Saturday, January 12, 2013
A group of pretty-boy cops goes all "gangsta" to take down a mob boss who looks a lot like Spicoli from "Fast Times at Ridgemont High."
A Chicago gangster moves out to Los Angeles, killing his way to the top, only to be met by a few honest cops in "Gangster Squad." Sean Penn overacts as the main bad guy while the good guys include Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling, Giovanni Ribisi, Anthony Mackie, Robert Patrick, Michael Pena and Nick Nolte. The undercover spy femme fatale is Emma Stone in this wildly ridiculous, over-the-top movie. I couldn't tell if the film wanted to be a serious gangster drama (circa 1940s) or an action-adventure film for kids. It's trying to be more like "The Untouchables" but ends up more like "Dick Tracy." The Flick-O-Meter gives "Gangster Squad" a two out of five. Sadly, the most attention this film got was six months ago after the Aurora, CO, movie …
Saturday, January 5, 2013
In theaters this week, an impossible journey to the core of the human heart in the true life story of a family swept away in one of the worst natural disasters in our lifetime.
A family of five begin their winter vacation in Thailand, looking for some fun in the sun. Soon their holiday turns into a nightmare as a giant tsunami rises up from the ocean and sweeps them away in "The Impossible." Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor head up this cast that tells the true story of one family's experience during the devastating 2004 tsunami that devoured Southeast Asia. The acting, though there is very little dialogue, is amazing and the special effects, especially in the first 45 minutes, are mind-boggling. Watts is being considered for an Oscar for her performance but the kids, in my opinion, steal every scene in which they appear. The film runs two hours, and it is a bit sappy at times, perhaps too sentimental. So the Flick-…
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Tom Cruise plays an ex-Army investigator who puts the smackdown on just about everyone he meets.
Tom Cruise doles out the punishment as an ex-miltary guy roped into a murder investigation. He's got to take out the bad guys, save the girl and find the real killer in "Jack Reacher." The Jack Reacher book series has been popular for years, now it's moving to the big screen under Cruise control, with the actor as a quiet and deadly man. Cruise is the rare action star who brings both brawn and brains to a role, but in this case he's limited by a weak script. He does, however, excel during the action scenes. Packing quite a punch. A real kick in the pants. See the video here, you will know what I'm talking about. What you see is what you get in this movie. Action, reaction, Cruise being brutal and brash; it's all here. The crime that draws …
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Hold onto your hats, kids; we're heading to Middle Earth again with Peter Jackson and company.
After years of waiting it's finally coming to theaters -- Peter Jackson's "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey." Bilbo Baggins, a kicked-back, happy-go-lucky Hobbit, joins Gandolf the Grey and 13 dwarves on a dangerous quest to reclaim their homeland and their treasure from Smaug the dragon. The film is a staggering 160 minutes. But unlike any of the "Lord of the Rings" films, it takes about an hour for anything to really get going. Once it does, though, game on, with non-stop chase scenes and action sequences. On the journey they run into every kind of creature imaginable. The problem is, most of them are CGI creations. That was a big misstep, I think. In the "Lord of the Rings" films most of the monsters were just guys in makeup, and there…
Friday, November 23, 2012
Jack Frost takes a 3D animation adventure to save all that is good and nice in the world.
Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy and the Sandman draft Jack Frost to be in their gang to guard against all things evil as they protect the magical state of childhood in "Rise of the Guardians." Stars such as Alec Baldwin, Jude Law, Hugh Jackman, Chris Pine and Isla Fisher lend their voices to this visually stunning film perfect for the holiday season. I'll be the first one to say that it's easy to be cynical about holiday movies but this one won't let you. This certainly isn't a Judeo-Christian holiday-themed film, as you might imagine. That's what makes it a better than your average Christmastime film. Turning these mythical beings into superheroes is clever. If it does well at the box office I see a franchise in the …
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Popular Dracula-Werewolf soap opera franchise ends with a big thanks to fans.
