What is Super 8? Is it a throw-back kid driven adventure story? Is it a coming of age film with endearing characters? Is it an oddly familiar sci-fi story from two master storytellers re-branded for a new generation? Well it’s all of it and more but in short Super 8 is the kind of movie that reaffirms why people go the movies. In this mysterious, fun and fast moving film J.J. Abrams writes a love letter to Steven Spielberg in a way that will delight fans of all genres and age groups. However while I found it tough to stay away from the hype I have to say this didn’t…
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G-S-T Review…X-Men: First Class
Going into yet another X-Men film would make even the most die hard fan weary. I mean, after the last two strike outs this seemed like the last at bat for The Uncanny. But dear friends, in this stylized throwback Singer wound up, hurled one over the plate and Vaughn knocked that grapefruit back, waaay back and out of the park. A new and different X-Men for a new generation, First Class, with confident strides, takes the X-Men series out of the ICU. As a fan myself I breathed a sigh of relief and then had to catch it after seeing Matthew Vaughn’s fantastic film.
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G-S-T Review…The Hangover Part II
Todd Phillips’ The Hangover Part II is basically more of the same, and by that I mean more lunacy, more hilarity and more Wolfpack! And yes friends, that’s funny in any language. As a huge fan of the unexpectedly hilarious first Hangover, this sequel had such high expectations going in. While comes pretty close to being as great it does fall short due to the fact it is such a rampant rehash of the first film with little new to offer. Then again, did anyone expect anything different from the trailers and the premise? Didn’t think so.
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G-S-T Review…Rio
Blue Sky, Ice Age not withstanding, is known for simply exquisite and stunning CG environments (Robots is a must see) and did wonders with recreating the world of Rio. In their biggest film to date, the realism in textures and further the staggering amount of characters on screen just pop out at you…and that’s just in 2D. Now while, Rango has pretty much won this year’s “most realistic CG award” Rio still deserves as much credit as a powerhouse like Pixar for its level of detail. We’ve seen this kind of tale before but with lush landscapes and bright/funny characters, you don’t really mind the fact this is a rather ho hum and…
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G-S-T Review…Bridesmaids
The female ‘The Hangover‘ this is not. And this film, which is a lot cuter and heartfelt than you’d expect, is probably getting a lot of steam based on that misconception. Make no mistake, anyone wanting a raunchy female comedy will get their money’s worth as this is a laugh riot. But hidden amongst the girl crazy antics is a sweeter film than expected. Moreover, what looks like a crazy series of events befalling all 6 members of the bridal party is really about Wiig, Rudolph and Byrne. Its a mostly endearing film that plays fairly to both male and female audiences and that’s a rare feat in film these…
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G-S-T Review…THOR
The third Marvel character from the Avenger’s line up (and first tent-pole comic film of 2011) comes at us with a pretty solid adventure about the Asgardian Odinson. The most otherworldly member of the upcoming The Avengers film was quite a delight after the rather underplayed trailers and mixed reviews. Sometimes, depending on the material, an awe inspiring character in the comics can look just downright laughable on screen regardless of whether or not there’s a credible story to back it up. But Kenneth Branagh‘s Thor takes what would just be a hokey series of costumes and set pieces and give us a somewhat weighty story powered fine acting. It yields a believable presence on par with something as visually…
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G-S-T Review…Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Well Pirates fans, Tuesday’s screening of the new Pirates film came and went and I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is that On Stranger Tides was just awesome! Sure it has its flaws and somethings they could have done without, but it returned to the elements that made the first Pirates film so successful and beloved. The bad news is that becasue of my enjoying and applauding those similar elements in this movie I’ve become a hypocrite for liking what I loathed in last time in At World’s End. But for those of you worried about the future of the Pirates franchise (this is…
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DIFF Review…The Presence
Writer/director Tom Provost brings ghost story to the screen that is part Alfred Hitchcock, part Rod Sterling and, to some degree, Agatha Christie while delivering the creepy goods those names are known for. From the beginning, The Presence creates quite an impact with an almost over-powering score that builds throughout the opening credits. After that it gets quiet, a little too quiet. The story begins with a melancholy Shane West mulling around a stark wooden cottage looking a bit lost. Then it switches focus to Mira Sorvino who is heading to her family’s remote cottage to do some work for her undisclosed profession. Turns out they’re both going to be staying at the…
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DIFF Review…Red Dog
Every dog owner usually claims their pride and joy is the smartest or most loyal dog on the planet. But let me ask you this: Has your dog ever hitchhiked his way across the Australian Outback to find you? Neither has mine. The star of this film is the famous titular Australian that dog who did just that and a whole lot more. But, as the say in the film, “It’s not what he did, it’s who he was“. His name, as simple as the colored sand that stretches across that vast continent, is Red Dog. In the film this highly lovable canine brings a community together as the remote town in the Pilbara region transitions into a…
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DIFF Review…Salvation Boulevard
There’s quite an A-List ensemble cast in this indie film from IFC and you’ll find that the laughs to be had are about as big as the stars themselves. Salvation Boulevard is directed and written by George Ratliff and is based on Larry Beinhart’s book of the same name. In the film Pierce Brosnan plays Dan Day, Pastor of a mega-church who is planning to build an entire community for the followers of his mega-parish The Church of the Third Millennium. But after he accidentally shoots a highly regarded atheist author (Ed Harris) after their debate on religion, the plans for his mega-city could soon turn to dust. Salvation Boulevard is a clever satire…