Susan Ellingburg

• Transformers Series Should Learn to Transform (and Trim)
  Too long and too confusing. But on the plus side, there's plenty of action, plucky characters, and the fate of the world hanging in the balance. You don't have to be familiar with the Transformers...
  Tuesday, June 20, 2017
• Hangover with a Heart? Rough Night is Raw, Rowdy, Relational
  "Underneath this wild, R-rated comedy," says star Scarlett Johansson, "is a movie with a very warm heart about friendship." True, but that sweet friendship story is buried beneath a mountain of...
  Thursday, June 15, 2017
• The Mummy Cruises into Mediocrity
  They probably should have left this one in the crypt. Despite the mummy of the title—plus zombies, a mysterious top-secret agency, and mayhem on planes, trains (or their tunnels), and...
  Thursday, June 8, 2017
• Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul Less Fun Than a Family Road Trip
  This over-the-top-stupid installment in the Wimpy Kid saga lacks any of the fleeting charm of earlier films. If watching a self-centered, clueless family act wildly irresponsible is your jam, by...
  Thursday, May 18, 2017
• Everything, Everything May Not Have it All, but It's Got Sweetness
  A sweet bit of romantic fluff. It's The Boy in the Bubble meets The Fault in Our Stars, but our young sweethearts are adorable in a wholesome kind of way and their story is charming—as long as you...
  Thursday, May 18, 2017
• Guardians Vol. 2 a Satisfying Mix(tape) of Everything Good
  Prepare to be entertained: Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) and his motley crew are back to save the galaxy (again) in this lighthearted romp through space and time. The plot is simplistic at best, but...
  Thursday, May 4, 2017
• We've Been Gifted with an Uplifting, Intelligent Family Drama
  Heartwarming, sassy, and funny, Gifted has it all: Family drama, a cute kid, tough life questions, even a one-eyed cat. It's a story about intelligent people who don't always make smart choices....
  Tuesday, April 4, 2017
• Ghost in the Shell Feels Hollow Inside
  In a futuristic world where humans can be "enhanced" and nothing is quite what it seems, Major (Scarlett Johansson) is a "miracle"—a human brain in a machine body. Maybe her lack of an actual heart...
  Friday, March 31, 2017
• Beauty and the Beast More Enchanted Than Accursed
  A delightful live-action retelling of a much-loved story, Beauty and the Beast looks like a picturebook come to life with music and dancing. Yes, there is controversy over the perceived sexual...
  Monday, March 13, 2017
• No Need to Get Side-Swiped by Collide
  I imagine the pitch meeting for Collide went something like: “We’ll crash as many cars as possible in 90 minutes, hire a couple of great actors to ham it up, and maybe no one will notice the gaping...
  Thursday, February 23, 2017
• Gold is a Raucous, Raunchy Ride
  A rollercoaster story about greed, friendship, betrayal and a man willing to risk everything to live up to his father's legacy. Filled with emotional and financial ups, downs and whiplash-inducing...
  Thursday, January 26, 2017
• The Founder Serves Up Super-Sized Dreams & Disappointments
  The story of how Ray Kroc took a small walk-up hamburger stand and turned it into the McDonald's we know is fascinating. Keaton’s performance is outstanding and the visuals are terrific (golden...
  Wednesday, January 18, 2017
• Monster Trucks Might Please Your Littles
  Monster Trucks is goofy, family-friendly monster movie that manages to be mildly charming despite its flaws. While it’s hardly E.T. for this generation, it’s entertaining enough.
  Thursday, January 12, 2017
• Patriots Day Heavy on Heroism, Harsh Language
  A gripping, real-life story where terrorists attack, the good guys win, and one feels proud to be an American. Patriots Day is a gritty, intense, ultimately uplifting tribute to everyday heroes and...
  Thursday, January 12, 2017
• A Monster Calls Could Use Some Light and a Lighter Touch
  A grim (not Grimm) tale about a boy who has to learn to face the truth. The beautiful artwork comes alive and there's a solid moral, but that can't make up for the bleak story and over-the-top...
  Wednesday, January 4, 2017
• Thanks to Pratt, Passengers Has Universal Appeal
  A sci-fi action/thriller where the drama comes from humans rather than special effects. A fun, entertaining, thoughtful movie that will make you laugh, wince and wonder what you’d do in the same...
  Tuesday, December 20, 2016
• Star Wars Goes Rogue to Satisfactorily Fill In a 40-Year-Old Gap
  It’s not the best Star Wars movie ever, but certainly not the worst. This "non-series" prequel to Episode IV offers plucky characters, impressive sci-fi action, a fair number of laughs and enough...
  Thursday, December 15, 2016
• Like Will Smith and Sentimentality? Look into Collateral Beauty
  A powerful story of love and loss. The acting is as good as you’d expect and the story is much more interesting than the trailer suggests. Making the most of its 94 minutes, this one presses a lot...
  Wednesday, December 14, 2016