Observe and Report (2009)

Observe and Report (2009)

Here’s the simplest way to put it: if you liked the over-the-top, brutal finale of Pineapple Express, you’ll most likely find yourself enjoying Observe and Report, a file that is plenty mean-spirited in its own right. Sometimes aiming for straight gross-out gags and other times targeting oddly-timed and prolonged verbal… Continue reading

Watchmen (2009)

Watchmen (2009)

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

Body of Lies (2008)

Body of Lies (2008)

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

The Dark Knight (2008)

The Dark Knight (2008)

The Dark Knight is an unbridled masterpiece; a dark and gloomy commentary on the state of our country today. Filmed in blacks and dark blues, there are only occasional rays of hope as Batman takes on Gotham’s latest batch of evil. Yet there is a feeling of giddiness as you… Continue reading

Get Smart (2008)

Get Smart (2008)

Get Smart is the latest in the endless chain of sitcoms, regardless of quality, getting the big screen treatment by Hollywood. I fondly remember watching the show on TV as a kid and being amused by the slapstick humor and sheer stupidity of Maxwell Smart, played to perfection by Don… Continue reading

Speed Racer (2008)

Speed Racer (2008)

I take back everything I ever said about 1998’s Armageddon being the epitome of sensory overload. The Wachowski Brothers’ Speed Racer is certainly an ambitious visual project, but aside from that it is a misfire without much of an audience (it seems to be aiming squarely for the pre-teen, sugared-up… Continue reading

Michael Clayton (2007)

Michael Clayton (2007)

“I’m not the guy you kill. I’m the guy you buy off.” – Michael Clayton Michael Clayton is the kind of slow burn that only makes its way to theaters at this time of year. It’s the kind of film whose suspense comes from silence, whose dialogue is first-rate, and… Continue reading