MovieCrypt.com - Rotten Tomatoes

MovieCrypt.com

MovieCrypt.com is not a Tomatometer-approved publication. Reviews from this publication only count toward the Tomatometer when written by the following Tomatometer-approved critic(s): Kevin A. Ranson
Rating
Title/Year
Author
1
3/4
Ray Donovan: The Movie (2022)

Kevin A. Ranson

The conclusions to many lingering questions only get a brief nod rather than a season eight exploration, but it thankfully resolves Ray's biggest headache... even if it's not the happiest of endings.
Posted Jan 30, 2022
2
3/4
Dune (2021)

Kevin A. Ranson

... incredible -- not just Arrakis but the entire production design... its always a little sad when modern audiences can't be trusted with in-story reasons why characters engage in action sequences.
Posted Jan 24, 2022
3
3/4
Warhunt (2022)

Kevin A. Ranson

A monster movie at its heart... works with a combination of atmosphere, dread, and G.I. banter, straddling tired tropes with new or fun ideas... doesn't want you to look too closely at the drying paint.
Posted Jan 22, 2022
4
4/4
The Seventh Seal (Det Sjunde inseglet) (1957)

Kevin A. Ranson

... questions the silence of God and service unto Him... (life) choices are shown to be one's own without passing judgment... this is the personification all other cinematic reapers are measured against.
Posted Jan 21, 2022
5
2/4
The Last Duel (2021)

Kevin A. Ranson

It feels manipulated... a plot imposed upon a documentary to imply more than is on the page, a trap like the one Marguerite creates for herself to wait and watch as others decide her fate -- right along with the audience.
Posted Jan 20, 2022
6
1/4
Hotel Transylvania: Transformania (2021)

Kevin A. Ranson

... like a made-for-television afterthought... The once-fun spooky adventure has been purged, leaving a continuous series of so-so silliness, and the unfulfilled characters appear just as disappointed by it.
Posted Jan 17, 2022
7
4/4
Scream (2022)

Kevin A. Ranson

... this is how you requel... noticeably more deliberate and brutal... a cast as capable and game as the 1996 original... This isn't just a good Scream movie; it's a damn good slasher movie, period
Posted Jan 14, 2022
8
4/4
Last Night in Soho (2021)

Kevin A. Ranson

... a haunted house tale, a classic ghost story, and a mystery half a century in the making, but the emotional connection is the film's core... it feels new in Wright's capable hands.
Posted Jan 11, 2022
9
4/4
The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021)

Kevin A. Ranson

Something old and something new in glorious black and white, the filmed stage play strips visuals down to bare elements, shrouding irrelevance in billowing mists and pools of darkness... because somewhere, Tim Burton is surely smiling.
Posted Jan 9, 2022
10
3/4
See For Me (2022)

Kevin A. Ranson

While a straightforward plot might have been interesting enough, the main character's motivation adds an untypical darker layer, elevating standard fare into an imperfect standout feature worth talking about.
Posted Jan 8, 2022
11
1/4
The 355 (2022)

Kevin A. Ranson

... the gaps between (standard choreographed set destruction scenes) are filled with marshmallow fluff, such as the reluctance of any bad guy to kill the spy gals... because they're women, and it's very important to remind viewers of that...
Posted Jan 6, 2022
12
0/4
Agnes (2021)

Kevin A. Ranson

... boring, silly, blasphemous, bloody... as long as it seems random or wrong. Too tame to be considered "nunsploitation" yet too silly to be thought of as subvert, Agnes wastes its cast likes it wastes our time.
Posted Jan 2, 2022
13
2/4
Encanto (2021)

Kevin A. Ranson

With a vibrant score suggesting hidden dangers which never materialize, the final cut feels undercut. It's as if a more exciting story was muted to make room for too much of the family ensemble until it's all that remained...
Posted Jan 1, 2022
14
3/4
Antlers (2021)

Kevin A. Ranson

To those who understand and know the truth about such places, the creature is the least scary thing about it; it's merely a form given to what everyone refuses to see until it can no longer be ignored... assuming there's anyone left.
Posted Dec 31, 2021
15
3/4
Licorice Pizza (2021)

Kevin A. Ranson

Whether viewers recall the SoCal time period or not, there's an honesty at work here, wafting from the screen like a candle scented with PVC and gasoline, invoking the feeling these two characters lived.
Posted Dec 24, 2021
16
4/4
Sing 2 (2021)

Kevin A. Ranson

The comeback story with Bono's Callaway is especially heart-wrenching, but Buster's willingness to hustle for others at his own expense is pure leadership and proof of extraordinary character, fueling the story to the very end...
Posted Dec 23, 2021
17
3/4
The King's Man (2021)

