Movie Reviews from Chris

★★ 1/2  out of ★★★★ Black Adam (2022) Runtime: 125 minutes MPAA: Rated PG-13 for sequences of strong violence, intense action and some language. It's a puzzle to review a movie like Black Adam. On one hand, the superhero movie starring Dwayne Johnson and directed by Jaume Collet-Serra (House of Wax, Orphan, Non-Stop) is a complete miss in certain aspects like character building, storytelling, and it's main antagonist. On the other hand, a standout performance from Pierce Brosnan and several compelling moments outweigh some of its sins. As I'm reminded of last year's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Black Adam starts with a ten-minute narration about a city called Kahndaq which was under the rule of a tyrannical king called Anh-Kot, who seeks for the Crown of Sabbac, a crown that grants its user either invincibility or unlimited power. A young boy emerges from the slaves that have to dig out the crown's material, "Eternium", and starts a revolutio...

★★ ★  out of ★★★★ Wendell & Wild (2022) Runtime: 105 minutes MPAA:  Rated PG-13 for some thematic material, violence, substance use and brief strong language. Director Henry Selick returns to animation after 13 years, with a new film that will scare children just about as much as his unsettling Coraline (2009). An array of recognisable talents like Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, James Hong, and Ving Rhames assemble in a visual delight, along with a script from Selick and Peele themselves. Surprisingly, Wendell & Wild starts off a little slow, a little unengaging for quite some time, then it quickly piques the viewer's interest with its magical atmosphere and mystical events. This is one of the rare movies that turns sleepy eyes at night to eyes wide open. As if a little familiar, Wendell & Wild opens with a family safely driving back home, when young Kat (Lyric Ross) sees scary little caterpillar-monsters in her apple, causing her parents to be distrac...