Category: Reviews

Movie Review: Secret Origins: The Story of DC Comics

“Secret Origins: The Story of DC Comics” at IMDB

Documentary, 90 Minutes, 2010

Full disclosure: I’m a comic geek.

That said this was an excellent introduction to the history of one of the most influential companies in history.  Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, The Flash, Green Lantern – these characters are known universally.  They have touched billions of people with their stories over the past 75 years.

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Movie Review: Limitless

“Limitless” on IMDB

Sci-f/Thriller, 105 Minutes, 2011

This movie started of on slippery footing with me because very early on it repeats the  premise that we only use 10% of our brain.  This inane, demonstrably false premise has to be stopped.  I’m serious.

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Movie Review: Battle: Los Angeles

“Battle: Los Angeles” on IMDB

Action, 116 Minutes, 2011

I actually really liked this.  Sure, it was clichéd but it was clichéd in all the right places.   Aliens attack and soldiers fight them.  We know this because no movie is allowed to start without a flash-forward (apparently there’s a law).

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Movie Review: Hall Pass

“Hall Pass” on IMDB

Comedy, 105 Minutes, 2011

Hall Pass is the latest in the long line of formula, raunchy, over-the-top comedies.  Take some likable people, place them in a ridiculous situation toss in some toilet humor, work up to a crisis and end with a melodramatic sequence to prove that the movie has a heart.

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Movie Review: Rango

“Rango” on IMDB

Comedy, 107 Minutes, 2011:

Rango can be, wrongly, lumped in with the increasingly large crop of disposable computer-animated family films.  Taken this way it’s a perfectly funny, appropriate story that will entertain your family for an afternoon.

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Movie Review: That’s What I Am

“That’s What I Am” on IMDB

Comedy, 101 Minutes, 2011

My wife enjoyed this more than I did – by a fairly large margin so take that for what it’s worth.  It’s not that I didn’t like the film it’s simply that I thought it was being a little lazy at times and a little scatter-brained at others.  It really didn’t know what story it wanted to tell (so it tried to tell them all) or how it wanted to tell it.

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Movie Review: Hobo with a Shotgun

“Hobo with a Shotgun” on IMDB

Action/Comedy, 86 Minutes, 2011

As much as I’m normally a fan of the grindhouse genre and recent homages I found myself having trouble with “Hobo with a Shotgun”.  It’s easy to take the simple path out: the film is meant, by loving design, to appear like the best (worst?) low-budget, over-the-top gore-fests of the early 80’s.  Most people will watch a few minutes and walk away blaming the production values or the gore or both.

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Movie Review: The Kings Speech

“The King’s Speech” on IMDB

Drama, 118 Minutes, 2010

The movie is just as excellent as you’ve probably heard it is.  Excellent casting. Excellent acting.  Excellent writing, pacing, set design and all the rest.  Just plain excellent all-around.

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Movie Review: The Switch

“The Switch” on IMDB

Romantic Comedy, 101 Minutes, 2010

Meh.

This is the same basic, cookie-cutter, rom-com recipe that seems to draw Jennifer Aniston in like a fly to honey.  Jason Bateman’s career hasn’t been doing nearly as well as his talent deserves so he can be forgiven nearly any sin at this point, but Aniston is really driving herself into a nice, comfortable, completely unchallenging rut.

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