You can’t fault Godzilla: King of the Monsters for putting comprehensible story and characterization on the back-burner when all it has going for it are epic Kaiju fights, which, let’s be honest, is all it needs to get right.
8 out of 12 Tamales
“Long Shot”: One-Sentence Review
Charlize Theron’s and Seth Rogen’s chemistry polls well in Long Shot, a film that should be voted into the not-so-long list of good political rom-coms.
9.5 out of 12 Tamales
“Ma”: One-Sentence Review
Ma’s Octavia Spencer is the only reason to accept an invitation to watch this year’s most cringe-worthy movie, the embodiment of a worthwhile hangover.
8.5 out of 12 Tamales
“Booksmart”: One-Sentence Review
Playing like a highly produced music video—all flash, some substance—Booksmart gives an A effort, but fails High School Movies 101’s most important lesson, create characters that feel authentic and timeless.
7 out of 12 Tamales
“Aladdin (2019)”: One-Sentence Review
While 1992’s Aladdin has the benefit of an all-time great voice performance from Robin Williams’ Genie—plus, being first goes a long way—2019’s live-action version outdoes its traditionally-animated counterpart in at least spectacle and action, making a visit to this well-known world worth it.
9 out of 12 Tamales
“John Wick: Chapter 3—Parabellum”: One-Sentence Review
Parabellum’s greatest strength, non-stop action, becomes a glaring weakness once the monotony sets in and the stakes drop to zero, but there’s credit to be given to the choreography of the jaw-dropping stunts.
7.5 out of 12 Tamales
“Pokemon: Detective Pikachu”: One-Sentence Review
Ryan Reynolds’ voiced Detective Pikachu’s cuteness and biting wit, plus some nicely rendered CGI Pokémon, can only distract the audience for so long before the evidence makes it clear that this movie’s only worth catching on TV.
6.5 out of 12 Tamales
“Game of Thrones: Season 3”: One-Sentence Review
While exposition is king, galvanizing action sequences with dramatic heft are queen in a season with one drawback—preceding the amazingness that is Game of Thrones: Season 4.
10.5 out of 12 Tamales
“Game of Thrones: Season 2”: One-Sentence Review
Expanding, sometimes even improving, on Season 1, Game of Thrones: Season 2 is a behemoth of masterful direction and impressive new characters—while only slightly less enthralling than its predecessor.
11 out of 12 Tamales
“Avengers: Endgame”: One-Sentence Review
Avengers: Endgame—the resounding, climatic finale to what started over a decade ago—hits the senses with the visceral and the tangible, delivering a more than worthy superhero film that hardly ever threatens to buckle under the weight of its enormous expectations.
11 out of 12 Tamales
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