“Welcome to the Punch” is a steely, stylish picture, yet it lacks much of its titular promise. Weirdly abrupt and largely inconsequential, the feature is only good for a few decent shoot-outs and chase sequences, where writer/director Eran Creevy shows potential with visceral elements. However, consistency of storytelling eludes him, with “Welcome ...
Despite a few public animosities and a prolonged break-up period, Cheech and Chong have remained a force of comedy for over 40 years, which is no small achievement. Fans have come to expect a certain impish, pot-laced sense of humor from the duo, and “Cheech & Chong’s Animated Movie” delivers exactly that, playing like a greatest hits album of old ...
Their name is Astron-6. A filmmaking collective from Canada, the production team specializes in retro entertainment with a distinct wink, fueled by a love of eighties cinema and the freedom of no-budget creative challenges. Their debut feature, “Father’s Day,” was an unexpectedly hilarious, imaginative take on splatter shenanigans, cutting the toxi...
“Oblivion” is sci-fi entertainment that recalls genre pictures from the 1980s and ‘70s, where character and spectacle were more evenly matched. It’s a strikingly designed and photographed effort that indulges only a handful of blockbuster bonanza moments, more attentive to its knotted exploration of identity and paranoia, almost old fashioned in it...
Robert Redford is no fool. The screen icon and celebrated director knows full well that audiences wouldn’t be very patient with his latest film, “The Company You Keep,” without the security and color of a large cast made up of famous faces. It’s a smart move, providing a sense of stability with this labyrinthine tale of aging radicals, weighty secr...
In the interconnected world we live in, dangers are abundant. With so many people exchanging their inner most thoughts and fears, along with all kinds of sensitive information, the potential for catastrophe is great, yet the warning signs remain hazy. “Disconnect” seeks to navigate the divide between machine and humankind, initially setting out to ...
Terrence Malick makes a particular type of movie. There’s nothing wrong with an artist in possession of a singular style, with many filmmakers enjoying mighty careers basically making the same feature over and over, with subtle shifts in approach. “To the Wonder” is Malick’s latest work (his sixth project since 1973), and it resembles his previous ...
“Scary Movie V” opens with Charlie Sheen and Lindsay Lohan in bed. Then they begin to have sex. Then “Yakety Sax” kicks in to score their gymnastic lovemaking session. And this is the type of viewing experience “Scary Movie V” becomes, with bad ideas spread like curdled butter over lousy ideas, and it doesn’t let up for 75 minutes (add another 15 f...
Jackie Robinson was a miraculous baseball player, but one would never know that after watching the bio-pic “42.” Instead of focusing on a sterling Major League Baseball career that lasted for nine years, the feature only covers Robinson’s introductory season with the Brooklyn Dodgers, where he faced torrential amounts of bigotry as he broke the col...
After soaring to box office heights and striking Oscar gold with his last two pictures, “Slumdog Millionaire” and “127 Hours,” director Danny Boyle comes crashing back down to Earth with “Trance,” a soggy jigsaw puzzle of a movie that’s so intent on frying the brains of its viewers, it completely forgets to invite them in on the grisly festivities....
While in possession of a storied filmmaking career, director Ken Loach isn’t one to hunt for a laugh. Rarely exposing his funny bone, Loach aims for a slightly lighter tone with “The Angels’ Share,” though any smiles are quickly tempered by the crushing reality of human fallibility. As with any Loach picture, the effort is a mix of emotions and har...
It seems the poisoned apple doesn’t fall far from the rotting tree. “Antiviral” marks the feature-length directorial debut for Brandon Cronenberg, son of David Cronenberg, the master filmmaker behind such classics as “The Fly,” “Videodrome,” and “Dead Ringers.” Following in his father’s footsteps, Brandon conjures a diseased take on our engorged ce...
Seeing a horror remake pop into moviegoing view certainly isn’t a new development. After all, Hollywood has been on a recycling tear as of late, returning hits such as “Friday the 13th,” “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” “Halloween,” and “Dawn of the Dead” to the big screen. It’s an unfortunate development driven almost entirely by the prospect of easy ...
It’s not like Steven Spielberg’s “Jurassic Park” was a modest art-house release back in 1993. It was destined to be a blockbuster from the moment work began on the picture. An expensive, visually groundbreaking tale of dinosaurs run amok, “Jurassic Park” fulfilled its promise with enthusiasm and armrest-rattling suspense, supported by a level of Sa...
Following in the footsteps of numerous stories concerning the dangers of granted wishes and the unmerciful nature of greed, “The Brass Teapot” takes an extremely dark premise and treats it like an afternoon picnic. Lacking fangs and consequences, the picture at least moves, granted a buoyant forward momentum by director Ramaa Mosley, making her fea...
