poolman? Nah, spoonman

This Week's Reviews: 'Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes,' 'Poolman, 'The Idea Of You' And More

This Week's Reviews: 'Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes,' 'Poolman, 'The Idea Of You' And More
Chris Pine directed his first movie, and apparently it's a trainwreck.
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There's not too much coming out in the first two weeks of May, mainly because the summer movie season has begun, and there are blockbusters lined up every Friday from now until Labor Day Weekend.

So, it seems like it's either going to be a "Planet of the Apes" evening in the theaters, or a new streaming show that takes over.


'Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' (out May 10, in theaters everywhere)

They don't make them like this anymore — at least not with humans.

[Rob Thomas, Madison Movie]

An unabashed summer movie thrill ride, [it] might lack some of the depth fans appreciated in earlier entries of this rebooted sci-fi series, but what it lacks in original substance it more than makes up for by having a really good time.

[Andrew Parker, The Gate]

The prequels were a rare instance, in which all the films in the trilogy were excellent. Wes Ball found a way to shake up the mythology and steer it in a unique direction for the next installments.

[Lupe Rodriguez Haas, CineMovie TV]

Seemingly inspired by equal parts Akira Kurosawa, Rod Serling, and various Donkey Kong and Fallout gaming sessions, "Kingdom" takes its time to move its story pieces into place

[Luke Y. Thompson, SuperHeroHype]

It works spectacularly well, even if the cultural moment around these movies has changed, and the sheer number of them has diminished their wow factor.

[Luke Buckmaster, Flicks]

Consensus: there isn't a blockbuster franchise with a higher batting average over a longer period of time; support the apes. Apes together strong.


'The Idea of You' (out now, streaming on Amazon Prime Video)

"The Idea of You" is much more than Olivia Wilde and Harry Styles fan fiction. It's courageous and realistic in its decision to address the relevant but complicated issues in a relationship. But the spark is what is missing.

[Renuka Vyavahare, The Times of India]

The movie mostly follows the tried-and-true romcom blueprint... It has its share of cheese and sitting through the boy band performances can be a challenge. But Hathaway anchors the film and ultimately makes it work in spite of itself.

[Keith Garlington, Keith & the Movies]

Snappy and smart, this romantic comedy-drama creates characters and situations that are easy to identify with, even if they require an imaginative stretch.

[Rich Cline, Shadows o the Wall]

Its depiction of society's contempt for women over 40 who live passionately is a well-stated truth... it's a rom-com you can enjoy while curled up on the couch with your chosen movie-mate and a bowl of snacks on any given Sunday, Saturday, or Friday night.

[Sherin Nicole, AWFJ]

"The Idea of You" does not reinvent the bases of a genre as bastardized as a romantic comedy but affirms its honest status as entertainment.

[Paula Vazquez Prieto, La Nacion]

Consensus: if you're into old school rom-coms — then you've already seen this movie. If you're on the fence, why not. Just don't expect anything more than well done tropes.


'Poolman' (out May 10, in select theaters)

Not only the worst film I saw during the fall festival season but would likely be one of the worst films in any year it came out.

[Owen Gleiberman, Variety]

Never really does enough to justify or redeem its existence other than being a vanity project for Pine to do something with his friends that probably won't have much lasting value.

[Edward Douglas, The Weekend Warrior]

A film that so deeply misunderstands what normal people like about the movies that it could have only come from someone who's never done anything else.

[Emma Keates, AV Club]

"Poolman" will mostly baffle viewers with a shallow plot that wants to salute "Chinatown" and the LA noir but ultimately confuses reams of dialog with a screenplay.

[Fionnuala Halligan, Screen International]

"Poolman" isn't even worth an ironic hate watch. It's best left to sink deep in the recesses of our memories until it's a faded blemish on Pine's otherwise stellar cinematic record.

[Prabhjot Bains, But Why Tho?]

Consensus: maybe Chris Pine should stick to acting, and not directing.


'Dark Matter' (out now, streaming on Apple TV+)

It's a series that knows exactly what it wants to be and where it wants to go — the two precise things that elude its protagonist, who winds up at war with himself in ways that are both figurative and loopily literal.

[Nick Schager, The Daily Beast]

Carried by a strong turn from Edgerton in a double role, "Dark Matter" is on track to becoming another gripping thriller in Apple TV+'s catalog of TV heavyweights if it can carry the momentum throughout the remaining episodes.

[Andrew Murray, The Upcoming]

"Dark Matter" doesn't linger too much on trying to explain exactly how the box works. The show is way more interested in the emotional and psychological ramifications.

[Cheryl Eddy, io9]

"Dark Matter" is a multiverse tale with enough thought to it — and enough clever plotting — to feel like something fresh in a world where infinite multiverse stories seem to be getting stale.

[Matthew Razak, Escapist Magazine]

"Dark Matter" has a tremendous cast and high-concept intrigue which cover for some of the early episodes' bigger flaws.

[Tom Philip, AV Club]

Consensus: this seems like a very cool show if you're into genre fiction, but there's just too much TV out there otherwise for this to rise above the fray.

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