Superman (2025)

Sometimes, it helps to be old. Just not this time. If you’ve been around a while, you’ve seen so many iterations of this character that you can’t expect anything particularly new in yet another outing for the Man of Steel. So going in, if you’re not a child, expectations for this flick are low. That actually works to this pic's advantage, as it means that, if nothing is really screwed up, the odds turn heavily in the movie’s favor. And that’s mostly how it works out here. There are enough fresh elements in this presentation—most notably, the expanded context of Supe's story, including some decent supporting work from some slightly off-brand heroes—that even the weariest viewer will get a few kicks out of these proceedings. The film does include a few missteps—today’s Lois is not quite all that, and there’s a notable bit of condescension in the depiction of the Kents as flyover yokels—but ultimately, the story gets back to the core of the title character’s appeal: his choice to be one of us, not one above us. That rap has played well for almost a century now and it never really gets old…even if those of us who have seen it all before keep putting on the years. Oh, yeah, and the dog is fun, too. 

Nosferatu (2024)

Gothic hardly covers it. Every frame of this film teems with expressions of the gothic ethos, making it an especially rich and evocative viewing experience, especially if you are familiar with the source materials. It is actually refreshing to see the vampire genre not treated as a mere fashion show for the pretty and perfect but as a story much closer to the folkloric roots of the thing (literally): as a true horror of pestilence, existential fear and death. Romance is underplayed in the face of primal forces—because, after all, we’re talking about a walking corpse here. The cast does a fine job of conveying all of the above with sincerity, and the script stays true to the roots of the tale, yet adds a few interesting twists and at least mildly provocative details. Finally, this film makes the point that horror, though certainly bound to blood and gore at its core, is not necessarily limited to over the top violence, slasher action or shock moments, but that atmosphere can deliver the basics of the genre, when it is done right. I wouldn’t guess what Stoker would have to say about this, but I suspect Murnau would be most pleased to see such a stylish and sophisticated expansion on his earlier masterwork. Great stuff. 

Those Who Wish Me Dead

All in all, this story is missing any sort of real spark. Sorry--couldn't resist. From its paint by numbers opening--including cliched knuckleheads in the opening scenes, who immediately drain away any sort of sympathy one might have for Angelina Jolie's character--through its predictable middle to its a-little-too-neat denouement, you never get a sense throughout the running time that anything particularly special is happening. Everything is competently done, but none of this film is especially standout in any way. Good thing it went right to streaming; it was fine to watch on a subscription, but I probably would have resented paying a ticket price for it.

X-Men: Dark Phoenix

It looks like it's time for these mutants to mutate into something else. Though a certifiable box-office bomb, I didn't think this flick was quite that bad--just not anything particularly interesting and necessary. Like a lot of today's franchise movies, there's a little too much template involved here--large scale battle sequences, angsty interactions between the principals, too many characters on the screen to give any one of them adequate story time--to make this anything other than unwieldy and less than enjoyable, even as popcorn entertainment. There is some joy to be had, particularly in watching several good actors do their thing; McAvoy and Fassbender still bring it, and Lawrence makes a brief impression. But there's not enough of that, and some of the inherent silliness of these films flies over the top in this outing. The folks in charge of this franchise need to come up with a new formula soon--think The Wolverine as an example--or else there won't be any bouncing back for this series, regardless of the special abilities those involved bring to the table.