Tag: Studio Film Review
Fifty Shades of Grey | Review
Ties That Bind: Taylor-Johnson’s Erotic Adaptation Forgoes a Glimpse of Eros
Playful marketing provocations, heralded by the succinct tagline “Curious?” standing out beneath black and...
Kingsman: The Secret Service | Review
Eggsy’s Game: Vaughn’s Hyperviolent Reinterpretation of the Super Spy Caper
While a release in February doesn’t speak highly of Twentieth Century Fox’s hopes for the...
Jupiter Ascending | Review
Space Princess Diaries: Wachowski’s Space Adventure is Intergalactic Hooey
Those craving the intelligent sci-fi that graced their early 1999 sci-fi classic The Matrix are sure...
Blackhat | Review
Black in the Saddle: Mann’s Cyber Thriller Forgets Thrills
Though clearly uninterested in providing conventional thrills with his first theatrical release in six years, director...
Spare Parts | Review
Parts Per Nil: McNamara Family Value Aesthetic Lessens Impact of Immigration Issues
As we meander through the opening credits of Sean McNamara’s Spare Parts, we...
Taken 3 | Review
Taken a Break: Megaton’s Slurpy Finish Brings Euro Schlock to L.A.
It should surprise no one that Taken 3 is a laughable, sometimes downright embarrassing...
Unbroken | Review
Run Rabbit Run: Jolie’s Grimly Serious POW Reenactment
Beautifully, if sometimes too glossily mounted, Angelina Jolie’s sophomore effort as a director, Unbroken, is too poker...
Selma | Review
Turnin’ the Beat Around: DuVernay’s Poignant, Passionate MLK Portrait Revitalizes Notions of Biopic
Eschewing what’s come to resemble a traditional route in downplaying both the...
The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies
An Expected Finale: Jackson Brings Tolkien Saga to Thankful End
Upon reaching the end of Peter Jackson’s Hobbit trilogy with the third and final installment, renamed The Hobbit:...
Inherent Vice | Review
The Vice is Right: Anderson’s Inherently Incoherent Pynchon Trip
For his seventh film, auteur Paul Thomas Anderson stakes a claim as the first filmmaker to...
Exodus: Gods and Kings | Review
Death on the Nile: Scott’s Biblical Epic Unworthy of the Gods
Arriving just in time for ritual slaughter is Ridley Scott’s update on the Moses...
Black or White | Review
Black to Basics: Binder’s Safely Bland Racial Message Movie
The latest film from actor/director/screenwriter Mike Binder, Black or White presents us with the possibility of...
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 | Review
The Games They Play: Collins’ YA Dystopia Trudges On and On
As is now customary in the designed business model of franchise movie making,...
Interstellar | Review
Don’t Let’s Ask For the Moon: Nolan’s Space Opera for the Ages
At last divorcing himself from the omnipotent shadows of Batman, director Christopher Nolan’s...
Fury | Review
This Time, It’s War: Ayer’s Latest Depiction of Men Under Fire
At last leaving behind the pulpy, sometimes overly chewy cop action/dramas he’s been churning...
The Judge | Review
I Never Served Time For My Father: Dobkins’ Middling Melodrama
Groaning beneath the weight of its desperate grandstanding for awards consideration, David Dobkins’ The Judge...
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day | Review
Privilege Parable: Arteta’s Trifling Adaptation of Famed Children’s’ Novel
Perhaps the most curious aspect of the live action Disney version of Judith Viorst’s 1972 children’s...
Annabelle | Review
Rosemary’s Scabies: Leonetti Does His Best James Wan Impression
Sure to take its place on future lists of cinematographer’s unfortunate attempts at directing, John R....
Gone Girl | Review
Screens From a Marriage: Fincher Makes Pulpy Lemonade
Undoubtedly one of 2014's most anticipated titles, David Fincher’s adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s bestseller, Gone Girl finds...
The Equalizer | Review
Sequelizer: Fuqua Resurrects Vintage TV Series to Maudlin Effect
Upon the project’s official announcement, it may not have seemed a necessarily surprising or even awful...
The Maze Runner | Review
Mazed and Confused: Ball’s Lusterless Debut Another Dystopic YA Derivative
Pretty teenagers that survive the apocalypse are sure going to have it tough. Or maybe...
This is Where I Leave You | Review
This is Where I Judge You: In the Great Well of Family Drama, Levy Is Dry
Based on the acclaimed novel by Jonathan Tropper, who...
As Above So Below | Review
Devil in Distress: The Dowdle Bros. Spelunk Their Way to Hell
Known as acolytes of fallen angel M. Night Shyamalan, the output of the Dowdle...
The November Man | Review
Sweet, Silly November: Donaldson’s Espionage Thriller is Overbaked
Starting out with a standard template of flourishes one can find in any number of garden variety...
