david.reviews: Movies!

david.reviews: "Small Time Crooks"

Tue, 05 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★☆: Sort of charming little humorous character drama. Tracy Ullman steals the show. I might have liked a little more plot but it wraps up nicely.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: "The Princess Bride"

Mon, 04 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★★: Truly the best. A classic for a reason!

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: "Rat Race"

Sun, 03 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★☆☆: A comedy of errors with a little more error than comedy. All of the scenes are funny, but some land better than others. At some point it's hard to root for anyone as they all reveal themselves to be pretty heartless. It works out in the end though and there are a couple of truly funny scenes in there. Great ensemble, too.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: "Taylor Tomlinson: Prodigal Daughter"

Sat, 02 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★★: Gets a little preachy towards the end (ironically) but stays fun and funny throughout.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: "Dr. No"

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★☆: A pretty chill classic spy movie that does what it sets out to do. Establishes a lot of classic Bond things unironically, which is charming. Plus, it's way less problematic than you might expect the first Bond movie would be. Not spotless, but pleasant.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: "Wicked: For Good"

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★☆: Much less fun than part one. The added songs are duds, unfortunately. The direction and staging/costumes are great though, and the cast certainly pulls their weight. It just leaves a ton of time for dark emotional adventure while, even at its darkest, the musical is still a broadway musical (with the expected level of fun). The movie lacked some of that charm, instead feeling more like a moody fantasy drama with some songs. Good songs, but still.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: "Merrily We Roll Along"

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★★: A touching story of lifelong friendships. Sort of odd, musically, but charming in its own way. The actual filming was odd- lots of super zoomed shots that you wouldn't get on the stage. It's not bad, just a different emotional experience. Great that more people get to see it though.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: "Project Hail Mary"

Sat, 04 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★☆: Did an admirable job adapting a dense, hard-science book into a very approachable movie. I thought it zoomed through some plot moments to save time for wordless visuals, which is not the choice I would have made. The visuals (both in and out of the ship) were superb though, so it makes sense they'd want to really feature them.

They nailed the core relationship between the main characters, but provided little explanation for everything they worked through. I didn't expect the full book's worth of detail (the movie felt long as it was) but the film had a remarkable dearth of figuring things out. They seemed to solve everything immediately and always use their first intuition. It hit the core emotional beats, but tread more on vibes than explanation. This is maybe as technical of an adaptation as you could get without losing the core audience, but I wonder if non book-readers could follow everything.

But it does a lot right and is worth seeing on the big screen. There are a lot of little details to enjoy, and Gosling is great, per usual.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: "Tangled"

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★★: Visually striking. Moves along at a brisk pace. There's a lot of character in these characters and a ton of small animation touches. Cute music too!

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: "A Mighty Wind"

Sun, 29 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★☆: Some funny parody, but it felt slow and light on actual plot. His writing just may not be for me. The music sounded great though and the cast is unreal. And boy did I not care for Eugene Levy's character. He played it well, but he was just uncomfortable to watch

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: "Hercules"

Sun, 29 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★★: Holds up so so well. Songs are bops, it's dense with jokes, and it the animation is beautiful. Gospel music has no place working as well as it does for a Greek mythology movie, but it hits!

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: "The Muppet Show"

Sat, 07 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★☆: A pleasant reunion, but it feels like they need a little time to get their sea legs. Nonetheless, it's fun to see them back at it!

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: "Palm Springs"

Wed, 04 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★★: It feels like all time loop movies, this included, have an undercurrent of psychological horror. Nonetheless, it does a lovely job exploring the actual rules and mechanics behind the loop. It's also darkly funny and gives a lot of minutes to the emotional effect the loop has had on its participants. It's a fun, if introspective outing though, and Samberg does a pleasantly surprising amount of acting.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: "Shakespeare in Love"

Sun, 18 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★★: Beautiful costuming and some delightful performances make this a great watch. The story is sweet, too. The leads are cute together.

I liked the framing with the production of Romeo & Juliet. While seeing Shakespeare write one of his play has been done a lot of ways, this one is moving and bittersweet.

