Manipulative, formulaic love story offers nothing genuine

Love stories are a foundational aspect of cinema. Even films that are ostensibly about something else tend to have romantic underpinnings that serve as a touchstone throughout, but capital-L Love Stories are kind of their own thing.

'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows'

The 2014 attempt to reboot the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was a misfire pretty much across the board. The story was boring and barely coherent, the CGI bordered on the horrifying and the live-action performances ranged from disinterested to abysmal.

Lonely Island-helmed mockumentary mines the music world for comedy gold

Few stylistic conventions provide more fertile ground for comedy than the mockumentary. It has proven a delightful playground for folks like Christopher Guest and his merry band of weirdos for many years.

Latest X-movie uneven, but still entertaining

The X-Men have had a bumpy ride on the big screen. The first 'X-Men' was a huge part in kickstarting the renaissance of now-ubiquitous superhero movies. However, the franchise took a nosedive with its third installment, necessitating a reboot with 2011's excellent 'Days of Future Past' and 2014's solid follow-up 'Days of Future Past.'

'Alice Through the Looking Glass' a dull, dispirited mess

Sometimes, a sequel happens whether or not anyone really wants it to. A movie's success can be such that returning to the well simply cannot be avoided no matter how bad an idea that might prove to be.

Buddy comedy an entertaining throwback

If you've watched and enjoyed any sort of action-oriented buddy comedy over the past three decades, you owe a debt of gratitude to Shane Black. Black's screenplay for 'Lethal Weapon' back in 1987 essentially defined that particular style; things have shifted and evolved in the 30 years since, but the basic DNA is still there.

'Sorority Rising' a rehash, but not without its own crass charms

Here in the summer season, we talk a lot about the relative necessity of sequels; we see plenty of them during this segment of the cinematic calendar, after all. To be clear, this isn't about franchise-building. This is about sequels to films that, while successful to some degree, don't appear to really invite revisiting.

Financial drama lacks energy and urgency

Poorly conceived horror offering dull and derivative

Latest Marvel offering an ideal, exquisite comic book movie