The Avengers is an exercise in giving characters enough screen time without making them seem exploited and underutilized. And, for the most part, it works and successfully builds off of the characters limned in previous installments leading up to this supergroup of an action hero film. By far, the Hulk is the best part of The Avengers. […]
May20
Tyrannosaur
Say what you like about Roger Ebert, but the guy is probably doing more to turn me on to movies I haven’t seen these days than anybody else. Such was surely the case with Tyrannosaur, a darling of British film critics last year. I finally got around to seeing it this weekend, and I was immediately struck […]
This weekend brings us the latest installment in the two-hour-commercial genre, a bunch of people popping out progeny, an exploration of men and their grooming habits throughout the years, and Sam Jackson kicking ass — this time without the aid of a raging green monster or an iron-clad playboy / philanthropist. Battleship: I understand the logic of […]
Upon the most recent viewing of The Incredibles, I’ve come to the conclusion that the film directed and written by Brad Bird is not about superheroes or equality. It’s about rampant use of frivolous lawsuits. In America, there are over one millions lawyers per capita, more than any other nation. On average, 15 million civil lawsuits are […]
Last weekend was ruled by The Avengers, and it’s probably a good bet that most production companies assumed this would be the case. I’m sure that Dark Shadows will draw a decent crowd, but it would be safe to bet on Marvel’s superhero cavalcade to continue conquering the box office. Dark Shadows: The love affair between Johnny […]
[Image via Awards Daily] We hear it all the time: “The book was so much better than the movie.” It’s usually true. Filmmakers have so many storytelling devices at their disposal: beautifully composed moving images, the gift of sound, dynamic actors and clever editing, to name a few. Yet, the sum of those parts struggles to compete […]
The amus bouche of summer superhero spectaculars enters theaters this weekend. While it’s not The Dark Knight Rises, The Avengers will certainly draw droves of fans. All in all, the story should be decent. I’m just hoping for minimal advertisements within the film for the return of Tony Stark, the blonde-headed viking, and the inevitable fourth incarnation […]
Directed and adapted by Gary Ross, The Hunger Games deviates from its literary counterpart penned by Suzanne Collins. The difference is not so much in the events of the story. Those stay, for the most part, the same. Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) sacrifices herself to save her sister, Prue, whose name is unluckily called as the girl […]
This week brings us Cusack as Poe and a number of literary references. It also portends the dangers of long term engagements in the presence of sickly relatives. On the lighter side, there are claymated pirates looking to pillory foes and wreak gentle havoc on the high seas. Payback: Just in case you weren’t aware how much […]
Question 1: One trope that recurs rather often in movies — and sometimes justifies the perpetuation of a franchise — is the car chase. Overall, what is the mass appeal of the car chase? Tim Adkins: I’ll borrow a line from the late great Fresh Prince of Bel Air: “Drive fast. Speed turns me on.” It’s just […]