Ricky Miller, Entertainment Editor
| December 12, 2024
I am a bit quirky. I don’t like seeing my action heroes star in the antagonist role. In the action-thriller “Armor,” Academy Award-winner Sylvester Stallone (“Rocky,” “Tulsa King”) is a baddie. The lead actor in this actioner is not Stallone, but underrated Jason Patric. He portrays James Broody, an armored car driver headed for a deadly confrontation. “Armor” is set in Dallas, but don’t look for any familiar landmarks. It was shot in Mississippi. Director Justin Routt (“The Test”) and screenwriters Cory Todd...
Ricky Miller, Entertainment Editor
| December 9, 2024
“Moana 2” might be making the big bucks, but, honestly, the sequel to the 2016 computer-animated family fantasy doesn’t deserve any praise or recognition. How this sequel found an audience is beyond me. It is really that bad. The writing, for all intents and purposes, is just subpar. My knowledge of movies helps us out quite a bit. I used to work at a video store. At the time, one of the biggest moneymakers were direct-to-video sequels, especially from the Disney Corporation, which is now...
Ricky Miller, Entertainment Editor
| December 9, 2024
I probably don’t like “Wicked” as much as everyone else does, but it was fun. As readers may know, I’m not the biggest fan of musicals. When there’s despair and disdain in the world, I don’t want singing and dancing shoved down my gullet like a child. “Wicked,” though, is a very engaging movie all around. Music is not my wheelhouse, however. I just don’t like musicals, period. I took one for the team, settling in to watch the big-screen version of this Broadway sensation. I didn’t want to be involved, but I got...
Ricky Miller, Entertainment Editor
| November 25, 2024
I wanted to have fun and a good time with “Red One,” but all I got was a big nothing burger; no meat, no sauces and no extra ingredients.
It’s about a kidnapped Santa Claus named Nick, played by Oscar-winner J.K. Simmons (Whiplash, 2015). His...
Ricky Miller, Entertainment Editor
| November 25, 2024
I was mesmerized by the original “Gladiator” in 2000, but this direct sequel just doesn’t measure up to the original.
“Gladiator II,” starring Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington and Pedro Pascal, just doesn’t have the same vim and vigor as the...
Ricky Miller, Entertainment Editor
| November 11, 2024
“Venom: The Last Dance” is an offshoot of the Marvel Universe.
Director Kelly Marcel, who co-wrote and co-produced the previous two “Venom” entries in 2018 and 2021, is in the director’s chair for the third round.
Peggy Lu, as Mrs. Chen, returns...
“Smile 2” is one of the better horror movies of the year. The sequel is a large departure from the original “Smile” of 2022. While I haven’t seen most of the original Smile, the tones just seem completely different. You can tell there...
