AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH
2025 | Dir. James Cameron | 197 Minutes
4 out of 5
For better or worse, Avatar: Fire and Ash is essentially The Way of Water Part 2, not so much a brand new chapter in Cameron's epic sci-fi saga as it is a direct continuation of the previous installment, treading a whole lot of familiar ground. That is not to say the visual splendor and spectacular action set pieces aren't awesome (the final battle set against the backdrop of a treacherous magnetic field is particularly incredible), but the novelty of yet another extended stay on Pandora is somewhat diminished. Devotees will savor the fascinating world-building and game-changing possibilities introduced in this picture, while more discerning audiences may be frustrated with its well-worn plot and how it doesn't utilize these new concepts to their full potential. Playing the dual antagonists, Stephen Lang as the increasingly complex Colonel Quaritch and Oona Chaplin as the totally unhinged leader of the Ash People steal the entire show.
2025 | Dir. James Cameron | 197 Minutes
4 out of 5
For better or worse, Avatar: Fire and Ash is essentially The Way of Water Part 2, not so much a brand new chapter in Cameron's epic sci-fi saga as it is a direct continuation of the previous installment, treading a whole lot of familiar ground. That is not to say the visual splendor and spectacular action set pieces aren't awesome (the final battle set against the backdrop of a treacherous magnetic field is particularly incredible), but the novelty of yet another extended stay on Pandora is somewhat diminished. Devotees will savor the fascinating world-building and game-changing possibilities introduced in this picture, while more discerning audiences may be frustrated with its well-worn plot and how it doesn't utilize these new concepts to their full potential. Playing the dual antagonists, Stephen Lang as the increasingly complex Colonel Quaritch and Oona Chaplin as the totally unhinged leader of the Ash People steal the entire show.
WAKE UP DEAD MAN
2025 | Dir. Rian Johnson | 145 Minutes
5 out of 5
More of a slow burn than previous Benoit Blanc mysteries which makes this one all the more satisfying when it shows its diabolical hand. The story is perhaps fittingly all about faith, namely the high value of faith in humanity in times ruled by opportunistic scoundrels and their pigheaded acolytes. Daniel Craig's gentleman detective is as charming as ever, and a fantastic performance from Glenn Close stands out among another excellent ensemble cast, though it's Josh O'Connor's picture through and through -- exceptional as the guilt-ridden young clergyman in way over his head.
SISU: ROAD TO REVENGE
2025 | Dir. Jalmari Helander | 89 Minutes
4 out of 5
Upping the ante in delivering creative bloody righteous carnage, this follow-up to Sisu is another satisfying dose of explosive cathartic action that is sure to delight fans of the first picture. While the novelty of watching an enraged nigh-invulnerable Finnish man single-handedly demolish squads of soldiers in increasingly gruesome ways has slightly faded, the personal stakes in this one are more sentimental, and the protagonist is somehow even more indestructible allowing more entertaining mind-bogglingly brutal sequences. The high-octane chase that makes up about a third of the film is worth the price of admission alone.
WICKED: FOR GOOD
2025 | Jon M. Chu | 137 Minutes
4 out of 5
The second half of Jon M. Chu's film adaptation of Wicked never reaches the lofty heights of the first half in terms of wild dance numbers and jaw-dropping set pieces, but it delivers on emotional release in some major ways. At the expense of solid structure and pacing, often distractingly filling in gaps of Dorothy's journey in somewhat clumsy ways, the story works overtime to extrapolate the at times quarrelsome but ultimately unbreakable bond between Elphaba and Glinda. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande are simply magnificent, and the two-picture adaptation as a whole benefit immeasurably from both their dramatic and vocal talents.
KEEPER
2025 | Dir. Osgood Perkins | 99 Minutes
3 out of 5
An impressively versatile performance from Tatiana Maslany carries this atmospheric and unsettling horror mystery that ultimately fails to deliver on an emotional level. The build up to the reveal is tense, but once all the cards are on the table, the remaining cache of creepy imagery the final act has to offer is more fascinatingly odd than terrifying. Really wish there was more to this one.
2025 | Dir. Osgood Perkins | 99 Minutes
3 out of 5
An impressively versatile performance from Tatiana Maslany carries this atmospheric and unsettling horror mystery that ultimately fails to deliver on an emotional level. The build up to the reveal is tense, but once all the cards are on the table, the remaining cache of creepy imagery the final act has to offer is more fascinatingly odd than terrifying. Really wish there was more to this one.
