Movie Reviews7.8/10
How Johnny Depp’s Drunken Swagger Turned a Theme-Park Ride Into Hollywood’s Last Great Swashbuckler
How a dead genre, a risky Johnny Depp, and a curse made Disney's 2003 pirate gamble a $654M franchise-launching classic.
CLAY TRIBUNE / THE ARCHIVE
Category: Movie Reviews
Every film we have scored, from 1980s horror to what is in cinemas now.
Movie Reviews8.2/10
Star Wars at 49: The Blockbuster That Still Sets the Standard
A fresh look at the 1977 original Star Wars: its iconic opening, the trench run, the score, and why its handmade flaws still charm today.
Movie Reviews7.9/10
Spider-Man: No Way Home Review: A Multiverse Story That Earns Its Consequences
Spider-Man: No Way Home closes Tom Holland's trilogy with a story about consequence, multiverse chaos, and what heroism really costs. Our full review.
Movie Reviews7.7/10
Batman Begins at 21: The Origin Story That Rebuilt a Genre
How the 2005 Batman Begins rebuilt the Dark Knight from the ground up and permanently changed the superhero genre.
Movie Reviews7/10
Steve Rogers Before the Multiverse: Why Marvel’s Wartime Origin Story Earned Its Sincerity
A sincere, retro-futurist superhero adventure about a good man in a bad war, with a strong lead, a memorable villain, and a melancholy ending.
Movie Reviews7.6/10
Nine Years On, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Still Trades Cosmic Spectacle for Family Wounds — and Wins
James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is a louder, more sentimental sequel that deepens its characters while doubling the spectacle. Review.
Movie Reviews8/10
22 Years On, Prisoner of Azkaban Still Marks the Turning Point Where Harry Potter Grew Up
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban review: Alfonso Cuarón's film is the best-looking and most cinematic entry, with Dementors and a time-turner climax.
Movie Reviews7.2/10
The Hunger Games: Jennifer Lawrence Carries a Brutal, Effective Blockbuster
Review of the 2012 Hunger Games film: Jennifer Lawrence's star-making turn, strong world-building, but muted satire and pacing issues. A solid 7/10.
Movie Reviews8.4/10
Se7en at 31: How Fincher Turned a Serial-Killer Procedural Into a Fight Over Its Own Ending
David Fincher's Se7en remains a defining thriller 30 years on — a precise, bleak masterpiece about sin, vengeance, and a city that never stops raining.
Movie Reviews6.9/10
Iron Man 3 Takes the Armor Away From Tony Stark, and the Gamble Largely Pays Off
Shane Black's Iron Man 3 deconstructs Tony Stark's armor and the superhero myth, with Downey's jittery performance and a bold Mandarin twist.