French filmmaker Luc Besson is audacious. Sometimes that means really good, as in 1994’s Leon: The Professional, which introduced young Natalie Portman to the world. Sometimes it means really, really bad, as in 1997’s The Fifth Element, which is crazy, puerile […]
Continue reading »Category: Recent Releases
Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) ☆ ☆
Judging by its astounding 8.8 rating at IMDb (out of 10; it would currently qualify as the 10th – 13th best movie of all time by that parameter), people really, really like this intergalactic misfit superhero movie. I enjoyed it […]
Continue reading »Begin Again (2014) ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Once in a while — a great while — a movie comes along that startles me with its execution, that kicks me in the head like a mule and makes me remember just why I love movies in the first […]
Continue reading »Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014) ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
I really liked Rise of the Planet of the Apes, and this sequel, which occurs some ten years after the events of that film, is even better. The original 1968-1973 quintet ranged from astonishing to cheesy; 20th Century-Fox couldn’t or […]
Continue reading »Jersey Boys (2014) ☆ ☆ ☆
I’ve always enjoyed the music of The Four Seasons, especially after the band adapted the name Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Their hits of the 1970s are bright and bold, and lots of fun to sing. Yet when the […]
Continue reading »Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014) ☆ ☆
Maybe because “Transformer” toys didn’t exist when I was a kid and I was too old for them when they did appear, I’ve never thought much of the concept. It doesn’t seem even remotely believable that big ol’ transformers can […]
Continue reading »Chef (2014) ☆ ☆ ☆
Being a picky eater I don’t have the love affair with food that many people enjoy, and movies about food often bore me. That was not the case with Chef, a tour-de-force from Jon Favreau, who wrote, directed and stars […]
Continue reading »The Fault in Our Stars (2014) ☆ ☆ ☆
It is sad and cruel when cancer strikes — especially when its target is young and otherwise healthy. The Fault in Our Stars, and presumably the book upon which it is based, suggests that pain and suffering, while hideously unfair, […]
Continue reading »How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014) ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2
One of the greatest joys of movie watching occurs when a sequel is as good or better than the original, and such is the case with DreamWorks new animated movie, How to Train Your Dragon 2. I never quite connected […]
Continue reading »Million Dollar Arm (2014) ☆ ☆ ☆
I’m a big baseball fan, but I had never heard of the “Million Dollar Arm” contest, in which cricket players in India were given the opportunity to win baseball tryouts for major league teams. According to the movie, anyway, this […]
Continue reading »