Articles by Nick Olszyk
“Tomorrowland” is an uneven journey into the future via nostalgia for the past
MPAA Rating: PG USCCB Rating: A-II Reel Rating: (3 out of 5) Like the vast, revolving jet ride from the attraction that inspired it, Tomorrowland feels a bit uneven and disjointed; you might say it […]
Nick Olszyk: “Ex Machina” Looks Great, Thinks Poorly
MPAA Rating: R USCCB Rating: NR Reel Rating: (2 out of 5) Hollywood has produced many films that deal the possibility of sentient robots, and Ex Machina is…one of them. It starts with the fascinating […]
Pope Paul VI Makes a Horror Movie
MPAA Rating, R USCCB Rating, O – see postscript for commentary Reel Rating, (5 out of 5) The last decade has not been especially kind to horror movies. From Saw to Hostel to Insidious to The […]
Teenage War is Hell Too: A Review of “Insurgent”
MPAA Rating: PG-13 USCCB Rating: A-III Reel Rating: (3 out of 5) In most artistic trilogies the sequel is usually darker than the original and Insurgent—based on the second novel of the popular Divergent trilogy, […]
“War in Heaven”: A review of “The Drop Box”
MPAA Rating: NR USCCB Rating: NR Reel Rating: (5 out of 5) In the last few years, there have been numerous movies dealing with pro-life topics that have ranged in quality from okay (October Baby, […]
“Just Unbroken Enough”
MPAA Rating, PG-13 USCCB Rating, A-III Reel Rating, (4 out of 5) Unbroken is the amazing story of WWII hero Louie Zamperini (Jack O’Connell), a tale of courage, patriotism, and […]
“I Think I’m Gonna Like It Here”
MPAA Rating: PG USCCB Rating: A-II Reel Rating: (4 out of 5) The new film adaptation of Annie is one of the better Hollywood musicals in recent memory; it is easily the best since 2012’s Les […]
Nick Olszyk’s Best Movies of 2014
In 2013, Hollywood had its best year of the young decade, with great films featuring old school Disney magic (Frozen), specular visuals (Gravity), and important lessons from history (12 Years a Slave). 2014 saw less […]
An “Exodus” Plagued by Extravagant Mediocrity
MPAA Rating: PG-13 USCCB Rating: NR Reel Rating: (2 out of 5) There are several film and television adaptations of the story of the Exodus and subsequent events—most notably, of course, Cecil B. DeMille’s classic […]