Unlike his musclebound beefy action star peers of the 1980s and 90s, what made Axel Foley an entertaining and enduring character for Eddie Murphy was his riffing eloquence with all matters of verbal communication. The fast talker was the best bullshitter in the business. As long as Murphy could resummon that fluent tempo in Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F– that crass, disarming, and profanity-soaked gift of gab– and keep it with some stamina for another lavish action comedy, all that was necessary would be fulfilled. Well, queue the popular wrestling crowd chant, because he’s still got it… and then some!

MOVIE REVIEW: Horizon: An American Saga: Chapter 1

By golly, there’s something satisfying about watching an expert working in their element at a high level. They could be a laborer doing their job perfectly or an master artist flowing fully and freely within their given medium. At this stratum, to really appreciate what you’re seeing before your eyes, the observer needs to, at the very least, understand the medium and the artist in question. That is compulsory and, it needs to be said, the semi-restrictive provisions to approach Kevin Costner’s Horizon: An American Saga: Chapter 1.

MOVIE REVIEW: The Bikeriders

Amid the ostentatious theatricality of actors making all kinds of noise in The Bikeriders, the other sound the film absolutely nails is the unmistakable deep bass rumble caused the asymmetrical arrangement of firing cylinders in Harley-Davidson engines. One by itself will get your attention. Five rolling together will rattle your windows. A dozen or more churning as a fleet becomes an aural maelstrom. Your selected reaction to that hellacious harmony will be your tinted gateway into Jeff Nichols’ petulant film.

2023, 2024, 4 STARS, MOVIE REVIEWDon ShanahanJune 19, 2024The Bikeriders, Jeff Nichols, Tom Hardy, Austin Butler, Jodie Comer, Michael ShannonComment

MOVIE REVIEW: Thelma

Well, eat your f’n heart out, Tom Cruise! In the first lead performance of her seven-decade career, June Squibb proves she can get around just fine at a venerable age of 93! Sure, the speeds of the pursuits are exponentially slower and the heights of the obstacles are far closer to the ground, but, make no mistake, there are thrills to be had and laughs to be enjoyed with Thelma. With all due respect to Ryan Gosling, Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, and Glen Powell, June just leapfrogged them all to be the must-see action hero of the 2024 summer blockbuster season.

MOVIE REVIEW: Bang Bang

Sure, it may have taken a bit to get there, but talented writer-director Vincent Grashaw demonstrated the shrewd patience to make those culminating moments happen on their own time and without some grand public showdown or audience. The “what for” and the “why” came to a head with dramatic focus. Bang Bang was never built to be anything close to a cliched sports movie. Instead, what burned intimately for the people involved stayed intimate to the bitter–and therefore realistic–end.

MOVIE REVIEW: Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

With time in mind, patience is indeed required when it comes to Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. For three films in a row, “expansive” has become the perfect descriptor, and it suits this fourth entry as well. Even with new studio stewardship (Disney igniting the former Fox property) and a new creative braintrust led by Ball, this franchise marches to a different drum and blazes new trails. They are setting yet another stage for an epic crowd pleaser. Among the trend of heavily predictable genre movies with low stakes, this one is going to ponderous and exciting places simultaneously, and it’s all the better for it.

2024, 4 STARS, MOVIE REVIEWDon ShanahanMay 14, 2024Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Wes BallComment

MOVIE REVIEW: The Idea of You

Not to equate an actress to a videogame or pro wrestling, but Anne Hathaway has a unique and refined moveset as a performer. Her most front-and-center and patented gimmick has always been her wide and radiant smile. When all else fails, Anne can pull that out and win just about any heart. Strategically, though, she has an even stronger bread-and-butter maneuver, and it comes out distinctly in her new film The Idea of You. It’s the “look-away.”

MOVIE REVIEW: The Moon & Back

Smooth one, Peter. Leave it to dads to gladly go beyond their reach and overdo a promise to impress their spouse and children. Why? Because dads are meant to be larger than life and therefore operate the same way. Well, “to the moon and back” sure worked on Peter Gilbert’s daughter Lydia (Isabel May of I Want You Back) every time it was shared. The Moon & Back confirms that claim with evidence captured with the framing and resolution of old VHS.

MOVIE REVIEW: The Brink Of

Make no mistake. Unspoken history exists between Lena and James. At this recorded moment, they may or may not share the inquiring answer the host is hoping to extract. Nevertheless, there’s a story here that promises a long and difficult road merging togetherness and stardom. Using deft and economical storytelling, writer-director Patrick Meaney (House of Demons) has crafted The Brink Of to reveal this little melodrama nimbly.

2024, 4 STARS, Home Media, Independent Film, MOVIE REVIEW, StreamingDon ShanahanApril 20, 2024The Brink Of, Patrick Meaney, Tim HoffmanComment

DOCUMENTARY REVIEW: Deep Sky

Much like the scientifically wondrous notion of us forged by recycled dust of past celestial bodies, the documentary’s powerful implications and posed questions give Deep Sky viewers immense swell and pause. Even though Deep Sky is an abrupt shorthand version of a continuing story, it is exactly the type of presentation and ponderous point that will rightfully and fruitfully inspire the next generation of innovators and explorers. Somebody somewhere is going to watch Deep Sky, hear Williams’ lush poeticism, and plot their future.

2024, 4 STARS, DOCUMENTARY REVIEW, MOVIE REVIEWDon ShanahanApril 18, 2024Deep Sky, Nathaniel Kahn, Michelle WilliamsComment

MOVIE REVIEW: Challengers

Challengers roars forth to use the invasive scrutiny found in tennis as a mimicking reflection of personal hostilities and exposed intimacies. Keeping with that idea of body language, Guadagnino’s blistering athletic love triangle is a ballet of sweat and a battle of three beautifully furrowed brows set atop the lithe bodies of Zendaya, Josh O’Connor, and Mike Faist. For two hours-plus mirroring the length of a full set tennis match, this film cuts years deep and rips off scabs to show you why those brows are furrowed and towards whom.

MOVIE REVIEW: Wicked Little Letters

The sentiment and pattern of the letters morphs from targeted malice to liberated venting, and begins to float as both. And, it’s all likely coming from marginalized female citizens who never have the stump or permissive opportunity to speak their mind or exorcize their frustrations in an honest way, let alone a shamelessly crude one. Wicked Little Letters develops enough expressive clout with its mystery to be more about the voices being found than the rumors being circulated.

EVERY MOVIE HAS A LESSON

by Don Shanahan

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