Terminator Genisys (2015) – Alan Taylor

I have a very strong, personal connection to the Terminator franchise. When I first saw The Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgment Day (arguably my favorite action movie ever), I remember being in awe of not just the smart and exciting action scenes/set pieces, but also the disturbing, time-bending scenario at the root of the story. […]

Inside Out (2015) – Pete Docter

Pixar has been stuck in a rut for quite some time. Since Up in 2009, Pixar has churned out three sequels and only one new, original work. Toy Story 3 is a treasure but it is still one of the most overrated films in Pixar’s oeuvre. Can you honestly tell me the themes in Toy […]

Jurassic World (2015) – Colin Trevorrow

After seeing how little Lost World and Jurassic Park III added to the legacy established by Jurassic Park, I was not particularly excited when Jurassic World was announced. Still, as release approached, my anticipation grew and as the generally positive reviews rolled in, I became hopeful that the movie might capture some of what made […]

Pitch Perfect 2 (2015) – Elizabeth Banks

My experience with the original Pitch Perfect was watching it with my little sister whose quirky taste in movies aligns beautifully with mine. I hadn’t heard the hubbub about the movie (since I live under a rock), but definitely enjoyed it and was excited when they announced a sequel. Pitch Perfect 2 takes place three […]

Spy (2015) – Paul Feig

Melissa McCarthy was my least favorite part of Bridesmaids, a movie I otherwise really enjoyed. Having that negative impression in mind, coupled with the fact that the only other movie I associate her with is the universally panned Identity Thief (which I have not seen and have zero interest in ever seeing), I had immediately […]

San Andreas (2015) – Brad Peyton

If it hadn’t been for The Rock’s involvement, I don’t think I would have had much interest in San Andreas. I’ve always enjoyed disaster movies but the genre as a whole is starting to feel more than a little stale. However, I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of seeing The Rock in movies and […]

The Transformers: The Movie (1986) – Nelson Shin

Real stakes are a rare thing in 1980s cartoons. The soldiers of G.I. Joe were the finest in the world, yet their bullets never hit anything. Lion-O could best Mumm-Ra and He-Man could thwart Skeletor a hundred times but nothing changed. The original Transformers cartoon, meant as little more than a vehicle to sell toys […]

Tomorrowland (2015) – Brad Bird

Brad Bird has an excellent (if limited) track record as a director, bringing the world The Iron Giant, The Incredibles (my favorite Pixar film), Ratatouille and Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol. Those movies are plenty enough reason to have been excited about Tomorrowland but, unfortunately, it doesn’t really come close to living up to the […]

Mad Men (2015) – Season 7 “Person to Person”

The series finale of Mad Men didn’t end with a bang; it ended with a serene “Om” as Don Draper, in a seated yoga pose, reaches a new plateau of enlightenment. Of course, Matthew Weiner is too smart and too wise to bookend the series with such a saccharine ending. Instead, it is suggested that Don […]

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) – George Miller

Mad Max: Fury Road is one of those rare movies that was actually on my radar well before release/the reviews started rolling in. I had been hearing from people (well, one person in particular) about how disgusting (used as a compliment) the trailer was. As I swore off watching trailers a couple years ago, I […]