Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Review
RATING: (2 STARS) Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, the fifth Star Wars film in as many years, arrived in theaters before Christmas more with a sense of exhausted obligation than breathless anticipation. It wasn’t just that we’ve been spending an inordinate amount of time in this world lately. The discourse around these films has […]
Star Wars: The Force Awakens Review
RATING: (3.5 STARS) “It’s good.†“I need more than that, buddy.†“It’s enjoyable.†“OK, that’s a start.†That was a conversation I had with my 12-year-old brother-in-law immediately following our viewing of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. He wanted to help me craft my review. They’re simple adjectives but also perfectly appropriate for the film […]
JJ Abrams Movies
I think I’ve probably railed against JJ Abrams movies around these parts more than those of any other director, and that’s probably unfair. JJ Abrams has a flair for a very specific type of entertainment, and it’s one that I’ve simply grown out of favor with over the years. “Too slick for its own good” […]
Star Trek Into Darkness Review
RATING: (2.5 STARS) Overstuffed and overly serious, Star Trek Into Darkness fails to capture the magic J.J. Abrams brought to Star Trek, his 2009 reboot of the popular sci-fi series. It’s far from a horrible summer movie; On the contrary, its almost overwhelming imagination and brisk pace mean you’re in store for nearly two hours […]
Super 8 Review
RATING: (2 STARS) If a director’s heart and passion were indicators of quality, Super 8 would be one of the best movies of the year. If the Oscars were given for ability to imitate Super 8 producer Steven Spilberg’s movies, the film would clean up. Unfortunately, all the passion and Spielberg-esque tricks in the world […]
Star Trek Review
RATING: (3.5 STARS) I have no connection whatsoever to the “Star Trek†franchise. I haven’t seen any of the first ten films or the television show. I have some passing knowledge of the characters, but that’s about it. In fact, the only thing that really attracted me to this film was J.J. Abrams (I’m a […]