June 1, 2026 “Jack Ryan: Ghost War” (**1/2 out of four) was an overall well-done adaptation of Tom Clancy’s blockbuster spy series about the Jack Ryan (John Krasinski) who reunites with his former C.I.A. operatives (Wendell Pierce, Sienna Miller, and others) to take down a treacherous international enemy who seems to monitor and know their every move. A definite improvement over the last 2 Chris Pine/Ben Affleck adaptations, and features enough spy intrigue and action to be engaging, but lacks the serpentine complexity that defined the best Ryan adaptation “Clear And Present Danger.” Pierce stands out and gives the film a big boost as James Greer. Continue reading →
June 1, 2026 “Pancake Man” (* out of four) was an indigestably awful psychodrama about a man (Michael Della Pia) who goes berserk when he is (!) denied pancakes at his local diner and goes on a killing spree taking on all comers involving the mob and local police (Seth Hart, Dustin Ehrlich, Sarkis Bakalyan, and others). Filled with empty lard and calories of unlikeable characters and a plot that gets more outlandish and ridiculous by the minute. If you make it to the end of this mess, you’ll never want to eat at an IHOP ever again. Continue reading →
dlepikcom 