2016

Posted on August 19, 2016 by bofca

KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS

“KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS is one of the year’s best films — a singular, soulful and sensational work of visual artistry and impeccable storytelling.” – Greg Vellante, Edge Boston

“To say that I enjoyed KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS would be a categorical understatement. The film’s visuals, storytelling, and characters made it a lovely and occasionally tense world to visit.” – Deirdre Crimmins, Cinematic Essential

“This very well might end up being the best animated film 2016 has to offer based on the artistry alone, and to some, one of the best the cinematic year has to offer, period.” – Allyson Johnson, The Mary Sue

“…a tale of monsters and heroes, swords and sorcery, legends brought to vivid life with a surplus of heart, where reckoning with grief is a more daunting feat than slaying a kraken.” – Andy Crump, Paste Magazine

“Even in a year that has seen some creative and entertaining animated films, KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS would be a standout.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies

“Is it as good as previous high water mark PARANORMAN? Well, no, but few things are.” – Bob Chipman, Geek.com

BEN-HUR

“In this age of farcically demagogic presidential candidates and Bernie or Busters, a tale of irrationally driven zealots and the calmer voices that seek to contain them ought to resonate; it’s a feat in itself that the film misses that mark, its morale overshadowed by action-oriented set pieces and drowned in sentimental malarky that’s even more mawkish than in the 1959 version of the story.” – Kilian Melloy, Edge Boston

“And just how fast is Charlton Heston, star of the classic – and definitive – 1959 version of the story spinning in his grave?” – John Black, Boston Event Guide

“If you want to know why this new BEN-HUR is dead on arrival here’s the answer in a nutshell: Hollywood no longer knows how to do period epics.” – Daniel Kimmel, North Shore Movies

WAR DOGS

“…for a true story, it also feels terribly formulaic, especially when it comes to the character dynamics.” – Kilian Melloy, Edge Boston

“By treating this is as a caper movie, “War Dogs” provides the requisite action and laughs. Yet it glosses over the actual impact of our involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan…” – Daniel Kimmel, North Shore Movies

“WAR DOGS is a movie about making money during times of war, but it never feels as if there’s a threat to anyone.” – Jaskee Hickman, Cinematic Essential

LO AND BEHOLD, REVERIES OF THE CONNECTED WORLD

“…perhaps the biggest question left for the viewers to dwell on is: Will our dreams ever stop?” – Greg Vellante, Edge Boston

“You didn’t expect a Werner Herzog documentary about the significance of the internet in our daily lives, and how it might alter our future, to fall in the ballpark of “cheerful,” did you?” – Andy Crump, Paste Magazine

BOFCA REVIEW ROUND-UP: 08/12/2016

Posted on August 12, 2016 by bofca

PETE’S DRAGON

“It’s one thing for the movie to acknowledge Elliot as a character, and another thing entirely for the movie to acknowledge Elliot as a living, breathing entity of empathetic depth.” – Andy Crump, Paste Magazine

“… a breath of fresh air in a summer where updates to franchises intended for children and teenagers are all glum, ironic, violent, self-aggrandizing and ultimately hollow.” – Kristofer Jenson, C-Ville Weekly

“A reimagining of the same studio’s 1977 live-action/animation hybrid, Disney breathes excellent new life into this story in all the right ways—beginning with, of course, the dragon.” – Greg Vellante, Forces of Geek

“Tender, warmhearted and, most importantly, earnest to its core, PETE’S DRAGON hearkens back to old adventure stories, an E.T. for today’s generation of kids that inspires wonder and the want for exploration.” – Allyson Johnson, Cambridge Day

SAUSAGE PARTY

“Most of the time, I sat in disbelief at how they got away with this stuff — but I’m so glad they did.” – Greg Vellante, Edge Boston

“Just when you think this surreal world can’t surprise you any longer, it comes up with something else that may make you gasp or wince but will most likely make you laugh.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies

“SAUSAGE PARTY is a nasty, crass, and unique movie that only Rogen and Goldberg could concoct.” – Max Covill, Film School Rejects

“Bottom line: This movie is piss your pants funny, and not just because I almost laughed hard enough to do that, because it’s the kind of humor where pissing your pants would actually be the punchline.” – Bob Chipman, Movie Bob

“Respect for other people and their beliefs is something that we shouldn’t have to talk about as adults.” – Jaskee Hickman, Cinematic Essential

FLORENCE FOSTER JENKINS

“…like ED WOOD (1994), it’s a movie in which love of art and kindness of heart triumphs over lack of talent.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies

