It’s a terrible feeling as a viewer when you can see the blood, sweat, and tears that went into making a movie – and the end result is indifference and disappointment. Such is the case with The Golden Compass, an adaptation of the first entry of Philip Pullman’s His Dark… Continue reading
Stardust is the most gleefully silly fantasy tale in years; a whimsical experience in the vein of The Princess Bride. Unlike the latter, Stardust is aimed more so at mature adults in its themes and execution. It contains enough self-referential humor and zest to keep one engaged throughout. In a… Continue reading
I admitted in my review of 2005’s Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire that I hadn’t turned a page of a single Harry Potter book, and things haven’t changed since. Nevertheless, I immensely enjoyed Goblet of Fire as a chapter of its own, loaded with action, wit, and wonder.… Continue reading
Pixar continues to amaze with Ratatouille. While their previous film, Cars, was a letdown in the story department, Ratatouille may well rank in their top three finest efforts. The story is engaging, the animation groundbreaking, and the heart pouring from the screen. This is a gorgeous film, and it may… Continue reading
As I do my best to rewind and remember 2003’s Bruce Almighty I do not recall leaving the theater and spouting something to the tune of, “man, this movie needs a sequel!” But, of course, that film raked in $242 million domestically. Now, four years later (one year shy of… Continue reading
The original Fantastic Four had very little to offer, and this sequel has even less. That the first film was such a box office success came as a surprise to me at the time, but in hindsight 2005 was probably the apex of the comic book adaptation craze. The past… Continue reading
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End feels like the final chapter of this shockingly successful franchise (the whole shebang has been crafted from a Disney theme park ride), and one can only hope it is. While the first two films skirted by on charm and sheer energy, At World’s… Continue reading
As a fan of the first two Shrek films, even I can attest to the notion that DreamWorks is really pushing their luck with a third installment. Hollywood has proven time and again that the old saying, “quit while you’re ahead,” means nothing to them. One can really only approach… Continue reading
As a fan of the first two Spider-Man films I can only speculate as to why director Sam Raimi and his screen writing partners felt it necessary to try and go “bigger and better” with this third entry. Parts one and two had everything a Spidey junkie could possibly want,… Continue reading
Just when it looked like Sandra Bullock was getting her stuff together in films like Infamous and Crash she comes down with a bad case of Ashley Judd-itis (AJI, for the uninitiated) and retreats to the formulaic, gimmicky fare that put her on the map in the first place. Her… Continue reading