Spring (Quick Review)

Spring is a strange oxymoron.

Big Game (Quick Review)

It’s popcorn flicks such as Big Game that reinforce how much fun it is to sit back and enjoy good old-fashion, nonsensical action films.

Slow West (Quick Review)

After missing out seeing Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight, I didn’t expect to see a 2015 western, let alone a great one.

I was wrong.

Kung Fu Panda 3 (Film Review)

I am very disappointed.

Creed (Film Review)

In 2013, short film director Ryan Coogler made his first feature length film FruitvaleStation—a wonderful, emotionally intense film starring Michael B. Jordan about the events leading up to the death of Oscar Grant by the hands of a BART station police officer.  The film made the number one spot on my favorite films of 2013, the very first “best of the year” list made on Film Reviewer Jr.  Creed, at the very least, confirms Fruitvale Station wasn’t just a fluke great film, and that Coogler’s director skills are as prodigious as they appear.  Creed is undoubtedly the best Rocky sequel by a long shot, and rivals the original in terms of classic, effective storytelling and stunning cinematography.  The film has the air of a pure sports story, and homages itself in many ways to the original Rocky; yet Creed transcends being a stale repetition with fleshed out characters, touching relationships, great performances, intense editing, and a subtleness rarely seen in the sports genre.