May 2011

Tale of two sequels: ‘Panda’ delivers while ‘Hangover’ crashes

Movie Reviews / /

Perhaps it’s unreasonable to expect anything but “more of the same” from any Hollywood sequel. In the cases of “Kung Fu Panda 2” and “The HangoverPart II,” both technically deliver more of what made the original films successful with audiences. The difference is the execution. Where “Panda” works hard to bring something fresh and energetic to the screen, “The Hangover” falls flat retracing its own steps.

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A partial defense of ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ sequels

Movie Reviews, Pop Culture Commentaries / /

Back in 2003, the concept of a theme park ride turning into a multi-billion dollar movie franchise sounded ridiculous to every sane person on the planet. Yet, “Pirates of the Caribbean” continues to dominate the box office. Most of the credit has rightfully gone to star Johnny Depp, who has played the mischievous Captain Jack Sparrow through four installments, including

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