Big acting talent, unfortunately, doesn’t always transfer into quality entertainment. “Little Fockers,” the third installment in the popular comedy franchise, takes a once-fresh idea and smothers it to death. After eight years, Robert De Niro still questions Ben Stiller’s position in the Byrnes Family Circle of Trust. He spends most of the film “watching” poor […]
“Little Fockers” is focking stupid Read More »
Known for quirky comedies (“The Big Lebowski”), dark dramas (“No Country for Old Men”), and sometimes both combined (“Fargo”), the Coen Brothers have crafted “True Grit” as their most straightforward and mainstream film to date. It’s an entertaining yarn that executes all the classic Western elements and adds distinct Coen dialogue alongside a trio of
Coens do Western right with “True Grit;” performances power “The Fighter” Read More »
Following in the footsteps of last year’s holiday feast, “Avatar,” Disney’s reboot of “Tron” tries for the same overstuffed helping of bright, shiny eye-candy. One thing is certain: The neon-infused action sequences must be seen on the big screen. Also like “Avatar,” the storytelling is decidedly less successful. “Tron Legacy” provides enough recap of the
‘Tron Legacy’ spectacle overpowers substance Read More »
Darren Aronofsky’s “Black Swan” mixes the classic beauty of ballet with the disturbing imagery of a sudden and debilitating mental illness. Natalie Portman agonized through months of rigorous training to play Nina, a veteran dancer who unravels emotionally after she earns the coveted lead in “Swan Lake.” She’s got the innocence of the Swan Queen,
Natalie Portman makes spectacular transformation in ‘Black Swan’ Read More »
Nobody can deny that most animated movies are made for kids. As adults, we’re supposed to ignore “Looney Tunes” and engage in more “intellectual” fare. For most of Americans, that means “CSI: Miami” and “Dancing with the Stars.” Pretend those social norms don’t exist for a minute. Because when it comes to truly memorable onscreen
Best Animated Movie Characters–The Top 50 Read More »
You’ve already burned through multiple viewings of “It’s a Wonderful Life,” and “Ernest Saves Christmas” still sits with a “very long wait” in your Netflix queue. Luckily, the bandwidth-sucking empire also offers several holiday streaming options to tide us all over until Dec. 25. Get these yuletide offerings in your Instant Queue today. Movies A
Instant Netflix Christmas – Very, merry streaming Read More »
Count me as one of the “Harry Potter” fans firmly against splitting the final book “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” into two movies. There are seven books, so there should be seven movies. Period. Sure, important details can be lost when translating a plot-heavy book to the big screen. But movies are a completely
‘Deathly Hallows’ solid precursor to Harry Potter finale Read More »
In an effort to reach my goal of seeing at least 100 movies released in 2010 before Dec. 31, I’ve had to clog my Netflix queue with some real stinkers. These films just aren’t worth full-fledged reviews, so here’s a brief overview of the bile you should most definitely avoid: The Last Airbender Once the
Really Bad Movie Rundown Read More »
The only thing missing from “Unstoppable” is an Ozzy Osbourne-fueled credit sequence. The crazy train in director Tony Scott’s thriller is a half-mile-long freight locomotive carrying explosive toxic chemicals. After a dimwitted employee leaves the train on auto-pilot, a slew of railroad executives, operators and local law enforcement try to stop the thing from derailing
‘Unstoppable’ train powered by old-school thrills Read More »
In his follow-up to the mega-hit (and slightly overrated) “The Hangover,” director Todd Phillips pairs that film’s breakout star, Zach Galifianakis, with Robert Downey Jr. in a “Planes, Trains and Automobiles” redux about two strangers forced to travel across the country together. The comparisons to that previous road movie are inescapable. What matters here is
Downey + Galifianakis = Enough laughs in ‘Due Date’ Read More »
