“Avengers: Endgame” cast a giant shadow – not just in terms of box office or breaking through as a cultural touchstone but also for the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Following the epic events of that film, including the deaths of several beloved characters, it was hard to know how the world within the MCU would carry on, but “Spider-Man: Far From Home” is quick to reassure you that while some may be gone, the Marvel spirit is still alive. Directed once again by Jon Watts, “Far From Home” doesn’t have the depth or dramatic elements of its predecessor,…
Author: Rob Dean
Rob Dean
Rob Dean is a film critic and pop culture writer who has written for The A.V. Club, The Wrap, TinyMixTapes, Daily Grindhouse, Neon Splatter, and more. While he lived in Austin, TX he was a member of the Austin Film Critics Association. He currently resides in New England and can be found as neuroticmonkey on X, Bluesky, and Instagram.
“Annabelle Comes Home” is the best “Conjuring” spinoff movie, which is damning with faint praise. The original “Conjuring” films found director James Wan synthesizing the best elements from the greatest haunted house movies (“The Haunting,” “The Amityville Horror” and “Poltergeist,” among others) combined with a true crime aspect as a result of being loosely adapted from the case files of real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. By bringing these elements together, all while grounding much of the tension within characters who we genuinely cared about, “The Conjuring” and “The Conjuring II” are a solid double feature that feels original,…
What a long strange trip it’s been for the X-Men. Debuting in comic books in September 1963, the team of mutants was a blend of usual superhero action crossed with Marvel’s burgeoning brand of melodrama and flawed characters, as well as a healthy dose of social commentary through its outsiders metaphor. It was an okay-selling book that never really broke out until 1975, when a brand new group of characters were introduced and overseen by writers Len Wein and Chris Claremont and artists Dave Cockrum and John Byrne. It became a phenomenon in comic book circles thanks to these newer…
This is the perfect time for a movie like “Brightburn.” The two biggest draws at the box office in the past few years have been superhero movies and horror films, so why not combine them? Furthermore, superhero tropes and origins have become so normalized that filmmakers can begin deconstructing them without having to explain a lot, an issue that plagued Zack Snyder’s “Watchmen” by arriving too early in the superhero film cycle. These elements come together in an imbalanced but still entertaining mix in director David Yarovesky’s “Brightburn,” though politically, it may not be the best time to take the…
2014’s “John Wick” has arguably the most straightforward plot in decades. It’s a preposterously simple premise that could easily be forgotten amid tired action sequences and attempts at feigning depth through overtures of redemption. What made “John Wick” work so well isn’t just its easy-to-follow plot but a marriage of flawless execution and subtle profundity at the edges of the film. In the hands of writer Derek Kolstad, directors Chad Stahelski and David Leitch, and star Keanu Reeves, the movie is greatly elevated from a joke pitch about an unstoppable killing machine seeking revenge for his dog. The former stuntmen…
There are certain types of movies that are so reliant on archetypes that it’s just another part of the formula. These stories are played out and their setups are obvious, but lack of originality aside, there can still be comfort, entertainment and, yes, even insight from movies that follow a blueprint. “Long Shot” is not original – it has dashes of “Notting Hill” and “The American President” with updated pop culture references – but it’s propelled by some excellent jokes and a supremely talented cast. Like most political comedies, it remains toothless and oddly oblivious to actual political situations and…
In linear, non-postmodern, classically structured stories, sticking the landing is probably the most vital part to telling an engaging tale. The reason the ending tends to have the biggest impact is because people carry with them that feeling of the movie’s final 30 minutes as they leave the theater, retroactively coloring the rest of the experience. “Avengers: Endgame” isn’t the end of Marvel Studios or even the MCU’s so-called Phase Three (that would be “Spider-Man: Far From Home”), but it’s certainly being treated as a swan song for many of the film’s stars – a journey that started 11 years…
The summer movie season is almost upon us, kicking off (unofficially) next week with the release of “Avengers: Endgame.” Then, for about four months, there will be waves of sequels, reboots, reimaginings and even a few original films that threaten to dominate our conversations and imaginations. In order to successfully navigate these cinematic waters, we’ve compiled a list of some of the biggest movies coming out this season. “Avengers: Endgame” (April 26) The Russo brothers’ conclude their “Infinity War” saga as the first chapter in Marvel’s cinematic universe draws to a close. With many of the contracts of the original Avengers ending,…
Formulas are not inherently bad for entertainment. As long as they’re successful at eliciting an emotional response, it can be just as fun or effective as wholly original content. These sort of basic templates can also provide a sense of comfort that comes with the familiar, so it’s not too jarring or difficult but still delivers on the levels that viewers are seeking. Unfortunately, formulas can become very stale, and if they’re too predictable, it allows the mind to wander and audiences to disengage. For a movie predicated on being startling, “The Curse of La Llorona” misses too many opportunities…
Different adaptations of horror novels can reveal more about the era in which they’re adapted than the original source material. The various “Frankenstein” movies place shifting emphasis on the humanity or monstrosity of the creature, the complicated machinations of its creation, the grotesque make-up effects or even the importance of the titular mad scientist. Those differences reflect the intent of the filmmakers, whether it’s to frighten the audience, draw parallels to current events or elevate the material with prestige talent. What is deemed important about the original story will evolve over time as society changes, film techniques get more sophisticated…