Movie reviews of The Massie Twins

At least the notions that life is messy and consequences can be exceptionally complex and whimsically unknowable are effectively quaint here. Review

With its poor construction, pitiful acting, and low budget, it’s decidedly a fitting companion either way. Review

At least the production is informative, straightforward, and an admirable dramatization of a monumental era and program and its key players. It is, however, more often academic than entertaining. Review

With such a minimal plot, Alley Cat is clearly an excuse for Z-grade exploitation. Review

At least Cage’s hero is likable enough, with the premise presenting a decent blend of laughs and action, with both constituents imparting just enough... Review

Brave the Dark manages only to be serviceable; its formulaic method of executing its basic tragedy, while moseying its way through a daunting, poorly-paced runtime, prevents it from standing out amid its numerous filmic brethren. Review

Gorehounds may not be all that impressed, especially in the deviations from traditional werewolf formulas, but it’s a satisfying supernatural slasher that never gets too ambitious or unwieldy – and thereby neatly accomplishes what it sets out to do. Review

There may be beautiful moments, but with each one comes a handful of unnecessary follow-ups; for this premise, it’s too much of a challenge to populate it with more than three hours’ worth of essential material. The running time is a clear hindrance. Review

It’s creative and engaging, but ultimately too long for general audiences, despite Scheider giving a tremendous performance as a commercially accomplished yet personally flawed showman. Review

It’s essentially a two-hour, steady build to a strikingly self-destructive climax. Overall, however, it’s as brilliantly wry as it is disturbing and arcane. Review

In its adventurous efforts to focus on fighting and fleeing, intellectual concepts are abandoned for sillier ones. Review

Donat does a decent job, but the script paints his persona as a caricature, not a well-developed, endearing mentor whose impact reverberates through the lives and accomplishments of his graduates. Review

The performances all around are a tremendous boon to this effort, as is the scripting; amidst crushing poverty, limited potential for the future, personal tragedies, and various threats to maintaining ordinary livelihoods, these characters demonstrate an inspiring perseverance and determination. Review

The story is flimsy (and thankfully brief), but it’s an undisguised setup for impressive wrecks, tense chases, and monster-truck demolitions. Review

The pacing leaves a little to be desired, some of the writing betrays a sloppiness in storytelling, the villain doesn’t appear to have the clout required to be so connected with the city’s underworld, and the parting shots are quite the misstep. Review

Logistically, many of the duplicities seem wholly improbable, while the climax is a rambunctious, over-the-top ordeal that doesn’t match the realism and carefulness of the introductory moments, similar to the closing scenes from comparably-themed projects like Pacific Heights and Malice. Review

Last Embrace is a tonal and storytelling mess, perpetually uncertain as to what it wants to say or emulate; it can’t merely copy a bunch of other movies and motifs, under the guise of an homage, and hope to present something original or entertaining. Review

Despite the wealth of obligatory elements, the tone remains appropriately severe, with an entertainingly destructive finale. Review

The timely concepts, almost stripped down of influential, observable sci-fi additives, are somewhat slow; making its point, perhaps repetitively, tends to supersede the entertainment value of a couple struggling to go up against an exceedingly oppressive, not-so-futuristic system. Review

A few funny moments and a handful of potentially quotable one-liners make The Emperor’s New Groove engaging for kids, but it undoubtedly lacks the maturity and potency of Disney’s more magical Renaissance era. Review

As it approaches the climax, it opts for a few ridiculous developments that aim to exploit standard werewolf movie tropes rather than the newness of what director Mike Nichols established at the start. In the end, though the performances are memorable, it’s the parts that don’t work that outdo the more effective ones. Review

It wastes not a minute, since the running time is barely over an hour, detailing the curse and concluding it in the only way possible for this monumental horror film that would pave the way for so many derivative productions after it... Review

The impressive casting and design tend to get lost in the meandering that comes with an excessive runtime; no matter how bizarrely amusing this odyssey into the mayhem of a whirlwind romance and its sticky complications gets, the lengthiness thwarts its success. Review

The end result is potent, largely thanks to the superb special makeup effects and to Moore’s acting. Plus, from a technical standpoint – including the cinematography – The Substance is phenomenal, generating a genre-bending piece boasting bold, indelible qualities. Review