I thoroughly enjoyed this film. The characters are engaging, the story is clever, and the animation is absolutely positively gorgeous, at times almost breathtaking in its use of glowing color.
All in Action
Zack Snyder’s SUCKER PUNCH
Bullet point review:
J.J. Abrams' SUPER 8
Back in my early days of reviewing films when my kids were growing up and still at home I created a special category called “Young People” where I placed movies that didn’t treat cinema kids like idiots or totally obsessed with sex and fart jokes.
Louis Leterrier's CLASH OF THE TITANS
I enjoyed this movie a lot but it could have been much better had more attention been devoted to character and story.
The Coen Brothers' TRUE GRIT
Readers of my book and movie review will know about my occasional hankering for a Western. It’s no surprise I was looking forward to this movie especially given my positive reaction to my recent discovery of the novel.
Henry Levin's JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH
This thoroughly enjoyable 1959 classic is a childhood favorite. Viewed again recently I was pleasantly surprised to see how enjoyable it remains.
Kenneth Branagh's THOR
I never paid much attention to Marvel comics when I was a kid; “Thor” always struck me as a third-string also-ran property forever in the shadows of the more popular Superman, Batman, or Fantastic Four. But no matter; this film is tricked out with production values and imagery that are first rate.
Paul W.S. Anderson's “RESIDENT EVIL: AFTERLIFE”
Basically, if you’re into really well-made sci-fi-action-zombie-post-acopalyptic-action-gorefests, this one’s for you.
Kevin Macdonald's THE EAGLE
Swords, grit, shields, alien lands, culture clashes, honor, heroism, and a cruel empire. Mix wisely with colorful photography, human scale action, crisp editing, and intelligent dialog, and you have THE EAGLE.
Daniel Barber's HARRY BROWN
In my book, Michael Caine can do no wrong — this vigilante movie is another example.
Wilson Yip's IP MAN
It is 1937 in Foshan China, a city dominated by rival martial arts academies that constantly test who is the best. Over all lords the wealthy but humble merchant Ip Man whose fighting technique is acknowledged by all as superior.
Sometimes I’m in the mood for something absurd but interesting.
Je-gyun Yun's TIDAL WAVE (HAEUNDAE)
As disaster movies go this one is pretty good. We get to know an odd group of people and wonder, of course, which will survive When The Big One Hits.
Sylvester Stallone's THE EXPENDABLES
Team of over the hill mercenaries rescue damsel in distress in a tiny corrupt island based military dictatorship. In the process the island is reduced to smoking rubble and piles of corpses.
Fumihiko Sori's VEXILLE
This movie has plot holes galore, the graphic concepts and technologies are derivative, and the characters are oddly un-engaging. Still, it moves along at a very fast clip, the story itself is unusual, and some of the action sequences are spectacular.
The Hughes Brothers' “THE BOOK OF ELI”
This film breathes life (of sorts) into the post-apocalyptic-road-warrior genre. Denzel Washington is one seriously cool dude as he slashes his way West on foot through a blasted landscape with his secret personal cargo.
Enki Bilal's IMMORTAL
Next time someone says, “Yeah, Avatar was great, but the story sucked,” suggest this film instead. The story doesn’t suck.
Noboru Iguchi's THE MACHINE GIRL
Japanese school girl goes on rampage to wreak revenge on the murderers of her little brother, gets fitted with prosthetic arm/machine gun, ensuing action consumes more artificial blood and gore than any film in recent memory.
Timur Bekmambetov's DAY WATCH
I see elements from The Matrix, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, and Resident Evil. And vampires, of course.
Brian DePalma's “MISSION TO MARS”
I rented MISSION TO MARS expecting a camp classic, a howler, a real dud.