The Amazing Spider-Man Review
RATING: (3 STARS) Put simply, Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man is an entertaining superhero movie, and if that’s what you’re looking for during the sweltering summer months, you’ll get your money’s worth. Of course, the film has the added burden of proving to audience that its necessary to reboot the Spidey series just a decade […]
The Way Review
RATING: (2.5 STARS) If you’ve ever seen a road trip movie, you know what you’re going to get out of Emilio Estevez’s The Way. Just because the characters travel by foot doesn’t mean it doesn’t follow a very familiar and pretty stale formula. And yet, The Way isn’t a total waste of time. It’s a […]
Badlands Review
RATING: (2.5 STARS) Badlands is acclaimed director Terrence Malick’s first film, and it’s got most, if not all, of his trademarks—philosophical narration, long shots of the wilderness, a massive fire, and some good (but very restrained) performances. All that said, it feels like a second-rate Bonnie and Clyde. The characters have virtually no personality, which […]
Apocalypse Now Review
RATING: (3.5 STARS) Apocalypse Now’s back story has been exhaustively covered, but for good reason. The film forever altered the trajectory of Francis Ford Coppola’s career (and nearly destroyed his sanity). It almost killed Martin Sheen. It was disrupted by indecision, narcissism, and acts of Mother Nature. It was delayed for a long time and […]
The Departed Review
RATING: (4 STARS) “The Departed†is director Martin Scorsese’s best work since “Taxi Driver.†Yeah, I said it. I think this film is better than “Goodfellas†and “Raging Bull.†In fact, for a long time, this film was my standard answer for the dreaded “What’s your favorite movie?†question. I no longer hold it in […]
Wall Street Review
RATING: (2 STARS) Could there have been a worse time for me to watch Wall Street for the first time? After the job losses, corrupt CEOs, bailouts, and bonuses, how could I enjoy watching a film that celebrates that sort of culture? Because whatever sort of redemption the main character gets, whatever lesson we learn, […]