The love triangle between Bella (Kristen Stewart), her husband Edward (Robert Pattinson), and Werewolf Jacob (Taylor Lautner) comes to an exciting conclusion in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part Two. Bella finally gets what she wants. She's a vampire; she's married to a vampire; now she has a half-vampire, half-human kid. That the child is from a mixed marriage doesn't sit well with some of the vampires, causing a bit of a problem. Be ready for a few surprises as the final act of the movie kicks up the stakes with a few twists and turns. Fans of the series will enjoy the film for its romance, humor, and a sweet ending to a series they love so much. Non-fans? Well, there isn't much going on for you here. The Flick-o-Meter gives The …
Sunday, November 11, 2012
He's got the tux, the cars, the gadgets, the girls…James Bond is back and better than ever!
Daniel Craig is back in his best Bond performance to date in Skyfall. On the 50th year of the franchise and the 23rd in the series, this is one of the best Bond films yet, and I have seen all of them. The opening chase scene may be the best ever, and it sets the tone for a really good spy thriller and pure Bond fantasy. Javier Bardem plays the villain in this one. He's creepy good as the bad guy, making this movie that much better. We learn more about Bond in this film than any of the others as he tries to come to grips with his mortality and the fact that his type of spying has become obsolete due to technology. But, as you might have guessed, when it's time to kick some butt… who you gonna call? A great supporting cast including Judi …
Saturday, November 3, 2012
The bad guy in an old video game is about to become the good guy in a new movie. It's a wreck the whole family should enjoy.
The bad guy in a low-resolution 1980s video game is a reluctant villain who tears down buildings with his sledgehammer fists. He's ready for a change in today's high-resolution world in "Wreck-It Ralph," in 3D. In order to break out of this bad-guy image Ralph travels to grand game central, where there is access to every video game in the world. If he can win a few levels, who knows, he may become that good guy he has always wanted to be. The clever writing and character development is met with a solid voice-over cast which includes John C. Reilly as Ralph, Sarah Silverman as the voice of Vanellope and Jane Lynch as Sgt. Calhoun. There are dozens of retro games for the grown-ups and a solid storyline for the kids. As in the tradition of "…
Saturday, October 20, 2012
If you enjoy watching characters sleep while their furniture moves around them, I have just the movie for you.
A Nevada family plays host to a very odd 6-year-old neighbor boy whose unseen mother has suddenly been hospitalized in "Paranormal Activity 4." A group of young unknown actors jump into the Paranormal Activity formula without a hitch. The long stretches of green night-cam footage manage to creep you out as you try to figure out if you just saw movement in the corner. And when something eventually flies across the screen, no matter how much you try to anticipate it, you jump. A neighborhood witches' coven plays into the proceedings, adding to the drama. In the end, as expected, all you really get is a whole bunch of jolts and scares. If you have seen any of the previous films, it's more of the same. This time around I was more tricked than…
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Six Americans are rescued from Iran in 1980 (true story), and now the real-life drama is a movie, and a good one at that!
On Nov. 4, 1979, a large group of Iranians stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, taking 52 Americans hostage. But six Americans did escape. The story about how those six made it out is the set-up for the film "Argo." The six find refuge in the home of the Canadian ambassador. That's when CIA operative Tony Mendez comes in. He's played by Ben Affleck, who also directs the film. He cooks up a plan to fly in alone and fly out with the six, all of them posing as a film crew scouting locations for a faux "Star Wars" knockoff titled "Argo." It's a crazy scheme to get hostages out by fronting a fake movie, but it works…and, at times, it's very funny. There are some great supporting roles for Bryan Cranston, the CIA boss; Alan Arkin, the fake movie …
Stephen W. Ramsden
7:02 am on Sunday, November 18, 2012
I think I speak for the majority of my neighbors when I say "Who gives a shitte?" more ›