Mike's Movie Tips

 3/4 Starring: Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker, Michael Stuhlbarg, Tzi Ma Rated PG-13 for Brief Strong Language What would happen if, or as some might say, when, beings from another planet visited ours? I suppose it depends on who you ask, doesn't it?  Just look at how differently the question has been expressed on film.  Roland Emmerich believes it will lead to destruction and violence if his " Independence Day " franchise offers any insight into his viewpoint.  Steven Spielberg believes they will be benevolent explorers like in "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial" or "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" (an exception must be made for his "War of the Worlds" remake).  Neil Blomkamp, who made "District 9," apparently believes that our penchant for xenophobia and violence will lead to misery for everyone. I'm not sure what director Denis Villeneuve believes will be the result when aliens come to visit.  Perhaps our reaction wil

 3/4 Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Olivia Coleman, Imogen Poots, Olivia Williams, Rufus Sewell, Mark Gatiss Rated PG-13 for Some Strong Language, and Thematic Material "The Father" is one of many films to tackle the serious issue of dementia.  Of course, this is not a new subject for movies, as it has been addressed frequently in films from comedies such as " Christmas Vacation " to dramas like " The Notebook " and " Away from Her. "  What's interesting about "The Father" is that it is told from the point of view of the man who is suffering from dementia.  We see what he sees.  This isn't the first time that this approach has been used (" Still Alice " beat it to the punch), but it's used more more effectively here. Anthony (Hopkins) was once a successful engineer.  Now, his mind is failing him.  He refuses assistance and has a revolving door of nurses that have been hired to care for him.  That puts the burden on his

 Derek Chauvin was found guilty, on all charges, for the murder of George Floyd. Thank God. That's as it should be.  One need only see the infamous image of a police officer kneeing on a man's neck to understand that his behavior was criminal and should have led to his immediate termination.  Such behavior is unacceptable under any circumstances.  Full stop.  But that Chauvin was allowed to do that for nearly 10 minutes while none of his fellow officers stopped him from ultimately killing a man defies description. And yet, the world waited with baited breath to hear the verdict that should have been a slam dunk. It's insulting to think that it was even possible, never mind inevitable, that Derek Chauvin could possibly be acquitted for murdering a man in cold blood and in full view of the public and cell phones.  Something clearly has to change. It does, and there are signs that things are changing.  The racial reckoning that Floyd's murder unleashed in this country is l

 3/4 Starring: Denzel Washington, Nate Parker, Jurnee Smollett, Denzel Whitaker, Jermaine Williams, Kimberly Elise, John Heard Rated PG-13 for Depiction of Strong Thematic Material including Violence and Disturbing Images, and or Language and Brief Sexuality "The Great Debaters" is a sports movie that is more interested in the characters than the sport.  This is part criticism and part observation.  Don't get me wrong.  There are definite pleasures to be found here, and the film is worth seeing.  It's just that, as a filmmaker, Denzel Washington's ambitions outstrip his talents.  But this is an improvement upon his first time in the director's chair, " Antwone Fisher ." Melvin Tolson (Washington) is a dedicated professor at Wiley College, a small Methodist college in Texas.  He is the head of the school debate team, and has selected four students to join.  They are: cocky Henry Lowe (Parker), aspiring lawyer Samantha Booke (Smollett), fourteen-year-o

 3/4 Starring: Rebecca Hall, Alexander Skarsgard, Millie Bobby Brown, Kaylee Hottle, Demian Bichir, Kyle Chandler, Julian Dennison, Brian Tyree Henry Rated PG-13 for Intense Sequences of Creature Violence/Destruction and Brief Language In many ways, "Godzilla vs Kong" is the typical summer action movie.  It's loud, has a lot of stuff getting blown up real good, and is a bit dumb.  Brain power is not necessary for this movie.  But at the same time, the actors are appealing and the action is filmed with a certain degree of panache by director Adam Wingard. The film tells two storylines.  I suppose they would have more meaning if I remembered much from its predecessors, " Godzilla: King of the Monsters " and "Kong: Skull Island," but I don't.  Godzilla, once revered as a hero, is now a villain after attacking a facility in Miami.  Madison Russell, daughter of Titan scientist (played by Vera Farmiga previously), believes that there is more to the story

 3/4 Starring: Ben Stiller, Cameron Diaz, Matt Dillon, Lee Evans, Chris Elliott, Lin Shaye The version being reviewed is unrated.  For the record, the theatrical cut is rated R for Strong Comic Sexual Content and Language We're the anti-Coens.  Nobody analyzes our filmmaking, and we don't want them to. So said Peter Farrelly, one of the Farrelly brothers, who are responsible for co-writing and directing "There's Something About Mary."  Indeed, there is nothing remotely intellectual about their work.  Or subtle.  But that doesn't make their films any less funny.  The term "laugh riot" applies here. In 1985, geeky Ted Stroehmann (Stiller) has managed to score a prom date with the school's bombshell Mary Jensen (Diaz).  It comes as such a surprise that he assumes she's asking him to be the designated driver for her and her friends.  Unfortunately, his date with the golden girl ends before it begins after he has an excruciating and embarrassing w

 4/4 Starring: Tye Sheridan, Lily Rose-Depp, Fionn Whitehead, Colin Farrell Rated PG-13 for Violence, Some Strong Sexuality, Bloody Images, a Sexual Assault and Brief Strong Language "Voyagers" is exhibit A that movies for teenagers don't have to be dumb.  With movies like "Transformers," " Twilight ," and the MCU dominating the teen movie market, Hollywood seems to consistently underestimate the intelligence of the 13-18 crowd.  But when I was in high school, people would talk about movies like " The Matrix " and " Requiem for a Dream " as opposed to the latest teeny bopper flick.  "Voyagers" will fit right in with those movies...if enough people see it. I remember taking a philosophy course in college, and one of the questions that was posed was how a person would react if they spent their entire life in a box and was suddenly let out.  How would a person react?  It's an intriguing question, and it cuts to the heart

 1/4 Starring: Kazuki Kitamura, Goro Kishitani, Natsuo, Yutaka Matsushige Not Rated (probable R for Strong Violence) Movies and video games do not have a good relationship with each other.  Games based on movies are rushed through development to meet movie premiere dates while movies based on games have yet to find a substitute for the interactivity that gaming is all about.  Still, video games are getting more cinematic with each new release.  None more so than the "Yakuza" games.  In addition to being able to beat the crap out of random thugs (including slamming them into the side of buildings and pound them with a stop sign), each game has an overarching story that is a roller coaster ride of violence, betrayal, mystery and intrigue.  With a little bit of comedy for seasoning. Which is why I thought that a film version of the first game had potential.  Of course, even without the side quests and a majority of the random fights, "Yakuza Kiwami" still takes a good

 3.5/4 Starring: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Cricket Brown, Katie Aselton, William Sadler, Cary Elwes, Diogo Morgado Rated PG-13 for Violent Content, Terror and Some Strong Language I was not enthusiastic about this movie.  It looked to be a rip-off of "The Conjuring" like " The Curse of La Llorona ," where some blithering idiot does something stupid and invites the wrath of some cheesy special effect said to be possessed by Satan or something.  Call it a lack of faith? Pardon the pun.  The truth is that "The Unholy" greatly surprised me.  It took a bit to overcome my bias, but this movie genuinely intrigued me.  It's not just a special effects picture (although there are some of those) filled with jump shocks (those are here too) and a creaky, rotting, entity (it does have that as well).  The movie takes time to develop its characters and take a sociological look at something that seems miraculous but is actually malevolent. Gerry Fenn (Morgan) was once a re