It’s only because I have brother-love for Arnold Schwarzenegger that I’m giving his latest, Sabotage, any attention. In it he leads a band of highly trained DEA agents — the last resort kind — that deliver justice to those too powerful to be taken down by ordinary means. After a particularly nasty raid against a…
Having survived the 74th Annual Hunger Games on their terms in “The Hunger Games,” Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence, “Silver Linings Playbook”) and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson, “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island”) are national heroes. As we find in the second installment, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, however, this new found fame…
Disney has unveiled the first trailer for Maleficent, their prequel of sorts to “Sleeping Beauty” that tells the tale of how the wicked queen came to be. In it, Angelina Jolie, as Maleficent, slinks around the periphery between light and dark while the lovely Aurora (Elle Fanning) frolics and plays with fairies and other woodland…
There’s nothing more disappointing than a sequel that does not live up to the original film it came from, therefore, my cinematic experiences over the years dealing with such efforts have certainly been tragic. Yes, there have been second films that have equaled or surpassed the original (“The Empire Strikes Back,” “Superman 2,” “The Godfather:…
I’m beginning to think that by adding Samuel L. Jackson to their fantasy/science-fictiony superhero-ish flicks, movie producers think an automatic hit will be generated. It is the only way I can explain why Mr. Jackson is in every one of these movie types these days. It also explains why he is front and center in…
Gareth Evans made quite the entrance with “The Raid: Redemption” last year so it is no surprise he was approved to get a sequel out for it as quickly as possible. The Raid 2: Berandal is it and its trailer promises it will be as violent and action-packed as its predecessor. Rama (Iko Uwais), having…
During a press conference promoting the newest release, Ender’s Game, directed by Gavin Hood (“X-Men Origins: Wolverine“), veteran actor Harrison Ford (“Paranoia”) compared the special effects technology from the “Star Wars” franchise in 1977 to this current production. “Back then, we would put together a plastic model out of car and boat parts, put it…
