Menu

MARSHALL: A MAN WORTH KNOWING

Film In Theaters Leonard Maltin Movie Reviews
5884

Chadwick Boseman has made a specialty of playing real-life figures: Jackie Robinson, James Brown, and now Thurgood Marshall, the first black man appointed to the United States Supreme Court. Marshall focuses on an important case in his work for the NAACP—one of the building blocks in his ascendant career—and it should come as no surprise that the actor does a first-rate job. The screenplay, by father-and-son lawyers Jacob and Michael Koskoff, takes us back to 1941. Marshall is sent to Bridgeport, Connecticut, where an innocent man (Sterling K. Brown) has been accused of raping a wealthy white woman (Kate Hudson). In order to mount a defense he must convince a local Jewish lawyer, Sam Friedman (nicely played by Josh Gad), to be his mouthpiece in the courtroom.…

READ MORE >

THE MEYEROWITZ STORIES (NEW AND SELECTED): WHAT A FAMILY!

Film In Theaters Leonard Maltin Movie Reviews
7359

I loved this movie from the moment it started. Perhaps it’s because I used to drive in New York City and related to Adam Sandler trying to find a parking space while shouting at fellow drivers. Talk about a sense memory! Writer-director Noah Baumbach hits many resonant notes in this perceptive screenplay about a—yes—dysfunctional family. But the Meyerowitzes are not stock characters. Baumbach imbues them with the kind of contradictory traits that make them three-dimensional. Dustin Hoffman delivers a rich, layered performance as a pompous father who has always favored his oldest son (Ben Stiller) over his other children, with Emma Thompson as his wild-haired, alcoholic, flower-child wife, Elizabeth Marvel as their hapless daughter, and a stellar supporting cast. The real marvel of this film…

READ MORE >

GOODBYE, CHRISTOPHER ROBIN: MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE

Film In Theaters Leonard Maltin Movie Reviews
11833

There is a tendency among some critics to dismiss anything genteel and British in a condescending manner, relegating it to the “Masterpiece Theater” demographic. I hope this fate doesn’t befall Goodbye, Christopher Robin, a handsome production that may be genteel but is far from bland. It’s the story of a successful author who survived the horrors of combat during World War I only to face writer’s block—and a desire to address the folly of war. He eventually made up a storybook world to amuse his young son. Little did he dream that it would overtake their lives and turn the unsuspecting boy into a kind of freak-show. One doesn’t associate the term “media celebrity” with the 1920s but that’s what the real-life Christopher Robin became after Alan Milne…

READ MORE >

PIGGING OUT ON LOONEY TUNES

Leonard Maltin Movie Reviews
17047

A decade ago Warner Home Video released a series of handsomely packaged DVDs, and later Blu-rays, of cartoons from its vast library. Nowadays the big news comes from the company’s little-engine-that-could division, Warner Archive: a spectacular 5-disc DVD set called Porky Pig 101. This catchy title takes advantage of the fact that there are, in fact, 101 Porky cartoons from his heyday—99 in black & white, two in color! A handful of finicky folks online have complained that not every short has been restored. Please! The cartoons all look good (some better than others), and I am not inclined to complain: it’s a miracle this set exists at all. If there’s one thing a studio avoids in children’s entertainment, it’s black & white material. If there’s…

READ MORE >

LOST HORIZON—RESTORED YET AGAIN

Leonard Maltin
17092

Frank Capra’s Lost Horizon was considered a disappointment in 1937, following a string of box-office hits and a passel of Oscars. It was cut from the night of its first preview through its initial release, then edited again for a 1940s reissue. Most of the original negative was tossed when each of these trims were made, turning this 1937 movie into a long-term challenge for film preservationists. At the UCLA Film and Television Archive, Bob Gitt spent years patiently piecing together the most complete version possible, using still photos to provide visuals for scenes where only the soundtrack survived. Further work was done in 1999 and 2013 at Sony, which owns the movie and even had access to Capra’s personal 35mm print. Now, Sony preservationist Rita Belda…

READ MORE >

HOLLYWOOD’S FIRST SUPERHERO IS BACK

Leonard Maltin Movie Reviews
9070

Adventures of Captain Marvel is often called the best serial ever made; it’s certainly my all-time favorite. I had a great time revisiting all 12 chapters on the beautiful new 4K scan Blu-ray from Kino Lorber and listening to commentary tracks by a variety of contributors. I am one of them; in fact, I don’t think anyone turned down super-buff Tom Weaver when he approached various “experts” to talk about this milestone serial. Captain Marvel was the first comic-book superhero to come to the big screen; the first Max Fleischer Superman cartoon followed later in 1941. He made a major impact on kids of that generation and kids-at-heart in the years to follow. Film historian Weaver discusses the extra-length Chapter One with a little help from Western…

READ MORE >

THE FLORIDA PROJECT: A MUST-SEE SLEEPER

Film In Theaters Leonard Maltin Movie Reviews
7093

The Florida Project is one of this year’s best films, a remarkable slice of life set in and around a motel on the fringes of Orlando, Florida. Here, little kids with no adult supervision find ways to amuse themselves day after day. While their parents struggle to survive and pay the rent, they always find things to occupy themselves, whether it’s admiring a rainbow, encountering farm animals, or begging strangers for money to buy ice cream. Some of their mischief gets out of hand, but there are few if any repercussions in their insular world. Filmmaker Sean Baker caused a sensation with his last feature, Tangerine (2015), a compelling fly-on-the-wall narrative that was shot entirely on iPhones. His new movie may have more money behind it but retains…

READ MORE >

Subscribe to our newsletter

MERCH

Maltin tee on TeePublic

PODCAST

Maltin on Movies podcast

PAST MALTIN ON MOVIES PODCASTS

Past podcasts

PATREON

Maltin On Movies Patreon

APPEARANCES/BOOKING

Leonard Maltin appearances and booking

CALENDAR

April 2026
S M T W T F S
 1234
567891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
2627282930