THE DANMAN CAN

Undoubtedly grand spectacle filmmaking, but I have the same problems with The Odyssey (2026) that I do with most of  Christopher Nolan 's movies, which is that the editing is oftentimes atrocious and the action is sloppy. Here, too, his out-of-sync style feels like it's designed to draw audiences back for revisits to make more money than as a fitting narrative device.  That being said, this picture is easier to understand and follow on the first viewing than much of his prior work (by virtue of the fact that the source material is so well known and that no great attempt was made to be faithful to the Greek origins; usually I'm not too bothered by anachronisms, but they were egregious here). Thankfully, most of the dialogue can be made out as well (unlike 2020's  Tenet   [ review ]) . The look and feel of The Odyssey is very much in line with  Denis Villeneuve 's Dune  films, which I'm not in love with either.  Overall, entertaining enough and worth se...

There is a lot going on in  Francis Ford Coppola 's Megalopolis  (2024). So many ideas and influences and references all smashed together. I get why people think this is a bad film and I fully recognize that it is a clusterfuck, but there is an earnestness and a willingness by FFC to completely submit to his whimsy and take risks that I can't help but admire. Also, I was glued to the screen and entertained the entire time. Also also, I typically can't even make it through a 90-minute movie without having to get up to pee and I made it through Mega 's entire 2-hour 18-minute runtime without the need to. Good, bad, or in between—I'll be thinking about this one for a while. Francis Ford Coppola Feature Films Ranked

A definite step up from  Dune   (2021) ( review ) and another immersive IMAX experience (though I think the sound is a bit too  loud in those theaters),  Denis Villeneuve 's sequel is difficult not to appreciate, but I still find these films (this one in particular) to be hyperbole machines. Some may think I'm hesitant to get caught up in the zeitgeist, but I can honestly say that, outside of the (at times) impeccable filmmaking craft, I just don't connect to these movies in the same way that everyone else seems to. They are perfectly fine and entertaining pictures, and I definitely like the darker tone of this sequel, but neither one has hit me the way that Villeneuve's  Blade Runner 2049   (2017) [ review ] (which I've seen four times since its release) does. Very tropey stuff and I felt like I was watching a video game a lot of the time. Denis Villeneuve Feature Films Ranked

Martin Scorsese  is still delivering compelling, visually captivating, richly woven stories as an octogenarian. Killers Of The Flower Moon  (2023) is all of those things and even feels like Marty stepping a bit outside his wheelhouse. Robbie Robertson 's (R.I.P.) final score is moody, droning, and hypnotic—reminiscent of the bass-playing of  Mark Sandman  (of Morphine ) and the scores of  Nick Cave  and  Warren Ellis . The accompanying soundtrack of old blues and indigenous music marries perfectly to the movie. Recommended for fans of  There Will Be Blood   (2007) ( review ),  The Irishman  (2019) ( review ), Heaven's Gate (1980),  Days Of Heaven   (1978) ( review ), and Boardwalk Empire   (2010–2014). Martin Scorsese Feature Films Ranked Top 20 Directors

Having watched the excellent 1981 documentary The Day After Trinity the night before, it was neat to see the portrayals of the real-life people in  Christopher Nolan 's Oppenheimer   (2023) . The film takes a while to find its stride and suffers from the same whacky, incomprehensible editing choices that Nolan has been making for most of his career, but I found it overall entertaining and immersive. Christopher Nolan Feature Films Ranked

An overwhelming audiovisual assault. A gift of sound and vision . I never wanted it to end. Simply spectacular and worth every penny in IMAX. I freaked out for  Moonage Daydream , oh yeah .

Playing as a cross between Dunkirk (2017) ( review ) and Saving Private Ryan (1998) ( review ), 1917  (2019) is a riveting ride and a ridiculous technical feat (and   exactly the type of film made for IMAX). The amount of choreography, blocking, and timing that went into this film to make it appear as one take boggles the mind. The challenges that the cast and crew undoubtedly faced must have been tremendous. But, much like Dunkirk , I found myself wanting more story and human connection outside of mere survival and traumatic experiences. So while director Sam Mendes accomplishes an insanely impressive level of " Hitchcock ian audience manipulation" ( Alonso Duralde ), there are times when the "simulation of raw immediacy slips to reveal the calculated construct underneath" ( Justin Chang ) and it's there that  1917  falls short of being a truly excellent narrative film.

With Blade Runner 2049 (2017),  Denis Villeneuve   manages to accomplish the typically impossible task of honoring and referencing the film that came before it whilst creating his own strikingly beautiful and original film (with a little help from a brilliant man named Roger Deakins ). The visuals are absolutely stunning, the sound design is incredible (so worth seeing in IMAX), the performances were all strong, and the f/x were seamless. A truly satisfying and moving cinema experience. I do think that it's necessary to have seen  Blade Runner to get the most out of  2049   but if you see this film and don't like it, you can simply ignore it. It operates on its own playing field and doesn't tarnish the 1982 film in any way. I actually found that 2049  explores its themes on a deeper level than Blade Runner did, without destroying any mystery. I hate to say it, but I'm glad that Ridley Scott  merely executive produced this one and didn't direct. ...

A thrilling, tense, and rousing cinematic experience, and a film worth seeing in IMAX.