Running and reacting is the name of the game in Skyline, an alien invasion flick directed by the Brothers Strause (Alien vs. Predator: Requiem) that features impressive effects, annoying characters and makes the similarly-themed Battle: LA look like Shakespeare. Like that movie, it’s set in L.A., but instead of focusing on a pack of soldiers, [...]
Read More action, blu-ray, David, Donald Faison, DVD, Eric Balfour, PG-13, Sci-Fi, Skyline, thrillerThe best thing I can say about Morning Glory, a tired and predictable behind-the-morning-news-scenes comedy starring Harrison Ford, Diane Keaton and Rachel McAdams, is that Indiana Jones is somehow funnier than Annie Hall.
Read More blu-ray, David, Diane Keaton, DVD, Harrison Ford, Morning Glory, PG-13, Rachel McAdamsTales From Earthsea is the latest film from Studio Ghibli, the great Japanese animation house, to be released in the States. Not only that, it’s even directed by Miyazaki. But before you get too excited, it’s not the work of Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away, et al) but rather his son, Goro Miyazaki. So the big [...]
Read More adventure, animation, DVD, Fantasy, Miyazaki, PG-13, Studio Ghibli, Tales from Earthsea, willWhen I sat down to watch Burlesque I expected to find a vanity project. Cher, tired of playing Vegas to make ends meet, needed to throw herself back into the spotlight. Christina Aguilera never made as big a splash as Britney and wanted more, more, more. What I found was a beautifully done (gag) engaging [...]
Read More Burlesque, Cam Gigandet, Cher, Christina Aguilera, drama, DVD, Kristen Bell, Musical, PG-13, romanceHaving already done the underground train thing with their remake of The Taking of Pelham 123, Denzel Washington and director Tony Scott move above ground with Unstoppable, a rousing runaway train thriller co-starring Chris Pine that barrels right along and barely brakes for nuance.
Read More action, blu-ray, Chris Pine, David, Denzel Washington, drama, DVD, Kevin Dunn, PG-13, Rosario Dawson, thriller, Tony Scott, UnstoppableIt takes a while for RED get around to explaining its title, but it won’t spoil anything if I tell you it’s an acronym: “Retired, Extremely Dangerous.” This tag is specifically applied to Bruce Willis, who plays former CIA operative Frank Moses, and more generally to the motley (and all-star) assortment of his former cohorts [...]
Read More action, blu-ray, Brian Cox, Bruce Willis, comedy, crime, DVD, Helen Mirren, John Malkovich, Karl Urban, Mary-Louise Parker, Morgan Freeman, PG-13, Red, Richard Dreyfuss, Warren Ellis, willTakers is the epitome of slick Hollywood entertainment, a fabulously flashy piece of action filmmaking featuring a plethora of pretty boys and virtuoso set pieces that mostly make up for the fact that the thing doesn’t have an original thought in its handsome little head.
Read More action, crime, DVD, Hayden Christensen, Jay Hernandez, Matt Dillon, Michael Ealy, Paul Walker, PG-13, Takers, thrillerThe Social Network, directed by David “Fight Club” Fincher and written by Aaron “Sports Night” Sorkin, purports to be a slick behind-the-scenes account of the meteoric rise of everyone’s favorite social networking site, and it certainly is that: slick. My first warning: this film is about as likely to offer you the true story of [...]
Read More Aaron Sorkin, Andrew Garfield, biography, blu-ray, David Fincher, drama, DVD, History, Jesse Eisenberg, Justin Timberlake, PG-13, The Social Network, Trent Reznor, willGordon Gekko seems to bring out the actorly best in Michael Douglas, who deservedly won an Oscar for playing the cold-blooded corporate raider in Oliver Stone’s Wall Street and so skillfully reprises the part in this glossy follow-up that winning a second gold man doesn’t seem so far-fetched.
Read More blu-ray, Carey Mulligan, David, drama, DVD, Frank Langella, Josh Brolin, Michael Douglas, Oliver Stone, PG-13, Shia LaBoeuf, Wall Street Money Never SleepsIt took a couple of viewings, but I ultimately found Salt to be the real deal when it comes to action thrillers, a most excellent assault of relentless pacing, cool stunts and ridiculous logic that not only sees star Angelina Jolie back in sexy-shooting mode, but marks a successful return to mainstream form for Australian [...]
Read More action, Angelina Jolie, blu-ray, Chiwetel Ejiofor, crime, Daniel Olybrychski, David, DVD, Kurt Wimmer, Liev Schreiber, Mystery, PG-13, Phillip Noyce, Salt