Movie reviews from Tyler Wilson, film critic at the Coeur d’Alene Press.
Any good buddy cop movie is dependent on the chemistry of its two leads. In “End of Watch,” Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña develop such a convincing rapport that their famous faces all but vanish within the roles. The adventures of Officers Taylor and Zavala on the streets of Los Angeles may not be entirely […]
Quick-take: ‘End of Watch’ takes real approach to buddy cop pics Read More »
Ever since “Jaws” terrified audiences back in 1975, summer has been the go-to season for event-level filmmaking. And in many cases, extinction level events like asteroids and malevolent aliens are the focus. From May through August, there’s at least one new, expensive blockbuster every week. Not all are created equal. Many make money, but only
Best Summer Blockbusters Year-By-Year Read More »
Professional baseball players should stay far away from “The Expendables 2,” a bombastic action movie sure to cause a suspicious spike in testosterone levels. This celebration of 80s action movies is a definite mark up from the laziness in the original “Expendables.” Sylvester Stallone hands the director’s chair over to Simon West (“Con Air,” “The
‘Expendables 2’ is expendable… except for Van Damme Read More »
The trailers for “The Bourne Legacy” suggest an expansion of the world introduced in the Matt Damon-starring “Bourne” trilogy. There’s a lot of talk about Damon’s character, Jason Bourne, and the promise of familiar faces explaining more about the mysterious government programs the first three films tease. Forget all that. “The Bourne Legacy” basically amounts
Too much (or not enough) Bourne in ‘Bourne Legacy’ Read More »
No matter how dirty this election season gets, take comfort that it won’t come close to matching the shenanigans in “The Campaign.” This R-rated takedown of American politics is everything you’d expect from stars Will Ferrell and Zack Galifianakis, including foul verbal hissy fits, sex, drugs and occasional fistfights with babies. OK, minus that last
Will Ferrell antics the key contribution to ‘The Campaign’ Read More »
This year’s trifecta of “The Avengers,” “Amazing Spider-Man” and “The Dark Knight Rises” is easily the most widespread saturation of superheroes in popular culture we’ve ever had. Going into the season, I, like many, wondered if comic book movies would need a break. The over-familiarity of “The Amazing Spider-Man,” especially in how it retells the
Why we need more Batman Read More »
It’s difficult to reflect on the experience of seeing “The Dark Knight Trilogy” Thursday night in the AMC Theaters at Spokane’s River Park Square without pausing to acknowledge the tragic shooting that happened at a screening in Colorado. As an unsettling footnote, a plastic burning odor resulted in the complete evacuation of River Park Square
‘Dark Knight Rises’ – Midnight, shootings and reaction Read More »
Advertising for “The Amazing Spider-Man” heralds the reboot as “the untold story” of web-slinging teenager Peter Parker and his mysterious past. Don’t be fooled. The new film, released a little over 10 years after the first “Spider-Man” movie, is no novelty. It’s the “well and frequently told” story of how Peter Parker is bitten by
‘Amazing Spider-Man’ swings into familiar skies Read More »
With anything concerning Pixar, expectations can be a problem. Every new film from the computer-animated powerhouse is immediately compared to their grandest achievements, like “The Incredibles,” “WALL-E” and the “Toy Story” series. It’s an unfair comparison, especially considering many of the studio’s major talents have been focusing on non-Pixar projects lately (think Brad Bird with
Pixar’s ‘Brave’ a worth spin on Disney Princess line Read More »
Marvel has successfully assembled Iron Man, Captain America, Thor and The Hulk together on the big screen. After years of teasing and tedious setup (ahem, “Iron Man 2”), “The Avengers” is the movie that fans have long deserved. And, after two theatrical misfires, The Hulk finally gets a bold, fantastic showcase. When banished demigod Loki (Tom
‘Avengers’ exceeds its lofty expectations Read More »
