When a film wears its heart on its sleeve the way BLUE BEETLE does, it’s hard to dislike it. Not impossible, but very, very hard. Still, there’s a screenplay that can’t quite decide what tack to take as it moves awkwardly through plot beats that feel less like a story and more like the generic… Read More »
SPY NEXT DOOR, THE
To his credit, Jackie Chan has decided to grow old gracefully. Instead of action heavy films, he has graduated to a gentler sort of cinematic enterprise, action light, as it were, and, at least since THE TUXEDO, has accepted the occasional help from CGI and wires to achieve his still impressive stunt work. His latest… Read More »
RIO
RIO is as bright, fun, and dramatic as the Brazilian Carnivale where its final chase takes place. The animated musical as a whole is one exhilarating race to restore a bird to his human companion, thwart an evil gang of bird smugglers, and make sure that love conquers all. Eventually. The bird is Blu (Jesse… Read More »
THE ADVENTURES OF SHARK BOY AND LAVA GIRL IN 3-D
After seeing THE ADVENTURES OF SHARK BOY AND LAVA GIRL IN 3-D, the only conclusion to be drawn is that its maker, Robert Rodriguez, got lucky with his first foray into the land of kid films. That would be SPY KIDS, a perfectly splendid blend of fantasy elements and genuine family values. The subsequent installments… Read More »