Gaius' Reel Reviews
Road to Infinity War: The Incredible Hulk
Of all the MCU titles, The Incredible Hulk is the one I’ve revisited the least. In fact, it had been a few years since I popped it in until last week as it has been […]
movie reviews
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Truth or Dare
I would like to take a moment to give Blumhouse Productions all the kudos. This is a company that clearly loves the horror genre and has stayed true to their concept of producing microbudget horror […]
Film News
Reel Review: A Quiet Place
The “jump scare” in horror movies has always been viewed as a sort of cheap gimmick. When a film is devoid of genuine tension and atmosphere, these scares are utilized to get a reaction from […]
Film News
Reel Review: Unsane
Steven Soderbergh has entered a stage of his directing career where he can experiment freely without the weight of box office expectations getting in the way. He has proven he can be a box office […]
DVD/Blu-ray Reviews
Reel Blu-ray Review: Pitch Perfect 3
Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Universal Pictures. The opinions are completely the author’s based on his own experience and review of the product. Pitch Perfect 3 is what some might call a fan service […]
Film News
Reel Review: The Strangers: Prey At Night
In a cash grab movie world that we live in, it’s really surprising it took ten years for 2008’s The Strangers to get a sequel. The original film had first been scheduled to be released […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Reel Review: Game Night
It’s no secret that the live-action comedy has taken a hit at the box office. Sure we have recent successful examples such as Pitch Perfect 3, Daddy’s Home 2, and Girls Trip but before these releases the […]
4 Reels
Gaius’ Reel Review: Black Panther
As you read this review, headlines will continue to pour in about the record-breaking success of Black Panther. From placing itself in the top five opening weekends of all time to moviegoers seeing it multiple […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Gaius’ Reel Review: Fifty Shades Freed
It has finally arrived, folks! The climax we have all been waiting for. What began in 2015’s Fifty Shades of Grey and what basically concluded in 2017’s Fifty Shades Darker, reaches its “happy ending” in […]
4 Reels
Reel Review: Molly’s Game
One of the first rules of screenwriting is that you should consistently move the narrative forward through action rather than dialogue. It’s believed that if a film gets too “wordy” it can lose the interest […]
3 Reels
Reel Review: Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
Every year we get a film that looks like a complete disaster but manages to defy all odds and end up being a pleasant surprise. In 2017 the recipient of that honor came as the […]
2.5 Reels
Gaius’ Reel Review: Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi
Back in December of 2015, I exited my viewing of Star Wars: The Force Awakens and lauded it with critical praise. I thought it was everything I wanted and more and I was quick to […]
Film News
#TBT Reel Review: Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith
I won’t lie to you and say I had high expectations for Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith when it was first released in 2005. The prequels began rolling out in 1999 […]
#TBT Reel Review: Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace
It was May 19, 1999, and my buddies and I were finally getting to see a film we had been eagerly anticipating for months. We soaked in any behind the scenes specials we could on […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Reel Review: Wonder
Back when Justice League disappointingly opened to less than $100 million for its opening weekend, a true success story was playing out in the number two spot. A little $20 million film that was tracking […]
David's Reel Reviews
David’s Reel Review: Justice League
Since 2013, DC has been playing catchup with the successful Marvel Cinematic Universe with its DC Extended Universe. While Marvel’s formula included origin stories for each of their individual superheroes as a lead up to […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Reel Review: Murder on the Orient Express
It seems that the days of the name above the title movies is mostly a thing of the past. Back in the day you could throw a few big names on a poster and flash […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Reel Review: A Bad Moms Christmas
So when I’m not checking out the newest cinematic offerings, I do marketing management for a restaurant here in Los Angeles. The restaurant happens to be in the same plaza as the Arclight Beach Cities […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Reel Review: Thor: Ragnarok
I have to give Marvel credit for consistently working on things that may not entirely work. Their cinematic universe has thrived because, even in some of their weaker efforts, there is a feeling that they’re […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Reel Review: Happy Death Day
It’s pretty amazing that the horror genre hasn’t really applied the Groundhog Day premise until this last weekend’s release of Happy Death Day. It seems like an obvious plot device to use but maybe it […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Reel Review: Flatliners
Back in 1990, the original Flatliners was able to deflect mixed reviews by showcasing its talented young cast (Kiefer Sutherland, Julia Roberts, & Kevin Bacon to name a few) and illustrating a sense of style […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Reel Review: Kingsman: The Golden Circle
In 2015, Kingsman: The Secret Service was a breath of fresh air because it was so unexpected. It was released the same Valentine’s Day weekend as Fifty Shades of Grey and that film hogged much […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Reel Review: mother!
