“Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice” is not a movie. It might look like a movie and its 151-minute run time suggests that things of importance happen, but not really. “BvS” is actually a two-and-a-half-hour trailer for the upcoming “Justice League” movie, packaged so viewers who are expecting something fun and entertaining might drop $20. […]
Film
Posted inCulture
Sly Like a Fox
The message of “Zootopia” is more than timely
Disney’s “Zootopia” is not only a pretty great story that is very well told, the entire plot is built around some amazing messages for 2016. This isn’t propaganda or some weird form of indoctrination, but “Zootopia” spends its entire running time focused on an important message that it spells out beautifully. The best animated films […]
Posted inCulture
Twilight Zone 2016
The monsters are due on Cloverfield Lane
“10 Cloverfield Lane” is going to be a love it or hate it movie for general audiences. The people who enjoy the film’s first two acts are probably going to hate the third and those who are only after what the third act promises are going to be bored with the first two. In order […]
Posted inCulture
This Movie Has Sand Dragons
Oh, and they breathe fire
For a completely goofy, “Clash of the Titans” throwback, “Gods of Egypt” is drawing a lot of controversy over the apparent whitewashing of the cast. There are a ton of white people in this movie, but there are also a few people of color in prominent roles, but the central Egyptian gods are mostly white […]
Posted inCulture
Killing Them Softly
“Triple 9” shoots straight
Picture a crime thriller where every character is like Denzel Washington in “Training Day” and “Triple 9” will start to come into focus. Even our heroes have rough edges and their motivations stay rooted in the shadows. Even our villains have moments of goodness they try to grasp occasionally while holding a gun to the […]
Posted inCulture
“Race” Comes in For a Bronze
Gutless bio-epic falls short
A movie can’t be successful artistically just on good intentions. If that were the case then “Race” would be the best picture of the year (or of many years). Alas, a modern telling of the story of Jesse Owens with a good-sized budget to hire a few great actors and recreate the Olympics will have […]
Posted inCulture
Beware “The Witch”
A quiet creeper that will disappoint most
“The Witch” premiered to great acclaim at the Sundance Film Festival, with critical quotes providing unrestrained buildup, such as Stephen King saying it scared the hell out of him. Once it took the Best Director award at the festival, the hype accelerated. The movie is being marketed as the scariest horror film in decades, but […]
Posted inCulture
Make ‘Em Laugh
Deadpool wisecracks his way straight to the heart
In the Marvel Universe, there really isn’t anyone like Deadpool. Created in 1991 by extremely terrible comic book artist Rob Liefeld, Deadpool (real name, Wade Wilson), began his comics career as a villainous killer-for-hire in X-titles like “The New Mutants” and “X-Force.” He’s a ripoff of DC Comics’ villain Slade Wilson, also known as Deathstroke, […]
Posted inCulture
Yawn of the Dead
Jane Austen’s Zombieland
“Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” is exactly what it sounds like. Maybe a little better than it sounds for some and a little worse for others. For most of the population, just the word “zombies” in a title will put them in the seats as the continued stratospheric ratings of “The Walking Dead” keeps proving. […]
Posted inCulture
Hail, Coen!
The smartest filmmakers on Earth return
Reviewing a new Coen Brothers film is an exercise in futility, especially only after one viewing. Their work is never as simple as it first seems on the surface and, regardless the genre they’re dabbling in, there are always multiple layers to unpack. “Hail, Caesar!” is the latest in their almost unbroken string of classics […]
