Posts Tagged ‘reviews’
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Review: Brothers
Originally on my top 10 anticipated films of the holiday season, I never got around to seeing Brothers when it was in theaters. I had high expectations for the movie based on a compelling trailer that contrasted a drama with elements of a thriller. Interestingly the trailer, while it gave away some general themes of the movie, didn't give away as much as I had originally thought. The movie was much more of a grounded character drama and was driven by some terrific performances. (more&helli...
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Review: Alice in Wonderland
Tim Burton has always been very hit or miss with me. Big Fish is one of my favorite movies and he has delivered classics like Edward Scissorhands and Beetle Juice, while many of his other films I have really disliked. His visual style and quirky, dark natured story telling works sometimes and others it doesn't. For Alice in Wonderland he created a dull world that was not able to capture any of the magic that has come with different tellings of the story over the years. (more…)...
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Review: Green Zone
I've found myself to really enjoy movies with modern war themes, especially ones with a layer of conspiracy, and definitely count myself amongst fans of Paul Greengrass and Matt Damon. So I went into Green Zone fully expecting to like it and wanted to to temper my reaction to evaluate it for what it was and avoid being influenced by my personal tendencies. Green Zone ended up taking care of that for me though. It wasn't as fulfilling as I had hoped, and tracked into political grounds that were...
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Review: Kick-Ass
As most every movie fan can attest to there are times when high levels of anticipation can lead to eventual disappointment. Having read all the great early buzz for Kick-Ass I entered with the concern that this would be the case here. Those high expectations though turned out to be far exceeded. Kick-Ass is a fantastic blend of a comic book vibe with heavy action and explicit violence, plenty of laughs, and genuine emotional pull. (more…)...
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Review: Hot Tub Time Machine
There is something endearing about how Hot Tub Time Machine is completely upfront about its ridiculous scenario and the events that take place throughout. The cast is likable and the 80s setting is refreshing and nostalgic. There are some big laughs here but it just swings and misses a little too often to put it in the class with some of the more highly regarded comedies released in the last few years. (more…)...
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Review: Shutter Island
The release of Shutter Island was moved from its originally planned October 2009 date to February 19th however not for the typical reasons that result in delays. Paramount fully believed in the picture but they didn't have the funds to push it for the Academy Awards and star Leonardo DiCaprio was too busy filming the upcoming Inception to promote it. So the decision was made to move it, and though movies that release this early in a year are generally forgotten by Oscar time, Shutter Island wi...
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Review: Armored
No one goes into a movie such as Armored expecting it to be brilliantly written or even necessarily have a semi-plausible plot. Generally it is all about the entertainment factor and whether the characters and story developments are compelling. Unfortunately Armored does not excel in any area and comes off as predictable and completely implausible. The story centers on a group of armored car workers who attempt to steal $42 million by concocting a story about being ambushed while hiding the...
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Review: (500) Days of Summer
"This is a story of boy meets girl. But you should know up front this is not a love story". That is how (500) Days of Summer is introduced and it holds true in what is easily one of my favorite movies of the year. This is not a conventional romantic comedy. Instead it is one of the most honest stories about relationships I can remember ever being on screen and it really hit home. (more…)...
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