepare yourself...
 Warner Bros. Pictures, 2019. "Doctor Sleep" is the sequel to the classic 1980 Stanley Kubrick horror film, "The Shining," from the twisted mind of Stephen King...and it's deliciously entertaining.
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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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