Ready Player Two Is A Disappointing Sequel

Much like its predecessor, Ready Player Two is a creature of nostalgia. This is both to its benefit and detriment as a story.

The Holdovers – A Review in Brief

Who doesn’t like watching a Christmas movie in early March while Seattle is hovering on the edge of the snow zone? The Holdovers is a by-the-numbers feel-good movie about a snarky student and a curmudgeonly professor stuck together over the holidays.

Anatomy of a Fall – A Review in Brief

Anatomy of a Fall is captivating the whole way through despite its 2.5-hour runtime. The performances are nuanced and human in a way that often made me forget I was watching a movie.

Dune: Part 2 – A Review in Brief

I went into Dune: Part 2 riding high on having just rewatched the first film, read the book, and seen the rave reviews. I was ready to become a changed man and pledge myself to the spice and church of director Dennis Villeneuve. Unfortunately, I left with a shrug.

Mean Girls (2023) – A Review in Brief

Mean Girls shines when it distances itself from its source material, but unfortunately, it doesn’t do it enough. Granted, this is a film based on a Broadway musical based on a film, so we’re three layers into remake inception at this point. Maybe I was expecting too much, but at the end of the day, this movie left me longing for the original cast and I almost turned it off several times to watch the 2004 classic.

Sourcery, by Terry Pratchett – A Review in Brief

I am making my way through the wizarding series, and I’ve restarted my journey with Sourcery. Rincewind, the presumed protagonist, is a cowardly wizard who can’t do much magic, and I liked him significantly more in this outing compared to Color of Magic.

Mission Impossible 2 – A Re-Review in Brief

MI:2 seems to take itself far less seriously than MI:1, but I honestly can’t tell if that’s on purpose or just the film showing its age.

Dune – A Re-Review in Brief

Overall, my opinion of Dune is relatively steady; it’s a wonderful film with an incredible score and beautiful imagery. The action is phenomenal, but the film is carried by the unsettling tension between its characters.