Freeze Frame

Shakespeare said it best. “Brevity is the soul of wit.” The classic 1966 animated TV version of Dr. Seuss’ “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” by Chuck Jones proves that Shakespeare was right. “The Grinch” was perfect at 26 touching minutes. …

Shakespeare said it best. "Brevity is the soul of wit." The classic 1966 animated TV version of Dr. Seuss' "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" by Chuck Jones proves that Shakespeare was right. “The Grinch” was perfect at 26 touching minutes. While the new computer-generated adaptation is pleasant enough, at 86 minutes, it seems a bit padded. Benedict Cumberbatch provides the voice of the Grinch and other voice talent includes Pharell Williams, Rashida Jones, Angela Lansbury and Keenan Thompson. It comes from the filmmakers behind the “Despicable Me” franchise and they know how to do cute, attempting to flesh out the run time of the story with kid-friendly humor. The visuals are dynamic and its heart is in the right place...even if the heart of this Grinch is two sizes too small. Actor Paul Dano makes his directorial debut in an austere adaptation of Richard Ford's melancholy novel, "Wildlife." It tells the sorrowful story of the deterioration of a marriage from the perspective of the couple’s 16-year-old boy son. Carey Mulligan and Jake Gyllenhaal are excellent as the bickering parents as is young Ed Oxenbould as the perplexed boy. Dano also adapted the screenplay along with his partner, Zoe Kazan. “Wildlife”…

This is what “Bohemian Rhapsody” is NOT: The definitive biopic about Freddie Mercury of Queen. This is what it IS: A very entertaining overview of the British rock band that features a powerhouse performance by Rami Malek. It skims the …

This is what "Bohemian Rhapsody" is NOT: The definitive biopic about Freddie Mercury of Queen. This is what it IS: A very entertaining overview of the British rock band that features a powerhouse performance by Rami Malek. It skims the surface, but in an engaging way. Disney's gargantuan reworking of the famous fairytale and ballet, "The Nutcracker and the Four Realms" takes a lot of liberties with the original story. There's plenty of spectacle and dazzle, but very little dance or movie magic. The remake of the cult classic 1977 Italian horror film "Susperia" is a pretentious and tedious experience. Director Luca Guadagnino probably thinks his hollow and grisly horror flick is high art. It ain't. Even the presence of Tilda Swinton in multiple roles can’t save it. Tiffany Haddish is hilarious as a recent parolee who makes life difficult for her uptight corporate-climbing sister in Tyler Perry's first foray into R-rated comedy, "Nobody's Fool." This outrageous movie is often funny, but Haddish mostly disappears in the movie's final 20 minutes and the mirth comes to a screeching halt. Melissa McCarthy takes an unusual dramatic turn in “Can You Ever Forgive Me?,” the true story of Lee Israel, a noted…

A game cast isn’t quite enough to keep the submarine thriller “Hunter Killer” afloat. Gerard Butler plays Captain Joe Glass, the square-jawed leader of an American nuclear sub that is called upon to fulfill a unique mission: To save the …

A game cast isn’t quite enough to keep the submarine thriller “Hunter Killer” afloat. Gerard Butler plays Captain Joe Glass, the square-jawed leader of an American nuclear sub that is called upon to fulfill a unique mission: To save the …

It’s been 40 years since the masked killer Michael Meyers slashed his way into movie infamy in the horror classic “Halloween,” but there was one victim who got away. After decades in an asylum, Michael escapes to finally finish things …

It’s been 40 years since the masked killer Michael Meyers slashed his way into movie infamy in the horror classic “Halloween,” but there was one victim who got away. After decades in an asylum, Michael escapes to finally finish things …

A game cast isn't quite enough to keep the submarine thriller "Hunter Killer" afloat. Gerard Butler plays Captain Joe Glass, the square-jawed leader of an American nuclear sub that is called upon to fulfill a unique mission: To save the leader of Russia from an internal military coup. There are so many improbabilities in "Hunter Killer" that audiences are forced to suspend disbelief more than for a Harry Potter movie. And why did Gary Oldman choose to follow up his Oscar-winning role as Churchill with this goofy enterprise? As a military thriller, the submarine flick "Hunter Killer" is sub-par. The one good thing you can say about the goofy spy spoof sequel "Johnny English Strikes Again" is that it's more believable than "Hunter Killer." British comic Rowan Atkinson, best known as Mr. Bean, returns as a bungling secret agent in this sequel to his 2003 comedy. English is called upon to save the world from an evil computer entrepreneur who's bent on world domination. Peter Sellers in "The Pink Panther" movies is the obvious template for this character, but "Johnny English" lacks the inspired lunacy of those comic hits.   “Free Solo” is a documentary about mountain climber Alex Honnold and his…

It’s been 40 years since the masked killer Michael Meyers slashed his way into movie infamy in the horror classic “Halloween,” but there was one victim who got away. After decades in an asylum, Michael escapes to finally finish things with Laurie Strode in the reboot of “Halloween.” Jamie Lee Curtis returns as Laurie and Nick Castle is back as Michael. Filmmaker David Gordon Green’s film dispenses with storylines from all nine of the other bloody sequels and remakes but retains the grisly elements for fans of this violent, morally dubious genre. While the reimagined version doesn’t add much that’s new, the revamped “Halloween” is creepy, unnerving and considerably better than any of the other follow-ups.   “The Oath” is a pitch-black comedy that takes a poke at America’s deep political divide. Comedian Ike Barinholtz wrote, directed and stars in this edgy farce about an insufferably self-righteous liberal whose rigidly right-wing family members come over for Thanksgiving dinner just as the President requires every citizen to sign an oath of loyalty to him. The caustic banter between these relatives quickly devolves into violence. The strong cast includes Tiffany Haddish, John Cho and Carrie Brownstein who make the grating dialogue a…