Professor Marston and the Wonder Women

It's easy to get caught up in the titillating parts of this movie, but the ideas playing out in the story are the really impactful parts of the work. 'Unconventional' does not necessarily equal 'marginal,' and what's not normal often lies at the heart of some of our most mainstream cultural elements. That's a good lesson to learn. As for the nuts and bolts of this film, the only true weakness is a certain inconsistency in the role of Elizabeth; the character seems too strong to be so frequently doubtful. Also, the story starts off fun and comedic but drifts down towards heavy and grim at its denouement. Nevertheless, the overall experience is well worth the viewer's time and attention.

Dark Shadows

I don’t know; this Depp-Burton thing may have run its course. Not to say that this is a bad movie, but at certain points in this picture you get the impression that maybe someone else, singly or in a pair, could have brought something better to this revision of the old TV show. There are good moments here, some nice satire of the period (a good idea not to set the action in current times), but by the end the filmmakers have gone overboard; a little too much trying, not enough just leaving it alone and letting it be. You want to applaud effort, but not so much effort that it gets in the way.