From the first time I heard about a cinematic version of the Ant-Man story, I was baffled. Norse Gods? Sure. Guys who gain spider powers and use it to fight crime? Okay. A woman who can turn herself invisible? Uh, sure. But the idea of a superhero who can shrink down to the size of an ant is more evocative of The Incredible Shrinking Man, a dark 1957 diatribe against environmental pollution and unfettered science,…Read More
Review: Pain & Gain
There are two fundamental problems with the action “comedy” Pain and Gain: First, Michael Bay is the wrong director for this sort of material, and second, whoever cast the likable Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne Johnson in the film made a terrible mistake. I like Wahlberg and Johnson, and that’s the problem: In the film the criminal masterminds they portray are such losers that it’s just wrong to have these two popular actors in these roles….Read More
Review: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
I’m sick of the sparkly, romantic vampires that are haunting the cineplex. Twilight seems to have infected all horror films, actually, and now everyone in the film is young, handsome and charming, and their desire to kill you by sucking your blood? Well, that’s just an awkward bad habit that we should forgive because, well, they’re so darn sparkly. Blech. That’s why I really enjoyed the historical mashup Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. Based on the…Read More
Review: The Adjustment Bureau
I’m not a particularly paranoid person, but there are times that I can be a bit suspicious about coincidences or “kismet”, things that are almost impossibly unlikely to have happened as they did. I’m not alone: sci-fi writer Philip K. Dick made a career out of asking “what’s behind the scenes” in a vast body of disturbing and thought-provoking stories, including Blade Runner, Total Recall, Minority Report, Next and Paycheck. Add The Adjustment Bureau to…Read More
Review: The Hurt Locker
I have no delusions about warfare, ancient or modern. Films often portray it as a heroic battlefield, offer up images of great valor and make it seem a fun place for camaraderie and adventure. I haven’t been in an active war zone, thank goodness, but I have friends who’ve served, and I’m quite clear that it’s dirty, overwhelming and terrifying. I get that. Nonetheless, I enjoy war films but always measure them against the dual…Read More