Kingsman: The Golden Circle

Saccharin spy sequel ropes in repeat viewers with self-indulgent circle-jerk of artificially enhanced action choreography.  Despite tonally consistent attempts to render disbelief weightless, the stellar assembly of stars to this shallow but shiny show is more difficult to fathom than the robodogs, Elton’s John Wick, or Firth’s ludicrously close shave.

Movie 43

Outstanding cast of A-listers assemble to breathe life into SNL rejected short scripts… and fail. Stolen jokes, weak performances, and senseless frame story further ensure disaster.  Like ‘Funny or Die’ but mostly the latter as each segment manages a moment of humor, then milks it to painful and poisonous death. 

Cloud Atlas

Ingeniously adapted rendition of seemingly un-filmable literary masterpiece.  Multiple-role casting adds fascinating if tonally confusing element despite occasional silliness of makeup.  Tri-directors and editor manage a miracle by fusing utterly disparate stories without clunkiness or ambiguity.  Voiceovers occasionally wax philosophic, but how can they not in a film about everything?