On Screen

Smart reviews for the visually obsessed. On Screen features film reviews and festival coverage, spotlighting cinematic craft, storytelling and standout performances.

  • Review: ‘Godzilla: King of the Monsters’ is a problematic ruler (Includes first-hand account)

    Since being introduced by Toho in 1954, Kaiju have fascinated movie audiences with their sheer enormity and devastating destructive abilities. Then they took it up a notch by shifting the beasts’ focus to each other as the giant creatures battle for supremacy while still obliterating everything in their paths. With dozens of pictures in their catalogue and fans all over the world, they’d essentially created a genre. Now, as Hollywood continues to reach back in time for inspiration, they’ve decided to reboot the stories and rebuild the world of “titans.” In Godzilla: King of the Monsters, the giant reptile is in hiding but the government would prefer him dead.

  • Review: ‘Aladdin’ is a magical ride through a familiar world (Includes first-hand account)

    There are several arguments to be made for and against Disney reaching into their vaults to make live-action versions of their animated classics. On the one hand, it feels as if there’s a lack of new ideas and room for creativity as, arguably, the largest studio in the world rehashes their already bankable narratives. On the other hand, re-envisioning the original stories gives them the opportunity to address any criticisms that may have been leveraged at the movie’s release or over the years. The new live-action version of Aladdin takes a little from column A and a little from column B.

  • Review: ‘John Wick 3: Parabellum’ delves deeper and hits harder (Includes first-hand account)

    Action movies and thrillers driven by revenge have been commonplace since the ‘70s. When someone with access to a gun or other weapons is wronged, it seems to be a recipe for enacting cold, hard, brutal vengeance against everyone responsible. But “every action has a consequence” and unflinching, ruthless violence is bound to eventually draw blood from a forbidden pool. Running only gets you so far and then confrontation, surrender or – if you’re lucky – negotiation become the only options. In John Wick 3: Parabellum, the title character opts for all-out war against anyone who tries to stand in his way.

  • Review: ‘Pokémon Detective Pikachu’ is the cutest film noir ever (Includes first-hand account)

    Even if they’ve never played any of the games, it’s likely most people have at least heard of Pokémon. Their cuteness turned the challenge into a global phenomenon that continues to attract and engage trainers of all ages. The phrase, “Gotta catch ‘em all,” is both a mantra and the reason the attraction has endured as long as it has with fans. It was only a matter of time before the magical creatures took over the big screen in live action and they’ve decided to do so with a sub-story of the main trainer narrative with Pokémon Detective Pikachu.

  • Review: ‘Tolkien’ is the tale of where it all truly started (Includes first-hand account)

    A successful saga is a true accomplishment as it requires the storyteller to captivate someone for an extended period of time, bridging multiple installments that may take years to complete. There’s a special kind of magic to that kind of tale, creating devout followers who must see their beloved characters to the end as they’ve stayed with them through thick and thin. Whether in movies or books (or both), these stories are the ones that stay forever in people’s hearts and minds. J.R.R. Tolkien was the writer of one of these great epics, but now fans can learn a little more about the man behind the words in Tolkien.

  • Review: There’s only an outside chance ‘Long Shot’ won’t make you laugh (Includes first-hand account)

    While it can sometimes feel like a new relationship begins in a vacuum, eventually all the external factors that felt unimportant come crashing in. This is especially true for public personalities who may have enjoyed stealing away for an intimate evening, and keeping something shielded from the scrutiny of cameras and onlookers — but at some point, the secrecy becomes just another burden that is actually in their control. This realization leads to another question: is it just a casual thing you can both walk away from now, or do you step out of the shadows and find out where things might go? Now imagine one of these people is a politician and you get Long Shot.

  • Review: ‘Avengers: Endgame’ is what fans want but not what they expected (Includes first-hand account)

    After 11 years and 22 films, the penultimate movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s phase three brings it all full circle. With only a handful of Avengers left to fix the world — most of whom are ready to hang-up their superhero costumes — it was obvious they’d need to find a way to reverse Thanos’ snap. But who or how remained to be seen. As the Russo brothers swore everyone to secrecy via social media, anxious fans bought their movie tickets and prepared to find out just how a defeated group or heroes save a world that no longer exists in Avengers: Endgame.

  • Review: ‘The Curse of La Llorona’ creeps around delivering scares (Includes first-hand account)

    It’s only been six years since director James Wan invited audiences into a terrifying universe of malevolent spirits and possessed items. Several filmmakers have since taken the helm to frighten viewers with a historic tale of demonic hauntings, spanning many years to explore the scariest accounts and alarming origin stories. The latest picture expands this universe and makes room for yet another horrifying creature tormenting innocent families. The Curse of La Llorona is a story steeped in a legend that turns out to be true as the weeping woman stalks families before claiming their children for herself.

  • Review: ‘Hellboy’ gives new meaning to ‘big red’ (Includes first-hand account)

    The debate regarding nature vs. nurture rages on, though the answer is probably a bit of both. However, then the question becomes, which carries more weight and can potentially overpower the other? Not judging a creature by its appearances is typically a grade school lesson, but it can be difficult to keep in mind when one looks so monstrous… or comes from Hell. Yet, with the proper cultivation almost any intelligent being has the potential to be a contributing member of society instead of a destructive one. In Hellboy, he is in a constant struggle with good and evil, but at least good is winning so far.

  • Review: ‘Missing Link’ tells an amusing story with stunning artistry (Includes first-hand account)

    Even after centuries of documenting and recording unique species of plants and animals, nature hasn’t stopped surprising us. Each year, new articles are published touting the discovery of a new species found in some previously unexplored — or in some cases, scoured — landscape. These creatures are often designed to be elusive and born with the skills to avoid detection and evade predators, like people, to aid in their survival. So who’s to say some of Earth’s greatest mythical beings are not armed with the same cunning, which is the reason there’s never been a confirmed sighting. In Missing Link, the Sasquatch decides he needs a change of scenery and a little help getting there.

  • Review: ‘Shazam’ is lightning in a bottle (Includes first-hand account)

    For a long while, comic books were thought to only be meant for kids. Flip that around and you have a lot of kids reading comic books. Although, the stories were more sophisticated than many people gave them credit and they served as an enthralling escape from the monotony of everyday life — especially if you didn’t fit in very well with your peers. But as much as anything else, kids dreamed of becoming the heroes they read about… when they grew up. But why wait? Why couldn’t a younger person grow up immediately and be instilled with super powers? In Shazam, a teen boy literally becomes a super-man in the blink of an eye.

  • Review: ‘Giant Little Ones’ wonders what it’s like to love without labels (Includes first-hand account)

    Being a teenager is probably one of the most complex phases of a person’s life. While it lacks much of the responsibility of being an adult, it feels like everything occurs under a microscope so it’s magnified and all-encompassing. The slightest misstep can make you a social pariah, while a seemingly trivial act can make you a god. There are some rules so it’s not all completely arbitrary, but they change with the tides so no one and nothing are ever truly safe — someone can be atop a high school’s mountain one minute and mangled at its base the next. Giant Little Ones captures all these intricacies in just a few weeks of an adolescent’s life.