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Hot Take: A vehicle for J-Lo to show you how likable she is but the story is too generic and contrived to be anything but just okay. It’s entertaining though. I’ll give it that much.

Fluffy and light, Second Act, the latest film starring Jennifer Lopez is the movie equivalent of comfort food. It’s lots of empty calories that is likely to test pretty good while you’re digesting it but giving any thought to what you just consumed and it’s likely you’ll have longed for something a little more substantial for your palette. It’s one of those movies that you’ll never call film nor be tempted to use the words, “As the plot thickens…” considering how little substance the movie has once you get beyond it’s shiny, upbeat surface. Reading the few sentences previous to this one and you might think I wasn’t a fan of the movie but that’s not true. There’s plenty of movies that aren’t necessarily good movies that are enjoyable and Second Act is exactly one of those.Read More →

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It’s unlikely we’ll make it to 150 for 2018 any time soon but we made it back to 125 again at MHT. That’s a decent amount of films to see in a year, right? While there was only one 5 star film amongst the 25 (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse), not one film of the last 25 scored less than “Thumbs Eh” which is a first since launching Movie Hot Take. Don’t believe me? Look back at the last 100 movies reviewed, you’ll see!

Now that you’re up to speed, here’s the last 25 movies reviewed at MHT, graded:Read More →

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Hot Take: Best animated film of the year… and best superhero film of the year. There, I said it!

I remember sitting watching Black Panther earlier this year (which I still haven’t written a review on) and thinking nothing would top it when it comes to comic-based films. Then Avengers: Infinity War arrived. Immediately following that viewing, I thought the same thing. Since then many have tried (Because there might be a law that says a comic-based film must come out every 45 minutes) but none have reached the heights or depths these two films reached. On the animation side, Wes Anderson’s Isle of Dogs wowed early on in the year and it felt highly unlikely another animated film would come close to what it accomplished. Then Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse released. Not only was this film the best comic-based film of the year, it was also the best animated film of 2018, so far. There’s a few weeks left but does anyone think Aquaman could be better than any of the films mentioned previously? So, let’s go out on a limb and say Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is the best comic-based film AND animated film of 2018. (Note: At any point, I could eat crow and move something unseen ahead of it. Sorry, that’s just how it works.)Read More →

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Hot Take: It doesn’t matter if you like or hate the film, you can still marvel at the transformation of Christian Bale into Dick Cheney and have no doubt he deserves the Academy Award when it’s given to him in February.

It’s a waste of time to get into the politics of Vice. The film was either preaching to the choir or further pissing you off as you shout, “This is ‘murica, dammit!” Stick around for the credits and the very meta scene addresses this all too well for me to spend any more time on the topic. To be fair, Vice feels a little too gimmicky and done before. Earlier this year, the same feeling came over me while watching Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 11/9. It was all too familiar. Same for Vice whose riffs sound so similar to those in The Big Short, if it weren’t Adam McKay’s work, he’d be sued for copyright enfringement. Also, the same tricks and gimmicks used in The Big Short which landed so strongly (we’re looking at you Margot Robbie and Selena Gomez) weren’t quite as impactful in Vice (that’s a shot at the narrator and Shakespeare, if you’ve seen the film already). Yet there’s one thing that can’t be denied — Christian Bale fucking killed it as Dick Cheney. If you’ve frequented MHT and seen other films featuring Bale, you already know my professed admiration for the man’s talents as an actor. He’s simply the best actor in Hollywood right now. Go ahead and argue with me. We can throw down. I’m not backing off that statement no matter what or who you say. And Bale as Cheney is further evidence of this. If there were a year where only one nominee were to be named for an Award, this year with Bale as Best Actor would be it. It’s that easy. Read More →

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Hot Take: Awesome cast. Wickedly funny film. Likely to land on more than a few Top 10 lists though it’s likely to settle in the Top 20 at Movie Hot Take.

Even if you don’t find deeper meaning in The Favourite, the latest from Yorgos Lanthimos (The Lobster, The Killing of a Sacred Deer), it’s hard to imagine there won’t be plenty you find amusing. Thanks to incredible performances by a trio of amazing female performers (Rachel Weisz, Emma Stone and Olivia Colman), a sharp, witty script from Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara and, of course, the watchful eye of Lanthimos whose resume continues to impress with each new film released, The Favourite will definitely make noise this Awards season and could walk away with some coveted hardware when all is said and done. Personally, there have been better films throughout the year but if you’ve included The Favourite in your Top 10, I would be hard-pressed to argue you out of such a decision. The balance of humor and nastiness is where The Favourite finds its magic and it never falters or leans too heavily on either to deliver an entertaining and sometimes even enlightening look at feminism. Despite its period setting, The Favourite‘s peak under the covers of feminism has a contemporary feel no matter how many bad powdered wigs or bosom-heaving corsets make their way into frame.Read More →

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Hot Take: Clint Eastwood doing Clint Eastwood things. It’s not as bad as that makes it sound.

