BOFCA REVIEW ROUND-UP: 07/07/2017

 

SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMINGthumbnail_25242

“The best bits are the ones where the main characters are out of their costumes and being human instead of manically flying around the screen being an all-powerful superhero.” – John Black, Boston Event Guide

“…SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING is a harmlessly fun time that reminds us all that Spider-Man is a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.” – Nick Casaletto, We Live Entertainment

“Aunt May seems to have discovered the Fountain of Youth. Once played by Rosemary Harris, who was 75 at the time of SPIDER-MAN (2002), she was succeeded by Sally Field, who was 66 in THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (2012). Here she’s become Marisa Tomei, age 53. At this rate Aunt May will soon be younger than her nephew.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies

“Overall, SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING is a balanced mix of welcomed ingenuity that works and familiar mechanisms that seem unavoidable at this point when it comes to these damned universe-building studio blockbusters.” – Greg Vellante, Edge Boston

“Because of the way it’s all set up and how well they use the characters to build the world that is shown to us, SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING provides more depth and quality than the vast majority of movies regardless of genre that are being released at the moment.” – Jaskee Hickman, Cinematic Essential

“In a world of heroes, where myths sling magic hammers and summon lighting, playboy millionaires build an army of robots that threaten to take down the world, super soldiers gets frozen in ice and a green and growling “exposed nerve” can crush those demigods with a well-thrown punch, Spider-Man remains remarkably human.” – Allyson Johnson, Cambridge Day

“SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING is far more than an obligatory restart, and if you are a newcomer to the series, it is a perfect place to start.” – Kristofer Jenson, C-Ville Weekly

“Because this is an MCU movie, HOMECOMING is full of plants and setups for upcoming installments, including a post-credits scene that Captain America himself makes fun of you for staying to watch.” – Sean Burns, Spliced Personality

 

BOFCA REVIEW ROUND-UP: 06/23/2017

TRANSFORMERS: THE LAST KNIGHTtransformers

“If there’s a movie worse than this set for release this year, let’s hope the distributor has the good sense not to do it.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies

“Like the movies that preceded it, TRANSFORMERS: THE LAST KNIGHT is empty in virtually all aspects.” – Jaskee Hickman, Cinematic Essential

“By the obligatory third-act throwdown, we as an audience have been so nauseated and bored for hours that the final epic battle just feels more like work than enjoying an entertaining summer blockbuster.” – Nick Casaletto, We Live Entertainment

“I honestly don’t know how to meaningfully “critique” this nonsense anymore.” – Bob Chipman, Geek.com

 

 

bad-batchTHE BAD BATCH

“THE BAD BATCH is the kind of oddity that arrives early in promising careers, leaving the viewer bewildered but nonetheless eager to see what comes next.” – Sean Burns, The ARTery

“It’s messy, though astonishingly well-made, but then, maybe we shouldn’t expect a movie where cannibalism plays a central role to be clean.” – Andy Crump, A Constant Visual Feast

 

 

 

hero_Exception-2017THE EXCEPTION

“You could certainly do worse than to enjoy this film for its brash thrills and sumptuous visuals, while remaining open to its timely message.” – Kilian Melloy, Edge Boston

 

BOFCA REVIEW ROUND-UP: 06/16/2017

Cars-3-Daytona-500-Trailer

CARS 3

“Pixar figured out how to sell the same exact toy again, just with a different outfit. If only this franchise justified this blatant marketing ploy, but alas.” – Greg Vellante, Edge Boston

“It will keep the young fans happy… but lacks the emotional impact of the far more involving TOY STORY sequels.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies

 

 

rough-nightROUGH NIGHT

“Why is “Rough Night” different from all other “friends go on a drunken spree” movies? It generates laughs without having to humiliate its characters, or make you wonder why supposed adults would act like this.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies

 

 

jacob-tremblay-in-the-book-of-henryTHE BOOK OF HENRY

“THE BOOK OF HENRY turns into something that never lives up to what it could have been due to there not being enough character development while also trying to do too much with the story.” – Jaskee Hickman, Cinematic Essential

“It’s not a film for everyone, but something so risky and vicious should be celebrated, and for that, The Book of Henry is great in my book.” – Nick Casaletto, We Live Entertainment

“…watching THE BOOK OF HENRY is a lot like noshing on an everything bagel, while driving an airboat through the nightmare tunnel in Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory at breakneck speed.” – Andy Crump, Paste Magazine

 

 

full-trailer-mandy-moore-in-47-meters-down-696x46447 METERS DOWN

“47 METERS DOWN manages to squeeze everything it can out of the small amount of material that it actually has to work with.” – Jaskee Hickman, Cinematic Essential

 

 

 

abacussmallenoughtojail_02-h_2016ABACUS: SMALL ENOUGH TO JAIL

“[Steve] James has always been a filmmaker fascinated by community, and ABACUS doubles as an engrossing glimpse inside cloistered Chinatown customs and an immigrant population looking out for one another because it’s infuriatingly obvious that nobody else will.” – Sean Burns, Boston Reel

 

 

