By Michael C. Woody | Lake Panorama Times
“Elio”
The latest from the great animation studio tells the story of a young boy obsessed with space travel. Because it is a kid’s movie, he actually finds himself in space trying to diffuse a crisis. The story is weak, but the animation is fantastic. The crazy and wild creatures in this film had to be a blast to create and animate. This film is not one of Pixar’s best, but it wasn’t made for me. GRADE: B-
“F1”
Hands down, this is the best movie of the summer. Brad Pitt, who we have not seen in a while, is excellent as an itinerant race car driver who takes a job with an old friend driving an F1 race car. Rivalries and love affairs complicate his life as he competes to win the big race. The movie has a great cast from top to bottom, the acting is wonderful, and the racing action is fantastic. My source says it will be back at the IMAX for a week in August. FridleyTheatres.com is your place to find out, and the IMAX is only 30 miles from Panora. GRADE: A
“Jurassic World: Rebirth”
Also at the IMAX is the attempted restart of this classic action series. Mahershala Ali and Scarlett Johansson are both excellent (as always) as two adventure hunters trying to track down escaped dinos on a mysterious island. This is a fun, roller coaster ride of a movie, but, unfortunately, we have seen this one before. GRADE: B
“Superman”
The “Man of Steel” back on the big screen is cause for celebration, but the fun wore off quickly. Writer/Director James Gunn (“Guardians of the Galaxy” fame) takes too many liberties with the character for my taste. I was leery of the return of Superdog, but it was actually my favorite thing about the movie. Overall, this was a missed opportunity to jumpstart the franchise. GRADE: C
“I Know What You Did Last Summer”
This sequel to the 1997 Sarah Michelle Geller/Jennifer Hewitt horror film lacks creativity and any really good scares. Five former friends get together, and something bad happens to one of them. They decide to keep it a secret, and, the next thing you know, they are all being targeted by an unknown creepy guy. The movie has moments but too few to recommend it. GRADE: C+
“Eddington”
Pedro Pascal has been a busy man this summer. This film plus “Materialists” and the next film on our list make him the man of the summer. Unfortunately, he took one too many summer of 2025 gigs. This movie, which also stars Joaquin Phoenix, is a bloody, violent mess. The violence is unrelenting. I seriously considered leaving mid-movie, but I was the only one in the theater, and it looks bad when a film critic walks out. In hindsight, I should have. GRADE: D
“Smoke”
I’m a fan of Taron Egerton (“Blackbird” and the “Kingsman” series) but, here, he plays a flawed and very dark character. Too dark. Way too dark for me. I turned it off less than an hour into it. GRADE: F
“Happy Gilmore 2”
I am not a fan of Adam Sandler or his movies. The original “Happy Gilmore” was nothing more than a series of bad jokes loosely tied together around the story of a good athlete who hit it big as a golfer. Sandler packed the first film with cameos from his buddies in comedy and sports. This time, we get the same story — and even more cameos. The movie is ridiculously stupid but does have more than its share of laugh-out-loud moments. GRADE: D
“The Fantastic Four: First Steps”
I deliberately held the best for last. Believe it or not, this is the fourth time Marvel Studios has tried to launch this franchise. They finally got it right. Really right! This is an end-of-summer, comic book fan’s treat. The actors all do their jobs well, the special effects are truly special, and the story is well told. This is the surprise film of the summer and sits on the shelf with “F1” as one of the best movies of the season. The great action, great acting and a great story will literally have you on the edge of your seat. It will also be back in the IMAX in August. GRADE: A
Michael C. Woody has been reviewing movies on radio and television since 1986. He and his wife, Susan, are residents of Lake Panorama.