I love movies about love, and this does a great job playing with its different forms. It also takes a narrative stand with its ending that impressed me.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: "The Five-Year Engagement"

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★★: Is more of a "problem play" than any other genre, really. It's a romcom, but there's a lot of turbulence along the way. Blisteringly funny though, and full of bit parts for actors that were (or would go on to be) big deals. Also obviously it's a big plus for me that so much of it is set around Ann Arbor. Worst thing is that its second act drags, but there's a great payoff.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: "Black Bag"

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★★: Just as good the second time! Such dense dialogue and performances.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: "Trainwreck"

Fri, 09 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★☆: Funny enough, but tonally inconsistent and it's comedy did a disservice to its drama. Needed more LeBron.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: "Groundhog Day"

Mon, 05 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★★: Hadn't seen it in ages. Walks the line between charming comedy and existential horror well. It never occurred to me, but before this movie people wouldn't have described time loops as Groundhog Day experiences, which is something I've always just taken for granted.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: "Joy Ride"

Mon, 05 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★★: It's sort of wild how this movie mixes a spectacularly raunchy comedy with a truly touching story about family and friendship. I'm not convinced it wouldn't be improved by focusing in on one or the other, but both of its disparate halves are excellent. There's just a bit of whiplash swapping between them.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: "School of Rock"

Mon, 05 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★★: A feel-good classic. Though, and maybe I'm just getting old, it's sort of crazy how irresponsible everyone in this movie is and how it all gets waved away because of how good their concert is. Unreal casting though, especially with the kids.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: "Now You See Me: Now You Don't"

Sun, 04 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★☆: Leans heavy on the cheese and is a little crowded, character wise, but felt more coherent than the last movie. Definitely sticks with the theme of "makes sense until you think about it too much" but I enjoyed it for what it was. The little heists were fun and everything was beautiful and smooth in motion.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: "The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent"

Sat, 03 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★★: Absolutely rocks. Strikes the perfect balance between self-aware and genuinely fun plot. They make a great team.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: "Now You See Me 2"

Sat, 03 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★☆☆: Gets a little too caught up being clever about its structure and not enough time on magic and character development that makes sense. It's a fun ride when you want to relax though. Has a couple of super memorable moments, especially the nutty vault scene. Also markedly less of a "wealth distribution" theme than the first one, which is a shame.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: "Now You See Me"

Fri, 02 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

★★★☆: All flash and little bang. It remains a fun watch, you just can't think about the plot points too much. Instead, sit back and enjoy the ride for what it is, not what it could be.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: "New Year's Eve"

Wed, 31 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT

★★☆☆: Murderers row of a cast, but the storylines were underbaked to fit everyone. I like Garry Marshall schlock, but even this was a little heavy handed.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: "No Sleep 'Til Christmas"

Tue, 30 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT

★★★☆: Doofy premise, but honestly a cute time. Performances are great for a budget this size. Not especially Christmas-y though

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: "My Secret Santa"

Tue, 30 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT

★★★☆: Has pleasant farce elements, pretty good actors, and a fun Christmas message. Funny concept, too. Pleasant all around!

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: "Storks"

Mon, 29 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT

★★★★: Cheesy, but cute. Lots of funny little lines that remind me of Lord and Miller gags. The wolves steal the show

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: "Spirited"

Sun, 28 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT

★★★★: The music is catchy and the dancers are great, but the thing that clicks with me the most is how you see how much behind the scenes for the haunt. It's the same thing I like about the game Portal. Just fun worldbuilding.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: "Red One"

Thu, 25 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT

★★☆☆: Not terrible, but is a little too cheesy for its action movie positioning. Huge budget well spent though. Doesn't forget what it's there for and has some decent jokes. Fairly forgettable overall, but a good time.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: "The Court Jester"

Thu, 25 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT

★★★★: A sharp farce with amble wordplay, swashbuckling, and a standout performance from Kaye. A holiday tradition!

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: "A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong"

Wed, 24 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT

★★★★: An irreverent take on a classic story. I've always loved how naturally they make everything go wrong while being in perfect control. The ending is a little less focused than most of their work, but lands on a very cute note. I just love this theater company.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: "Trading Places"

Tue, 23 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT

★★★★: Great watch that balances plot with laughs effortlessly. The leads all kill it and there's a satisfying ending to cap it off. Another Christmas classic!

