By Michael Stanley WHAT’S THE INCREDIBLES 2 ABOUT? Picking up right where the The Incredibles (2004) left off, the super-powered Parr family struggle to fulfill their duty as superheroes in a world where superheroism remains illegal. Given a chance to work as an advocate for a superhero legalization movement, the mother Helen Parr decides to don the mask and tights of Elastigirl once more in order ...[Read More]
INCREDIBLES 2 Family Movie Review
AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR Family Movie Review
By Jonathan Decker (Clinical Director, LMFT) WHAT’S AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR ABOUT? The Avengers team up with the Guardians of the Galaxy to battle Thanos and his quest to balance the universe through genocide. IS IT ANY GOOD? (GRADE: A-) Manage your expectations. Not about the film’s quality, mind you; it’s very good. In fact, given the sheer number of characters to juggle, itR ...[Read More]
KONG: SKULL ISLAND Family Movie Review
By Jonathan Decker (Family therapist, film critic) WHAT’S KONG: SKULL ISLAND ABOUT? In 1973 a group of American soldiers join scientists, a photographer, and a mercenary to explore an uncharted island, an island where monsters still exist. IS IT ANY GOOD? (GRADE: A-) A bold and thrilling new vision for the King Kong legend, Kong: Skull Island takes audiences away from the “giant ape be ...[Read More]
MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN Family Movie Review
By Jonathan Decker (Family therapist, film critic) WHAT’S MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN ABOUT? Encouraged by his grandfather’s stories, a teen seeks out a secret refuge for children with unique powers. IS IT ANY GOOD? (GRADE: B) Ostensibly Tim Burton’s version of an X-Men movie (Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters is essentially the same as the titular ...[Read More]
LEGEND OF TARZAN Family Movie Review
By Jonathan Decker (Family therapist, film critic) WHAT’S THE LEGEND OF TARZAN ABOUT? Eight years after leaving the jungle, John Greystoke (AKA Tarzan) returns with his wife Jane to foil a slavery plot. IS IT ANY GOOD? (GRADE: A-) An old-school-meets-new-school adventure in the vein of The Mask of Zorro and Quigley Down Under, this newest screen interpretation of the Tarzan legend benefits g ...[Read More]
Why I Like the STAR WARS Prequels (and Why I’ll Never Love Them)
By Jonathan Decker (Family therapist, film critic) Happy Star Wars Day, and May the 4th be with you! With The Force Awakens a big hit and plenty of exciting developments coming out of Disney/Lucasfilm, it’s a good time to be a Star Wars fan. Of course, everywhere one turns, people say things like “Hopefully this all redeems the franchise from the prequels,” or “Now we can p ...[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]
THE PHANTOM MENACE 3D Family Movie Review
STAR WARS EPISODE 1: THE PHANTOM MENACE-3D REVIEW (Grade: C) Denial. Anger. Depression. Acceptance. I went through all the stages of grief when, in 1999, I was a mega-fan confronted with the terrible fact that The Phantom Menace, easily the most eagerly-anticipated movie in 16 years, was a crushing dissappointment. The story was dull, the characters mostly uninvolving, the dialogue tepid, and ever ...[Read More]
CAPTAIN AMERICA Family Movie Review
REVIEW (GRADE: B) : As a superhero-origin movie, Captain America lays out cliche after cliche, following the template of numerous films that have come before it. As a patriotic crowd pleaser, however, it offers plenty of old-fashioned delights. I have to borrow what another reviewer said here, because he summed it up perfectly: “If you’ve got a problem with any of the plot points in Captain ...[Read More]
STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS Family Movie Review
By Jonathan Decker (Family therapist, film critic) Buy Star Wars: The Clone Wars here. WHAT’S STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS ABOUT? Anakin Skywalker takes on an apprentice and fights to rescue a kidnap victim in this animated film, taking place between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. This film launched the far-superior animated series. Both the film and the series are available to ...[Read More]