-
Subscribe
Subscribed
Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
There’s a lot of appeal in the idea of Triple 9: It’s a gritty crime drama about a couple of good cops caught in the machinations between a bunch of dirty cops and Russian-Israeli mobsters boasting an all-star cast, a no-holds-barred director, and an Oscar-winning composer. Sadly, the final product is a murky, inert movie. The needlessly … Continue reading
Deadpool may be the comic book movie spoof to end all comic book movie spoofs. It playfully and cleverly deflates the conventions and cliches of superhero flicks — as well as its own damn self — with the snarky, sadistic glee of a stoned fanboy who’s binge-watched too many Chuck Jones-era Looney Tunes. No cow is too sacred here, and … Continue reading
Quentin Tarantino is as self-indulgent as ever with his eighth (or ninth, depending on how you choose to catalog Kill Bill) motion picture, which is both a good and bad thing. His pacing and story structure idiosyncratic, and he has always been a little too impressed with his own cleverness. Fortunately for him, he is a … Continue reading
While Spectre is far from bad, it is likely to frustrate many fans, especially given its unenviable position of following on the heels of the near-perfect Skyfall. The latter flew in the face of expectations and pushed the boundaries of the franchise’s formula while paying homage to its rich history and serving as a mini-reboot. Spectre … Continue reading
The epitome of the failed genre mash-up, American Ultra probably played better on paper than it does on the screen. The idea is sound — stoners turn out to be super-agents and wackiness ensues — but the passion is so lacking and the execution so slack that it feels like everyone involved wanted to be somewhere else. … Continue reading
After the one-two punch of Mad Max: Fury Road‘s art house approach to action movies and Ant-Man‘s low-key thrills, it’s tempting to expect Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation to feel un-hip and outdated two minutes in. It comes as a pleasant surprise that the series’ cartoon spy-fi lunacy still plays, that leading man Tom Cruise can … Continue reading
It doesn’t re-invent the superhero movie or reach heights of Marvel’s top movies to date, but Ant-Man deserves its due: It’s more fun than a movie about a guy who shrinks and communicates with insects theoretically should be. That’s not intended as a backhanded compliment. Marvel’s capstone for its so-called Phase Two slate of films is well-timed, … Continue reading
A 70-year-old filmmaker who’s spent the last 25 years of his career making comedies, dramas, and children’s movies decides to revive the action franchise that put him on the map in the 1980s, but has been inert for 30 years, and recast its iconic star whose career has long since flamed out amid controversy. What … Continue reading
The strange franchise arc of the Fast and Furious series continues, though the returns have diminished slightly. That’s to be expected of a franchise that’s now on its seventh outing, when most series tank on their third installment. The irony here is that Furious 7 disappoints a little because it doesn’t go off the rails enough, especially in comparison … Continue reading
A smarter spoof than Austin Powers, and free of the over-seriousness the Bond movies, Kingsman: The Secret Service is a much-needed fresh take on spy fiction, one that pays homage to the genre almost as often as it rips it off, subverts it, and then gives it the finger. The movie finds writer-director Matthew Vaughn once again … Continue reading
movie ink™ 