At this point, we all know the casual moviegoer has decided that Darren Aronofsky’s mother! is a mess of epic proportions. With its underwhelming opening weekend box office and “F” CinemaScore, the film’s theatrical life […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Reel Review: The Hitman’s Bodyguard
It’s no secret that the month of August has been a low point at the movies. It has always been known as the month when studios release lesser offerings from their summer movie schedule (although […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Reel Review: Logan Lucky
Back in 2013, after making the underrated Side Effects, Steven Soderbergh announced his retirement from feature filmmaking. It was a bit of a blow because Soderbergh is certainly a director with a unique voice & […]
2.5 Reels
Reel Review: The Dark Tower
For all the stories of post production problems, poor test screenings and a rough journey years in the making to get it to the big screen, The Dark Tower isn’t the shambled mess you might […]
2 Reels
Reel Review: Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
From a purely visual experience, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets is interesting. The problem at hand is that the narrative never reaches the heights of its visual palette. For some of its runtime, […]
1.5 Reels
Reel Review: The Emoji Movie
I was going to review The Emoji Movie with a series of emojis like this:😤😖😞😳💩💩🖕 Then I realized I’m an adult and I have a responsibility to actually tell you if this is a good […]
1.5 Reels
Reel Review: Atomic Blonde
Based on the trailers and talent attached, Charlize Theron’s summer action vehicle, Atomic Blonde, has all the makings of a fun escape that should thrill, excite, and entertain audiences. Unfortunately, the film is a flop that […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Reel Review: War for the Planet of the Apes
They say you save the best for last but this isn’t always the case with big movie franchises. After a great second installment, some film series drop the ball on the third act (Spider-Man 3, […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Reel Review: Spider-Man: Homecoming
There’s no denying that in the Marvel Comics canon, there is probably no one as popular as Spider-Man. Other Marvel titles have their own level of popularity but Spider-Man probably has a universal appeal. The […]
#TBT Reel Review: Spider-Man
Back in 2002, Spider-Man ushered in the new wave of the summer movie season. Before Spider-Man, summer releases usually didn’t hit until June but that particular film turned May into the new blockbuster destination. When it […]
4 Reels
Gaius’ Reel Review: Baby Driver
If this lackluster summer movie season has taught us anything, it’s that reboots, rehashes and “big” franchises, don’t always excite the casual moviegoer. Despite strong showings from Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2 and Wonder Woman […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Reel Review: The House
Much has been said about the state of comedy at the multiplex nowadays. According to Deadline, there hasn’t been a true live action comedic hit since last summer’s Central Intelligence and that numerous comedic releases […]
4 Reels
Jamison’s Reel Review: Baby Driver
Baby Driver was the most fun I’ve had in theaters in a while that wasn’t about superheroes or part of a big box office franchise. Edgar Wright totally redeemed himself after The World’s End by stepping back to […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Reel Review: Rough Night
If you need a brisk laugh at the movies, Rough Night certainly does the job. Although the critical response has been mixed and the box office came in well below expectations over the weekend, it’s […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Reel Review: It Comes At Night
It’s a shame that the general movie public has seemed to shun It Comes At Night. Despite strong critical reviews, the film received a dismal “D” opening day CinemaScore and was met with a lukewarm […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Gaius’ Reel Review: Wonder Woman
They finally got it right! After three DCEU films that have ranged from mediocre to terrible, the stars have aligned and given them a film that is worthy of praise. Wonder Woman has had a long […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Reel Review: Baywatch
I’m going to be in the minority on this one but I’m here to tell you that Baywatch isn’t nearly as bad as people are saying. It’s definitely juvenile and not as clever as it should […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Reel Review: Alien: Covenant
I walked into Alien: Covenant thinking I was going to come out of the film singing its praises. I was one of the people that thought 2012’s Prometheus was an intriguing and cerebral sci-fi effort that didn’t […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Reel Review: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
In August of 2014, I didn’t know what to expect from Guardians of the Galaxy. Marvel’s track record was a stellar trajectory but I had never heard of this ragtag group of heroes who were […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Reel Review: The Fate of the Furious
I should get one thing out of the way before I dive into my review of The Fate of the Furious. There was no way this eighth installment was going to match Furious 7 on […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Reel Review: Ghost in the Shell
There is no denying that the $110 million spent to bring Ghost in the Shell to the big screen looks like money well spent. Every cent seems to have made it to the final product […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Gaius’ Reel Review: Power Rangers
Some movies are all about fan service and enticing our nostalgia Power Rangers is another film added to that list. I will say I had my doubts about whether this concept had any life left […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Reel Review: Life
Life is at times frustrating and fascinating. There is a bit of rocky start and unsteady finish but the middle portion of the film is an exercise in pure tension and suspense. The tension is […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Gaius’ Reel Review: Beauty and the Beast
It’s a “tale as old as time” and that’s probably why the familiarity of Beauty and the Beast is so comforting. This live-action adaptation of the 1991 animated classic of the same name wraps the audience […]
David's Reel Reviews
Reel Review: Power Rangers
Differentiating between what a good film is and loving a franchise so much that you’re blinded by it that you can’t decipher through the bad is a dilemma I expected when first hearing about the Power […]
David's Reel Reviews
David’s Reel Review: Beauty and the Beast
Despite the fact that Disney had released iconic films throughout the last century such as, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, 101 Dalmatians, and The Little Mermaid, none of those films had received an Academy Award […]
#TBT Reviews
#TBT Reel Review: The Wolverine
The biggest issue with X-Men: Origins Wolverine, despite splashes of entertainment value, is that it lacked character depth. The movie reached more for the spectacle rather than delving into something more intimate. It was also […]