Edge of Darkness is a below-average thriller that is kicked up a notch by a stellar performance from Mel Gibson. Those expecting Taken 2, however, are going to be gravely disappointed. This is not the action movie you think you’ve seen in the trailers. Some vigilante justice is served, but… Continue reading
There’s a scene early in Extraordinary Measures where John Crowley, after just starting a foundation in the hopes of finding a cure to Pompe Disease, gives an impassioned speech to Dr. Robert Stonehill regarding their lack of funding and how they may have to shut down unless they can secure… Continue reading
Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes arrives with particular disappointment, and this is coming from someone who doesn’t have any unbreakable attachment to the character of Sherlock Holmes. Those that do: beware. You’re bound to be even more appalled by this over-written, over-edited, and only moderately entertaining “re-imagining” (oh, how that is… Continue reading
Invictus is a tried-and-true sports film: inspiring and great to look at. But that’s all it is, which, considering the historical and political implications, is a letdown. Here we have a true story of how a leader used an athletic competition to help ease racial divides and unite a country,… Continue reading
This film was inevitable. I suppose there is actually a fringe group of people out there who truly believe that, in 2012, the poles will reverse and humanity as we know it will be destroyed by every disaster cliché imaginable. For those who do believe it: I hope you’re in… Continue reading
Perhaps no other filmmaker understands the working class as much as Mike Judge. His 1999 home video hit, Office Space, has become virtually a documentary since its release ten years ago. Anyone who works from a cubicle farm understands why. In Extract, a noticeably less-focused effort with scattershot laughs, Judge… Continue reading
Somewhere around the two-hour mark of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, a character requests that a plan be made concise and to-the-point. I’d like to think that’s a wink from the trio of screenwriters to the audience, because next to nothing in Transformers 2 makes any sense. Perhaps that is… Continue reading
If The Haunting in Connecticut feels familiar, you’re not alone. It seems like the fast track to getting a story from the written page to the screen is claiming paranormal phenomena in an old house, whether it’s true or not. No less than seven films and TV shows regarding The… Continue reading
Watchmen arrives to theaters with much fanfare, which is to be expected since a big-screen adaptation of Alan Moore’s mid-80’s source material has been in development basically since the source material was released. Director Zack Snyder and screenwriters David Hayter and Alex Tse have braved the unenviable task of translating… 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