Floating along as it does on a bubble of élan and a dash of wit, the Bond films, if theyre smartly done, move so quickly that you dont have time to let anything as pesky as logic take hold. And thus it is with the 20th installment, DIE ANOTHER DAY. There is a formula to these films… Read More »
CONTRABAND
CONTRABAND is based on the award-winning Icelandic flick REYKJAVIC-ROTTERDAM, and it is directed by the star of that film, Baltasar Kormakur. The setting has been changed from the cold North Atlantic to the sultry climes of New Orleans and Panama. The lead is now played by Mark Wahlberg. Yet the reason for the remake is… Read More »
HAYWIRE
Its interesting that the unsmiling, kick-ass heroine of HAYWIRE, Mallory, Mal for short, doesnt go directly to the one move uniquely efficient in taking down a male combatant. It speaks, no doubt, to her sense of honor and her belief in a fair fight. A belief that people challenge at their own risk to their… Read More »
RED TAILS
Howard Hughes, among others, understood the value of a good aerial dogfight 80 years ago or so. RED TAILS, inspired by the actual exploits of the first African-American flying squadron, is full of them and every one of them underscores why they are so appealing. They are well-choreographed, beautifully photographed, with excellent effects and the… Read More »
SAFE HOUSE
SAFE HOUSE is a curiously subdued film relying more on the charisma of its leading men, Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds, and on psychology rather than bombast for its suspense. The result is a film that occasionally becomes too languid for its own good, but is generally entertaining enough with an earnest style of gravitas… Read More »
THIS MEANS WAR
THIS MEANS WAR is a frothy romp of a popcorn flick brightened by witty writing and a cast that get laughs by expertly playing it straight with a plausibly implausible plot. That would be how a product-tester inadvertently comes between two top-flight CIA agents who are also best friends. Yes, its ridiculous. Its also designed… Read More »
EIGHT CRAZY NIGHTS
Adam Sandlers EIGHT CRAZY NIGHTS may actually give Ed Woods PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE a run for its money as the worst movie ever made. But maybe thats just the shell shock kicking in. This animated film was such an assault on my senses that at one point my life actually flashed before my… Read More »
CHIMPANZEE
For several years now, DisneyNature has been celebrating Earth Day with a stunning film about one aspect of the marvelous big blue marble on which humanity makes its home. This year is no exception. CHIMPANZEE is a rousing evocation of how precarious, how glorious, and how infinitely fascinating nature is in general, and in particular,… Read More »
SAFE
SAFE is not a bad film, nor is it a particularly good one. It is, however, a Jason Statham film, which means that while the story is predictable and the direction is competent but unremarkable, it has a star who can almost, but not quite, toss the flick on his brawny shoulders and carry it… Read More »
MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS
MARVELS THE AVENGERS is an audaciously ambitious film with a singularly Herculean task. It must take the disparate superheroes of previous films, their unique tones and styles, and mold them into a cohesive work. Its not unlike the plot of the film itself, which finds Shield, the super secret organization that keeps the Earth safe… Read More »
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