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Chesapeake Family Magazine

Chesapeake Family Magazine is not a Tomatometer-approved publication. Reviews from this publication only count toward the Tomatometer® when written by the following Tomatometer-approved critic(s): Roxana Hadadi.

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Rating Title | Year Author Quote
Earwig and the Witch (2020) Roxana Hadadi Earwig and the Witch never finds the right tone, never really develops its characters, and never reaches the high standard of a Studio Ghibli production. It's profoundly skippable.
Posted Sep 28, 2021  Edit critic review
2.5/5
My Spy (2020) Roxana Hadadi The movie's humor is broad and its twists are obvious, so much so that even a couple of enjoyable performances can't really elevate My Spy into anything unique.
Posted Jul 01, 2020  Edit critic review
3/5
Four Kids and It (2020) Roxana Hadadi There's a certain level of absurdity you have to accept with Four Kids and It, but once you do that, it's a pleasant-enough diversion.
Posted Jul 01, 2020  Edit critic review
2/5
SCOOB! (2020) Roxana Hadadi Some of the updates to Scoob! feel like they are tailor-made for the viewing interests of today's younger audiences, but they land to varying success.
Posted Jun 05, 2020  Edit critic review
3.5/5
The Vast of Night (2019) Roxana Hadadi The Vast of Night consistently entertains, and its mixture of vintage aesthetics and spooky subject matter feels like the beginning of the summer movie season.
Posted Jun 05, 2020  Edit critic review
4/5
The Half of It (2020) Roxana Hadadi The Half of It respects its characters and its viewers alike, delivering a love story that finds as much meaning in a platonic relationship as a romantic one.
Posted May 10, 2020  Edit critic review
3/5
Trolls World Tour (2020) Roxana Hadadi One of the nicest things to say about Trolls World Tour is that it moves pretty briskly. It's not particularly impactful, but it should be entertaining enough for young viewers.
Posted May 09, 2020  Edit critic review
4/5
Never Rarely Sometimes Always (2020) Roxana Hadadi Never Rarely Sometimes Always is often difficult viewing, but it offers a perspective on American womanhood that is informative, insightful, and asking for our empathy.
Posted May 09, 2020  Edit critic review
3/5
The Willoughbys (2020) Roxana Hadadi The Willoughbys is inconsistent tonally and garishly animated, but its message about family is somewhat comforting.
Posted May 09, 2020  Edit critic review
4/5
Little Women (2019) Roxana Hadadi Greta Gerwig's experimental take adds clarity and wisdom to character developments and relationships that make the viewing experience more rewarding.
Posted Mar 28, 2020  Edit critic review
3/5
Onward (2020) Roxana Hadadi Onward feels a bit more subdued than a typical Pixar affair, and while the movie wears its heart on its sleeve, it might not be quite as engaging for younger viewers.
Posted Mar 25, 2020  Edit critic review
4/5
EMMA. (2020) Roxana Hadadi Emma. is deeply satisfying watch that, while lacking the contemporary feel of Amy Heckerling's Austen adaptation Clueless, is charming and lovely in its own right.
Posted Mar 25, 2020  Edit critic review
2.5/5
The Call of the Wild (2020) Roxana Hadadi Buck never really looks like a real dog, in particular because of the overly expressionistic facial design, and the various levels of CGI sometimes seem incredibly awkward together.
Posted Feb 21, 2020  Edit critic review
3/5
Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) Roxana Hadadi The key to Sonic the Hedgehog is Jim Carrey, with ridiculously tiny glasses and an aggressive mustache, plus a crazed glare and omnipresent smirk.
Posted Feb 14, 2020  Edit critic review
2.5/5
Troop Zero (2019) Roxana Hadadi Although Troop Zero has moments of whimsy and charm, its characters are sketched so thinly that it might be difficult for audiences to connect.
Posted Jan 30, 2020  Edit critic review
1.5/5
The Turning (2020) Roxana Hadadi The Turning is trying to make a statement about mental illness, but the movie so superficially handles the concept that it's more disrespectful than insightful.