Sin City: A Dame to Kill | Review
Love the Sinner: Miller & Rodriguez Bring Back Hyperstylized Noir with Mixed Results
It has been almost a decade since the visually innovative Sin...
The Giver | Review
Tis Better to Give: Noyce’s Adaptation Too Little Too Late in YA Dystopic Cinema
In today’s onslaught of dystopic film franchises dominated by adaptations of...
Into the Storm | Review
Storm Drain of the Century: The Disaster Film Gets a Retrofit
It’s unclear if there’s any real point to the rather silly conception of...
Get On Up | Review
The F in Funk: Brown’s Biopic Lodged in a White Man’s World
For all the preliminary grumbling about white actors portraying Egyptians in a...
Guardians of the Galaxy | Review
Rocket Fuelled; Gunn Pleasures Summer PG-Spot
It's the end of the world as we know it. Or so the popcorn films of the summer thus...
Lucy | Review
In the Sky With Diamonds: Besson’s Latest a Crock of Crack-pot Sci-Fi
It’s rather a shame to report that Luc Besson’s latest directorial effort, Lucy,...
Tammy | Review
Tammy Girl: Falcone’s Debut a Tepid Turkey
Rex Reed might have been better served to save his wayward disparagements about the cinematic talents of Melissa...
Jersey Boys | Review
Jersey Show: Eastwood Plays It Safe with Broadway Adaptation
While it earns a great deal of credibility due to the retention of several notable cast...
Edge of Tomorrow | Review
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow: Liman’s Simple Sci-Fi is Lean Entertainment
Considerable praise is in order for director Doug Liman and a trio of screenwriters...
The Fault in Our Stars | Review
Never Having to Say You’re Sorry: Boone’s Adaptation Jerks Your Tears
Director Josh Boone adapts John Green’s popular 2012 novel The Fault in Our Stars...
Maleficent | Review
Moralificent: Stromberg’s Debut Gets a Dastard Disney Straitjacket
Anticipation has been extremely high for Disney’s live action dedication to one of their most enjoyably memorable...
Chef | Review
Mostly Favreau: Actor/Director’s Return to Indie Scene a Pleasant Surprise
A thinly veiled allegory for Jon Favreau’s own career, whether he consciously means it to...
Transcendence | Review
The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes: Pfister’s Debut Oversteps Limited Reach
Hopes were perhaps set a bit too high for the directorial debut of Wally Pfister,...
Draft Day | Review
Final Draft: Reitman’s By the Numbers Sports Drama
Director Ivan Reitman leaves behind the realm of rom-com for a masculine about-face with the football drama,...
Noah | Review
Wrath of a Titan: D’aronofsky’s Demilled Egg
Four years after his critically lauded Black Swan, a work of finesse made despite budgetary limitations from Darren...
Sabotage | Review
Treacherous Uncoupling: Ayer’s Latest May is Fun, Brutally Violent Nonsense
Okay, so, if you can keep in mind that the outcome of its tizzied, conventional...
Divergent | Review
Dissatisfaction: Burger Launches the Next YA Dystopia to Unwieldy Lengths
Director Neil Burger joins genre courting/sci-fi alum Andrew Niccol’s dip into the abscessed pool of...
Need For Speed | Review
On the Road Again: Waugh’s Woeful Film an Offending Lemon
Leaving behind the galvanizing propaganda of his Navy SEALs plugged film debut, Act of Valor,...
300: Rise of an Empire | Review
Empire Strikes Back: Murro Piggy-back’s Off Snyder’s Initial Action Epic
Though director Zach Snyder may not be returning for director duties of 300: Rise of...
Non-Stop | Review
Murder on the Familiar Express: Collett-Serra’s Airborne Caper a Watchable Throwback
Director Jaume Collet-Serra has jumped aboard the Liam Neeson renaissance train, reuniting with star...
Odd Thomas | Review
Odd Man Out: Delayed Koontz Adaptation a Tone Deaf Misfire
Filmed way back in 2011 and then delayed indefinitely in 2013 due to legal actions...
3 Days to Kill | Review
Days Go By: McG Can’t Find the Beat in Mottled Espionage Drama
Now with a handful of brightly lit baubles of films to his name...
Open Grave | Review
Don’t Fear the Reaper: Lopez-Gallego and the Search for Substance
In 2011, some may recall a found footage moon expedition thriller called Apollo 18, the...
Lone Survivor | Review
Casualties of War: Berg’s Brutal Depiction of Failed SEALS Op Career Best
For the purposes of context, one may be interested in noting that Lone...
47 Ronin | Review
Rawhide Chew: Rinsch’s CGI Laden Retelling a Cardboard Snooze
The story of the 47 Ronin, a Japanese tale based in historical fact that has become...
Grudge Match | Review
Trudge Match: Peter Segal, Cashing Checks
At the end of the day, Peter Segal’s latest directorial effort, Grudge Match, may not be the felonious stink...
