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Wish Dragon Breathes New Life into a Familiar Premise
Wish Dragon is about a poor boy who discovers a dragon in a teapot who will grant three wishes. Sounds familiar, right? Director Chris Appelhans is definitely aware of the similarities with Disney’s Aladdin. He focuses instead on the world…
Luca is a Breezy Tale of Light-hearted Summer Adventures
Enrico Casarosa's Luca isn't the ground-breaking, Oscar-worthy story people are prone to expect from Pixar. But for those willing to experience the studio's more laid-back and light-hearted works, Luca is a Pixar iteration of cinematic comfort food. From the stunning…
Netflix’s Fear Street Trilogy is a Smart, Satisfying Adaptation of Classic Horror Stories that Balances Slasher Gore with Character Development
Directed by Leigh Janiak and adapted from R.L. Stine’s books, Netflix’s Fear Street trilogy tells an episodic story through three films, with each film taking place in a different time period and paying homage to a different type of horror…
Black Widow is a Satisfying but Flawed Blockbuster that Chooses to be an Okay Superhero Story When it Could Have Been an Excellent Spy Story
After fans clamored for it for years, and a year-long delay due to the pandemic, Black Widow is finally here. It also marks the return of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to the big screen after 2019’s Spider-Man: Far From Home.…
Haseen Dillruba Marries a Problematic Narrative with an Engrossing Plot to Mixed Results
I was randomly scouring through Netflix when I came across a trailer with Aditya Srivastava wearing a police uniform. It instantly took me back to the CID days. That’s when I decided that I’ll be watching Haseen Dillruba the moment that…
The Tomorrow War is a Competently Made Action Blockbuster that Benefits from the Dearth of Competition
The Tomorrow War is an interesting piece of filmmaking. Some of its aspects are competently made, while others leave much to be desired. If you have read the overwhelming critical response, you’ll find that most of the things they panned…
F9 Takes the Fast and Furious Franchise to Even More Ridiculous Heights
If you have been watching the Fast and Furious movies for the last two decades, you have already bought into the ridiculousness and turn-your-brain-off entertainment built into the franchise’s DNA. F9 is not only more of the same, it acknowledges…
The Conjuring: the Devil Made Me Do It, the First Film in the Franchise Not Directed by James Wan, is a Pale Shadow of its Predecessors
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It is, unfortunately, one of those sequels that falter despite a rich heritage and a capable cast. James Wan made The Conjuring series a leading name in horror, despite the simplicity and commonality…
Cruella is a Ridiculous, Stylish Reimaging of a Classic Disney Villain That Only Has Tenuous Connections to the Original Story
Cruella is both ridiculous and strangely engaging, despite its myriads of flaws. It’s a prequel that would have stood much better as an original story but pays tepid lip service to the classic 101 Dalmatians. Featuring two great performances and…
A Quiet Place Part II Takes its Story in a Different Direction that is No Less Tense and Frightening than its Predecessor
A Quiet Place Part II is one of the most anticipated releases of the year, especially given that it was delayed last year due to the pandemic. It’s not only as good as its predecessor- in some ways, it’s even…