Any re-boot or re-make of a film franchise, no matter how well done, will inevitably draw comparisons to original or earlier productions (see “Batman Begins” or “The Amazing Spider-Man“). This is especially true of Zach Snyder’s (“300″) efforts to turn the “Superman” story on its ear by updating it through a series of multi-million dollar…
Wow. Who knew the End of Days would be filled with giant sinkholes, oversexed demons, the proliferation of the “F” word and a cameo appearance by the Backstreet Boys bathed in a thick haze of burnt high-grade weed? And who knew how the final judgment would affect a group of young comic actors, including James…
They developed a unique romantic arc with just a single “sunrise” and a single “sunset” together on screen, but Ethan Hawke’s Jesse and Julie Delpy’s Celine have never been more melodiously moving than at “midnight.” This third entry in the beautifully aging series marks the most tender and touching time in the cinematically enabled lives…
Oscar-winning director Susanne Bier has crafted several emotionally resonant films that have had a strong impact on the viewer. Unfortunately, Love Is All You Need is not one of them. Hitting all the right buttons, the film makes a concerted effort to appeal to the requisite demographics but forgets to aim at constituents with intelligence…
Crime’s hit an all-time low in The Purge, but the neighbors of James Sandin (Ethan Hawke, “Sinister”) are still scrambling for one of his signature security systems, which promises to turn any home into an impenetrable fortress. That’s because, to keep these rates so minimal, the United States has instituted the annual “Purge,” a 12-hour…
Making people laugh today must be the most difficult task in the world, much like a conservative winning a Nobel Peace Prize or a baseball player pulling off an unassisted triple play. Just look at some the recent comedies that have tried and failed: “Identity Thief,” “The Incredible Burt Wonderstone” and “The Hangover Part 3.”…
The trick to any decent film featuring magic, or an element thereof, is to walk a tightrope between being just a bit smarter than the audience (or at least SOME members of it) and not being too accessible as to reveal too much to them. It is here in Now You See Me that director…
