Film Reviews

film review: Inception

Everyone is different. I don’t like mazes, puzzles, Rubik’s Cube, or most of Christopher Nolan’s films. He delights in creating cinematic puzzles but I always sense the wheels turning, instead of getting caught up in the action. Obviously he has the imagination to devise ingenio...

film review: The Sorcerer's Apprentice

If you know that this film comes from the team that gave you National Treasure, you have a pretty good idea of what to expect: a larger-than-life action yarn with special effects and a sense of humor. It isn’t my favorite kind of entertainment, but there’s a good reason Jerry Bruckhei...

film review: The Kids Are All Right

Annette Bening and Julianne Moore are worth the price of admission to The Kids Are All Right all by themselves, as far as I’m concerned. That the film is so smart and entertaining is icing on the cake.

film review: Eclipse

I haven’t read Stephenie Meyer’s books, but I liked the first Twilight movie, so even though I’m not a card-carrying Twi-hard I have no axe to grind where this series is concerned. That said, I thought this new installment was incredibly boring. Woe to any newcomer who’s unfamiliar with the characte...

film review: Knight And Day

It irks me that this film has been the subject of so much snarky speculation. I’m sorry if teenagers don’t care about Cameron Diaz and some people think Tom Cruise’s career as a superstar is over. I’m sorrier still that 20th Century Fox seems to be running scared over a movie they produced, at great...

film review: Toy Story 3

film review: Cyrus

Cyrus is a movie destined to catch audiences off-guard. The presence of comedic performers like John C. Reilly and especially Jonah Hill may lead many viewers to expect a comedy—and laugh (as at least one preview audience did) at moments that aren’t intended to be funny. But filmmakers Jay and Mark ...

film review: The Karate Kid

In today’s risk-averse movie business, we’re seeing more remakes than ever, including retreads of films that don’t seem that old (to some of us). After a screening of the new Karate Kid I asked a couple of ten-year-old boys if they knew the 1984 movie, and they did, thanks to DV...

film review: Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time

I have nothing against a juvenile action-adventure yarn with a touch of fantasy thrown in, and while I can’t pretend to get inside the head of a 12-year-old boy, I enjoy summoning my inner child whenever such a film has great spirit and rousing action scenes. This one, I’m sorry to say, feels mechan...