The Paradox at the Heart of Godzilla
Since his big-screen debut in 1954, the monster has been portrayed, alternately with levity and seriousness, as both a menace and a protector.
Film
Rocketman Deserves to Be a Smash Hit
The new film about the life of Elton John thrives on the otherworldly qualities of pop that staid biopics often refuse to indulge.
Generation Z Gets Its Coming-of-Age Classic
Refreshingly free of stereotype, Olivia Wilde’s wonderful film Booksmart should easily join the teen-movie canon.
It’s Impossible to Take the New Aladdin Seriously
Disney’s live-action remake of the 1992 animated classic is a special-effects-laden extravaganza that comes off as clumsy and half-hearted.
The Souvenir Is a Masterly Coming-of-Age Portrait
One of the year’s best films so far, Joanna Hogg’s semiautobiographical drama charts a young woman’s painful emergence into adulthood.
The Bloody, Thrilling Legend of John Wick Continues
The third entry in the Keanu Reeves action saga, subtitled Parabellum, is a fun sequel that raises the stakes of its hero’s journey.
Mel Gibson’s New Film Seems Designed to Outrage
The actor-director known for making anti-Semitic remarks in the past is set to star in a movie with the provocative title Rothchild.
In Shakespeare’s Life Story, Not All Is True. In Fact, Much Is Invented.
A new film by Kenneth Branagh is a textbook case of how portraitists of the bard spin a paucity of fact into fairy tale.
The Hustle Is a Lazy Gender Swap
The remake of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels with Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson doesn’t do much with its new female leads—and what it does do, it does poorly.
The Tolkien Biopic Is Just Lord of the Rings References
A new movie about the beloved author overlooks interesting details of his life in favor of drawing obvious connections to his influences.