Stillwater (2021)

 

The plot is fairly mundane. A father somehow manages to hang out in France without a visa for months on end to secure the release of his daughter from prison. Unfortunately they wrote the daughter as an obnoxious dumbass. The little French girl is an incredible actress though. 

Rating: C

Zombieland: Double Tap (2019)

While the first was fresh, fun, and original, the sequel went back to the well too many times. Thank goodness for the new character named Madison adding some much needed laughs. 

Rating: C

No Reservations (2007)

Exactly what I expected. A cute, well-made film with a predictable, yet entertaining plot. If you are looking for a `sure thing' date movie, this is a great choice. Also, as a food lover, all the scenes of delicious food didn't hurt either.

Rating: C+

Definitely Maybe (2008)

Much better than I expected. Some thought was actually given to the plot and characters. Very funny in parts too. Not just another chick flick.

Rating: C+

Ender’s Game (2013)

I read this series when I was a kid, but forgot almost everything. Consequently, I was able to enjoy the movie on its own merits, rather than comparing it to the book. These children-in-charge movies are all the rage lately, what with the Harry Potter, Twilight, and Hunger Games franchises leading the way. Ender’s Game follows a similar path, however I think it will appeal to adults a bit more than the others.

The actor playing Ender did a great job. Perfect casting. I could do without Han Solo, but whatever. Some good scenes about how to deal with bullies and be a leader in difficult situations. The action sequences are mostly simulated, so this is something you could take the entire family to. I was engaged the whole film and enjoyed it.

Rating: C+

Zombieland (2009)

A lighthearted, ultra-violent, road comedy, that also happens to be a zombie flick. Lots of funny, dark humor. There's a nod to Scream, with the rules for surviving a zombie apocalypse. While there's not much meat to the story, simply watching a few days in the life of some zombie survivors is entertainment enough.

Rating: B

Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

Send some well developed characters out on a road trip under the supervision of a talented director with some quality writing, and it's hard to go wrong. It worked splendidly in such recent films as About Schmidt and Sideways, and it works here too.

Greg Kinnear continues to impress. He has a knack for picking great roles. He's come a long way since his Talk Soup days. Everyone in the film pulls off an acting showcase. I'm not aligning myself with many critics who feel this film is perfect, but it gets closer than most did in 2006.

Rating: B+

Signs (2002)

Creepy and interesting. One of M. Night's better films. I had no idea where this movie was taking me, which is refreshing.

Rating: C+

Rango (2011)

Another animated feature without an audience. I can’t see kids liking this, and it wasn’t clever or funny enough for adults. I can only guess it was a pure vanity project from Mr. Gore Verbinski. I barely suffered through till the end.

Rating: F+