By Jonathan Decker (Family therapist, film critic) WHAT'S ARRIVAL ABOUT? A linguist and a physicist work with the military to communicate with extraterrestrials and determine their intentions. IS IT ANY GOOD? (GRADE: A) Artistic, well-acted, and tremendously moving, Arrival is smart sci-fi in the league of Contact and Gattaca. Avoid spoilers at all costs; discovering the narrative surprises and th ...[Read More]
ARRIVAL Family Movie Review
CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR Family Movie Review
By Jonathan Decker (Family therapist, film critic) WHAT'S CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR ABOUT? When the United Nations wants to assume authority over the Avengers, the heroes are divided over whether to comply. The ideological divide, coupled with a villain's machinations, eventually pit the super-friends against one another. IS IT ANY GOOD? (GRADE: A+) Getting right everything Batman v. Superman got ...[Read More]
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: ROGUE NATION Family Movie Review
By Jonathan Decker (Family Therapist, film critic) WHAT'S MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: ROGUE NATION ABOUT? Ethan Hunt and his friends team up with a lethal operative to bring down a global organization of spies and terrorists. But whose side is she really on? IS IT ANY GOOD? (GRADE: A-) While it's debatable which M:I film is king of the series, Rogue Nation certainly earns its place alongside the best of t ...[Read More]
THE BOURNE LEGACY Family Movie Review
THE BOURNE LEGACY (GRADE: C) Not so much a bad movie as it is an unnecessary and unoriginal one, The Bourne Legacy is to the magnificent original trilogy what microwaved leftovers are to a home-cooked meal: the ingredients are still there, but it's not nearly as enjoyable as it was when it was fresh. It's a real shame, too, because the first hour of the film is very promising, expanding the Bourne ...[Read More]
THE AVENGERS Family Movie Review
Review (Grade: A) The most impressive superhero film since The Dark Knight, Marvel Studios’ The Avengers is a funny, thrilling, and character-driven crowd pleaser. Seeing the five films that preceded this one (Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor,and Captain America) may enrich the experience, but it’s hardly necessary; the film stands well on its own for those who want to just jump in ...[Read More]
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: GHOST PROTOCOL Family Movie Review
By Jonathan Decker (Family therapist, film critic) MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE- GHOST PROTOCOL review (Grade: B+ ) I'll just say it: with Jackie Chan arthritic and far past his prime and Tony Jaa retired and living in solitude as a monk, Tom Cruise is the world's greatest stuntman-actor. The commitment and athleticism shown by the soon to be 50-year-old over the course of his career, and the Mission Impos ...[Read More]