McFarland USA is that steady, dependable inspirational sports film that Disney churns out and releases at will. The formula is practically as old as the medium itself, but director Niki Caro and her team have crafted a touching human story that supersedes the visually uninteresting sport at the heart of the… Continue reading
Draft Day takes on the challenging task of balancing the sports-nerd event that is the NFL draft with a story that the average, non-football fan can take in. The results are mixed, with the verbal battles between the general managers making for far better entertainment than the sappy and under-cooked… Continue reading
A lean, old-school espionage thriller that never tries to be more than it is, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit is a very pleasant surprise and possible franchise starter from director Kenneth Branagh. Based upon the character created by the late Tom Clancy (not based on any novel this time, just the… Continue reading
Mr. Brooks is that uncommon celluloid specimen that succeeds not only as a thriller, but as a biting black comedy. That this mix stays involving for its full runtime is a true rarity, but the screenplay, by director Bruce A. Evans and Raynold Gideon, manages to stay a step or… Continue reading
We see commercials on TV frequently for the Coast Guard. They have become so commonplace that some may even have a mental image of a bored guy in a lighthouse praying that something will happen. The Guardian aims to be a fair tribute to those who put their lives on… Continue reading
Surely you are all familiar with the “name the actor” game. It is that game people play under their breath in the theater during a movie when an actor they know shows up on screen and they feel it necessary to blurt out that name in either a loud whisper… Continue reading