Author: Matt Conway

With Disney’s massive success with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a lot of pressure has been put on Warner Brothers and the DC heroes to match their shared universe. With the release of Wonder Woman, let’s look at the divisive start to their new universe. 4. Suicide Squad What’s Good: To be honest, it’s hard for me to find much good qualities about this film. The film is certainly at its best when it strips away its style for more character-oriented scenes. Margot Robbie, Will Smith, and even Jai Courtney all show some promise in their respective roles, with the oddball…

Coming of age films are a dime a dozen these days, so it takes a lot of creativity and talent to truly make them standout. Many entries in the genre have struggled to do such, with many trying to re-capture the formula that have made movies like Garden State or Juno succeed. Trying to deliver his fresh perspective to the genre is comedian Demetri Martin, who writes, directs, and stars in Dean. The film follows Dean, a New York illustrator who is still struggling with the loss of his mother. When taking a spur of the moment trap to L.A, he tries to get over…

Even though the genre continues to be one of the most popular in film today, most animated films these day feel uninspired. Aside from a few notable exceptions, a lot of animated films are appealing to their family audience in the laziest possible way. The fact there is an Emoji Movie coming out is a prime example of the creative rut the genre is in. One of the lone animated films that I’ve been looking forward to is Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie. Based on the popular book series, the film follows two pranksters George and Harold, who keep their classmates afloat…

After starting out as a small distribution company, A24 has now taken Hollywood by storm. In a time when many indie films fail to break out, the studio has thrived due to their viral marketing campaigns and diverse library of quality films. Almost anytime I see their logo appeal before a trailer, I get excited. Their latest indie is The Lovers, which is one of the first releases that they financed on their own. The film follows a long-married couple who has lost their passion and all amidst in their own affairs. When they are about to break it off however, the…

Three films into starting their own cinematic universe, DC has faced their fair share of struggles. While there films have earned solid figures at the box office, none of their three releases have received good reviews from critics (all three are “Rotten” on Rotten Tomatoes). The lack of critical success has led to a lot of turmoil behind the scenes, with constant changes in directors and several delayed release dates happening over the past year. Looking to change that tide is Wonder Woman, which is the first major blockbuster to feature the Amazonian Warrior on the big screen. This film is essentially…

Ever since discovering gold with Pirates of the Caribbean:The Curse of the Black Pearl, Disney has continuously tried to repeat its level of critical and financial success. While the box office totals have been strong, the films themselves have been either a mixed bag or fairly terrible (looking at you At World’s End). Trying to breath new life with the fifth entry in the franchise is Dead Men Tell No Tales. The film follows the continuos journey of Captain Jack Sparrow, who along with a few new faces must find the trident of Poseidon to escape the deadly hands of the undead Captain Salazar. Dead…

The controversy surrounding the growth of streaming juggernaut Netflix in filmmaking has only grown over the past few months. Most notably causing a stir at this year’s Cannes Film Festival among purists, many continue to be against the straight-to-Netflix release for many seemingly theatrical films, while others are in a strong support for the new means of distribution. While this is all coinciding, Netflix has released one of their biggest projects yet in War Machine. Based on Michael Hasting’s  The Operator: The Wild and Terrifying Inside Story of America’s War in Afghanistan, the film follows General Glen McMahon’s hectic tenure as the leader…

Out of all the Marvel comic book adaptations, none are quite as bizarre as Ghost Rider. Starring Nicolas Cage as the iconic hero, the film was an odd blend of blockbuster action, dark Ghost Rider mythos, and Nic Cage being Nic Cage. The final result was a mess, and among one of the worst Marvel films ever made. In an industry driven by financial gains however, the Ghost Rider character was able to hop back into the saddle with Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance.  The film was met with reviews just as bad as its predecessor, and ultimately ended the Cage Ghost Rider era due to…

Its hard to find an actress working today who is more despised than Amy Schumer. After turning a successful career in comedy into a career in film, many have grown to dislike Schumer for her raunchy and outspoken attitude. For me at least, a lot of this criticism has been unfairly given, as her first major film Trainwreck (which she also wrote), was a truly terrific spin on the romantic comedy genre. Schumer is looking to continue her momentum with Snatched, which again features her in the leading role. The film follows Emily, a down-on-her-luck woman who is forced to go on her luxurious…

While his films are flawed, Guy Ritchie continues to be one of the most unique directors working in Hollywood today. After the British native started out with two great crime indies Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatched, Ritchie has since taken his talents into blockbuster filmmaking. His kinetic style has had mostly positive results, with the Sherlock Holmes films and The Man From U.N.C.L.E receiving a fresh update thanks to his unique style. Ritchie is now continuing his trend of old stories revamped on the big screen with King Arthur: Legend of The Sword. This film is essentially an origin story of Arthur, who is forced to grow…