'I Feel Pretty' has plenty of sentiment and tries like hell to wring a tear or two out of weary eyes in its uplifting finale but ultimately it’s a sitcom stretched to feature length.
Based on the novel of the same name, 'Ready Player One' isn't a reboot or reimagining of a comic book or old film, it's an original story with enough pop culture icons to warm the hearts of any nostalgic moviegoer.
“A Wrinkle in Time” contains good messages for kids and some visuals that will make your eyeballs dance and it is made with heart but it feels like it bites off more than it can chew, says film critic Richard Crouse.
“Every Day” takes the long way around to drive home the point that making a spiritual connection with someone is just as important as clicking physically, says movie critic Richard Crouse.
"Black Panther" is a breath of fresh air, a warm breeze along the lines of “Ant-Man” or “Doctor Strange," films that transcend the superhero genre, pushing the form into new, unexplored territory.
Watching “Fifty Shades Freed", the final movie in the trilogy, feels like breaking up with someone you know you’ll never see again. You feel relief that it is over mixed with regret that you wasted all that time in the first place, says film critic Richard Crouse.
Based on Doug Stanton’s non-fiction book “Horse Soldiers,” “12 Strong” is both conventional and unconventional in its approach. Structured like a traditional war film, it’s also the first time (to my memory) we’ve seen modern warfare on horseback on the big screen.
“Paddington 2” isn’t just a kid’s flick, it’s a film for the whole family; it’s one of those rare movies for children that doesn’t just feel like an excuse to sell toys, says film critic Richard Crouse.
Film critic Richard Crouse calls "Phantom Thread" a psychosexual story set in the world of fashion that some will find brilliant, others just plain odd.
'Downsizing,' for all its ingenuity, gets bogged down in its second half, though the opening hour is inventive. The film flits from one issue to another so quickly it’s like channel surfing, says film critic Richard Crouse.
Finding a balance between the nostalgia many aficionados hold for the iconic series and moving it forward in an entertaining and organic way is a juggling act, one that director Rian Johnson has pulled off in 'Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi,' says film critic Richard Crouse.
Film critic Richard Crouse says Gary Oldman hits a career high as Winston Churchill in the "Darkest Hour." Underneath layers of makeup and with a cigar wedged in his face, he brings history to life in a performance that goes far past impersonation.
Coco is a heartfelt tribute to Mexican culture, but more than that it is a universal story about the importance of family that is heartfelt but never saccharine, writes film critic Richard Crouse.
Film critic Richard Crouse says some will complain that the glib tone of "Thor Ragnarok" completely overrides the film’s serious side but the gags and the home-is-where-the-heart-is message make this one of the most human and humane Marvel character movies yet.
“Breathe” doesn’t have the gravitas of “The Theory of Everything”—it spends too much time trying to wring all the emotion out of the story like tears from a sponge—but it does have compassion and heart, says film critic Richard Crouse.
"Happy Death Day" is not a thrill-a-minute movie but in addition to the fun performances, it also has a few vulgar laughs, a few shocks and enough twists to be worth the price of the popcorn, says film critic Richard Crouse.
Fans of the original will find much to like in “Blade Runner 2049.” It’s a skillfully made movie that works as a companion piece to Ridley Scott’s film and as a detective mystery, says film critic Richard Crouse.
'American Made,' a story on the U.S. War on Drugs, has a sense of humour about itself and offers a 'Top Gun'-like performance by Tom Cruise, writes film critic Richard Crouse.
As a portrait of women's rights and the sexual revolution of the 1970s, “Battle of the Sexes” covers a lot of ground but does so in an entertaining although slightly overlong way, says film critic Richard Crouse.
With an A-list cast led by acclaimed 'Black Swan' director Darren Aronofsky, 'mother!' delivers a strange but spellbinding story rife with biblical subtext, writes film critic Richard Crouse.
As one of the most anticipated horror film reboots of the year, 'It' delivers genuine frights and solid storytelling from a talented cast of young actors, writes film critic Richard Crouse.
From Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 to Wonder Woman, there were plenty of films that made it worth going to the movies this summer, says film critic Richard Crouse.
“Patti Cake$,” a story of big dreams and hip-hop glory, introduces two major new talents to the world, writer, director Geremy Jasper and star Danielle Macdonald. Together they present a movie that is gritty, sweet and quite unforgettable.
“The Hitman’s Bodyguard” mixes and matches all the usual action movie flourishes—exotic locations, violence, jokes and romance—but succeeds because of the match between its leads, Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson, says film critic Richard Crouse.
'Lady Macbeth,' a new drama based on a Russian novella, is a disturbing and diabolical thriller that examines gender politics, power and class, writes CTV film critic Richard Crouse.
'Dunkirk,' the new war epic from director Christopher Nolan, could be one of those rare movies—rare like a unicorn or a modest Kardashian—that comes out in the summer and earns a Best Picture nomination.
'War for the Planet of the Apes' ticks all the boxes for a CGI-heavy Hollywood dud, but CTV's film expert Richard Crouse says the prequel lives up to the hype.
“Spider-Man: Homecoming” is easily the best web tale since 2004's “Spider-Man 2,” says CTV's film expert Richard Crouse. Crouse says the film is the most diverse entry in the Marvel Universe to date and one of the most entertaining.
“Despicable Me 3” isn’t terrible, but it doesn’t have the spark of the other films in the series. The film raises a smile when it is in silly mode but is less successful when it defaults to being a capital ‘F’ family film, which is far too often.
'Transformers: The Last Knight' doesn't take itself as seriously as some of the other entries in the series, so that’s good, but like the other “Transformers” movies, it’s too long and gets lost in an orgy of action and gravity-defying stunts.
As an action film, 'The Mummy' is little more than a formulaic excuse to trot out some brand names in the kind of film Hollywood mistakenly thinks is a crowd-pleaser, writes movie reviewer Richard Crouse.
