If you are going to make a movie about NOAH then why are you so afraid of saying the word God. Darren Aronofsky's telling of the tale of the biblical flood does a fine job of recounting the story. He has the advantage of pretty much everyone knowing how it goes. So any shortcomings in … Continue reading NOAH
Month: March 2014
MUPPETS MOST WANTED
What's not to like? Beloved characters and a cavalcade of cameos whipped up into a frothy romp that gets in some gentle pokes at Hollywood but never turns cynical. The Muppets' basic goodness is too great a force to be undermined for long by villainy — and, this being a kids' movie, even the villains … Continue reading MUPPETS MOST WANTED
DIVERGENT
It is quite unfair to DIVERGENT. Most people are comparing it to The Hunger Games. A story about a dystopian future society where people must compete to survive and strong female character as the lead. As comparisons go that's about as far as anyone should go. Shailene Woodley is a fine actress, but she is … Continue reading DIVERGENT
MR. PEABODY & SHERMAN
The big studios have tried to recreate several 1960's and '70's cartoons on the big screen. And most with minimal success. Ok, I'm being kind. Most have absolutely sucked ass. Rocky & Bullwinkle, The Flintstones, Underdog, Scooby Doo and The Green Hornet (I know it's not a cartoon, but it was cartoon-like and I couldn't … Continue reading MR. PEABODY & SHERMAN
BAD WORDS
There are comedies that start out nasty-funny like ELECTION that keep their bite all the way through to the bitter ends. More often, these kind of comedies go soft in their third acts, and that's the story here. It's sort of a reverse IDENTITY THIEF, Jason Bateman's enemy-turned-frenemy-turned buddy movie — only with a kid … Continue reading BAD WORDS
TRUE DETECTIVE
Matthew McConaughey has said this eight-hour HBO series is a 450-page film. Certainly it confirms what we already knew: that television is now the premiere writer's medium, which at this level of quality is video's equivalent of the novel. The quality, of course, not only in the screenplay, but in its two astonishing (overused word, … Continue reading TRUE DETECTIVE
THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL
Wes Anderson with a budget and a historic backdrop. His scenarios from film to film could hardly be more different, but here as in his other movies it's easy to spot the Wessian whimsy. This Mittel-European slice of pastry comes with a bitter lemon center that reflects the passing away of an old world under … Continue reading THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL
NON-STOP
The punchy title suggests this will be TAKEN on a plane. Instead, I merely felt taken for a ride. What should have been a tight little thriller a la RED EYE turns into an overlong who's-doin'-it that keeps doubling back on its list of suspect passengers, none of whom is very interesting. It's like being … Continue reading NON-STOP
NEBRASKA
Family. Regret. Dignity. Love. Understanding. These are just a few of the themes covered in the amazing Nebraska. Alexander Payne does a masterful job telling the story of a man determined to cash in what he thinks is a million dollar sweepstakes ticket. Bruce Dern is both simple and complex in his performance and Will … Continue reading NEBRASKA
Hollywood and whine 