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: "The Family Holiday"

Tue, 23 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT

★★☆☆: A lackluster outing overall, but amazing performances out of both kids. Plot was exactly what you'd expect and doesn't end up being all that fun.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: "Home Alone"

Mon, 22 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT

★★★★: Everyone (rightfully) remembers this movie for its trap-laden climax, but most of the runtime is actually a touching family comedy with relatively few hijinks. The cast is great and though Kevin's line deliveries are pretty stilted, it's such an iconic cadence that it's hard to really mind them. Really does earn its spot as a Christmas great. Some good messages about forgiveness in there too. Honestly feels like two movies in one.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: "Meet Me Next Christmas"

Mon, 22 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT

★★★★: Adored it. It's saccharine, but it's heartfelt and consistently cute and funny. Great soundtrack, too!

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: "Noelle"

Fri, 19 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT

★★★★: It's easy to rag on the over reliance on CGI comic relief animals, but there's a really kind core to this movie. It really nails the Christmas spirit without a hint of irony. Just good vibes and the belief that there is good in the world.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: "The Family Stone"

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT

★★★★: Great familial ensemble comedy (with a killer cast). Leans hard into familial disfunction as a part of the holidays. Some usual decisions by the characters that they sort of gloss over, but it's both hysterical and touching which makes for a great time

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: "The Santa Clause"

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT

★★★☆: Has a stronger first half than second, when it starts feeling disjointed. Good theme of wonder and Santa belief though. The person who cast all the kids knocked it out of the park.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: "Elf"

Wed, 17 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT

★★★★: While every joke doesn't land, Buddy's absolute sincerity buys this movie a lot of leeway. It nails the "Christmas Spirit" part of the assignment more than most movies and I adore it for that.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: "Jingle Bell Heist"

Wed, 17 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT

★★☆☆: Was a passable heist movie (eventually) but totally lacking in Christmas cheer and chemistry between its leads.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: "WarGames"

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT

★★★☆: There's a really interesting, prescient plot about whether machines can make decisions. Unfortunately, it's buried under a pair of leads that lack chemistry and a bunch of characters decisions that make no sense. There is some cool 80s phone phreaking, but there are also a lot of long shots of light bulb panels. It's fun for what it is, there are better computer movies out there.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: "Wake Up Dead Man"

Fri, 12 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT

★★★★: Rian Johnson strikes again! I liked the core mystery a ton. The ensemble was well-cast, but the supporting characters were pretty underbaked. But the parts that work (which is most of it) REALLY work. It's both deeply religious and very tied to 2025, which is fascinating. It's also shot beautifully, as all of his work is. Brolin, O'Connor, Close, and (of course) Craig all hit absolute home runs.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: "Love Hard"

Thu, 11 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT

★★★☆: Hammy supporting cast and a pretty good pair of leads. Story was silly, but cute. It's a fun watch.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: "A Sprinkle of Christmas"

Thu, 11 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT

★★☆☆: Forgettable characters and a derivative script made this more of a slog than I hoped for.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: "Freakier Friday"

Mon, 08 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT

★★★★: The gold standard for legacy sequels. Pacing was a little slow, but the story was pretty decent and they clearly had a great time with it. And well-acted as always! And killer cameos, top to bottom. We had a nice time with it!

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: "Freaky Friday"

Sun, 07 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT

★★★★: Great performances and a touching, if trite, climax. Bring on the next one!

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: "Kung Fu Panda"

Sat, 06 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT

★★★★: Still an all-timer. Beautiful fight choreo, a great message, and genuinely funny jokes. The full package.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: "The Thursday Murder Club"

Thu, 06 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT

★★★★: Killer cast and a fun little plot. A worthy adaptation that manages to be both sweet and fun.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!

david.reviews: "The Fantastic 4: First Steps"

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMT

★★☆☆: There was both too much and too little superhero stuff. Like, the scenes they had were only ok, but the rest of the movie felt like a lot of chatting and planning with no action. The characters were underdeveloped even if the casting was great. And they made some BONKERS choices that didn't make any sense for how smart they were supposed to be. The production design was killer though. Not a bad watch, but doesn’t feel like it’ll stick with me.

FYI: My reviews are scored out of 4. Also, thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed and supporting the indie web!