The Dark Knight (2008)::rating::4.5::rating::4.5::rating::4.5

I n interviews, Christopher Nolan has cited Heat, Michael Mann's 90s-noir masterpiece, as a reference for his approach to The Dark Knight. Naturally, the resulting film borrows quite a few storytelling beats from its ancestor: Knight opens with a frenetic, destructive heist, leaving the cops (and Batman) to sift through the detritus and hunt down their prey. Nolan…

ByTodd WoffordMay 27, 20250Comments

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Batman Begins (2005)::rating::4.5

B atman Begins largely succeeds by finally giving the title character the respect he deserves. For a decade, the franchise had languished in a campy, overblown hell. Previous filmmakers had fatally pigeonholed Batman as a brooding bore, and thus allowed their villains to devour the scenery. As a result, Bruce Wayne often felt like a…

ByTodd WoffordMay 20, 20250Comments

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Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)::rating::4.5

A s a critic, I am bound to acknowledge Raiders of the Lost Ark as the franchise peak. After all, that film represents a perfect alloy of highfalutin craftsmanship and blockbuster mass production. With that said, the heart wants what it wants, and it picks Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade as my emotional…

ByTodd WoffordApril 30, 20250Comments

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Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)::rating::2.5

I ndiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is an enduring testament to why most sequels should never exist. After Raiders of the Lost Ark, this is a substantial letdown. From start to finish, it's louder, uglier, and more indulgent than the film the preceded it. Even worse, the filmmakers aim the humor and action for…

ByTodd WoffordApril 23, 20250Comments

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Captain America: Brave New World (2025)::rating::2.5

D espite that ballsy title, there isn't much brave or new about this fourth Captain America film. In fact, much of this overproduced, overextended pseudo-epic reeks of sheer exhaustion: The chummy banter that once distinguished the MCU couldn't feel more forced. All the big speeches lack emotional punch. Those brawny action scenes, all juiced-up with expensive CGI, resemble…

ByTodd WoffordApril 19, 20250Comments

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Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)::rating::5

S omewhere in my youth, I decided that Raiders of the Lost Ark is a perfect movie. Since then, I've come back to it many times, and every rewatch brings the dread of finding that first blemish. Four decades on, I'm ready to label my theory as fact. Everything in this movie lands: The casting, the…

ByTodd WoffordApril 18, 20250Comments

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Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi (1983)::rating::4

L et's imagine Return of the Jedi as a standalone film, forced to stand on its own technical and storytelling merit. In that alternate universe, Jedi endures as a milestone achievement. After all, its special effects push the envelope for 1983, the story bursts with vivid characters, and the final act blends an epic space battle…

ByTodd WoffordApril 11, 20250Comments

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A Complete Unknown (2024)::rating::4.5

A Complete Unknown succeeds in every way Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis biopic resoundingly failed. Unlike that wrongheaded misfire, director James Mangold (who co-writes with Jay Cocks) realizes that no one film could capture the sheer scope of Bob Dylan’s epic life and outsized influence. As such, the best we could ever hope for is a…

ByTodd WoffordApril 5, 20250Comments

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Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back (1980)::rating::5

I f the original Star Wars represented the potential of modern cinema, then The Empire Strikes Back is the wondrous payoff. Everything that made the first film a gloriously giddy romp gets improved here: The special effects are enhanced with new imagination and innovation, and they work at the service of thrilling new action scenes. New characters will…

ByTodd WoffordApril 2, 20250Comments

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Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope (1977)::rating::5

W ith full confidence, I can now point to the exact moment I became a movie nerd. As Star Wars' famed opening crawl faded into the star field, and two warships dueled above the sand swirls of a distant planet, I was hooked. I fell in love with movies, science fiction, and fantasy, all in the…

ByTodd WoffordMarch 27, 20250Comments