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In: 2017, Hot Take

Hot Take: A rare faith-based film that doesn’t beat you over the head with its faith but rather lets the story do the talking.

Maybe it’s just a level of expectation when it comes to faith-based films that when a film like Same Kind of Different As Me comes along, it’s refreshing to have a story of faith told without it going out of its way to smother you in its Christian roots. Instead, Same Kind of Different As Me relies on solid performances from Greg Kinnear, Renee Zellweger and Djimon Hounsou in this based on a true story tale of Ron and Debbie who are in a struggling marriage and befriend a homeless man while helping out at a local mission in Fort Worth, Texas.Read More →

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In: 2017, Hot Take

Hot Take: I know I’m in the minority here but I didn’t connect with these characters. It’s a slow paced, workmanlike effort that never feels overly inspired and as an audience member, I never felt invested.

The fact-based Only the Brave tells the story of the Granite Mountain Hotshots and their efforts to become an elite firefighting team. It features an impressive cast which includes Josh Brolin, Jennifer Connelly, Jeff Bridges and Miles Teller. Despite the worthy subject matter and capable cast, Only the Brave is challenged with adding in melodramatic elements that weren’t really there to give the film a Hollywood flair. Unfortunately, many of the real elements turn TV movie of the week and while the film tells a worthy story, there’s something missing to keep the film from achieving better than mediocrity.Read More →

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In: 2017, Hot Take

Hot Take: Formulaic, disappointing follow up to one of the best comedies of 2016. The main characters are great, though, which makes it kind of fun at times. 

The first holiday film of 2017 is a rushed, predictable sequel to last year’s surprise comedy hit Bad Moms. A Bad Moms Christmas not only gives us the return of Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell and Kathryn Hahn in the titular roles but we get a new trio of “Bad Moms” when we get to meet the mothers of all 3 women. Joining Kunis, Bell and Hahn are Christine Baranski, Cheryl Hines and Susan Sarandon in the mother’s mother roles who all conveniently visit their daughters for Christmas at exactly the same time. The Christmas themed film has 3 new characters to play off of but it really is the only new wrinkle as A Bad Moms Christmas infuses the best bits of the original with Christmas spirit. For the hardcore Bad Moms fan, this will likely be satisfying enough but those who only liked the original or were on the fence won’t be blown away by this mediocre second installment.Read More →