Movie Review -- 'Sonic the Hedgehog 2' is Family Popcorn Fun

The words were ringing in my ears, a dire warning from Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter. He stated the theatre industry is: “not going to recover fully until consumers are confident that they won’t die if they go to the movies. That means no return to normal until there is a vaccine widely available, likely not until April to July 2021.”
Wow, what a gut punch for avid theatre buffs! And the numbers support him. Domestic movie box office is on pace to attract $2.1 billion in ticket sales this year — down 90 percent or $9 billion from the last two years. And...
I’m at a loss on this one. What was clearly destined to be a failure, with a horrifying, nightmare-fueled design for one of the most iconic video game mascots of all time, has turned out to be a run-of-the-mill, slightly above average kids movie. I’m shocked.
Sonic the Hedgehog is about… erm…. Sonic the Hedgehog (Ben Schwartz). Fast talking, fast running, fast everything is the gist of his personality. Because of his incredible speed powers, he lives in hiding to prevent...
It isn’t always fair to compare a new film or franchise to an existing one, since every movie that eventually went on to become a series or cinematic universe had to start from somewhere. But in the case of The Rhythm Section, the comparison is half the marketing. Every trailer, radio ad, and bus stop promoting The Rhythm Section reminds us that it’s from the ‘producers of James Bond,” which in this case speaks volumes. Including this film, Eon Productions has only produced a total of three non-James Bond films. So when they’re dropping their third ever non-Bond movie in the January graveyard, short months away from the release...
Last January, Matthew McConaughey graced us with Serenity, one of the most baffling, bizarre, and terrible movies I’ve ever seen. Last summer, Guy Ritchie also bowed in with a bad movie. He didn’t helm the live-action Aladdin, rather he beached it. Given that we’re well into the season of theatrical releases that prioritize action and style over more substantive films, I have to admit I didn’t have high hopes for The Gentlemen. To my surprise and delight,...
Any doubts about the best movie experience in 1960 ended in the parking lot of the Cooper Theatre in St. Louis Park. The first hint for movie goers that it would not be business as usual was the outdoor fireplace and glittering fountain. And then astonishment with the small engine aircraft parked on the front lawn. How in the heck did they get that in here? Did they land that baby on Wayzata Boulevard? There were more marvels inside. The Cooper’s state of the art circular 105-foot-screen was the largest ever built. Seats were plush mohair and service was provided by usherettes...
I’m starting to pick up on what I believe to be the ‘Sony Pictures Formula’ for rebooting a property. It’s on full display here in MIB International, but you can see hints of it in the still-Sony adjacent Spider-Man Far From Home, and interviews with Paul Feig post-Ghostbusters Answer The Call reveal that it would have been used for the sequel to that film as well.
The formula goes something like this - start with a Columbia Pictures IP that is generally defined by its connection to New York City. Take the action out of New York City,...
Way back when I reviewed 2018’s Bohemian Rhapsody, I mentioned how behind-the-scenes drama during the production of that film resulted in Rocketman’s director, Dexter Fletcher, taking over for Bryan Singer uncredited. Considering Bohemian Rhapsody was an enjoyable but confused and unambitious rock biopic, I was interested to see Fletcher’s Rocketman to see how well he took on telling a tale about a brilliant musician who rises to fame, falls onto bad times, and deals with hiding themselves from a world not quite ready for who they really are.
The answer, as it turns out, is way, way better. Rocketman...