Take Two: “Barbie” (PG-13)
The blockbuster toy becomes the blockbuster movie. Find out what our critics thought about Great Gerwig's "Barbie," starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling
Freeze Frame: “Barbie” (PG-13), “Oppenheimer” (R), “They Cloned Tyrone” (R)
Who knew that "Barbie" could be the victim of an existential crisis? Margot Robbie is perfectly cast in Greta Gerwig's wacky and wildly imaginative comedy about Mattel's superstar doll. It's the kind of movie that the term 'meta' was coined for. It throws darts at consumerism and male patriarchy by...
Freeze Frame: “Babylon” (R), “Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody” (PG-13), “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” (PG), “The Whale” (R)
Oscar-winning filmmaker Damien Chazelle wants to have it both ways. He wants "Babylon" to be a celebration of the decadent excesses of Old Hollywood as well as a condemnation of the era. It doesn't work. Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie are fine in this overly ambitious epic that focuses on...
Freeze Frame: “Amsterdam” (R), “Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile” (PG), “Hellraiser” (R), “Hocus Pocus 2” (PG)
What do you get when you combine an intriguing story, great cast, impressive production values and a top-notch director? In the case of "Amsterdam," you get a real mess. Christian Bale, Margot Robbie and John David Washington lead a terrific ensemble in David O. Russell's bold experiment gone awry. It's...
Freeze Frame: “The Suicide Squad” (R), “Nine Days” (R)
“The Suicide Squad" is a reboot and reimagining of the disappointing 2016 DC Comics movie "Suicide Squad," about super villains manipulated into serving a shady government agency. Writer/director James Gunn of "Guardians of the Galaxy" fame gives this decadent R-rated action flick a wacky, comedic grindhouse edge. Some of the...
Freeze Frame: “Birds of Prey” (R), “Les Miserables” (R)
Margot Robbie’s bat-swinging performance as the Joker’s girlfriend Harley Quinn was probably the best thing about 2016’s comic book movie, “Suicide Squad.” Her character takes center stage in the latest entry in the extended DC Universe, “Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn).” Essentially an R-rated...
