Dean's movie review

PACKED GRADIENT COUPLED WITH A SUBTROPICAL JET THANK YOU SKYLAR… NOW THERE ARE QUITE A FEW NEW FILMS COMING OUT THIS HOLIDAY WEEKEND… DEAN RICHARDS BREAKS DOWN ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE LATEST RELEASES… LEADING THE PACK FOR THE CHRISTMAS WEEKEND RELEASES IS BLOCKBUSTER, “AQUAMAN.” JASON MOMOA RETURNS TO THE TITLE ROLE IN “AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM”, BALANCING RULING ATLANTIS…AND PARENTHOOD…ALL GOOD…ALBEIT SUPE PREDICTIBLE…WHE N HIS NEMISIS, BLACK MANTA, SEEKS REVENGE ON THE MAN. BATTLE ENSUE WITH EVEN MORE PREDICTIBLNESS. MOSTLY IT’S JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF HOW SUPE HERO MOVIES ARE RUNNING OUT OF STEAM AND IDEAS.

NOT DELVERING BAD MOVIES…BUT SIMPLY BY MAKING THEM BY THE NUMBERS. “AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM” SPLASHES UP A DEAN’S LIST “B.” (WARNER BROS. PICTURES RATED: P13) THE SMART OF POIGNANT PICK OF THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND IS THE SATIRDRAMA, “AMERICAN FICTION.” JEFFERY WRIGHT STARS IN THIS STORY OF A FRUSTRATED NOVELIST, SEEING OTHER AFRICAN AMERICAN AUTHORS THRIVING… BY WRITING BOOKS THAT LEAN HEAVILY INTO RACIAL STEROTYPES. AS A JOKE, HE WRITES A SPOOF STORY OF WHAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE HIS OWN LIFE IN THE ‘HOOD…THEN IS SHOCKED WHEN IT BECOMES A BEST SELLER. “AMERICAN FICTION” IS NOT ONLY A

CLEVER STATEMENT ON THE EXPECTATIONS OF HOW WE LABEL EACH OTHER…BUT IS ALSO A POWERFUL STATEMENT ON FAMILY AND ACCEPTANCE. LESLIE UGGAMS, STERLING K. BROWN…AND IN A QUICK APPEARANCE, TRACEE ELLIS ROSS CSTAR…IN THIS ATTENTIO GETTING, BUT SOMETIMES, FLAT…DEAN’S LIST “B.”

(ORION PICTURES RATED: R) ZAC EFRON SHEDS HIS PRETTBOY “HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL” PERSONNA FOR A CAREETOPPING PERFORMANCE IN THE GRITTY WRESTLING SAGA, “IRON CLAW.” IT’S BASED ON THE TRUE STORY OF THE VON ERICH WRESTLING FAMILY… NOT AN UPBEAT SPORTS MOVIE, BUT INSTEAD, IS A BIT OF TEAJERKER THAT DOESN’T BACK AWAY FROM THE SETBACKS AND TRAGEDY FOR THE

FOUR BROTHERS PLAYED BY EFRON, THE BEAR’S JEREMY ALLEN WHITE, HARRIS DICKINSON AND STANLEY SIMONS. NEITHER THE FAMILY NOR THE “WORLD OF WRESTLING” IS PAINTED WITH ANYTHING BUT A DARK HUE, BUT A POWERFUL ONE COMPLETE WITH ALL OF THE USUAL FIGHT MOVIE CHOREOGRAPHY. IT’S A DEAN’S LIST “B (A24 RATED: R) FOR THE KIDS OVER THE HOLIDAY BREAK, THERE’S “MIGRATION” THAT FOLLOWS A FAMILY OF MALLARDS AS THEY DECIDE TO BREAK FROM THE POND AND GO ON A JOURNEY…FAR AND WIDE. THE STORY HERE IS A SHARP ONE THAT AVOIDS THE USUAL PREDICTIBLE PITFALLS OF ALMOST EVERY ANIMATED MOVIE.

BEAUTIFULLY