The best thing about the latest installment in the MCU Thunderbolts* is how unconcerned it is about being a story about comic book superheroes

Captain America: Brave New World is a toothless attempt at topicality.

The Paddington movies are a cathartic jolt of kindness that the world could use more of right now.

I walked away from The Count of Monte Cristo invigorated. Its intensity, its majesty, its larger-than-life virtuosity, all of that and more filled my heart with glee.

Mufasa: The Lion King has enough going for it that it stands on its own with pride.

This return to the realm of Rohan won me over. These riders still know how to awaken primal forces lurking within my soul, and I cheer every impossible charge against the forces of evil they make. Forth Eorlingas!

“Don’t let the confines of life and society keep you from being who you are meant to be. Don’t give up. Go for it.”
– Hualālai Chung

Moana 2 is hardly smooth sailing, but it does have its charms. I’ll leave it up to the passage of time to discover how lasting they are, and just how far this sequel can ultimately go.

As much as I wish the filmmaking team had refrained from splitting the story into pieces and delivered one three-hour musical adventure, Wicked: Part One won me over. There is magic here — elements that defy conventional cinematic gravity — and I’m not about to let my reservations bring me down.