Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson may never become a powerhouse actor, but he’s certainly a likable, professional presence in a surprising range of motion pictures. Snitch has him as a hard-working construction boss whose teenage son (Rafi Gavron) makes a really stupid […]
Continue reading »Month: February 2013
Dark Skies (2013) ☆ ☆ 1/2
Some types of movies (fantasy, for instance) don’t interest me much, but anything with an alien is bound to coax me to a theater. What struck me about Dark Skies is the feeling of deja vu, the impression that I’ve seen […]
Continue reading »A Good Day to Die Hard (2013) ☆ ☆
With this fifth in the long-running Die Hard action series, I think I can finally admit that I’ve seen enough of NYC detective John McClane and his family. This time he (Bruce Willis) is in Moscow, trying to find his wayward […]
Continue reading »Safe Haven (2013) ☆ ☆ 1/2
The new filmic adaptation of a Nicholas Sparks novel is a little corny, a little sexy and for the most part rather obvious. But its stars, Josh Duhamel and Julianne Hough are compelling enough to maintain interest for most of […]
Continue reading »Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013) ☆
It is difficult for me to imagine a more ill-conceived feature film than this one. Even with television audiences embracing shows like “Once Upon a Time” and “Grimm,” the idea of bringing fairy tales to life on the big screen is […]
Continue reading »Quartet (2012) ☆ ☆ ☆
Some films are ensemble pieces, and this one truly fulfills that description. From the four leads (Maggie Smith, Tom Courtenay, Pauline Collins and Billy Connolly) through the supporting players (Michael Gambon, Sheridan Smith, Andrew Sachs, Gwyneth Jones, Michael Byrne, etc.) […]
Continue reading »Side Effects (2013) ☆ ☆
I’m not a huge fan of Steven Soderbergh’s work, but I respect his artistry. Side Effects looks and sounds really good; it is a professionally-made thriller that isn’t easy to decipher and is generally quite effective. But it is also a […]
Continue reading »Stand Up Guys (2012) ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2
Stand Up Guys is a funny senior-citizen mob comedy, yet it is also a sharp character study. The thing I like most about Fisher Stevens’ movie is that it gets better and better as it goes along; not too many films […]
Continue reading »Gangster Squad (2013) ☆ ☆
Gangster Squad is one of those movies that look and sound great, but which do not hold up to close scrutiny or linger lovingly in the memory in the way the really good movies do. Gangster Squad is like the lite version […]
Continue reading »Parker (2013) ☆ ☆ 1/2
There have been at least a handful of cinematic versions of the comic crime novels of Donald E. Westlake (writing as Richard Stark). All of the previous versions, I believe, have changed the name of the protagonist Parker, until this […]
Continue reading »