Movie Reviews

The idea of updating a classic film is always a dangerous one. But, provided there's a better motive at work than mere hubris, it can work.

As its title indicates, "Fast X" (Universal) is the 10th direct installment of the "Fast & Furious" car-racing franchise that first put the pedal to the metal back in 2001. So by now, the characteristic ingredients of the series' recipe should be familiar.

Chris Pratt reprises his starring role as Peter Quill, aka Star-Lord, in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" (Disney), and writer-director James Gunn returns to helm the project. But there's a somber tone to long patches of this wrap-up of Gunn's trilogy, which also lacks the verve that characterized its predecessors.

A bunch of talented stars headline the comedy "80 for Brady" (Paramount). But they're left becalmed by the inertia of this going-through-the-motions paean to football fandom.

Throughout 2022, Hollywood continued its efforts to rebound from the drastic effects of the pandemic. The number of films being widely released has not yet returned to pre-COVID levels, and much of the year saw only movies of mediocre or inferior quality arriving on screen.

The transformation of a grump into a warm and fuzzy character is a trope as old as the Hollywood Hills. So, while the drama-and-comedy blend "A Man Called Otto" (Sony) proves generally goodhearted, it also turns out to be formulaic. Mature discernment is required, moreover, to deal with some of the film's themes.

The untimely 2020 death of gifted actor Chadwick Boseman, aged only 43, was a blow to Hollywood in general and to the future of a potential “Black Panther” franchise in particular. As fans of that 2018 action adventure will recall, Boseman played its protagonist – so that his absence would necessarily require a significant shift of focus in any sequel.

A new documentary about St. Teresa of Kolkata, produced by the Knights of Columbus, aims to show how her mission and spirit continues in the work of her order, the Missionaries of Charity.