'Guardians of the Galaxy' Review

The last big blockbuster of the summer, Guardians of the Galaxy, opens on Friday. Very fun if a little too shtick-y for my tastes, it ends the season on a relatively strong note. If you're keeping score of this year's Marvel entries, I liked X-Men: Days of Future Past and Captain America: The Winter Soldier better, but I certainly preferred Guardians to The Amazing Spider-Man 2. I reviewed Guardians for The Verge.

'Deliver Us From Evil' Review

I was a big fan of Sinister, director Scott Derrickson's last horror movie. His follow-up, Deliver Us From Evil, didn't do as much for me, although I do seem to like it more than most folks. That shouldn't be confused with a recommendation, though. My review is up at The Verge.

'Snowpiercer' Review

I've seen Snowpiercer twice now. Both times, I've been enormously impressed in parts but also a little frustrated at other moments. This dark post-apocalyptic tale doesn't come together as wonderfully as Bong Joon-ho's The Host, but it's still worth seeing, especially on the big screen. And the movie is a good reminder of how fine an actor Chris Evans is. My review is up at The Verge.

'Edge of Tomorrow' Review

Edge of Tomorrow is one of Tom Cruise's best recent films. A sci-fi Groundhog Day, the movie features the ageless wonder as a soldier forced to relive the same day on the battlefield again and again. It's smart and funny and a blast. I reviewed the film for The Verge.

(P.S. I have to acknowledge this great observation from Mark Lisanti about Edge of Tomorrow's less-than-inspiring title: "This movie began its life with the much-cooler title All You Need Is Kill, but there was no way a $100 million–budgeted Tom Cruise blockbuster vehicle was coming to market with any kind of murder-branding.... So the Warner Bros. marketing department’s Inoffensive Phrase Generator coughed up Edge of Tomorrow, which could have just as easily fit on a one-sheet featuring a sopping wet Bradley Cooper and Rachel McAdams clinching atop a seaside cliff.")