The Lost City (2022) - 3/5

This movie is a return to an ‘80s style of plot, which I appreciate, with a modern veneer, which I appreciate less. The adventure and romance parts are more goofy than heartfelt, but a fair amount of the comedy lands reasonably well, enough to carry the movie anyway. Everyone is hamming it up in their roles and the film seems to know what it is and never tries to take itself too seriously. It’s familiar, which makes it predictable, but its predictability is comfortable and accessible.

Closest comparison: It’s like Romancing the Stone by way of 21 Jump Street.

Setting: Adventure
Plot: Adventure
Tone: RomCom

Bullet Train (2022) - 5/5

This movie is another out-of-the-park non-stop action extravaganza from David Leitch. There are as many surprises and turnarounds as there are plot elements, and everything is used and reintroduced in surprising and inventive ways. The violence is rampant and often funny, but always well choreographed and flawlessly filmed.

Content warning: bloody action

Closest comparison: It’s like Snatch by way of Deadpool 2.

Setting: Thriller
Plot: Action
Tone: Action

Snatch (2000) - 5/5

This movie is crass, dark, crime comedy that is a glorious thing to behold. The script is tightly woven, interconnecting the plot lines with comedic aplomb. Everyone is chewing the scenery at the same time, rising to a hilarious crescendo, each beat right on cue. It’s the quintessential cockney crime comedy, and even after twenty years it hasn’t lost its bite.

Content warning: female nudity, language

Closest comparison: It has the narrative complexity of Crash (2004) crossed with the criminal underground of Shopping (1994).

Setting: Crime
Plot: Thriller
Tone: Dark Screwball Comedy

Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas - 2/5

This movie has a neat theme, but everyone involved is giving mediocre effort. Brad Pitt and Catherine Zeta-Jones are phoning it in, and poorly cast for their animation and character concepts. The blend of traditional animation and CGI works a few times, but mostly looks jarringly out of place. It’s not funny or meaningful enough to stick around.

Closest comparison: It’s like Atlantis by way of Prince of Egypt.

Setting: Adventure
Plot: Action
Tone: Family

The Devil's Own (1997) - 4/5

This is a meaty, slow-burn drama that really delivers on its complex moral narrative. Where many films try to convey the complex nature of morality and only end up becoming messy themselves, The Devil’s Own very cleanly demonstrates the complexity if its point. Although there are several action scenes it’s solidly in the drama genre, with most of the runtime simmering in the subtleties of a lie in the family dynamic. It’s riveting to watch the story unfold with actors whose presence alone chews the scenery with the best of the best.

Closest comparison: It has the undercurrents and style of Patriot Games with the down-to-earth simplicity of The Irishman.

Setting: Thriller
Plot: Crime
Tone: Drama

Ad Astra - 4/5

This movie is very slow, yet constantly engaging. Its gorgeous cinematography accentuates the dichotomy between the claustrophobic ship interiors and the limitless vastness of space. The story nicely mirrors the setting and gives the impression that nothing in this film is accidental. I don’t have the affinity for astronomy that many others do, so a significant percentage of this film’s viewership will likely rate it higher than I have.

Closest comparison: It’s like 2001: A Space Odyssey by way of Arrival (2016).

Setting: Near Future Sci-Fi
Plot: Adventure
Tone: Slow Sci-Fi

Megamind - 3/5

This movie has the difficult task of trying to reverse the hero-villain roles and, although it makes a few large tonal inconsistencies with who the audience is supposed to be rooting fort, for the most part the film makers pull it off very well. The irresistibly funny banter helps to gloss over some of the more confusing story elements that play out on screen. Will Farrell and Tina Fey are great together, not to mention the several times the plot takes a surprising, unexpected, but very much appreciated twists and turns. And the very clever attention to detail that gets layered into the fabric of the story, from eye color to dress color to subtly rehydrating trash doing triple duty in a narrative capacity, really stands out among an otherwise run-of-the-mill animated comedy.

Closest comparison: It’s the studio that made Monsters vs. Aliens taking a shot at the more subtle and complex Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs market.

Setting: Super Hero
Plot: Romantic Drama
Tone: Comedy Action

Ocean's Eleven (2001) - 4/5

This is a classic and for good reason. It’s one of the most fun heist films out there and it keeps the action snappy by pairing it with an incredible soundtrack. And it boasts some classic lines like “gaudy monstrosity” that rank right up there with other all-time greats like “you were only supposed to blow the bloody doors off”. That being said, it has its flaws. Julia Robert’s character arc is rushed and even thought the heist itself is witty there are aspects that don’t make sense upon close inspection. None of that is enough to keep this from being one of the most fun heist movies ever put to film.

Closest comparison: It’s the casino heist movie by which all others are measured.

Setting: Heist
Plot: Heist
Tone: Comedy