Grant Minnick's Movie Reviews

“Perhaps we’ve learnt, when day is done, some stuff and nonsense could be  fun! Can you imagine that?” - Mary Poppins Mary Poppins Returns is a new sequel to the 1964 Disney classic Mary Poppins.  The film is directed by Rob Marshall, and stars Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ben Whishaw, Colin Firth, Meryl Streep, and Emily Blunt as Mary Poppins.  When the now grown up Jane and Michael Banks find a notice of repossession on the door of their house, Mary Poppins shows up once more to save the day. To start with the things I liked, I thought that the acting was stellar all around.  Emily Blunt brings back the old Mary Poppins that we know so well, but also makes the character her own.  Lin-Manuel Miranda was great as usual, and Meryl Streep brought a charmingly zany performance which really worked well in contrast to the prim and proper aspects of Blunt’s Poppins.  I could tell that everyone relished their time on screen, and that was really a good thing...

“Spider-Man doesn’t wear a cape.” - Peter B. Parker Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse is the new Spider-Man film starring Jake Johnson, Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, and Liev Schreiber, and directed by Peter Ramsey, Robert Persichetti Jr., and Rodney Rothman.  When young Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) is bitten by a radioactive spider, he develops strange powers that could lead him to become the next Spider-Man. Meanwhile, the villainous Kingpin (Liev Schreiber) tries to open up a portal to different dimensions, which causes Spider-People from other realms to appear in Miles’s dimension. This film was extremely inventive, and creative, and showed us the virtually infinite directions that the story of our friendly neighborhood crimefighter could take.  To start off, the story of this film is incredible. This is easily one of the greatest Spider-Man stories ever told. The voice acting is amazing, and all of the actors did a fantastic job.  Speaking of actors, the...

“It’s a helluva thing, killing a man.  You take away all he’s got, and all he’s ever gonna have.” - William Munny Unforgiven is a 1992 western drama starring Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, Gene Hackman, Jaimz Woolvett, and Richard Harris.  The film is also directed by Clint Eastwood. After a prostitute is cut up by a drunken cowboy, the girls she works with offer a reward to anyone who kills the cowboy and his partner.  When retired gunfighter and outlaw William Munny (Eastwood) hears of the bounty, he and his friend Ned Logan(Freeman) go out to use their guns one final time, and carry out the deed. Unforgiven is in my opinion, a very fine western if ever there was one.  The script is written very well, and the dialogue gives a look into the complex minds of the characters.  I loved how the characters are not just one dimensional “good guys” or “bad guys”. They each have flaws, and redeeming qualities.  That’s one thing that I’ve always thought de...

“Ever since I was a boy, all I knew was how to fight.  Fight, fight, fight. And when I got tired, I would fight some more.” - Black Dynamite Black Dynamite is a 2009 action comedy starring Michael Jai White, and directed by Scott Sanders.  The movie is a satirical spoof on 1970’s low budget blaxploitation films. It tells the story of martial arts master/Vietnam vet/C.I.A. agent/all around bad dude Black Dynamite (Michael Jai White) who goes out to get revenge after the mob kills his brother.   I absolutely loved Black Dynamite, and was not at all expecting it to be as intelligent of a film as it was.  It was very funny, and self aware, and you couldn’t wipe the smile from my face for the entirety of the film. The script was incredibly well written, and every line of dialogue was just bursting with gleeful silliness.    The acting was one of the best parts of the movie, and every single actor was absolutely terrific in delivering their lines and ...