Kevin A. Ranson

The previous installments were good but not great, a mostly forgettable fun time, and this prequel is no exception... but the door is left open just a crack if the demand materializes for Kingsman Begins.
Posted Dec 23, 2021
18
3/4
The Matrix Resurrections (2021)

Kevin A. Ranson

... the 1999 film is cranked up to nostalgia overload, but the finished product has the depth, humor, angst, and payoff consistent with the franchise... it's hard to ignore the nagging feeling that revenue is its sole purpose to exist.
Posted Dec 22, 2021
19
2/4
The Power of the Dog (2021)

Kevin A. Ranson

...the admittedly clever plot threading is unfulfilling; it's not enough to balance Phil's accountability... a thin revenge fantasy masquerading as a thought-provoking exposé.
Posted Dec 21, 2021
20
4/4
Nightmare Alley (2021)

Kevin A. Ranson

Paired with a haunting orchestra score with a soft piano lead, del Toro weaves a tapestry that shuts out the modern world, a trap for the audience not unlike the one Stanton crafts for himself.
Posted Dec 17, 2021
21
4/4
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

Kevin A. Ranson

No Way Home does something never before seen, celebrating everything Spider-Man has been on the silver screen to the delight of fans and creators alike, and that's all the audience needs to know.
Posted Dec 16, 2021
22
2/4
House of Gucci (2021)

Kevin A. Ranson

If the point was to treat the characters like animals in a zoo, laughing and pointing at them through the glass for being what they are, mission accomplished, but doing so renders the climax trivial and the rest of the production unimportant.
Posted Dec 16, 2021
23
4/4
Don't Look Up (2021)

Kevin A. Ranson

As revelations unfold and contingency plans fail, McKay horrifically incorporates a situation comedy into a nihilistic drama in the best possible way... the devil (and ensuing hilarity) is in the details.
Posted Dec 10, 2021
24
1/4
Titane (2021)

Kevin A. Ranson

While the practical and special effects are clever enough, the near-parody revelations undermine the twisted potential of the concept, leaving too little explanation or even suggestion as to fill the gaping plot holes.
Posted Dec 10, 2021
25
4/4
Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021)

Kevin A. Ranson

Nostalgia is nice, but closure is king... a relatable family-centric story, respect for the source material, and a nod to the DIY solutions of the animated series... the heart of the film belongs to McKenna Grace.
Posted Nov 21, 2021
26
3/4
Eternals (2021)

Kevin A. Ranson

... everything fans expect from Marvel Studios while still feeling a bit hollow... fuel for the imagination... angsty and lovelorn but adds few revelations to the who-wants-to-live-forever trope...
Posted Nov 19, 2021
27
3/4
No Time To Die (2021)

Kevin A. Ranson

... fails to live up to the potential of (Casino) Royale and Skyfall, undermining this Bond series-within-a-series; Craig nevertheless wrings every ounce of anger and angst out of the super spy, making his portrayal an impossible act to follow.
Posted Oct 24, 2021
28
3/4
Halloween Kills (2021)

Kevin A. Ranson

... mines the original film not only for fresh victims but also new meaning behind Michael's behavior. This is highly effective until the abrupt ending, one that may leave many viewers feeling shortchanged.
Posted Oct 17, 2021
29
2/4
Tales of Halloween (2015)

Kevin A. Ranson

Hearing the sultry Adrienne Barbeau (channeling DJ Stevie Wayne from The Fog) introducing each story while appearing in none of them is the biggest offense among many.
Posted Oct 16, 2021
30
3/4
Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021)

Kevin A. Ranson

... wastes no time setting up escape sequences, showdowns, and bromance quarrels... delivers exactly what the previous mid-credit introduction of Woody Harrelson promised... and sometimes that's exactly enough.
Posted Oct 3, 2021
31
3/4
Malignant (2021)

Kevin A. Ranson

Overstuffed and over-budgeted, the director begins connecting the dots backwards... It's farfetched, a bit ridiculous, yet fully dedicated to creating its own rules and sticking by them... and doesn't look back.
Posted Oct 3, 2021
32
2/4
Saint Maud (2020)

Kevin A. Ranson

... begins to fall apart in its lack of commitment... Like too many films destined for awards contention... a prime example of needing a denouement that is strikingly absent.
Posted Oct 3, 2021
33
2/4
Dear Evan Hansen (2021)

