Star Trek Beyond Review
RATING: (2.5 STARS) The term “episodic†gets thrown around a lot when it comes to major studio moviemaking. Between bifurcation of individual stories and the intense desire to turn everything into a “saga†or “cinematic universe,†the big-budget action film that mostly stands on its own is becoming an endangered species. Star Trek Beyond, then, […]
Revisiting My Most Anticipated 2013 Movies
I was writing up my most anticipated movies of 2014 when I realized I couldn’t quite remember what topped (or even placed) on my 2013 list at this time last year. Revisiting the list, as I’ll do below, simply confirms my suspicions that this exercise is a little foolhardy. There’s no predicting what you’ll respond […]
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 […]
2013 Summer Movie Preview: Part 1
Last year, celestial angels with trumpets rang in the summer movie season. It was going to be the best ever—The Dark Knight Rises, Prometheus, The Avengers, The Bourne Legacy, an original Pixar movie, and more. Even if the season didn’t end up meeting expectations, there was lots of good stuff out there. This year, it’s […]
13 Films for 2013
Oh, to be where we were a year ago. Surveying the upcoming movie calendar on January 1, 2012 was like a second Christmas. Tarantino, PT Anderson, Wes Anderson, Spielberg (with Day-Lewis), Affleck, Soderbergh (times two), The Hobbit, Nolan’s follow-up to The Dark Knight, The Avengers, and the most loaded Cannes lineup in years. Sure, not […]
