Tag Archives: Film Review

Review: Frozen

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True love, princesses, magic, funny animal sidekicks and fantastic music.  These are the ingredients we expect from a film like Frozen, and it delivers on all of them.  But Frozen is different than anything we’ve seen in the genre from Disney before.  Inspired by the Hans Christian Anderson story, The Snow Queen, it’s fun, funny, emotional and romantic, but it’s also deeper, more interesting and more complex than what we’re used to seeing.  From its top notch cast, to its gorgeous visuals, its outstanding music and its empowering message, Frozen is a must-see for everyone.

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Review: The Book Thief

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Despite World War II being one of the most frequently depicted events onscreen, and those films spanning a range of genres, from epic war pictures to intimate, tightly-focused narratives and from drama to action to comedy, there have been surprisingly few films released here in the US that tell stories of life for German civilians during the war.  And while The Book Thief, based on the novel by Markus Zusak, may be fictional, it paints a believable picture of what life might have been like in Nazi Germany for the characters.  From the air raids to the pressures of conforming to the Nazi Party, The Book Thief told a story that felt, if not unique, at least outside of the norm.  If in the end it plays things fairly safe, it’s still a beautiful and heart wrenching film with some wonderful performances.

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Review: Ender’s Game

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Disclaimer:  I feel like everyone has a right to be informed about Orson Scott Card’s views before they decide whether or not to see a film based on his book.  You can read about his statements here.  Considering that the film reflects none of his controversial viewpoints, I personally have no issue with people deciding to see the film, though I also completely understand those who prefer to boycott.  Judging on the box office performance of the film, it doesn’t seem like a decision either way will make much of a difference at this point.  However, it is always good for people to be informed.

I read Orson Scott Card’s 1985 novel, Ender’s Game when I was a kid and I remember loving it.  It was darker and more interesting than most books aimed at my age bracket at the time (I was probably in late elementary or early middle school), and though I never read any of the book’s sequels, prequels or spinoffs the story still stuck strongly in my mind.  The story’s violence, its interesting moral code, its creative universe where kids are destined to be saviors and its surprise ending were thought provoking and entertaining to my younger self.  The new film adaptation is a faithful, well-crafted one, with some gorgeous effects and an outstanding cast, but it fails to capture the excitement or depth of what I remember from the book.  Whether that’s because I’m incorrectly remembering the novel or because I’m older and have different tastes is up for debate. Continue reading →

Review: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

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Last year The Hunger Games surprised a lot of people.  It was based on a fairly popular book series, but for most people was something of an unknown.  It featured a handful of familiar faces but no true stars, was directed by a man with only two moderate successes on his resume, and told a story that some found to be conceptually off-putting.  However, all of those potential negatives combined to create something of a phenomenon.  The low-budget aesthetic, gritty storyline and strong performances generated strong word of mouth and the result was one of the biggest success stories of 2012 and nearly $700 million in box office receipts.

For the sequel, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, things have definitely changed.   Continue reading →

Review: Machete Kills

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Machete Kills is in many ways inferior to its 2010 predecessor, Machete, which was itself based on a fake trailer from the Rodriguez/Tarantino double feature Grindhouse.  It lacks that film’s madcap energy, its strong ties into Mexican culture, and its emphatic political message.  The sequel heads things much more in the direction of a James Bond parody, which robs it of some of the unique spirit that made the first film feel so fresh.  It even tones back the gore, if you care about such things, though that was never what brought my interest to the series.  But despite all that, Machete Kills does some very creative and interesting things that allow it to stand out in an era of bland action movies full of computer generated destruction. Continue reading →

Review: Gravity

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Gravity, despite pulling aspects from a variety of familiar film styles, is a movie that feels unique, which is something with great appeal to me these days. It has much in common with Open Water, the 2003 film about a couple who are left behind while scuba diving, but it also borrows heavily from a variety of disaster movies where people are trapped or stranded and have to improvise a way to survive. And of course, it has a lot in common with Apollo 13, including the use of Ed Harris as the voice of mission control. (It even blatantly steals and idea from WALL-E and contains obvious references to Star Wars and Alien.) But its tone is drastically different from all of those films. Where those movies have a frantic aspect to them, with every moment devoted to the heroes solving the next problem or overcoming the next obstacle, Gravity has a peacefulness to it that sets it apart. And while there are moments of terror and suspense, the calm peaceful moments are what will stick with you after you’ve left the theater. Continue reading →

Not Exactly a Review: The Princess Bride

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It’s a bit funny for me to write a review of The Princess Bride, considering it’s a favorite film in our household, one which gets watched often and can be quoted in large chunks.  But until this past weekend I had never seen it in the theaters, unless my parents took me as a three year old when it originally came out (which I doubt).  It’s obviously a cult classic, and I watched it for years on TV before ever purchasing a copy of it.  I’ve read the book, and I have a tendency to take name tags which say “Hello, my name is…” at the top and filling in the rest of the tag with “Inigo Montoya.  You killed my father.  Prepare to die.”  So how can I even possibly review a film I adore, which I’ve seen countless times?  Instead, you’re going to get some scattered thoughts about the film, particularly what it was like seeing it on the screen for the first time.

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Review/Analysis: In a World…

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Review

In a World… is funny, random, charmingly sweet, a little romantic and an impressive feature length writing, producing and directing debut by star Lake Bell.  It’s also strongly feminist, but in a way that feels realistic while still sending a clear message.  The film, which was a hit at the Sundance Film Festival, tells the story of Carol Solomon, a struggling vocal coach whose father, Sam Soto, is one of the famous kings of the movie trailer voice-over industry.  You would think with a father who is a legend in the industry that Carol would have an easy way into the business, too, but her father not only is uninterested in giving her handouts (which his therapist tells him is just enabling Carol) but also doesn’t think women have any place in the industry.  It’s a boy’s only club, with Sam spending his time and energy promoting sleazeball Guztav Warner as the next generation of voice over powerhouse instead of his own daughter.  Sam makes his opinions clear to Carol before kicking her out of the house so that Sam’s groupie girlfriend can move in instead (nevermind the fact that she’s a year younger than his daughter.)

So Carol moves in with her sister and brother-in-law, Continue reading →

Review: The Butler

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I suppose this review should actually be titled “Review: Lee Daniels’ The Butler”, because of a silly dispute with Warner Bros. which required them to turn the simplistic title of The Butler into something that sounds vaguely ridiculous. But title disagreements aside, The Butler is an interesting amalgam of a film, which works as a whole even when some parts don’t hold up as well as they should. It’s one part biopic, one part fiction, with a healthy serving of Forrest Gump along with a good deal of racial politics. It has an immensely impressive cast and a solid balance between the family drama at the heart of the film and the somewhat gimmicky side of the story. Plus, it’s one that’s destined to tug at the heartstrings.

The Butler tells the story of Cecil Gaines (Forest Whitaker), who began life as a boy picking cotton on a Georgia plantation in the 1920s and ends up as a butler in the White House. Continue reading →

Tucson Can’t Stop the Serenity 2013 Recap

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Inside the Fox

This past weekend was our annual Can’t Stop the Serenity event in Tucson, and I thought I’d share a few observations about the evening.  There are still many upcoming CSTS events for 2013 scheduled around the world (including Melbourne, Phoenix, London, Chicago, San Francisco, Atlanta and Philadelphia), so you might be able to find one near you.  If not, there’s always next year.

This year’s CSTS in Tucson was at the gorgeous 1920’s Fox theatre, for the 3rd year in a row.   Continue reading →