Those who prefer their horror cinema to resemble a demolition derby would be wise to steer clear of “Thale,” a Norwegian effort that takes its time to arrive nowhere in particular, showing remarkable restraint with common displays of violence and gore. Electing a more reserved direction of tension, the feature plays with stillness and the unknown, ...
Tyler Perry makes two types of films: comedies and melodramas. He'll usually blend the genres to give his audience the most bang for their buck, but he's resolute in his directorial range, with "Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor" his most combustible picture to date, even out-heaving "For Colored Girls." A biblical parable dressed up ...
"Phil Spector" opens with a bizarre disclaimer the places the events in the film in a state of limbo, unable to comment on the murder trial of the titular musical titan and unwilling to give the man an exhaustive exploration of his life and times. It's an ephemeral picture, taking a thin slice from the chaos of Spector's legal woes and savoring eac...
In 2009, director Stephen Sommers brought “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra” to multiplexes, tasked with turning the popular cartoon series and toy line from the 1980s into a viable franchise for a new generation. He failed miserably, masterminding a leaden, nitwit film that actively ignored what made the original creation such a delight to a generation...
Purists will likely scoff at the suggestion, but it’s hard to discount the “Twilight” DNA in the foundation of “The Host.” Both projects originate from author Stephenie Meyer, who made a killing with her sparkly vampires saga and has now moved over to sci-fi for her latest effort, once again cooking up a love triangle template to hang prolonged mom...
“Mental” is mental, living up to the potential of its title with a wild, uninhibited display of psychological fractures and grotesque comedy. The picture marks the return of writer/director P.J. Hogan to the screen, who long ago helmed the cult hit “Muriel’s Wedding” before embarking on a deflating Hollywood career that included “My Best Friend’s W...
I think any useful discussion of “The Place Beyond the Pines” requires some heavy lifting in the spoiler department. Please do not read any further if you care to keep the film’s secrets safe and sound.
In his last movie, 2010’s “Blue Valentine,” writer/director Derek Cianfrance studied an intimate world of relationship deterio...
“Wrong” is an offering of absurdity from writer/director Quentin Dupieux. The picture exists in a dreamscape of uninhibited conversations and ridiculous occurrences, yet it’s par for the course for the helmer, who made his international introduction with 2010’s “Rubber,” a movie about the adventures of a tire that rolled around the southwest killin...
The premise of “Starbuck” (A French-Canadian production) promises a wacky time at the movies, dealing with accidental fatherhood, delayed adolescence, and persistent loserdom. Perhaps other filmmakers would’ve leaned into the potential of the tale, but co-writer/director Ken Scott is hunting for something more meaningful with this tender blend of m...
“Family Weekend” doesn’t travel very far as a comedy, and it isn’t nearly as touching as the screenwriter would like to believe. It’s a picture stuck in mediocrity, attempting to form something heartwarming with a premise that demands a consistent blast of acid. A forceful lead performance from Olesya Rulin manages to take command of the movie, but...
When there’s no creativity to be found, shock value always rears its ugly head. “InAPPropriate Comedy” is the latest picture to mistake crudeness for cunning, trying to nab attention through bad behavior and wretched use of comedy’s current crutch: interminable improvisation. It’s racist, gross, and vulgar, and for all the time the production put i...
“A Resurrection” will most likely be remembered as one of the last screen appearances for Michael Clarke Duncan, the behemoth actor who tragically passed away last autumn. It’s especially important to celebrate his role as Duncan is the best thing about “A Resurrection,” brightening up the picture with the ten minutes of screen time he has, showing...
After their stab at epic storytelling with last holiday's "Rise of the Guardians," Dreamworks Animation reduces the heat on the big movie sweepstakes with "The Croods," a production that's willing to be silly and sincere, employing a cartoon ambiance of pinballing people and exaggerated body language to produce a considerable amount of laughs, whil...
"Olympus Has Fallen" is one of the dumbest films I have ever seen. And I've watched all of Tyler Perry's movies.
A trusted Secret Service Agent working with President Asher (Aaron Eckhart), Mike Banning (Gerard Butler) removes himself from protection duty after a horrible snowbound car accident accidently kills the First Lady (A...
I'm willing to give writer/director Harmony Korine the special consideration he requires when he makes a movie. He's an impish artist, prone to deep free dives into excess while treating stupidity as sport. He's created interesting pictures during his career, including "Gummo" and "Julien Donkey-Boy," though even his best work has a way of feeling ...
