Inkheart, based upon the bestselling novel by Cornelia Funke, fits right in to the current trend in Hollywood of the written page becoming a reality. The very notion arouses all kinds of childhood memories (“what would my favorite character be like if he/she were real?”), and for the most part… Continue reading
Purposefully shrouded in mystery over the past few months, few people going in to Seven Pounds will have any idea of what it’s really about. Mission: accomplished for the studio. This is one of the dourest, boring, and insulting films I have seen in years. We got our first taste… Continue reading
Yes Man certainly marks a return to comedy form for Jim Carrey. It’s essentially a carbon copy of Liar Liar (replace those lies with the word “yes”), but it’s refreshing to see him back in something funny and harmless after clunkers like Fun with Dick and Jane and The Number… Continue reading
With the exceptions of Bad Santa, The Polar Express, Love Actually, and Elf, this decade has been pretty pathetic when it comes to holiday-themed films. It’s time to face it: there’s nothing new for this sub-genre to offer. As Christmas had become increasingly more about consumerism and all-around obnoxiousness, so… Continue reading
There are many facts of life, but one is that Hollywood will be making Bond films until the end of the time. That much I have conceded. That reality was a much darker one after, say, Die Another Day, but after the upstart that was Casino Royale, Bond is now… Continue reading
Approaching an Oliver Stone film is one of the toughest things to do for a film critic. The man is a lightning rod for controversy, whether it is accusations of revisionist history or outright bias. That he is the one directing the first biopic about President George W. Bush will… Continue reading
It’s pretty apparent that Hollywood wouldn’t mind if the War on Terror lasted one hundred years (hey, it’s the only figure we’ve been given to work with). The post-9/11 thriller factory is still working at full capacity, but Body of Lies emerges as more of a cautionary espionage tale than… Continue reading
Is there a tougher topic on the planet to approach than religion? It’s one of those things that can instantly offend or gratify, not to mention a topic where people seem set in their ways. Bill Maher is likely one of two things to you: 1) an intelligent thinker who… Continue reading
Whenever I hear the word “quirky” being used to describe a movie, I can’t help but shudder. Ever since the success of last year’s Juno, screenwriters all across Hollywood have been competing for “Most Quirky Screenplay,” which usually means throwing around dialogue that sounds like no one and playing music… Continue reading
The horrors of living in a surveillance society have been predicted and estimated for decades, and now that we’re actually in one I suppose we can take a step back and look at things objectively. Eagle Eye attempts to exploit the fact that the technology exists to track any human… Continue reading