Garth Franklin’s Best Films Of 2017
After such a strong year last year, 2017 proved something of a soft year for movies - especially on the major studio front. ...
Review: “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle”
Much like the under-appreciated "Zathura: A Space Adventure," writer-director Jake Kasdan's "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" is a spiritual sequel to Joe Johnston's 1995...
Review: “Star Wars: The Last Jedi”
Fans who felt that "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" played it safe or skewed too close to the original Star Wars films will find...
Review: “The Shape of Water”
It's a classic romantic premise: star-crossed lovers from different worlds meet cute, fall in love, and struggle to be together in a world intent...
Review: “The Darkest Hour”
"Darkest Hour" is one of those rare biopics that, for the most part, breaks free of formula to deliver an intriguing portrait of a...
Review: “Justice League”
It's truly difficult to not pity the beleaguered "Justice League" movie. The long-awaited comic book team-up flick arrives with low expectations thanks to the...
Review: “Murder on the Orient Express”
A hearty serving of 'meh', actor-director Kenneth Branagh's workmanlike adaptation of Agatha Christie's "Murder on the Orient Express" is diverting, crammed full of strong...
Review: “The Killing of a Sacred Deer”
Classical tragedy mixed with moderate sadism and Polanski-ish surrealism, upstart filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos' latest test of audience endurance plays like "Sophie's Choice" by way...
Review: “Professor Marston and the Wonder Women”
Superheroes tend to keep a secret identity in order to protect themselves and those around them, but the creators of the four-color heroes we...
Review: “Thor: Ragnarok”
Let’s face it: the God of Thunder has arguably been an outlier in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, struggling to mesh with its more rounded...
Review: “The Snowman”
Rife with potential, the film adaptation of Jo Nesbo's bestselling crime novel makes for frustrating viewing, even more so now that director Tomas Alfredson...
Review: “Kingsman: The Golden Circle”
Matthew Vaughn's follow-up to his 2015 out-of-left-field action comedy "Kingsman: The Secret Service" is modestly entertaining, but the high evaporates quite quickly. 'The Golden...
Review: “IT”
Part coming-of-age story, part monster movie, "IT" is a masterful horror flick that arrives just in time to breathe a little life - and...
Review: “The Dark Tower”
The long-awaited film adaption of Stephen King's "The Dark Tower" sci-fi/dark fantasy novel series may well go down as the most disappointing movie of...
Review: “Dunkirk”
After twenty years of film-making defined by gritty Batman movies, twisty crime thrillers, and trippy science fiction, Christopher Nolan again re-invents himself with what...
Review: “A Ghost Story”
A man dies tragically and returns as a ghost draped in a white sheet with eye holes cut in it, and silently haunts his...
Review: “Valerian and the City of 1,000 Planets”
Luc Besson's long-awaited return to space opera and pop sci-fi isn't the worst movie of 2017, but bless his heart he definitely makes a...
Review: “Spider-Man: Homecoming”
The second-best Spider-Man flick (behind "Spider-Man 2"), "Spider-Man: Homecoming" manages to do what "Ant-Man" did as a superhero film, only better: tell more personal...
Review: “Baby Driver”
"Drive" by way of "La La Land," "The Fast and the Furious" with brains, "Heat" meets jukebox musical - "Baby Driver" is each of...
Review: “Transformers: The Last Knight”
"Transformers: The Last Knight" is a bad film - in fact, it's one of the most ludicrous films ever made. Michael Bay is not...
Review: “It Comes At Night”
"Krisha" writer-director Trey Edward Shults' sophomore feature won't do much to reaffirm faith in humanity under pressure, but it will put the screws to...
Review: “Wonder Woman”
Leave it to Patty Jenkins to remind us how to do a superhero film right with "Wonder Woman," a film that manages to overcome...
Review: “King Arthur: Legend of the Sword”
Generic sword & sorcery fantasy wrapped in pseudo-Arthurian legend, Guy Ritchie's ill-conceived, atonal "King Arthur: Legend of the Sword" is a frustrating and incoherent...
Review: “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2”
James Gunn's first "Guardians of the Galaxy" remains one of Marvel's most enjoyable efforts. In a cinematic universe more defined by its restrictions...
Review: “Ghost in the Shell”
As emotionless and robotic as its lead character, the live-action remake of the 1995 cult classic cyberpunk anime "Ghost in the Shell" is a...
Review: “Life”
Judging by the non-stop string of failures by Ph.D.s under pressure in "Life, " NASA's employment standards must be slipping. The ratio of horror...
Review: “Logan”
With "Logan," Hugh Jackman's tenure as the gruff, haunted, acerbic mutant anti-hero Wolverine comes to an end in with an impressive bang. Director James...
Review: “The LEGO Batman Movie”
Though it's not as consistently or as unrelentingly hilarious as "The LEGO Movie," Chris McKay's comic book spin-off is nevertheless a clever and enjoyable...
Review: “Live By Night”
When Ben Affleck adapted Dennis Lehane's gritty crime novel "Gone Baby Gone" to the big screen in 2007, he established himself as a...
Garth Franklin’s Best Films Of 2016
2016 proved a bumper year that, though having very few true standouts, had a quite high average in terms of the quality of films...