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James Plath

Tomatometer-approved critic
Biography:

Besides reviewing films for Movie Metropolis, James Plath teaches American literature, journalism, creative writing, and American pop culture at Illinois Wesleyan University. The father of four grown children and two small ones at home, he's still a kid at heart and fondly remembers going to matinees in his northwest Chicago neighborhood to watch double features for just fifty cents. "An "A" movie was usually paired with a "B" movie, and when both were finished, if you wanted to hang around and watch them all over again, you could. No one kicked you out. That's when my appreciation of film began, and it continues just as strong today."

Favorites:

The Sound of Music, It's a Wonderful Life, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Casablanca, Airplane!

Critics' Group:
Location:

Bloomington, Illinois

Reviews

Movies 온라인카지노추천 Shows
Roaring Abyss (2015) A- “This 2015 documentary from Quino Piñero could very well do for traditional music from Ethiopia what Buena Vista Social Club did for Cuban music and musicians.” – Family Home Theater May 3, 2022 Full Review Paradise (2016) 70% 7/10 “Using documentary-style interviewing techniques and three narrators, Konchalovsky's work brings to mind well-known literary naturalists like Jack London and Stephen Crane.” – PopMatters Feb 17, 2018 Full Review Now You See Me 2 (2016) 34% B- “A solid sequel that's as glitzy and stylish as the first--even though it may be a little harder to figure out.” – Family Home Theater Jan 17, 2018 Full Review Yours, Mine and Ours (1968) 57% B- “It's a little bit of a stretch to accept 57-year-old Ball and 63-year-old Fonda as fertile parents, but they still make for believable parents once you get over the initial shock.” – Family Home Theater Jan 16, 2018 Full Review Johnny Guitar (1954) 94% B+ “Compared to other Westerns, Johnny Guitar is high art--richly atmospheric and with noir elements that will remind viewers of such dramatic films as Key Largo.” – Family Home Theater Jan 16, 2018 Full Review Central Intelligence (2016) 71% B- “Hart and Johnson actually pair up nicely, and Central Intelligence is a fun action-comedy largely because of their antics and the chemistry that they manage.” – Family Home Theater Jan 16, 2018 Full Review Ice Girls (2016) C+ “There is no 'intense rivalry' between girls, and the 'underdog tale' never has a chance to wag because the girl's injury seems so slight and such a non-factor. Plus, this made-for-온라인카지노추천 movie is clearly aimed at a younger audience.” – Family Home Theater Jan 16, 2018 Full Review Wild Oats (2016) C+ “The MacLaine-Lange pairing is good but not great, though I'd be hard-pressed to tell you exactly why. Maybe it's because you don't feel any depth to their friendship, and they're supposed to be best friends.” – Family Home Theater Jan 16, 2018 Full Review Lights Out (2016) 75% B- “If all you require of a horror-thriller is that it scares you, then Lights Out does the trick. If you need it to make complete sense, well, it's not here. But hey, that's the world of the supernatural. As with magic, do you really want to know everything?” – Family Home Theater Jan 16, 2018 Full Review Who Gets the Dog? (2016) C- “This formulaic, straight-as-the-crow-flies romantic comedy can feel plodding and downright dull at times....” – Family Home Theater Jan 16, 2018 Full Review Amazonia (2013) A- “A great first nature film to introduce children to, and even those who don't respond well to the survival-of-the-fittest world of nature films will find this a welcome change of pace....” – Family Home Theater Jan 16, 2018 Full Review X-Men: Apocalypse (2016) 47% B+ “Apocalypse proceeds so confidently that you feel assured that it all fits together and makes perfect sense, even if you're not getting it in the instant.” – Family Home Theater Jan 16, 2018 Full Review The Legend of Tarzan (2016) 36% B+ “Adds a nice infusion of originality and energy into an old, familiar story....” – Family Home Theater Jan 16, 2018 Full Review Suddenly (1954) 100% B “If you remove the hokum--the overly obvious and period-wholesome nonsense that frames the main narrative--Suddenly is a taut thriller in the Key Largo mold.” – Family Home Theater Jan 16, 2018 Full Review Finding Dory (2016) 94% A “There isn't a scene that needs work or a concept that wsn't sufficiently milked for laughs or another emotion....” – Family Home Theater Jan 16, 2018 Full Review Houdini (1953) 85% B+ “Hollywood legend Tony Curtis gives one of his best performances in Houdini, a colorful biography set in the 1890s through 1920s, and he does it playing opposite his then-wife Janet Leigh....” – Family Home Theater Jan 16, 2018 Full Review The Secret Life of Pets (2016) 71% B “Take away the over-the-top sequences and you'd probably have a tamer feature that wouldn't engage children as much; add them and adults roll their eyes. But at least the adults can appreciate the superbly animated sequences and pet-owner touchstones.” – Family Home Theater Jan 16, 2018 Full Review The BFG (2016) 74% C+ “The kind of film you appreciate for its technical wizardry but maybe don't like as much as you think you should....” – Family Home Theater Jan 16, 2018 Full Review Pete's Dragon (2016) 88% B “What Pete's Dragon lacks in originality it makes up for in visual and special effects....second-tier Disney, but I suspect it will be viewed as an underrated film as time goes by.” – Family Home Theater Jan 16, 2018 Full Review Suicide Squad (2016) 26% B “Suicide Squad isn't as fun of a ride as Guardians of the Galaxy. It could have been, with more performances like Jared Leto's and Margot Robbie's....” – Family Home Theater Jan 16, 2018 Full Review Storks (2016) 65% C+ “While the birds in the film take flight, the film itself never really gets too high off the ground....” – Family Home Theater Jan 16, 2018 Full Review Stagecoach: The Texas Jack Story (2016) C- “Trace Adkins looks like a character you'd see in the Old West, but he's not much of an actor. Neither are some of the others who mouth poorly written lines or chew scenery....” – Family Home Theater Jan 16, 2018 Full Review Deepwater Horizon (2016) 82% B+ “Deepwater Horizon is pretty solid, with a cast that bridges three generations of moviegoers. Though disaster movies are all about the action and special effects, they still depend on actors to 'sell' the disaster.” – Family Home Theater Jan 16, 2018 Full Review Sully (2016) 85% A- “As tension builds inside the pilot who made headlines . . . so does the tension build in this film by director Clint Eastwood. Before you know it, you're wrapped up in the drama....” – Family Home Theater Jan 16, 2018 Full Review Pinocchio (1940) 100% B+ “Both a classic and underrated Disney film, if that's possible.” – Family Home Theater Jan 16, 2018 Full Review
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