Category: adventure
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The Host [2013] ★½
“The Host” is another soulless movie based on Stephenie Meyer’s book. I’ve never read it which means I can’t compare the details and nuances of that book and the film. But I can still review it. The needlessly long story involves Saoirse Ronan (“Atonement”, “The Lovely Bones”) as Melanie Stryder, one of the last humans alive until aliens insert…
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Jack The Giant Slayer [2013] ★★½
“Jack the Giant Slayer” is far from the disaster it’s been made out to be in some circles…nor is it a wonderful achievement. It has enough visual effects and production values for three movies, but not enough story material, which is one of its problems. But it does provide vigorous, eye-filling entertainment, and paves the way…
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Oz The Great And Powerful [2013] ★★★
How you react to this film will have a lot to do with your expectations. I didn’t expect a work of genius. In fact, I approached it with caution, worried that Sam Raimi’s touch layered on top of L. Frank Baum’s surreal material would create a kind of overkill. I’m happy to report that I was pleasantly surprised.…
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Django Unchained [2012] ★★★½
Like a crazy motherfucker, Quentin Tarantino lets all his obsessions hang out in “Django Unchained”. Some people may want to kill him for it, but if you’re down with that, head off to the “historically inaccurate” “Django” which should have been called “The Good, the Bad and the Slave” by Quentin Tarantino. In fact, “Django” is an act…
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The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 [2012] ★★
“Breaking Dawn part 2” is being presold as the best “Twilight” movie of the series. Faint praise, indeed. And also misleading. The first movie, released in 2008, is still the most bearable because director Catherine Hardwicke dove into the adolescent angst of Stephenie Meyer’s novel without an ounce of condescension. “New Moon” on the other hand directed by Chris…
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The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey [2012] ★★★
Here’s the buzz: “The Hobbit” is not a masterpiece and lacks the epic scale of “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy. But one thing’s for sure: “An Unexpected Journey”, Episode One in Peter Jackson’s three-part screen version of J.R.R. Tolkien’s book is a solid piece of entertainment. We’ll have to wait another year for “The Desolation of Smaug”, and still…
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Skyfall [2012] ★★★½
There’s only one reason why “Skyfall” is the hippest, highest-octane Bond film in ages, and his name is Daniel Craig. Way before “Casino Royale” was released, the internet buzz killers were already ragging on him for being blond and blue-eyed and too short for Bond duty. Not only did Craig turn out to be the best…
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The Bourne Legacy [2012] ★★★
I don’t know how a film this entertaining can be considered a flop by so many moviegoers. At first glance, it seemed almost impossible to make a fourth Bourne movie without its leading man Matt Damon or its director Paul Greengrass. Surprise. It’s not half bad. In fact, and despite its overlength, “The Bourne Legacy”…
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The Dark Knight Rises [2012] ★★★½
Question: how can you top “The Dark Knight”, one of the best (if not the best) superhero movie of all time? The answer is you can’t. But hold your horses. “The Dark Knight Rises” may not be as brilliant as its predecessor, but it’s damn near close. Christopher Nolan’s terrific conclusion to his Batman trilogy…
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The Amazing Spider-Man [2012] ★★★
Early reviews have been inordinately pissy for the new Spider-Man movie. And there’s no arguing that the movie is too long at 136 mintues, and feels a lot like a replica (the last Spiderman was only 5 years ago and the series didn’t need a reboot so early). Know what? Audiences won’t give a damn.…
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Moonrise Kingdom [2012] ★★★
Simplicity is not a quality most Hollywood moviemakers aspire to achieve, but for me it’s part of the charm of “Moonrise Kingdom”, an amusing, low-key movie that strikes a tone unlike any other film this year. I’m a huge admirer of director Wes Anderson, but I’m not one of his can-do-no wrong fans. I loved…
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Snow White And The Huntsman [2012] ★★
Poor Grimm brothers can’t get a break from Hollywood, at least not since two “Snow White” movies were released this year. The first one, “Mirror Mirror”, was pure garbage. Now “Snow White and the Huntsman” is here. So how bad is it? Not that bad to be honest, uneven to be sure and terribly slow…
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The Thief Of Bagdad [1940] ★★★★
To begin with a story: I remember watching “The Thief Of Bagdad” when I was very young with my grandfather (who taught me everything there is to know about films). It was probably the first movie I had ever seen, and I was fascinated by it. A couple of years ago, I learned that Criterion was releasing…
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The Good, the Bad and the Ugly [1966] ★★★★
“You see, in this world there’s two kinds of people, my friend: Those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig”. Sergio Leone’s spaghetti trilogy comes to an end with style. Clint Eastwood leads the hunt for a buried treasure in this superior western movie about greed and…well gun battles. But it all comes…
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