Articles by Paul Hall

The young-adult genre has seen many entries in the dystopian film landscape. Author James Dashner’s Maze Runner series has seen two films to this point, and with the release of the new film Maze Runner: The Death Cure, we can see how this trilogy comes to a close. Thomas (Dylan O’Brien) and his friends are living outside of the Maze, and they are doing everything to rescue kids WCKD is trying to eliminate. Their rescue attempt succeeds in freeing some but fails to save their friend Minho (Ki Hong Lee) from WCKD’s clutches. But Thomas isn’t ready to quit. As […]

News. It drives the country — hard-hitting reports, puff pieces and even the newly crafted “fake news.” It graces newspapers, magazines, television, radio and online media outlets. The press was put in place to serve the people. Do they always make everyone happy? No, but is their job to make us happy? In the film The Post from director Steven Spielberg, we see how the Washington, D.C., newspaper fought to keep their freedoms alive and brought the Pentagon Papers to light. Back in 1971, The Washington Post was thought of as a nice little paper, but surely not as mammoth […]

Money makes the world go around. When you have more money than virtually anyone in the world, everyone wants a piece. In the film All the Money in the World from director Ridley Scott, we figure out just what one wealthy man will pay to keep his grandson alive. That man is J. Paul Getty (Christopher Plummer). Known as one of the richest men in the world, if not the richest, he has accumulated wealth for years. As someone with wealth would attest, having all of the money makes you a target for anyone who is looking to grab some […]

P.T. Barnum (Hugh Jackman) has always envisioned a better life for his family. Struggling to survive after losing his job, he comes up with an idea that will put him front and center for the birth of show business. The musical film The Greatest Showman gives us a glimpse of that birth and Barnum’s drive to provide a better life for his family. Barnum believes people would pay to see a variety of oddities in wax form. But when the wax melts away, a chance encounter with a little person, coupled with the memory of a stranger’s kindness, spawns an […]

Long ago in a galaxy far, far, away I was a young boy who was introduced to the Star Wars saga. As a boy, I didn’t care that we started in the middle of the story, I was just overjoyed to see a unbelievable set of characters appear in front of me on a screen. Through the years, I have experienced the magic of the Star Wars films on giant screens and waited, like most, very patiently to see where the universe took us with each new film. I’m happy to say that the latest installment, Star Wars: The Last […]

Bad movies can be fun. I’ve always had an affinity for both the best and the worst that hit the silver screen. Every time I sit down, I look forward to the journey that will unfold before my eyes. When I heard they were making a presumably good movie about the best bad movie ever, well, I was in for a chance to experience The Disaster Artist. Tommy Wiseau (James Franco) is a mystery. When he meets Greg (Dave Franco) during an acting class in San Francisco, they develop a friendship and soon decide to take their talents to Los […]

We love feeling that someone is protecting us in every corner of the world. It doesn’t matter whether that person is a lone man armed with sophisticated weaponry or a woman with extraordinary abilities and a fearless attitude. But the thought of an entire team to battle evil — well, that sounds too good to be true. But it is true in Justice League, the newest addition to the DC Universe of films. In my years as a film critic and fan, I’ve seen many superhero movies enter the pipeline. The thought of a new film including Batman, Wonder Woman, […]

Tonya Harding is a name that lives in figure skating infamy. There are some amazing accomplishments attached to her name, but she is probably more known for the infamous attack on a rival than for what she did on the ice. In I, Tonya we get a glimpse into just what life may have been like for the figure skater who broke the mold. At a young age, Tonya Harding (Margot Robbie) could skate. She was introduced to her coach Diane (Julianne Nicholson) when Tonya’s mother LaVona (Allison Janney) had her skate her way into Diane’s class. It wasn’t normal […]

I really have come to enjoy a good superhero movie. Gone are the days of plotless action films that make you regret the time you spent, especially given the increased run times in the genre. I’m so happy to say the film Thor: Ragnarok is well worth every minute you spend with it. Thor (Chris Hemsworth) heads back to Asgard, and to his dismay, his father Odin (Anthony Hopkins) is not there. Instead, he discovers his brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) is still alive, and together, the two brothers set off to find their father. But Odin isn’t long for our […]

Family — we all have it. The relatives we love and the relatives we avoid. Families can be small or big, natural or adoptive, and may include a plethora of different dynamics. Your family is a road map to your past, present and future. And family is at the center of the film Coco from the Disney and Pixar team. Miguel (voiced by Anthony Gonzalez) has rhythm in his heart. His family, whom he loves dearly, has barred music from their house. He struggles to see how he fits in to this unit where he can’t follow his passion, especially […]