Movie Reviews

J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit” doesn’t need to be split into three movies. Even with extra material from various appendices in the mix, I worry another nine hours of hobbits, dwarves, wizards and orcs won’t be able to match the excitement of Peter Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. That said, “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” […]

Of the big questions raised in “Life of Pi,” there is at least one definitive answer: You can’t be friends with a Bengal tiger. Director Ang Lee (“Brokeback Mountain”) has done what many thought impossible. He’s crafted a thrilling and visually spectacular adventure film out of Yann Martel’s unconventional bestseller. Lee and screenwriter David Magee

Of all the wonderful things about Steven Spielberg’s “Lincoln,” one thing obviously stands apart: Daniel Day-Lewis. The two-time Oscar winner is magnetic as the plain-spoken politician who battled to end slavery behind closed doors while the nation tore itself apart on the battlefields. Day-Lewis’ Lincoln often settles arguments with anecdotes—stories and speeches that comprise the

Daniel Craig’s first outing as James Bond in “Casino Royale” was designed to take the venerable spy franchise to more serious, real-world places. The 21st century demanded its 007 be more like Jason Bourne – a guy who throws punches without the catchphrases and womanizing. The rebranding worked well enough for “Casino Royale,” but its

Though they don’t seem that similar, both “Flight” and “Wreck-It Ralph” focus on what distinguishes heroes and villains. In the Disney computer-animated tale, Ralph (voice of John C. Reilly) is the destructive bad guy of the Donkey Kong-inspired arcade game, “Fix-It Felix Jr.” When the arcade closes each night, however, Ralph is a nice guy

Most movies play it safe. They focus on just a few characters, stay within a single genre and tell a straightforward story from beginning to end. As much as we all might complain about the lack of originality in theaters, we as the audience are comforted by the familiarity. We know what we like and

The story of Ben Affleck’s Hollywood comeback has reached its apex with “Argo,” his third and most assured movie as a director. It’s a perfectly constructed Hollywood thriller that effortlessly blends sparks of humor with tense plotting that doesn’t rely on gunfire and explosions. And Affleck makes it all look easy. Anyone still want to

This summer’s abysmal update of “Dark Shadows” marked a career low for Tim Burton, the visionary director of “Ed Wood,” “Edward Scissorhands” and the best Batman movie NOT directed by Christopher Nolan (that’s “Batman Returns” for those keeping score at home). Truth be told, Burton has been in a major creative funk for years, directing

Look beyond the residents of “Hotel Transylvania” and the monsters in “Resident Evil Part 18” and you’ll notice fascinating, character-driven films playing at a theater near you.  And no, not all of them fit nto the artsy-fartsy, “for-film-snobs-only” genre. Nope, the most surprising winner so far this season is “Looper,” a sci-fi thriller with more

The bravura, off-the charts-crazy performance of Joaquin Phoenix in “The Master” isn’t a subtle piece of acting– and really, what were we expecting following his faux-rapping shenanigans in “I’m Still Here.” In “The Master,” he plays an unstable war veteran who becomes mesmerized by the enigmatic leader of The Cause, a religious/psychological movement with all-too-familiar