 

kill-switchKILL SWITCH

“Watching Tim Smit’s KILL SWITCH is a lot like watching over your friend’s shoulder as he plays a first-person shooter.” – Andy Crump, Paste Magazine

 

 

 

17471-1-1100THE HERO

“…THE HERO strains too hard for profundity at times but Elliott’s pitch-perfect performance is one for the books.” – Sean Burns, Boston Reel

“Nevertheless, even if [Brett] Haley is treading through the work of others—and even himself, given some surface similarities to his superior I’LL SEE YOU IN MY DREAMS —he’s doing so with great empathy and affection for his characters.” – Brett Michel, Improper Bostonian

BOFCA REVIEW ROUND-UP: 06/09/2017

MummyTHE MUMMY

“THE MUMMY isn’t a strike out by any means; it’s more like a pop-foul that has the opportunity to learn to make this new universe a more entertaining and fun ride.” – Nick Casaletto, We Live Entertainment

“Yeah, it’s karaoke, but the movie gets you drunk enough on its own carefree zeal that the occasional flat notes don’t seem to matter.” – Greg Vellante, Edge Boston

“Dear Hollywood: Stop.” – Andy Crump, A Constant Visual Feast

“It provides the requisite thrills and chills one would expect without much downtime.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies

“THE MUMMY certainly isn’t what many would consider a great movie, but it will likely manage to generate interest in Universal’s Dark Universe for plenty of moviegoers.” – Jaskee Hickman, Cinematic Essential

“A disaster, a movie that almost seems to have intentionally made every decision incorrectly on purpose.” – Bob Chipman, Geek.com

“…there is no central idea at work in Alex Kurtzman’s Tom Cruise vehicle, so much so that the titular mummy is essentially a side plot in her own movie.” – Kristofer Jenson, C-Ville Weekly

“…there’s a palpable “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” sigh hanging over this entire enterprise.” – Sean Burns, Spliced Personality

 

 

MV5BNjM5N2VlZjAtOTJmMy00ZjRmLWI0OWEtMzczYzA0NDk2ODc0XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMzExMTY0MjU_._V1_.0IT COMES AT NIGHT

“Shults uses intimacy as the key to engineering IT COMES AT NIGHT’s nightmarish scheme, trapping us with his characters as their options for survival dwindle and civility devolves into animal savagery.” – Andy Crump, A Constant Visual Feast

“Slow-burning psychological horror that’s built around inevitability rather than twists or jump-scares.” – Bob Chipman, Geek.com

“IT COMES AT NIGHT will ultimately be viewed as a disappointment even if it’s not all that bad to watch.” – Jaskee Hickman, Cinematic Essential

“IT COMES AT NIGHT made me feel awful, which then made me angry because I didn’t feel like the movie had earned the right to do so.” – Sean Burns, The ARTery

“…a story that gets under your skin, puts yourself in these real life situations and makes you ask questions about your own humanity and what you would do to survive.” – Nick Casaletto, We Live Entertainment

“If fear lies in the unknown, I will leave further details on the film’s plot and surprises unspoiled. Just remember, attention to detail is rewarded and IT COMES AT NIGHT assumes that the audience is intelligent and engaged.” – Deirde Crimmins, Film Thrills

 

 

Band Aid - Still 1BAND AID

“Some movies think they have all the answers. This one, more sensibly, settles for asking the right questions.” – Kilian Melloy, Edge Boston

“When the film gets serious, it gets serious, though at least the seriousness is buttressed by profound insight into relationship politics (and by Lister-Jones’ terrific chemistry with Adam Pally).” – Andy Crump, A Constant Visual Feast

“It’s a tart comedy for the first hour or so, with writer-director Zoe Lister-Jones and co-star Adam Pally starring as a childless married couple grinding on each other’s last nerve.” – Sean Burns, Boston Reel

 

 

kate-maraMEAGAN LEAVEY

“Mara shows the grit of a Marine in combat as well as the feelings of the human being inside, never letting one undercut the other.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies

 

 

 

BOFCA REVIEW ROUND-UP: 05/12/2017

maxresdefault (34)KING ARTHUR: LEGEND OF THE SWORD

“KING ARTHUR: LEGEND OF THE SWORD turns out to be nothing more than a failed practice in repetition.” – Jaskee Hickman, Cinematic Essential

“There are many movie versions of the King Arthur legend… However, director Guy Ritchie wasn’t put off. He saw that there hadn’t been one that combined martial arts with giant snakes; now, there has been.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies

 

 

5849a53f134aa126b82774f1_o_U_v1THE WALL

“One or two changes could have possibly put THE WALL in a position to become a cult classic at the very least.” – Jaskee Hickman, Cinematic Essential

 

 

 

THREE GENERATIONS3 GENERATIONS

“Dellal, who also co-wrote, throws so much into the film that it should feel overstuffed: Reproductive rights, marriage equality, non-traditional family structures, cross-generational tensions, gender roles, parental rights, sexual liberation, and even a hint of polyamory all find their way into the film’s structure, often by way of its busy, but warm-hearted, dialogue.” – Kilian Melloy, Edge Boston

 

SNATCHED

“There’s so many ways that SNATCHED could have gone wrong that it’s amazing that they managed to pull it off, more or less.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies