-
Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016): When Chi Connects Two Worlds
Kung Fu Panda 3 expands Po’s adventure beyond the familiar mortal world by introducing the Spirit Realm, where the supernatural warrior Kai has been collecting the chi of kung fu masters. The…
-
Ghostbusters (2016): A New Team Takes on a Familiar Comedy
Ghostbusters returns with a new team of four women played by Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones. Rather than continuing the original story, the 2016 film reimagines the premise…
-
Our Brand Is Crisis (2015): Sandra Bullock in a Darker Political Comedy
Our Brand Is Crisis places Sandra Bullock at the center of a political campaign where comedy and seriousness constantly overlap. She plays Jane Bodine, an experienced American campaign strategist hired to help…
-
Time Trip App (2014): A Samurai Who Chooses Peace Over Bloodshed
Time Trip App sends a high school teacher and her students back to 1868, when the shogunate is collapsing and a battle over Edo appears imminent. There they encounter Katsu Kaishu, a…
-
Samurai Cat (2014): A Gentle Take on Bushido
Samurai Cat is an unusual and charming comedy, but beneath its light tone lies a thoughtful idea about what it means to be a true samurai. The film suggests that strength is…
-
Paddington (2014): A Gentle Comedy About Family and Belonging
Whoa, a talking bear! That is the impressive power of CGI. I found myself wondering how the actors managed to perform opposite a character who was not really there. The production used…
-
The Other Woman (2014): Three Women and One Unfaithful Man
The Other Woman begins with Carly discovering that her boyfriend, Mark, is already married. She soon meets his wife, Kate, and the two later discover that there is another woman, Amber. Instead…
-
St. Vincent (2014): A Saint with Plenty of Flaws
Vincent is not the sort of man anyone would immediately call a saint. He drinks, gambles, loses money at the racetrack, and rarely bothers to make a good impression. When his new…
-
Sex Tape (2014): When Married Life Leaves No Time for Romance
Sex Tape takes a familiar problem in married life and turns it into an adult comedy. Jay and Annie still love each other, but after ten years, two children, work, and household…
-
Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (2014): A Cheerful Comedy with a British Museum Adventure
Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb is the third film in the series, and it keeps the familiar mixture of fantasy, adventure, and cheerful comedy. The story moves beyond New…