Movie Reviews
Penelope
I’m a Little Teapot, Short and Snout
*** out of *****
According to Wikipedia, the first real fairy tale appeared in Egypt around 3,300 years ago, when stories were propagated verbally rather than written down. It’s no wonder that these fables captured people’s imaginations; they were scary and dark, funny and cute, and most involved some […]
The Golden Compass
Askew North
***out of *****
Well, this is the movie that finally made me decide. After decades of asking myself whether it’s better to watch the movie or read the book first, it’s definitely better to read the book after you’ve seen the movie. As a film on its own, The Golden Compass is beautiful […]
Cloverfield
No luck for the Irish… or anyone for that matter
**** out of *****
When someone makes a film that’s described by disparate critics as ‘new, invigorating, fresh, exciting’ etc, it’s usually not because they made a good film about an old concept - it’s usually because they made an old concept new again. Strangely enough, […]
Iron Man
An Iron Hurtin’
**** out of *****
When I first heard that they were going to make an Iron Man movie, I was a bit skeptical. Let’s be honest - the character is no Batman or Superman, and I (unfairly) clumped the movie in with the purportedly upcoming Green Lantern, Wonder Woman and Aquaman movies […]
Chocolate
Mmm… ChocolSMACK!
*** out of *****
It’ll be hard in the future for any Thai martial arts movie not to be compared to Ong Bak, the badass punch-a-thon that put Thai fight films on the map. If you’ve seen that one, or its lame sequel Tom Yum Koong you pretty much know what to expect here. Prachya […]
The Mist
Mist Opportunity
* out of *****
Man, I really wanted to like this movie. In my humble opinion, “The Mist” is one of Stephen King’s greatest short stories, equaled in creepiness only by another of his short stories called “The Jaunt”. I first read it about 18 years ago and have waited for […]
The Game Plan
Between the Rock and a Hard Case
**1/2 out of *****
I guess it’s a standard move these days for ‘tough guy’ actors to broaden their horizons (and fan base) by appearing in cute comedies out of their element or with kids and/or animals. Arnie cleaned up in Kindergarten Cop; Vin Diesel failed miserably in The […]
Spiderman 3
Swing High, Swing Low
**1/2 out of *****
Pity poor director Sam Raimi. In much the same way Peter Jackson went from schlock king (zobie gore-fest Dead Alive) to film god (Lord of the Rings), Raimi has gone from cheese king (demon gore-fest Evil Dead) to one of the most respected and trusted directors in Hollywood […]
Revenge of the Sith
A Force to be Reckoned With
****1/2 out of *****
George Lucas isn’t a very good director. That’s right, I said it. But what he can do better than nearly everyone else is tell stories that involve you and create characters that are real and interesting. I can’t imagine how he must feel this […]
Aeon Flux
All Fluxed Up and No Place to Go
** out of *****
Begun as a series of anime-inspired shorts that aired on MTV in 1991 (and a subsequent regular series and graphic novel), Aeon Flux was a violent, sexual, kinetically charged series that pushed all kinds of boundaries and gained quite a large cult following. […]
