Scott Pilgrim vs. The World Review
RATING: (3.5 STARS) Forget Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. Forget Max Payne. Forget every other shitty video game adaptation you may or may not have seen in the past few years because Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is the movie gamers out there have been waiting for. No, it’s not technically based on […]
Brooklyn’s Finest Review
RATING: (2.5 STARS) Director Antoine Fuqua is more than capable of creating a compelling crime drama. His Training Day proved that. But his latest, Brooklyn’s Finest, is a frustrating hodgepodge of cop-movie clichés and unfocused ideas. The film’s structure is great. It recalls Crash, and sets up a film that seeks to explain a different […]
A Prophet Review
RATING: (3 STARS) Director Jacques Audiard’s A Prophet is as well-told as it is unoriginal. The story of a young Arab prisoner rising up the ranks of the Corsican mafia isn’t really anything new, but it’s still a great genre picture. Recalling films like The Shawshank Redemption and Goodfellas, as well as HBO’s television series […]
Despicable Me Review
RATING: (3 STARS) Despicable Me is what I would consider a great animated film—if only Pixar didn’t exist. It’s fun and heartwarming, but the Pixar magic isn’t quite there. The arc is completely predictable, and the laughs are fewer and far between than any Pixar film. I think the bar for animation has been set […]
The Ghost Writer Review
RATING: (3 STARS) The Ghost Writer is an interesting enough thriller from director Roman Polanski, but there’s just nothing great about it. It keeps you at a distance for its first two-thirds before finally allowing you to become absorbed in it. Its subject is intriguing, and Polanski’s direction is quite good, so I’m recommending it. […]
From Paris with Love Review
RATING: (2.5 STARS) Pierre Morel’s “From Paris with Love†is the kind of generic action film that would’ve been right at home in the summer of 2010. It tried to capitalize on the early-year success of last year’s “Taken,†which is also directed by Morel, but it flamed out. It’s not as bad as its […]
The Kids Are All Right Review
RATING: (3.5 STARS) “The Kids Are All Right†is an extraordinary film about the inner workings of a “non-traditional†family. The film, exquisitely directed by Lisa Cholodenko, tells a story that’s unique to these characters, but its ability to capture the messy feelings and relationships inherent in any family is what elevates it from great […]
Salt Review
RATING: (3.5 STARS) Meet Evelyn Salt. She’s rough. She’s tough. She can kick anyone’s ass. She has no qualms about killing. She’s the star of her very own action film, the appropriately named “Salt.†And as it turns out, it’s one of the best films of the summer. It doesn’t measure up to the originality […]
Green Zone Review
RATING: (3.5 STARS) “Green Zone†is a rare hybrid of political thriller and full on actioner. The film, which is very loosely based on the nonfiction book “Imperial Life in the Emerald City,†mixes facts with fiction to tell a compelling story of the lies and misinformation surrounding the supposed WMDs in Iraq. Director Paul […]
Inception Review
RATING: (4 STARS) The hype had been building up for months, years even—ever since “The Dark Knight†blew people’s minds in 2008. With the keys to the kingdom, just what was Christopher Nolan capable of? “Inception†answers that question—he’s capable of creating an absolutely wild world in which anything is possible and everything is believable. […]
Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work
The problem I usually have with documentaries is that, while I find them enlightening, I rarely connect to them on an emotional level. My intellect is stimulated, but I don’t usually feel anything. The last documentary that made me feel anything was “Sicko.” “Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work” succeeds in the same way. Here’s […]
Knight and Day Review
RATING: (2 STARS) Well, summer blockbusters this year are improving, albeit at a snail’s pace. The best thing I can say about “Knight and Day†is that it’s a step above most of what I’ve seen this summer. Coming fresh off the heels of The A-Team, it was good. But judged objectively, this is just […]
The A-Team Review
RATING: (1.5 STARS) In some ways, director Joe Carnahan’s “The A-Team†is a harmless summer flick—mindless and fitfully entertaining. In other ways, it represents the worst kind of cinema—wholly unoriginal, bland, and immediately forgettable. I think if I waited another day or two to write this review, I wouldn’t be able to. That’s how soon […]
Toy Story 3 Review
RATING: (4 STARS) Rarely does a film come out at the absolute perfect time, but “Toy Story 3†is such a film. I’d argue this film isn’t made for kids—it’s made for those of us, like me, who grew up with the “Toy Story†characters. We watched as kids and went home wishing we could […]
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Review
RATING: (2 STARS) “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time†is, I think, about as good as video-game adaptations can get. I hope I’m wrong on that. I would love for something to come along and knock my socks off. But the limitations put on these types of films are probably too great to make […]
Shrek Forever After Review
RATING: (2 STARS) More so than being unentertaining, “Shrek Forever After†(or is it titled “Shrek: The Final Chapterâ€) is just ridiculously unnecessary. I don’t believe anyone can watch this movie and say it’s a story that needed to be told. At the end of “Shrek the Third,†our beloved ogre was in a happy […]