Kevin A. Ranson

... employing a suicide victim as a catalyst while providing the least possible mentioning of him until that, too, becomes another plot device is everything you need to know, and no amount of upbeat tunes can bury that particular corpse.
Posted Sep 24, 2021
34
4/4
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)

Kevin A. Ranson

In a movie serving as backstory, an origin story, and even another MCU expansion, the reinvent button on the impeding "superhero fatigue" machine is mashed yet again with a satisfying character-driven adventure... and one of the best Marvel films to date.
Posted Sep 5, 2021
35
4/4
Candyman (2021)

Kevin A. Ranson

As Candyman manifests, his visage becomes clearer... re-envisioned as purposeful and necessary instead of a murdering opportunist.
Posted Aug 26, 2021
36
4/4
The Night House (2021)

Kevin A. Ranson

With a bit of It Follows, a dash of The Babadook, and a hint of The Entity, herein lies a thriller that dares to personify depression itself, giving form to concept that isn't just a metaphor.
Posted Aug 22, 2021
37
3/4
Don't Breathe 2 (2021)

Kevin A. Ranson

... the only way to make a big bad a hero is to create bigger bad to go up against. While never reaching the originality of the first film, it's nonetheless pure fan service, and that isn't a bad thing here.
Posted Aug 21, 2021
38
4/4
Don't Breathe (2016)

Kevin A. Ranson

... what viewers accept as tolerable from one character or another is both curated and wielded with anime-like precision, tempting viewers to pick a side before gleefully twisting the knife and the plot again.
Posted Aug 21, 2021
39
2/4
Jungle Cruise (2021)

Kevin A. Ranson

... plays like a fantastic tale fit for toddlers fleshed out with sequences giving those same children nightmares... any goodwill the film earns is squandered in dropped story threads and plot execution.
Posted Aug 1, 2021
40
4/4
The Green Knight (2021)

Kevin A. Ranson

For those who delight in the manipulations of court politics... and the scourge of societal roles pushed upon those with no understanding of them, this is the deep-cut spooky Arthurian art house film they only dreamed might one day exist.
Posted Aug 1, 2021
41
3/4
Old (2021)

Kevin A. Ranson

While a much-needed denouement provides a bare minimum amount of closure, the film's bread and butter is an actor's class in shuffling off one's mortal coil, whether going quietly into that good night or fighting to the last breath.
Posted Jul 23, 2021
42
3/4
Jakob's Wife (2021)

Kevin A. Ranson

Twisted, unusual, and often unpredictable, the few missteps that slipped into the final cut doesn't take away from the accomplishment of this little vampire story that could.
Posted Jul 19, 2021
43
2/4
The Tomorrow War (2021)

Kevin A. Ranson

Cool critters foiled by every time-travel trope ever... as if someone transplanted a great idea for a monster movie into the cheapest derivative script available...
Posted Jul 15, 2021
44
3/4
Black Widow (2021)

Kevin A. Ranson

... feels too much like a back door pilot... (otherwise) a solid thriller in the James Bond vein featuring good actors doing a great job with the material given... making it look as good as modern technology can safely allow.
Posted Jul 15, 2021
45
3/4
In the Heights (2021)

Kevin A. Ranson

... other than a welcome slant in character ethnicity, the rest feels no more exceptional than average (read: successful) Broadway fare... which now exists in the shadow of the superior filmed stage version of Hamilton.
Posted Jul 11, 2021
46
4/4
A Quiet Place Part II (2021)

Kevin A. Ranson

... parallel action ramping up the drama in a feat of precise editing. Adding prologue context with a bit of world building helps the sequel improve the original while excelling on its own.
Posted May 28, 2021
47
4/4
Cruella (2021)

Kevin A. Ranson

... Disney's best live-action attempt to date reimagining their own iconic animation... the familiar beats of a superhero origin story... built upon Stone's raw power and killer fashion...
Posted May 28, 2021
48
2/4
Army Of The Dead (2021)

Kevin A. Ranson

... interesting ideas constantly getting dropped... the script doesn't matter as long as all the money shots deliver coolness. Even the denouement feels like a cheat...
Posted May 28, 2021
49
2/4
Those Who Wish Me Dead (2021)

Kevin A. Ranson

... feels hamstrung and with its heart ripped out, the last act hinting at a Die Hard-style denouement or sequel-informing revelation that never materializes as the film ends with a whimper.
Posted May 21, 2021
50
3/4
Profile (2021)

Kevin A. Ranson

... as someone susceptible to recruitment while trying to expose it... the real terrors unfold in how technology can be used against someone... and how even a casual slip up can be fatal in a world of undercover amateurs.
Posted May 16, 2021