Posted Jan 30, 2020  Edit critic review
2/5
Dolittle (2020) Roxana Hadadi Dolittle getting vomited on, Dolittle getting a face full of a fart. Where is the humor in any of this?
Posted Jan 19, 2020  Edit critic review
3.5/5
Spies in Disguise (2019) Roxana Hadadi Spies in Disguise has a lightness in its humor and a thoughtfulness in its discussion of how to solve problems, with a great voice acting turn from Will Smith.
Posted Jan 19, 2020  Edit critic review
2.5/5
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019) Roxana Hadadi A sizable amount of the narrative of The Rise of Skywalker is spent specifically undoing what happened in The Last Jedi, and the result is a film that lacks forward momentum.
Posted Dec 27, 2019  Edit critic review
3.5/5
Jumanji: The Next Level (2019) Roxana Hadadi With thoughtful questions about the transition from adolescence to young adulthood and adulthood to retirement, Jumanji: The Next Level is an enjoyable return to this world.
Posted Dec 27, 2019  Edit critic review
3/5
Playmobil: The Movie (2019) Roxana Hadadi There is a gentleness and simplicity to the adventure-seeking vibe of Playmobil: The Movie that will work particularly well for very young audiences.
Posted Dec 27, 2019  Edit critic review
3/5
Frozen II (2019) Roxana Hadadi Frozen 2 is visually gorgeous but mostly a narrative retread of the original.
Posted Nov 25, 2019  Edit critic review
3/5
Charlie's Angels (2019) Roxana Hadadi Girl-power franchise Charlie's Angels gets a fun but slightly forgettable update.
Posted Nov 25, 2019  Edit critic review
0.5/5
Playing With Fire (2019) Roxana Hadadi Playing with Fire makes increasingly strange choices that feel feel like the film itself is mocking the people who the smokejumpers have to save.
Posted Nov 25, 2019  Edit critic review
1.5/5
Gemini Man (2019) Roxana Hadadi The technology of Gemini Man may be amazing, but the narrative is anything but.
Posted Oct 31, 2019  Edit critic review
2.5/5
Countdown (2019) Roxana Hadadi The constant loud noises and jump scares of Countdown are only enjoyable for truly novice horror watchers.
Posted Oct 31, 2019  Edit critic review
3.5/5
Abominable (2019) Roxana Hadadi Abominable is gorgeously animated, but the story is a little lacking, with a protagonist whose journey is so focused on other characters that we learn little about her own life.
Posted Sep 29, 2019  Edit critic review
4.5/5
Dora and the Lost City of Gold (2019) Roxana Hadadi A humorous script and thoughtful spin on the source material make Dora and the Lost City of Gold one of the most enjoyable family films of the summer.
Posted Aug 09, 2019  Edit critic review
2/5
Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019) Roxana Hadadi Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw is an overly long, generic-feeling experiment in blowing things up and ogling half-naked women. These characters barely drive anymore!
Posted Aug 02, 2019  Edit critic review
4/5
The Farewell (2019) Roxana Hadadi How The Farewell balances questions about cultural heritage and the morality of honesty is immersive and lovely.
Posted Jul 23, 2019  Edit critic review
2.5/5
The Lion King (2019) Roxana Hadadi The Lion King feels less like watching a cohesive film and more like listening to a separate audio track narrating what is happening onscreen. The two halves don't mesh.
Posted Jul 23, 2019  Edit critic review
4/5
Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) Roxana Hadadi Although Spider-Man: Far From Home feels like it was released a bit too soon after Avengers: Endgame, the high school-focused sequel is still funny, frothy, and fun.
Posted Jul 03, 2019  Edit critic review
Yesterday (2019) Roxana Hadadi The possibility of a Beatles-less reality opens up a new world of storytelling, but not in Yesterday, which uses it to tell a disappointingly familiar story about falling in love.
Posted Jun 30, 2019  Edit critic review
3/5
The Secret Life of Pets 2 (2019) Roxana Hadadi The Secret Life of Pets 2 nicely expands this world with the colorful, action-packed scenes set in the farm, and new characters like Daisy and Rooster are good additions to broaden the cast.
