Movie Reviews – Northern Iowan

Film critic predicts Oscar wins

February 21, 2019

Filed under Campus Life, Movie Reviews, Showcase

This Sunday, Feb. 24, will mark the 91st edition of the Academy Awards, as it honors what it deems the best films of 2018. As the ceremony draws near and the ballot process closes, here are my predictions for the above-the-line categories. *Note: There are dozens of precursor award shows leading up t...

‘Alita: Battle Angel’ malfunctions where it matters

HUNTER FRIESEN, Film Critic

February 18, 2019

Filed under Campus Life, Movie Reviews, Showcase

In the 23rd century, a colossal war known as “The Fall” took place and wiped out a majority of the people and resources on Earth. The only two places that remain are the poverty-stricken wasteland of Iron City and the luxurious sky city of Zalem. Now in the year 2563, Dr. Dyson Ido scouts through the scraps...

‘LEGO Movie 2’ is awesome on all levels

HUNTER FRIESEN, Film Critic

February 11, 2019

Filed under Campus Life, Movie Reviews, Showcase

Back in 2014, “The LEGO Movie” had to overcome the enormous challenge of adapting a storyless toy brand into a compelling blockbuster. Through expert use of wit and charm, the film became a rightful smash hit that could be enjoyed equally among children and adults. And, for better or worse, it i...

‘Velvet Buzzsaw’ is a joyously absurd slasher

HUNTER FRIESEN, Film Critic

February 7, 2019

Filed under Campus Life, Movie Reviews, Showcase

The art world can be a cutthroat business, or in the case of the film “Velvet Buzzsaw,” the art world is a business that can literally cut your throat. After a reclusive old man suddenly dies in her apartment building, art assistant Josephina unethically stumbles onto the man’s life work: hun...

Hart, Cranston can’t save unoriginal schlock

HUNTER FRIESEN, Film Critic

January 31, 2019

Filed under Campus Life, Movie Reviews, Showcase

January is usually the time of year when the film industry releases movies they’ve lost confidence in. Most of these films come and go without anyone even noticing they exist. One of the biggest films this January is “The Upside,” which tells the unlikely true story of a wealthy quadriplegic hiri...

Friesen’s top 10 films of 2018

HUNTER FRIESEN, Film Critic

January 24, 2019

Filed under Campus Life, Movie Reviews, Showcase

With political and social upheaval, natural disasters and the overall feeling of optimism fading away, 2018 was a rocky year that never really seemed to end. Fortunately for moviegoers, the year did offer a way of escape through some great films, ranging from record-setting blockbusters to genre-defying ...

Coen film inconsistently explores Wild West

HUNTER FRIESEN, Film Critic

December 6, 2018

Filed under Campus Life, Movie Reviews, Showcase

Joel and Ethan Coen are two directors who can always be depended on to make a wildly original film. Their work contains an offbeat nature mixed with highbrow comedy that either ends up making a splash with audiences (“Fargo”) or landing with a thud (“The Ladykillers”). The brothers’ latest Netflix...

Caple Jr.s ‘Creed II’ packs a punch

HUNTER FRIESEN, Film Critic

December 3, 2018

Filed under Campus Life, Movie Reviews, Showcase

The first “Creed” film was an entertaining surprise that was able to be both of fan service to the “Rocky” franchise and a great standalone story filled with rich characters and relationships. The new sequel, “Creed II,” goes bigger than the first as the return of Ivan Drago reignites ...

‘Spiders’s Web’ is as lifeless as its setting

HUNTER FRIESEN, Film Critic

November 15, 2018

Filed under Campus Life, Movie Reviews, Showcase

After watching “The Girl in the Spider’s Web,” all I could think about was how badly this film tried to be a James Bond movie. There’s the dark protagonist who uses questionable methods to serve justice, the villain who wants to control the world and the underdeveloped love interest who always ge...

Queen biopic is an entertaining mess

HUNTER FRIESEN, Film Critic

November 12, 2018

Filed under Campus Life, Movie Reviews, Showcase

Making a biopic about Freddie Mercury and Queen is a truly difficult task for anyone to accomplish. Condensing the life of this legendary lead singer into a feature-length film is next to impossible. Bryan Singer attempts this feat with “Bohemian Rhapsody,” which unsurprisingly isn’t able to ...

Redford shines in ‘The Old Man & the Gun’

HUNTER FRIESEN, Film Critic

November 1, 2018

Filed under Campus Life, Movie Reviews, Showcase

Robert Redford has built a successful decade-spanning career as a charming actor who can play any type of character with a heart of gold. It seems fitting that in his final performance in the new film “The Old Man & the Gun,” Redford plays Forrest Tucker, a man born to rob banks. Except he’...

‘Bad Times’ proves to be a good time

HUNTER FRIESEN, Film Critic

October 22, 2018

Filed under Campus Life, Movie Reviews, Showcase

A priest, a singer, a vacuum salesman and a drifter walk into a hotel. They all have a story and need a room for a specific reason, but only one of them is telling the truth. Each one is untrusting of the others and plans out how to survive the night as a severe storm moves in. Then enters a crazy cult l...