John Powers

In the new TV series "The Hawk," Will Ferrell stars as a zany former golf star who's trying to regain his mojo and regain champion status. Our critic-at-large John Powers says that the show has its flaws, but delivers exactly what you would expect from Ferrell - goofy, good humor that's too wild even to be a parody of the traditional comeback story. Here is John's review.

The new literary thriller "Cloudthief," by Nathaniel Rich, is about the reaction against Big Tech. In the novel, a struggling eco-journalist and a brilliant young woman decide to rob a data center in Oklahoma. Our critic-at-large John Powers says Rich wraps a smart exploration of our data-dominated society inside an entertaining heist story.

Critic-at-Large JOHN POWERS reviews “Sugar,” starring Colin Farrell, now in its second season on Apple TV.

John Powers reviewed the new Apple TV series "Widow's Bay."

John Powers reviewed "The Wizard Of The Kremlin," now in theaters.

Critic-at-large JOHN POWERS reviews The Devil Wears Prada, 2 starring Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep.

Critic at large JOHN POWERS reviews the new Netflix series Jo Nesbo's Detective Hole. It's based on a character who is the hero of a series of international bestsellers by the Norwegian crime writer Jo Nesbo (Yo NES-buh) Harry Hole (HAR-eh ho-leh) is a tortured Oslo police detective.

John Powers reviewed "Stay Alive" by Ian Buruma.

John Powers reviewed the Netflix series "How To Get To Heaven From Belfast."

The new Japanese film "Kokuho" set box office records in its home country. It's now playing in theaters here. The movie, which received an Oscar nomination for hair and makeup, tells the story of a gangster's son who dreams of being a star in Japan's famously rigorous Kabuki theater. Our critic-at-large John Powers says "Kokuho" carried him away into a fascinating subculture whose demands are at once familiar and unfamiliar.