Every now and then, Hollywood suffers from fatigue — the hot new thing that catches everyone’s attention and is insanely popular gets reproduced over and over and over until it’s everywhere, and everyone loves it even more . . . until they don’t. Then, there are the last few gasps of a trend until it…
You know you’ve wondered what’s beyond the great wall surrounding the remains of Chicago since it was introduced in 2014’s “Divergent” and further explored in 2015’s sequel “Insurgent.” Well wonder no more as the first real glimpse into the wasteland has been delivered in Summit Entertainment’s Allegiant. It’s red. And barren. Kind of lackluster really….
As a recap to bring readers up to speed: As “Divergent” came to a close, Tris Prior (Shailene Woodley, “The Spectacular Now”) and her friends were embroiled in a violent battle as the once-balanced faction system came crashing down around them. Caught up in a simulation ordered by Erudite leader Jeanine Matthews (Kate Winslet, “Carnage”),…
The climax of “Divergent” that saw the young divergent Tris (Shailene Woodley) escape with her life after a face-off with the manipulative leader of the Erudites (Kate Winslet) may have been anti-climatic but that won’t keep a good YA series from marching on. Realizing there is more to her story in this post-apocalyptic Chicago, in…
I grew up in a time when young adult books were found in the children’s section of the bookstore and were simply fluff used to keep me quiet on long road trips. In recent years, though, young adult literature has found some serious strength, and the chances of finding a quality story are much better…
If Terrence Malick is the master of the unnecessary voiceover, and Ang Lee is the master of the unnecessary split screen, then surely Baz Luhrmann is the unequaled master of the unnecessary — and over-the-top — mix of garish glitz, flash and explosive cinematechnics. His latest, The Great Gatsby, an ambitious tackling of the 1925…
For a movie about moonshine makers, you’d think Lawless might have a bit of a kick. And maybe some flavor. But no, this poorly calculated picture is devoid of such pleasures, instead settling for a generic blandness. At best, it’s like eating a sock. You’ll be craving some of that bottled moonshine being passed around…