As a director, Clint Eastwood might be one of the more underrated auteurs of our generation. Hell, I’m going to bet that some reading “Eastwood” and “auteur” in the same sentence might take offense to the combination. The Mule is Eastwood’s 38th film in the director’s chair and while they aren’t always winners (see The 15:17 to Paris from earlier this year), Eastwood has an impressive resume of films and 2 Best Director Academy Awards (for Unforgiven and Million Dollar Baby) and 2 losing nominations (for Mystic River and Letters from Iwo Jima) to his credit. It might have to do with Eastwood’s outspoken personal stances on, well, pretty much everything which portrays him as a curmudgeon and how often that carries over to his on-screen portrayals but that shouldn’t take away from Eastwood’s efforts as a filmmaker. Many of his films feature him solely behind the camera and when he does take on a role in front of the camera, you understand why he was chosen for that role. The Mule is no exception and while it’s tough to sell a lack of a filter as lovable in 2018, Eastwood makes his best attempt and it ain’t half bad. There are only a few cringe-worthy moments of casual racism and Eastwood’s Earl is flawed and doesn’t get off completely Scot-free here.Read More →

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Hot Take: Strong performances can sometimes help you forgive a film’s ills and Green Book is a prime example. Worth it for Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali who both could receive nominations for their work.

It’s been a few weeks since seeing Green Book so, in fairness, the Take above is warm, at best. However, while the film itself (outside of the scenes repeated ad nauseam throughout the overplayed trailer) doesn’t have an indelible quality, the performances and chemistry between Mortensen in the lead role as Frank “Tony Lip” Vallelonga and Ali as “Doc” Don Shirley definitely left a lasting impression. The story while based on fact is nothing more than your standard message film primed to make a little bit of noise come Awards season but unlikely to do more than grab a handful of nominations. Maybe Mortensen scores a Best Actor nod and possibily Ali adds a second Support Actor nomination following up on his win from 2 years ago for his supporting role in Moonlight but neither should be favored to score a win. It doesn’t help the film lacks any real punch as it pulls it’s punches throughout delivering a solid but safe story which should satisfy some but not overwhelm anyone.Read More →

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Hot Take: Whatever you thought about Wreck-It Ralph will likely be magnified here. I loved Wreck-It Ralph and loved the sequel, as well.

It’s funny how much execution matters when it comes to a concept such as riffing on the Internet. Remember The Emoji Movie? Conceptually, The Emoji Movie and Ralph Breaks the Internet, the sequel to the insanely lucrative and well received 2012 Disney flick Wreck-It Ralph, aren’t that much different. However, a side-by-side comparison of the finished product and you’ll ask yourself what took so long for one (the follow-up to Wreck-It Ralph) and why did it ever get made for the other. Ralph Breaks the Internet is a fun return to the Wreck-It Ralph character that sometimes tops its predecessor’s high score (especially any time the Disney Princesses are on screen) and delivers what seems to be a difficult, tear-inducing ending for young audiences though it feels a little bloated in the third act. There’s almost no reason for there not to be a third film in the series after seeing how fresh and entertaining Ralph Breaks the Internet was able to be without being too repetitive.Read More →

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Hot Take: The movie is loaded with talent and comes from a talent director and writer BUT I can’t help but feel like something is missing. It’s good BUT not amazing.

With all of the buzz around Widows, it was hard not to walk in with high expectations. Featuring Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez and Elizabeth Debicki was three women who recently lost their husbands during an attempted heist who now must work together to pull off a heist of their own to pay back the men their husbands tried to rip off from director Steve McQueen who also co-wrote the film with Gillian Flynn, Widows has a lot going for it. In addition to those three women, the cast is bolstered by a supporting cast of Colin Farrell, Cythnia Ervo, Daniel Kaluuya, Brian Tyree Henry, Robert Duvall, Jon Bernthal, Lukas Haas and Liam Neeson. It’s stacked with talent and the premise is fresh enough that it never feels as stale as it could considering it’s yet another heist flick. However, Widows isn’t without problems and while it’s good enough to recommend, it’s hard to get as excited as some who feel the film deserves to be heavily recognized come Awards season. Read More →

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Hot Take: As a sucker for boxing movies and native of the Philly suburbs, do you really think there’s a chance I didn’t love this movie? 

Someone asked me recently if Rocky was a real person. Even though Rocky Balboa — the character at the center of a cinematic franchise which has now spawned 8 films — is loosely based on a real boxer (Chuck Wepner), Rocky is technically not real. However, if you’re from the Philadelphia area and you’re familiar with the Rocky story right down to the “Rocky steps” at the Philadelphia Museum of Art or the Rocky statue which once lived outside the old Spectrum but now spends its days just northeast of those famed steps, you’d be hard pressed to find anyone that doesn’t consider Rocky Balboa influential. If you really want to understand how important Rocky is to the city of Philadelphia, Sylvester Stallone who portrays Rocky is beloved in Philadelphia AND a native New Yorker. So, even though I eventually answered “no” to the question about Rocky’s reality, it wasn’t as simple as that. Now, that the Rocky universe has a second life in Adonis Creed, son of Apollo Creed (portrayed in the first four Rocky films by Carl Weathers before meeting his demise at the hands of Ivan Drago), it still continues to hang on to Rocky as the catalyst to keep this story moving along. For this franchise to live on, it’s going to take the Adonis character (eventually), to continue the Rocky legacy. What would have seemed like an impossible task before Creed, at least seemed like something to consider. We’re going to have to say goodbye to Rocky at some point as sad as that is for all of us invested in the Rocky character. The question remains: Can Adonis Creed connect enough to carry the Rocky franchise into the next decade? If Creed II is an indication, it feels as though the answer is still maybe but it’s closer to yes than it was before Creed II.Read More →