“Divergent” is the latest best-selling book-series film adaptation specifically designed for tween and teen girls starring a female heroine out to save her family and community. Clearly the idea is to duplicate the incredible successes of “The Hunger Games” and “Twilight” franchises, but make no mistake, “Divergent” isn’t remotely as entertaining as any of the […]
“I feel the Need…the Need for Speed” was an iconic quote from Tom Cruise in 1986’s “Top Gun”. Video game mogul Electronic Arts decided to capitalize on the phrase by releasing the first of over 20 games with the trademark “Need for Speed” beginning in 1994. Now Disney has entered the car racing franchise to […]
Back in 2007 director Martin Scorsese captured an Oscar for “The Departed”, a film that many thought did not deserve Best Picture honors, which it also won. For me, Scorsese departed from first-class moviemaking with 2011’s “Hugo”, which surprisingly, got some awards consideration. The 71 year old is back with “The Wolf of Wall Street”, […]
At one point in “Ender’s Game” Harrison Ford tells young protagonist Ender (played by “Hugo”‘s Asa Butterfield), “You will be remembered as a hero.” Well, I will remember this movie, about a teenage boy recruited to lead a military force in a battle against evil aliens, as one of the biggest wastes of time at […]
Ten years ago, Johnny Depp introduced us to one of his most iconic characters – Captain Jack Sparrow – in “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl”. Over the next decade, Depp played a wide variety of wacky and weird characters, always adding his own quirky brand of humor to the role. […]
“After Earth” stars Will Smith and real-life son Jaden, who also play father and son in this sci-fi action/adventure set 1000 years after humans had to abandon Earth after we, the humans, destroyed it, apparently do to wars and pollution (as an early montage shows). This incredibly unoriginal premise is not a great way to […]
Last June, Fox released the horror-action-drama “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter”. While it was an “out-there” concept, the movie worked. It was fun, exciting, creative and it took it’s seriously enough to be historically accurate (with that one, big exception). Before it’s theatrical release earlier this year, MGM and Paramount had “Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters” […]
Daniel Day-Lewis gave the true Presidential performance of 2012, as Abraham Lincoln in “Lincoln”. But we can’t forget Bill Murray’s role as FDR in “Hyde Park on Hudson”. Or, maybe we can. The film is set in 1939 in Hyde Park, N.Y., the small upstate town where Roosevelt was born and where his mother still […]
Kevin James’ funniest film to date was the surprise hit “Paul Blart: Mall Cop”, which came out nearly four years ago. Time has quickly flown by, and so have forgettable roles for James in the dreadful “Grown Ups” and the mediocre “Zookeeper” (all produced by friend Adam Sandler). James’ newest effort is yet another Sandler […]
One of the TV commercials that was used when “John Carter” was released in theaters back in February claimed that before there was “Star Wars” and “Avatar” there was John Carter. And that’s very true. The character was the creation of famed writer Edgar Rice Burroughs back in 1912. But the ad campaign doesn’t go […]