Rated R
Opens: December 6, 2024
Kevin says Y2K kinda sucks!

Every generation has it all-night teen movie – from AMERICAN GRAFITTI and SIXTEEN CANDLES to CAN’T HARDLY WAIT and SUPERBAD. Now Millennial nostalgics are getting their chance with Y2K.

The story follows a high school misfit in 1999 attending a New Year’s Eve party where he hopes to finally kiss the girl of his dreams. However, when the Y2K bug executes at midnight and the machines start a violent revolt, the partying teens have to try and survive.

I’m all for the genre mix-up we get in this film, however, the movie fails to commit to either one.

The all-night party film half of the script just strings together a series of clichés. At least the sci-fi thriller element tries to be unique. However, aside from aping the goofy opening sequence of Stephen King’s coke-fueled fever dream MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE, the story ends up stumbling into that film’s own incoherence.

Even if you’re weepingly nostalgic for 90s music, AOL, and a quote-unquote “simpler” time before social media, the lack of story depth and likeable characters found me rooting for the killer robots.

Y2K gets two dial-up modems out of five. I’m Kevin Carr, and that’s the way I see it.

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Rated PG
Opens: November 27, 2024
Kevin says Moana 2 ROCKS!

In a year of hit or miss sequels, Disney animation delivers another strong installment.

It’s been eight years since we met the Polynesian heroine Moana as she teamed up with the demigod Maui to bring peace to her people. This time around, she’s more in touch with her powers, but has a new challenge of reuniting lost tribes under the curse of an ancient god.

All of the elements that made the first MOANA shine are here. The voice cast, including Dwayne Johnson as Maui, brings the characters wonderfully to life. The animation is beyond impressive, presenting the beauty of tropical waters and islands. And there are some catchy tunes, though not as many bangers as in the first film.

This is a rare sequel that doesn’t feel like a retread, enriching the characters and offering them an exciting adventure filled with magic and monsters.

The emotional center still grounds this film, and the comic relief with the pig, the chicken, and Maui’s ego are well placed.

MOANA 2 gets four ocean waves out of five. I’m Kevin Carr, and that’s the way I see it.

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Rated PG
Opens: November 22, 2024
Kevin says Wicked kinda rocks!

A Broadway favorite has finally made its way over the rainbow and onto the silver screen.

Based on the Tony Award-winning musical, WICKED takes an alternative look at the villain from THE WIZARD OF OZ and her friendship with Glinda the Good in school.

The tragic villain backstory has been done many times before – from Maleficent and Cruella Da Vil to Darth Vader and Magneto. Both Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo do fine jobs making the parts their own. We knew they could sing, but their acting really brings the movie to life.

Along with eye-popping production design and a handful of fantastic songs (as well as too much padded exposition in middling show tunes), this is everything the Broadway fan wants.

The Achilles’ heel is the punishing 2 hour 41 minute running time… and that’s only half of the story. WICKED: PART 2 comes out this time next year.

The first two hours drag with needlessly bloated subplots that never resolve, and unfortunately that makes for a mixed bag.

WICKED gets three broomsticks out of five. I’m Kevin Carr, and that’s the way I see it.

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Rated PG-13
Opens: November 15, 2024
Kevin says Red One kinda sucks!

With Christmas movies in full swing this year, it’s time for one about Santa on steroids.

RED ONE takes us to the North Pole where Santa Claus is kidnapped by an evil witch bent on punishing the naughty. It’s up to Santa’s bodyguard and a notorious criminal to save him and the holiday itself.

I get what they were thinking when they made this, which was to deliver a FAST & FURIOUS version of Christmas. But they’ve stripped out all the holiday cheer and replaced it with performative masculinity and enough testosterone to kill a bull elephant.

Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans phone in their parts, cashing in on their blockbuster career highlights. And the script is loaded with Yuletide movie clichés – from the redemption of a deadbeat dad to the hyper-techno upgrades to Santa’s workshop – but none of it is presented in any coherent form.

There are a few decent moments – I’m looking at you, Krampus – but for a movie so focused on Christmas… there’s not much Christmas spirit in it.

RED ONE gets two roided-out candy canes out of five. I’m Kevin Carr, and that’s the way I see it.

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Rated PG
Opens: November 8, 2024
Kevin says The Best Christmas Pageant Ever kinda rocks!

Move over, turkeys. We’re comin’ in hot with the Christmas movies.

First up is THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER, an adaptation of the beloved children’s book. The story follows a family of problematic children who take over a church’s annual Christmas pageant. And while everyone thinks it will be a disaster, things take a surprising turn.

The people making this film certainly have their hearts in the right place, putting together a charming and light-hearted movie that delivers some appropriate messaging.

The film tries to evoke the kids-eye-view that we see so wonderfully in A CHRISTMAS STORY, though when the adults turn a blind eye to the shenanigans, they just come across as horrible parents and leaders. This, along with some archaic stereotypes, rings sour at times.

The movie doesn’t hold the same punch as some of the classics like A CHRISTMAS STORY, but it’s still a sweet film with a committed cast.

I’m not sure if it will be a perennial favorite, but it makes for a nice slice of entertainment for the family audience.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER gets three snowballs out of five. I’m Kevin Carr, and that’s the way I see it.

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Rated PG-13
Opens: November 1, 2024
Kevin says Here kinda sucks!

Tom Hanks and Robin Wright reunite with director Robert Zemeckis for a new film.

HERE tells the story of a home, starting from wilderness in prehistoric times to the life of (mostly) one family. Hanks and Wright play a couple we see go from high school to retirement and the struggles they face over the years.

Zemeckis is a talented director, but he often gets distracted by gimmick filmmaking. And make no mistake, HERE’s one camera set-up perspective is the ultimate gimmick. It’s got some interesting moments, but it is loaded with challenges.

