Author: Mark A. Lester

The Odyssey (2026)

There is an unwritten rule in movie-going lore that I am still in pursuit of: seeing Lawrence of Arabia on the big screen (specifically in 70mm). While I have seen the film, I know experiencing it on the big screen is what makes it arguably the greatest of all film epics. While I have seen some epics in my life on the big screen (the LOTR trilogy, a re-release of Gone with the Wind), it is not often that I get to see a film that truly defines the term “epic”.

Well, after predominantly sweeping the 96th Academy Awards with Oppenheimer, who better to satisfy that epic itch than Christopher Nolan?

2 1/2 Stars Movies

Supergirl (2026)

At the end of my review of last year’s Superman, I mentioned how the director (James Gunn) made a playlist for each of the main characters of the film.

For Supergirl, Spotify created a list specifically for the title character, I assume, to ensure we knew Kara Zor-El is not at all like her more famous cousin. While he is all about fighting for the American way, she is more along the lines of “whatever”. I’m not against a protagonist having this type of lifestyle, but it is sad when you feel this way when leaving a film like Supergirl.

Tags 2026, DC, Jason Momoa, Millie Alcock, milly-alcock, Movie Reviews, Movies, PG-13, Rated PG-13, Supergirl, Superman

3 Stars

Toy Story 5 (2026)

A few months ago, I learned that my nephews, Link and Lenny, were not too excited about seeing the newest Toy Story film.

Thankfully, they knew they had no choice (because their mom has the final say), but I was still hurt to know my nephews did not have a strong desire to see the film. Obviously, they did not grow up with the films as my generation did, so they could not have had as much of a connection. Yet, even with one of the most recognizable cast of characters in cinematic history live-action or animated), the series is starting to show some wear and tear.

Tags 2026, Disney, Movies, PG, Pixar, Rated PG, Toy Story, Toy Story 4, Toy Story 5

4 1/2 Stars

Disclosure Day (2026)

With his latest feature, I found out (thanks to the marvel that is Letterboxd) that I have seen 30 films helmed by Steven Spielberg, tying for the most I’ve seen by anyone (tied with the only person I consider superior, Alfred Hitchcock).

Why bring this up? As arguably the most well-known filmmaker of the last half-century, one might think that we would see some familiarities in Spielberg’s work by now. When his most recent film, Disclosure Day, started up, I knew nothing outside of what everyone else did: that it had to do with Aliens. Imagine my surprise when the first thing we see is…well, not at all what I could have had on my radar (and certainly nothing I can remember seeing in a Spielberg film before). My guy still knows how to surprise.

Tags 2026, David Koepp, Disclosure Day, Emily Blunt, film, Janusz Kaminski, John Williams, Josh O' Connor, Movies, PG-13, Rated PG-13, reviews, Sci-Fi, Science Fiction, Steven Spielberg

4 Stars

Power Ballad (2026)

After the backwash of films like Ray (2004) and Walk the Line (2005), the last two plus years of musical biopics have (for the most part) been quantity over quality.

In that time, there is director John Carney, who has specialized in dramas revolving around music. Nearly two decades since 2007’s Once, he has helmed Begin Again (2014), Sing Street (2016), and Flora and Son (2023). Now comes Power Ballad, proving he knows the idea of how to do quality over quantity (Flora and Son is probably his most forgettable, but that does not make it a bad flick).

Tags 2026, Havana Rose Liu, John Carney, Movies, Music, Nick Jonas, Once, Paul Rudd, Power Ballad, Rated R, reviews

2 Stars

Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu (2026)

Post author By Mark A. Lester
Post date May 23, 2026
2 Comments on Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu (2026)

Not too long a time ago, in a galaxy not far away, The Mandalorian TV show was to Disney+ what Stranger Things was to Netflix.

With both shows being part of the select few I have had time to watch over the years (I really need to get going on season two of Andor), these two shows did manage to have their first seasons be borderline brilliant, only to falter in their third. Various ingredients were added to each (including the superfluous Boba Fett series), but at least The Mandalorian ended its TV run after the third season. Well, until now.

Tags Disney, film, Movies, Pedro Pascal, PG-13, Rated PG-13, Star Wars, Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu, The Mandalorian, The Mandalorian and Grogu

3 Stars

Mortal Kombat II (2026)

In today’s world of IP expectation overload (as of this writing, the trailer for Avengers: Doomsday is still not public), the reboot of Mortal Kombat has definitely gotten less fanfare in comparison, and I am glad for it.

While not as popular as the aforementioned MCU or the Star Wars universe, there are still plenty of fans for the MK verse (not sure if that is the proper term), including myself. Promise was shown after the 2021 reboot, leading to this sequel, which is everything a fan could truly hope for.

Tags 2026, Adeline Rudolph, Karl Urban, Lewis Tan, Ludi Lin, Martyn Ford, Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat 2, R, Rated R

3 1/2 Stars

The Devil Wears Prada 2 (2026)

Post author By Mark A. Lester
Post date May 6, 2026
No Comments on The Devil Wears Prada 2 (2026)

When The Devil Wears Prada came out in 2006, I had just graduated from high school.

Looking back, the reason I never got around to seeing the film in the theater was a mixture of work (had to save up before college, obviously), still being under the spell of Roger Ebert (who did not like the original much), virtually no knowledge of fashion magazines, and other forgotten factors that led me to simply never seeing the films until…honestly, a few years ago.

Tags 2026, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, film, Meryl Streep, Movie Reviews, Movies, PG-13, Rated PG-13, Stanley Tucci, The Devil Wears Prada, The Devil Wears Prada 2

2 Stars

Michael (2026)

As Michael started, I found myself guessing I knew no more than approximately 20% about the King of Pop.

By the end, I would bump that up to roughly 25-30%.

Tags Colman Domingo, film, Jafaar, Jafaar Jackson, Michael, Michael Jackson, Movie Review, Movie Reviews, Movies, music biopic, PG-13, Rated PG-13, reviews

3 1/2 Stars

You, Me, & Tuscany (2026)

Post author By Mark A. Lester
Post date April 11, 2026
No Comments on You, Me, & Tuscany (2026)

At some point, Netflix has really cornered the market on rom coms (more quantity-wise, not entirely quality-wise).

With an infinite amount in their library, a fair amount of these Netflix original rom-coms also have to do with exotic travel (the most recent one I remember seeing was People We Meet on Vacation). Looking back, the last of this type I remember seeing in the theater (not including last year’s regrettable A Big Bold Beautiful Journey) was 2018’s Crazy Rich Asians. Sufficite to say, these varieties of rom com getaways are rare in the theater setting, which is why I was surprised to hear about You, Me, & Tuscany, a film coated with everything those predictable Netflix movies are known for,…but is that a bad thing?

Tags 2026, Halle Bailey, PG-13, Rated PG-13, Rom Com, Romantic Comedy, Tuscany, You Me & Tuscany