The Official “Lone Ranger Team Hit Back at Critics” Commentary
Full disclosure: I have not seen The Lone Ranger. I’m merely poking fun at—née poking holes in—the irritating argument against film critics who both have it out for movies and have the uncanny ability to tank any film they have it out for. James Haygood, The Lone Ranger‘s editor, took to Facebook days after his […]
Rango Review
RATING: (3.5 STARS) The best comparison I can come up with for Gore Verbinski’s Rango is last year’s Kick-Ass. While the two share little in common thematically, they both succeed on multiple fronts. They are great genre films—Rango, a western; Kick-Ass, a superhero movie—while simultaneously sending up that same genre. Fans of westerns will love […]
Platoon Review
RATING: (4 STARS) I never thought I’d see a war film as brutal and uncompromising as The Deer Hunter, but Oliver Stone’s quasi-autobiographical film Platoon comes awfully close. The film’s you-are-there approach isn’t totally unique, but it has rarely been put to better use. Platoon gives you an idea of what war does to you […]
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus Review
RATING: (2.5 STARS) The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus was reportedly more than halfway completed when its star, Heath Ledger, suddenly passed away. Instead of scrapping the film, director Terry Gilliam decided to push on and fill in the blanks of Ledger’s performance with CGI, makeup, Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell. The rewrites that […]
Alice in Wonderland Review
RATING: (2 STARS) With Tim Burton, one always expects something out of the ordinary. For me, weird doesn’t necessarily equate good. I haven’t nearly seen all of his work, but I have yet to be really impressed with what he has to offer as a director. What purpose does his style serve? Over the course […]