“Nicholas Martin’s script prompts us to cringe at her, rather than laugh with her.” – Allyson Johnson, Cambridge Day

“Streep, Frears, and company have mounted a tender and revealing spectacle onstage and off, at Carnegie Hall and behind the scenes, and finally on the imaginary stage on which we each see ourselves.” – Joyce Kulhawik, Joyce’s Choices

HELL OR HIGH WATER

“Since humans from every walk of life tend to only view things from their perspective, I guess it’s normal for movies to want to tell us as viewers how to feel, think and behave.” – Jaskee Hickman, Cinematic Essential

“The themes of brotherhood and male bonding are some of the most powerful in Taylor Sheridan’s decidedly smart script.” – Michael Cox, Edge Boston

ANTHROPOID

“As an entertainment, this film is a mixed bag, but as a lesson in courage, ANTHROPOID makes its case in no uncertain terms.” – Kilian Melloy, Edge Boston

DISORDER

“From its maelstrom of violence and hyper-vigilance there emerge cunning ambiguities and questions left artfully unanswered.” – Kilian Melloy, Edge Boston

BOFCA REVIEW ROUND-UP: 08/05/2016

Posted on August 5, 2016 by bofca

SUICIDE SQUAD

“Sure, the film throws in some contractual cameos and obligated pandering, but the majority of its running time is injected with the fuel of screw-it-all abandon.” – Greg Vellante, Edge Boston

“SUICIDE SQUAD had the ingredients to be something truly unique; but once again it seems the suits at Warner Brothers and DC have no idea how to make their own characters work on screen.” – Tim Estiloz, El Mundo Boston

“What does writer/director David Ayer do with all this? He gives us extended fight scenes… What he does not do is give us any reason to care about the results.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies

“What prevents SUICIDE SQUAD from being as epic as it should be is the story and the film’s overall structure.” – Jaskee Hickman, Cinematic Essential

GLEASON

“…a two-hour chronicle of how terminal illness consumes its victims and overwhelms their loved ones, a portrait of what it is like to be helpless, in visceral terms, to your own mortality, and what it is like to watch the person you care about most in the entire world die slowly while you can only stand and watch.” – Andy Crump, Paste Magazine

BOFCA REVIEW ROUND-UP: 07/29/2016

Posted on July 29, 2016 by bofca

JASON BOURNE

“One would think that after more than a century of cinematic car chases we would have seen it all, but Greengrass and company have a few tricks up their sleeves.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies

“The last great serious spy series has become tedious.” – Norm Schrager, Meet in the Lobby

“For reasons I can only assume involve giant piles of money, Damon and Greengrass have returned at this late date to at long last make their own BOURNE REDUNDANCY, and I’m still a bit taken aback by how lousy it is.” – Sean Burns, Spliced Personality

“The times certainly are a-changin’. Now, the identity crisis seems focused less on the main character and more-so the film he resides within.” – Greg Vellante, Edge Boston

NERVE

“You don’t ask if a roller coaster has a coherent plot or well-developed characters. You just get on and enjoy the thrills. If you can do that, you can take the dare.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies

“NERVE may be too safe for its own good, and too ignorant of its subject matter to be taken fully seriously, but at least it knows how to show us a good time.” – Andy Crump, Paste Magazine

“NERVE is a good movie that provides thrills as long as you’re like me and had no idea what was about to happen. It would also help if you’re the kind of person who is fine with it being as safe as it is.” – Jaskee Hickman, Cinematic Essential

PHANTOM BOY

“…the movie’s magic fantasy is gentle and childlike instead of brawny and authoritarian. Here, might does not make right. Compassion does.” – Andy Crump, The Playlist

BOFCA REVIEW ROUND-UP: 07/08/2016

Posted on July 8, 2016 by bofca

MIKE AND DAVE NEED WEDDING DATES

“Mike and Dave may need wedding dates, but their narrative pursuit exists in a movie that’s in need of so much more to even consider it worthy of your time.” – Greg Vellante, Edge Boston

“The plot doesn’t really make sense, and the characters are forgettable.” – Deirdre Crimmins, Cinematic Essential

“In a year where a Presidential candidate brags about his genital size in the midst of a debate it’s quite possible we have not yet hit bottom.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies

THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS

“Although, as in the TOY STORY films, the main premise is that the characters have complicated lives when the humans aren’t around, what we really learn from THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS is that they need us as much as we need them.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies

“There’s no inspiration here, just prosaism. Not every animation outfit can be Pixar, of course, but they should have more imagination than this.” – Andy Crump, Paste Magazine

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Tag Archives: Review Round-Up