The Harry Potter films thrive amidst a select group of Teflon franchises– films that no matter their quality, earn huge openings and– regardless of any universal love– longtail their way to a tidy sum. And while the Potter films have never been terrible, their page to celluloid translations have always trended toward book-loyalty to a plodding fault. Eight years and five films later, Harry Potter’s cinematic legacy has finally birthed an entry that transcends its dedicated followers to deliver a …
Category: Reviews
Hoooo boy! It would seem the Transformers sequel, what seemed to be a surefire summer blockbuster, is now headed full steam ahead for ignominy and a Golden Raspberry award. As of this writing and today’s release, “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” stands at 22% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.com. And the reviews are brutal. Here’s a sample of what some notable critics are saying about Michael Bay’s Autobots vs. Decepticons movie. A great grinding garbage disposal of a movie, “Transformers: Revenge …
I won’t lie. It’s hard for me to give “The Proposal,” the new romantic comedy starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds, a bad review. In fact, it’s not even hard – it’s impossible. We’re not talking Oscars here, by any means, but I think thus far the movie is getting a raw deal from some cantankerous critics. As of this writing, the movie sits at 53% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.com, but I think anyone giving a bad review is a …
There used to be a time when sci-fi films delivered more than laser-fueled swashbuckling, aliens and space ships leaping into the stars blow stuff up. When sci-fi functioned in antiseptically spartan environments and focused less on action and more on ideas and man’s place in a scientifically accelerated world. Duncan Jones’ Moon is a tight look back at those films or better yet, a heavily influenced and transportational return to form. Set somewhere in the near but indeterminate future, life …
Better late than never. Just when I think I’d rather take Indian burns to the tenders than endure more of Will Ferrell’s deadpan-obvious doofus shtick, I forgo the pain of a thousand suns and willingly settle into comedic familiarity. Which means A) I’m not as tired of Will Ferrell as I thought, or B) Will Ferrell remains funny despite diminishing returns. After viewing Land of the Lost, I’m convinced it’s “B”. If you didn’t exist in the magical time period …
As it turns out, The Hangover just wasn’t my shot of Jagermeister. At first, I thought was getting old– that my freewheeling and marginally shameful appreciation of frat-tastic humor was giving way to wrinkly, age-spotted prudery. However, about twenty minutes into The Hangover, I realized I wasn’t experiencing a sudden onset of geriatric clucking— I simply realized I was watching the exploits of men who become brash man-children when exposed to additional testosterone, increased blood-alcohol levels and the prospect of …
I have two rules in life. Okay, wait, scratch that. I have more than two rules. I have lots of rules. Stuff like “only kick cats if I see them using my sandbox for a bathroom,” or “sugar-free Red Bull makes even the saddest of days bright,” or “white bread, bologna and lots of mayo is always a good idea” and “it’s okay to not shower on Saturdays and spend the entire day playing Guitar Hero on the XBOX 360.” …
There is a scene in Pixar’s new computer-animated film “Up” where the entire life, from youth to old age, of our grumpy, square-jawed, prune-faced protagonist, Carl Fredricksen (Edward Asner), is played out in a matter of minutes. Accompanied by composer Michael Giacchino’s (“Star Trek,” “Ratatouille”) gentle piano-based score, and without any dialogue, we catch a glimpse of Carl’s simple, stress-free and full-of-love life with his childhood sweetheart, Elie, who, at the end of the montage, passes away. It’s a moving …