Proving that the superhero genre isn't dead, it's just been starving for a great film, SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY soars across the screen with huge action, big laughs and massive heart. The Dolby Cinema, sold out preview audience I saw it with went bonkers, as did I. It's fantastic to see theaters this packed with people again, it was a mad house. From its opening frames, the film delivers a web covered, treasure chest of great surprises, fun asides and some MAJOR plot points

A fascinating experiment that succeeds beyond my wildest expectations, MOTOR CITY is, on its surface, a high octane, dialogue-free Grindhouse action flick set in a very tangible 1977. It feels like a gritty 70's Charles Bronson film, blended with the pure style of Nicholas Winding Refn's hypnotic 2011 film, "Drive", but it has a pulse that's all its own. Alan Ritchson (Reacher) stars as Vietnam Vet John Miller, working a blue collar factory job in a Detroit that feels straigh

Packed with laughs, well cast actors having a blast and enough Pickleball to pack five courts, THE DINK made me laugh a lot. Jake Johnson was so hilarious on "New Girl" that I felt bad for him when his big co-starring role with Tom Cruise was part of "The Mummy", one of the worst films of the past decade. It wasn't his fault that thing bombed, but it's great to see him back in fine form, generating big laughs here. He stars as Tennis Pro Dusty "The Hammer" Boyd. As a supremel

Yesterday, on our 30th Wedding Anniversary, my wife and I re-watched ONLY YOU, a 1994 Romantic Comedy filled with great memories for us. We had seen it while we were dating and we chose one of Rachel Portman's orchestral tracks to be played at our wedding. It's a stunning score. Revisiting the film again, it still holds up beautifully, with a very young Robert Downey Jr. and Marisa Tomei generating big laughs while stealing hearts. The film opens with teenager Faith (Tammy Mi

Can you believe it will be 50 years this December since we first met Rocky Balboa & Sylvester Stallone? An all-time sports movie classic with a behind-the-scenes rags to riches story of its own, 1976's original ROCKY still packs a punch. Sylvester Stallone had appeared in small roles in Woody Allen's "Bananas" and "The Lords of Flatbush". His script for Rocky was his passion project and he was eventually offered $350K for the screenplay, a record at the time. In a Rocky-like

Grossing four times its $100 million budget, 2001's THE MUMMY RETURNS was that rare blockbuster sequel that outperformed the original hit. It's easy to see why. Everyone we loved in the first adventure is back for more and everything feels bigger in scope and execution. Other than the fact that it's about 15 minutes too long, THIS is how you deliver a follow up! Brendan Fraser is in fine form as adventurer Rick O'Connell, still chasing Egyptian artifacts with his wife Evelyn

Disney & Pixar hit the sweet spot with their hugely enjoyable, original animated film HOPPERS. An absolute blast of fun and action for all ages, the film manages to mix coming-of-age, an ecological message and broad comedy into one very tasty meal. Writer/Director Daniel Chong, leading his first big screen effort, weaves a clever tale, starting with introducing us to Mabel (Lila Liu as a child,Piper Curda as a teen) as she attempts to free all the pet animals in her school, "

After Tom Selleck had to turn down the part of Indiana Jones due to his commitment to "Magnum PI"on CBS, he starred in a steady string of action flicks in the early 80's, searching to breakout as a movie star. Suffice to say, 1984's RUNAWAY didn't prove to be that vehicle. Written and Directed by Michael Crichton (Jurassic Park, Rising Sun) this is Crichton slumming with a mediocre budget, a paper-thin story and routine characters. In the near future, (which looks very much l

A noisy mess of a misfire that's almost saved by Trey Parker's genius voice work, MINIONS & MONSTERS isn't fun enough for kids, interesting enough for adults or for that matter, entertaining for anyone. We had four adults and 8 kids from 4 to 9 years old, a viewing dozen. It was unanimous, no one liked it. At all. And we're Minions and Despicable Me fans! The film starts with a tour of a modern day studio, with Tour Guide Olivia (Allison Janney, given NOTHING to do) leading a

An absolute horror rampage of graphic gore, laughs and suspense, EVIL DEAD BURN is every bit the equal of 2023's "Evil Dead Rise", spewing forth the crazy tale of a new family facing their very twisted & determined demons. The unchallenged star of this well directed new entry is Cinematographer Philip Lozano (The Transporter). His camerawork here is a genius series of thrill rides that defy logic. I laughed out loud at least four times as his camera found a new way to depict