Author: Mark A. Lester

The Creator (2023)

I’m not much of a proponent for AI, but I do admit it has positives I cannot deny (let us never underestimate what spell check has done for us, and iif it weren’t for a GPS, I would be disoriented on the road).

AI also has helped tremendously as a subject for film, dating back to its real starting point (in what is arguably still the greatest Sci-Fi film to date) with the HAL 9000 in 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). Since then, AI has been somewhat over used in media, so one may even be excused to think some of what is shown in Gareth Edwards’ The Creator is cliche.

Tags Alison Janney, Denzel Washington, Gareth Edwards, Gemma Chan, John David Washington, Madeleine Yuna Voyles, Movie Reviews, PG-13, Rated PG-13, Rogue One, Rogue One A Star Wars Story, Sci Fi, Science Fiction, The Creator

3 Stars

Dumb Money (2023)

As someone on the autism spectrum, I sometimes think what life would be like if my intense interest in cinema was instead in wall street.

I am not saying I wish that to be the case, but if it were, perhaps I may have had a chance at the whole GameStop issue from the start of 2021, and then clearly understand what is happening in the film based off of these events, Dumb Money.

4 Stars Movies

Love at First Sight (2023)

The last decade or so of romance films have been really hit or miss for me, especially in the young adult genre.

1 Star Movies

Love Again (2023)

(The following is a lost ad from The Hallmark Channel)

LOST:

Recently, one of our vaults was raided and we lost access to a film. That film is Love Again. It came out earlier this year, but should be easy to spot, for how it is masquerading itself as a rom com.

Tags 2023, Celine Dion, Love Again, Nick Jonas, PG-13, Priyanka Chopra, Rated PG-13, Rom Com, Romantic Comedy, Sam Heughan

4 1/2 Stars Vintage

American Graffiti (1973)

The tagline for George Lucas’ pre-Star Wars breakthrough American Graffiti reads

“Where were you in 62?”

Simply put, I was a quarter of a century away from being born. Even so, if the film were set in 1962, 1922, or 2006 (the year I graduated), the film would still showcase human elements that apply to young adults everywhere.

Tags 1973, American Graffiti, Candy Clark, Charles Martin Smith, Cindy Williams, Classic, Coming of Age, George Lucas, Harrison Ford, Mackenzie Phillips, Movie Reviews, Paul Le Mat, Rated PG, Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Star Wars, Superbad, Vintage

3 Stars

Gran Turismo (2023)

As a kid, my interest in the Gran Turismo games reflected that of my interest in motor racing in general, which is to say there was very little interest at all (unless said races featured a mascot plumber and his friends shooting turtle shells).

It seems as though director Neill Blomkamp (District 9) and the others behind the film Gran Turismo knew that there would be a good junk of us that know virtually little about the sport of motor racing, so they put together the old formula of a “feel good sports film” together. Anyone who has seen the trailer will be laps ahead of the cliches.

Tags 2023, Archie Madekwe, Based on a True Story, David Harbour, Djimon Hounsou, Gran Turismo, Neill Blomkamp, Orlando Bloom, PG-13, Rated PG-13, Video Games

3 1/2 Stars

Blue Beetle (2023)

Sometimes, it is hard for us to remember what it was like seeing a superhero movie where we knew very little about them going into it.

When this happens, it makes the film more intriguing, such as the original Iron Man (2008) and first Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), films that were massive successes regardless if you knew the source material or not. It also helped that (at the time of release) the characters were not entirely in the first class for their creator’s. In the case of Blue Beetle, the DC character is barely in the third class of characters, but that is not entirely a bad thing.

3 1/2 Stars Movies

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023)

Post author By Mark A. Lester
Post date August 13, 2023
1 Comment on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023)

My five year old self is dancing in his shell right now.

There is no denying my childhood was impacted by the shelled heroes in green, and I won’t be able to complete this review without reminiscing. They were on at 6:30 in the morning every day before my dad would drive me to day care. Somewhere out in the ether is a photo of me as Leonardo for Halloween (I vaguely remember being upset the swords were not real). I remember countless time playing the arcade game (still one of the greatest arcade games ever made), and watching the live action films (even the third one, which was bad even when I was a kid.)

4 1/2 Stars

Theater Camp (2023)

It is true you can’t judge a film just by its title, but when a movie has two things I have always held special places in my heart for (in this case, theater and summer camp), well, my heart was pitter pattering with more anticipation than I have had in some time.

By the end of Theater Camp, my heart was satisfied with an extra helping of warmth.

Tags Alan Kim, Amy Sedaris, Ben Platt, Jimmy Tatro, mockumentary, Molly Gordon, Nick Lieberman, Noah Galvin, PG-13, Rated PG-13, Theater Camp

4 Stars

Barbie (2023)

“BARBIE! BARBIE!”

“When I say ‘Bar’, you say ‘Bie’! Bar-Bie’”

-actual young teen boys at my screening.