HERE tries to show a mosaic of American families, but struggles to avoid idealizing even the toughest times. And with the fly-on-the-wall perspective, too many moments feel like the stilted opening scene of a stage play. Only the acting of Hanks and Wright carry us beyond that.

As real as the human experiences are in this film, this reality reveals too many insufferable characters I couldn’t care less about.

Technically impressive but dull from the story perspective, HERE gets two bay windows out of five. I’m Kevin Carr, and that’s the way I see it.

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Rated PG-13
Opens: October 25, 2024
Kevin says Venom: The Last Dance kinda sucks!

Sony is desperately trying to keep its Spider-Man-adjacent properties alive this year with a third VENOM movie.

VENOM: THE LAST DANCE finds Eddie Brock and his symbiote on the lam while an immortal being from outer space is sending an army to search for Venom. Meanwhile, under a decommissioned Area 51, a group of scientists are tinkering with other alien symbiotes.

If you liked the first two VENOM movies, you should enjoy this one because it is entirely the same type of film. Unfortunately, those movies have all be sub-par superhero pulp that feel like they were stripped from the 90s.

A surprisingly good cast – including Tom Hardy, Juno Temple, and Chewitel Ejiofor – struggle to carry the silly script, which feels like it was written by a group of hyperactive children on a diet of sugar cereal and Pixy Stix.

Goofier than the later Thor movies with overdone goopy visual effects, this superhero flick is fine, but like the other two, could have been so much better.

VENOM: THE LAST DANCE gets two and a half alien blobs out of five. I’m Kevin Carr, and that’s the way I see it.

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Rated R
Opens: October 18, 2024
Kevin says Smile 2 ROCKS!

After Paramount’s SMILE was a box office hit, it’s no surprise they made a bigger and louder sequel.

SMILE 2 follows a trouble pop star on the verge of a world tour. She witnesses a traumatic event and then discovers an entity has attached itself to her, appearing as horrifying visions of people smiling.

Where the first film was a lower-budgeted slow burn, this one goes big with intensity. Not just with jump scares and sound effects, but with a pounding soundtrack meant to be heard in the loudest cinema possible. Along with TRAP, it’s the second what if this happened to Taylor Swift thriller this year.

Noami Scott is the MVP, carrying the film and never behaving like the horror genre is beneath her. Her commitment to the character keeps things real… even if it’s loaded with dark fantasy.

Like other movies about a curse following victims – like THE RING or IT FOLLOWS – the SMILE series offers some interesting allegorical moments, even if the trauma-as-horror trope is a bit overworked.

Visually interesting and loaded with shocking moments, SMILE 2 gets three and a half grins out of five. I’m Kevin Carr, and that’s the way I see it.

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Rated R
Opens: October 11, 2024
Kevin says Saturday Night kinda rocks!

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE turns 50 this year, so Hollywood is looking back at the origins of the groundbreaking sketch comedy show.

SATURDAY NIGHT is a real-time look at the chaos that surrounded the production leading up to its premier in 1975.

Jason Reitman directs an ensemble cast that takes you through the infighting, unprofessionalism, and unrelenting mayhem of that first night.

This is a striking look at what has become an institution, back when it was nothing more than rowdy, drug-fueled, experimental television. The show’s humble, rag-tag origins provides a stark contrast to what it has become.

The actors manage to rise above caricatures of the original players, offering some humanity for most of them beyond their antics. So fans of the show’s early years should find it relatable.

It’s a fast-paced and intense look at what live TV used to be. Sure, it runs a bit too long… but isn’t that quintessential SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE?

SATURDAY NIGHT gets three and a half hot mics out of five. I’m Kevin Carr, and that’s the way I see it.

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Rated R
Opens: October 4, 2024
Kevin says Joker: Folie À Deux kinda rocks!

In 2019, Todd Phillips’ JOKER offered a look into the mind of a killer from DC’s Batman comics.

Now, JOKER: FOLIE À DEUX continues the story of Arthur Fleck as he faces Gotham’s justice system. In Arkham Asylum, he meets the mysterious Harleen Quinzel, and she latches onto him for his infamy.

There are some very strong elements here, including compelling performances by both Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga. The grim cinematography has a beautiful, gritty look. And the movie channels films like THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION and ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST.

However, it also stumbles by not quite nailing the homage like the first film did with Scorsese’s TAXI DRIVER and THE KING OF COMEDY.

Purporting to be a musical version of a twisted romance, the songs are well constructed but overstay their welcome. And that’s a shame because those are some of the best moments in the film. Unfortunately, they put a drag on the bloated running time, which clocks in at well over two hours.

Ultimately worth a look, but loaded with problems, JOKER: FOLIE À DEUX gets three playing cards out of five. I’m Kevin Carr, and that’s the way I see it.

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Rated PG
Opens: September 27, 2024
Kevin says The Wild Robot ROCKS!

This week, theaters are being taken over by robots and cute animals.

Based on the best-selling children’s book, THE WILD ROBOT tells the story of a service droid that crashes on a forest island and has to survive. She takes it upon herself to raise an orphaned gosling and strikes up a friendly relationship with a lone fox. They must learn to live together and unite the animals of the forest against an outside threat.

This film manages to focus on two things extremely popular with kids: robots and forest creatures. Even though these seem very different, they blend together quite well to make a film about finding goodness inside.

This animated gem works great for the kids, but it also juggles some heavier, mature elements that will connect with the adults in the audience.

With a strong but not overpowering cast, and universal themes of community and altruism, THE WILD ROBOT offers a sweet, charming, and uplifting family film.

THE WILD ROBOT gets four cute critters out of five. I’m Kevin Carr, and that’s the way I see it.

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