Ladder 49 (2004)

 

It's no Backdraft. A series of flashbacks tell the story of a fireman who's caught in a roaring fire. Overly dramatic and anti-climatic. 

Rating: D+

CODA (2021)

 

A lighthearted drama about a teen girl finding her singing voice as she struggles to deal with the realities of growing up in a deaf family. I wish her parents hadn't been written as such weirdos. It felt out of place within the context of the film. They come off as semi-retarded in addition to being deaf. Why portray them this way???

Rating: C- 

In Good Company (2004)

Loved it. Paul Weitz hits it out of the park again after About A Boy. Great casting. Credible actors. Witty dialogue. Good drama. Laugh out loud comedy. Emotion. The soundtrack is phenomenal.

Rating: B+

Black Dynamite (2009)

They succeeded in their mission to replicate a classic blaxploitation pic. It was over the top and entertaining, but only to the degree in which the originals achieved. In other words, they weren't aiming very high.

Rating: C-

Two For The Money (2005)

I kept waiting for the movie to get exciting, but the money shot never came.


Rating: C

Sunshine Cleaning (2008)

The crime scene clean-up is just background to a great character driven piece. It's deserving of the many positive reviews I heard before finally renting the DVD. A nice little indie drama.

Rating: B-

Unstoppable (2010)

About as exciting as a runaway train movie can be. Tony Scott is known for making hearts pound, however here it felt like he didn’t have much to work with besides a few real life events to fabricate a plot from. Character development is thin and feels forced. The actors give it everything they’ve got in what amounts to a very average action movie.

Rating: C