Let me start right out with a surprise: I liked the new Robocop movie. I admit, I went into the theater expecting a dumb retread of a classic sci-fi film and was pleasantly surprised with director José Padilha’s take on half-man, half-robot Alex Murphy. Is it better than the original? Well, the 1987 film hasn’t aged gracefully and while I will forgive a lot because Peter Weller’s in the title role, there’s a lot of…Read More
Review: Red Riding Hood
It’s not easy to turn a fairy tale into a movie, but when you decide you want to create the next teen horror-romance franchise, you’re got quite a challenge ahead of you. Even the blockbuster Twilight movies have varied quite a bit in quality and tone, but nothing will prepare you for the ghastly OMG! mess that is Red Riding Hood. The film is set in Daggerhorn, a picturesque medieval village complete with rough-hewn wooden…Read More
Review: The Book of Eli
The 23rd Psalm of the Bible, in case you haven’t memorized the entire Old Testament, goes like this: Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: For thou art with me; Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies… The 23rd Psalm is also the inspiration for the dark, moody film The Book of Eli, and though…Read More
Review: Planet 51
If we land on another planet — or back here on Earth — and find something other than what we expect, who is the alien in that situation, the modern day Earthman, or the local? It’s a plot staple of the classic old Twilight Zone series and the basis of a lot of films, including the entire Planet of the Apes series. It’s the allegorical mirror of Pogo’s famous “we have met the enemy and…Read More
Review: A Christmas Carol
Having three children helps me have a good sense of what kids can handle in a movie, both in terms of imagery, pacing, storyline and overall cinematic experience. And it’s that background that lets me state unequivocally that Robert Zemeckis has completely missed the boat with this new animated A Christmas Carol and instead of creating a heartwarming film about how even the most unhappy person can be redeemed, he’s created a terrifying vision that…Read More