EVERY MOVIE HAS A LESSON

No matter what, all of Deadpool 2 is nonsensical, of course, and there was no way this movie wasn’t going to be exactly what it is: FUN.  That part doesn't go away.  Folks can try to champion the first film and this one as anti-comic-book-movie movies, but, make no mistake, both of these blockbusters end up becoming comic book movies anyway just with more willingness and success to subvert the formula.  However, that ridiculous energy is precisely the charm people are flocking and paying to see over in this

The post-credits cameo of the big bad Thanos in The Avengers set into motion an even greater arc of ambition that catapulted two more phases, twelve more films, and dozens of new major players since.  Now at the ten-year mark of this endeavor, all of the patience, enthusiasm, and success pays off with Avengers: Infinity War.  Thriving with a symmetry of captivating gravitas and heroic thrill on many levels, this saga’s newest peak is an expanse of scorched earth that stings, shocks, lingers, and satisfies.

The dignified art form of cinema may not need a dumb and dazzling film like Rampage, but what escapist audiences do seek out and need are larger-than-life stars.  There will always be an ass-kicking place for brawny men like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson on the silver screen.  The former WWE superstar has become the center square of any year’s blockbuster Bingo card. The fully-formed persona that is Dwayne Johnson is always a welcome treat

The Post feels like Spielberg painting by numbers, continuing a bit of a downward trend for the filmmaker.  This was accomplished because it was easy, didn’t require a rush, and still cost a sizable $50 million, not because a director was shedding trappings to do a rough and raw film.  The Post is a highly polished quality story gift-wrapped to Spielberg and completed with a precision that is pleasing and purposeful.  It is effective, but not affecting or truly but not truly demanding for a director, ensemble, and creative team of this caliber.