Cinema aficionados will quickly point fingers towards a few familiar comparisons for director Taika Waititi's New Zealand-based festival favorite, "Hunt for the Wilderpeople." The trouble is they will be shoehorning the film into an unshapely and narrow box where many containers are needed. "Hunt for the Wilderpeople" is rich and broad film with a charm and a sprawling ambition that will ping more that a few of your favorite film sensibilities. Broken into ten cheeky episodic chapters and boasting beautiful natural beauty shot by cinematographer Lachlan Milne, you will find a fun experience that may feel familiar, yet is wholly unique.

MOVIE REVIEW: The Dog Lover

It is entirely fair to grant that, out of the many animal breeders in the world, operations exist that are completely on the up-and-up with proper care and humane treatment of animals. No argument there. Not every dog breeder is a cruel and incensed perpetrator of animal slavery any more than not every Muslim is an ISIS terrorist or not every German was a Nazi. Advocating for such a truth is fine and dandy when the message is composed in a fair and balanced way. A film like the “The Dog Lover” is not the way to correct that message.

MOVIE REVIEW: The Secret Life of Pets

What keeps “The Secret Life of Pets” entertaining is the redeeming measure of charisma. Nothing is ever to a "Pixar Punch" level, yet the ever-present plucky pizzazz washes down the occasional preposterous stupidity with the right cooling chaser. You could do far worse for family summer fun at the theater. Now go home and hug that adorable pooch you left home from the movie theater. He or she has been waiting for you.

MOVIE REVIEW: Swiss Army Man

As ambiguous as this sounds, your love or hate of the new film and Sundance favorite, “Swiss Army Man,” will say something about your inner quirkiness, mindset, and, most of all, your heart. Packed with detail and imagination beyond belief, this film defies classification and destroys the hyperbole, pretense, and comparative euphemisms that normally define films about friendship, the genre of buddy movies, and even unconventional screen love stories. Movies that tug our heartstrings with a smile normally kill us with kindness. The polarizing “Swiss Army Man” kills us with weirdness. This film lets its WTF freak flag fly and encourages you to do the same.

VIDEO: Post-film reactions to "The Legend of Tarzan"

The critics of the Chicago Independent Film Critics Circle have heard the call of the jungle! Watch and enjoy the first takes of myself and my fellow CIFCC members including Jon Espino of "The Young Folks," Pamela Powell of The Kankakee Daily Journal and "Reel Honest Reviews," and, but not least, Emmanuel Noisette of "Eman's Movie Reviews" offering their hot-and-bothered impressions on "The Legend of Tarzan." Enjoy!

VIDEO: Post-film reactions to "The BFG"

Four of the esteemed members of the Chicago Independent Film Critics Circle were lucky enough to catch a very early advance screening of "The BFG" from director Steven Spielberg. It did not go well. Here are their immediate post-movie reactions. Enjoy the hot takes from myself, El'Ahrai Stanek and John Robinson of "The Harvey and Bob Show," and Jim Alexander of "The Movie Blog."

VIDEO: Post-film reactions to "Free State of Jones"

Last week, myself, another member of the Chicago Independent Film Critics Circle, and a special guest first-timer dished out their thoughts and reactions to "Free State of Jones" starring Matthew McConaughey and directed by Gary Ross. We weighed the historical drama for its strong points and weaknesses.

EVERY MOVIE HAS A LESSON

by Don Shanahan

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