Posted Jun 14, 2019  Edit critic review
2.5/5
Dark Phoenix (2019) Roxana Hadadi There are strong action set pieces here, but for the most part, Dark Phoenix chews through story so quickly that the narrative ultimately lacks impact.
Posted Jun 14, 2019  Edit critic review
2.5/5
Men in Black: International (2019) Roxana Hadadi Very little about Men in Black: International feels new or fresh, despite the buddy-comedy energy well-exhibited by Chris Hesmworth and Tessa Thompson.
Posted Jun 14, 2019  Edit critic review
3/5
The Sun Is Also a Star (2019) Roxana Hadadi For tween and teen fans of the book and love stories in general, the Nicola Yoon adaptation The Sun is Also a Star will provide a romantic, if sometimes meandering, viewing experience.
Posted May 27, 2019  Edit critic review
1.5/5
UglyDolls (2019) Roxana Hadadi The animation style of UglyDolls is so off-putting that it may be more worthwhile to watch any other children's film that offers the same messages about self-acceptance instead.
Posted May 12, 2019  Edit critic review
3/5
Pokémon Detective Pikachu (2019) Roxana Hadadi The central mystery of Detective Pikachu is lackluster-and sends a slightly problematic message about people with disabilities-but the production design is an impressive achievement.
Posted May 12, 2019  Edit critic review
3.5/5
Avengers: Endgame (2019) Roxana Hadadi It would be nearly unfathomable to have spent more than 20 preceding films with these characters and not feel anything at the end of the sometimes tedious, mostly satisfying Avengers: Endgame.
Posted May 01, 2019  Edit critic review
3.5/5
Shazam! (2019) Roxana Hadadi The stakes in Shazam! aren't quite world-endingly high but are resonant for their universality, and the film bounces well between kid-focused humor and suitably scary action sequences.
Posted Apr 08, 2019  Edit critic review
2.5/5
Dumbo (2019) Roxana Hadadi Although Dumbo redeems some of the now-problematic elements of the 1941 film-including a realization that animals shouldn't be abused-it is also curiously wooden.
Posted Mar 29, 2019  Edit critic review
Faster (2010) Roxana Hadadi Revenge films bank on the audience's desire for the bad guys to get what they deserve, but the lack of any emotion in Faster invalidates that.
Posted Mar 28, 2019  Edit critic review
4/5
Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase (2019) Roxana Hadadi Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase is a pleasing return to the kind of storytelling captured in those books, in which a mystery is tidily solved through logic and cleverness.
Posted Mar 23, 2019  Edit critic review
3/5
Wonder Park (2019) Roxana Hadadi Wonder Park hammers home feelings of abandonment to underline a message about creativity that didn't need such emotionally downbeat elements to have resonance.
Posted Mar 16, 2019  Edit critic review
2/5
Five Feet Apart (2019) Roxana Hadadi Strong performances from Haley Lu Richardson and Cole Sprouse can't redeem a plot that encourages sacrifice as love-an idea so many teen-focused romances can't seem to advance past.
Posted Mar 16, 2019  Edit critic review
4/5
Captain Marvel (2019) Roxana Hadadi Captain Marvel succeeds not only as an introduction to a new Marvel hero but as a time at the movies that is consistently interested in what it feels like to be a girl and a woman.
Posted Mar 08, 2019  Edit critic review
4/5
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019) Roxana Hadadi The Hidden World's animation is gorgeous and the story is gently mature, and the film is a perfect ending to a franchise that has explored relationships with insight and nuance.
Posted Feb 22, 2019  Edit critic review
2.5/5
Alita: Battle Angel (2019) Roxana Hadadi For a film that is meant to be about a female character growing into herself, Alita: Battle Angel consistently denies her agency, resorting to men to shape her narrative.
Posted Feb 16, 2019  Edit critic review
4.5/5
The Kid Who Would Be King (2019) Roxana Hadadi The Kid Who Would Be King is a revelation without being a relic, a throwback to a time when family films weren't overloaded with pop culture references or pop music.
Posted Feb 11, 2019  Edit critic review
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