Posts Tagged ‘reviews’
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Review: Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Rise of the Planet of the Apes may be the first film of the summer that has surpassed reasonable expectations and delivered a completely compelling story along with amazing special effects and credible suspense. Make no mistake this is anything but a cheap capitalization on a known franchise but instead works exceptionally well as a standalone movie that will leave audiences hoping that the journey can continue beyond the satisfying conclusion. The story begins with a geneticist (James Fr...
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Review: Captain America
Captain America has one of the stronger origin stories in the Marvel universe. That resulted in hope for the project which despite some concerns along the way holds even more importance considering it acts as the lead-in to The Avengers. Going back to a different period with World War II allowed the story to escape some of the SHIELD pitfalls that resulted in criticism in the others while establishing an emotional component given where the story inevitably heads. (more…)...
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Review: Horrible Bosses
Three men plot to have their superiors eliminated in the comedy Horrible Bosses. Played with effortless nature by Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, and Charlie Day, the guys are out of their element as they conspire to find a solution to their misery. Unfortunately the film never really seems to nail down the driving forces behind the characters and its accompanying tone despite the laughs. (more…)...
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Review – Transformers: Dark of the Moon
The original Transformers is one of my favorite movies and I feel no shame in admitting that. The nostalgia factor of seeing the adaptation of a show I loved growing up captured me completely and the visuals and action scenes were stunning to witness. Expectation levels were different then, when it exceeded them, compared to the sequel which was primed for a let down. Revenge of the Fallen lost everything that made the first so great as even the action sequences were too convoluted to follow...
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Review: Super 8
Director J.J. Abrams crafted a marketing campaign for Super 8 that attempted to disguise much of the plot and create mystery around the monster reveal. Wanting to respect that and experience it the way it was intended I entered the film having actively tried to avoid as much information on the film as possible. Super 8 is a call-back to some great films of the past and evokes a certain level of emotion rarely touched on in today's cinema. (more…)...
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Review: The Hangover Part II
The idea of a sequel to the 2009 film The Hangover was a welcome one after having caught audiences off-guard with its hilarious situations in Las Vegas while raking in the cash to become the highest grossing R-rated comedy of all-time. The characters were likable on their own and had great chemistry together so the thought of following them further absolutely made sense. In the lead-up to The Hangover: Part II however there has been concern regarding the appearance that the plot is a carb...
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Review: Thor
More than the other Marvel projects Thor has faced a distinct level of scrutiny and skepticism. The balancing act of creating mystical elements and other-worldly settings while remaining grounded enough to fit in with the other stories was sure to be a challenge. Rising above expectations that may have been lowered due to those doubts, Thor delivers a compelling and flat out entertaining ride. (more…)...
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Review: Source Code
As the sophomore effort for director Duncan Jones, Source Code feels more like a standard sci-fi thriller than the well regarded but tragically underseen Moon. That being said Source Code brings some unique ideas and delivers a compelling method of storytelling though it ultimately doesn't reach the level of emotional impact that it attempts to achieve. Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) is a soldier taking part in a program called "The Source Code" which can send someone back to re-live...
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