Whimsical ‘Up’ delivers a buoyant, soulful ride
Another year, another Pixar triumph.
'Kung Fu Panda' a wacky and wise parody
Po dreams of being a great martial artist. He longs to have skills, "an awesome aura so awesome, his enemies would go blind from overdoses of pure awesomeness!"
There's no "Forgetting Sarah Marshall"
For all of its seeming assembly-line predictability, "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" turns out to be a hilariously subversive take on manhood and romance in the 21st century. It also showcases a nervy, unflappable but ultimately sweet performance by Jason Segel that should turn the actor/co-writer into a star.
'Stop-Loss' does a service to its subjects
"Stop-Loss" is being marketed by MTV Films with its good-looking actors and new rock soundtrack upfront, but it's actually a thought-provoking, even-handed drama. Director Kimberly Peirce's Iraq war drama follows in the footsteps of "coming home" war movies, and asks some tough questions about the definition of duty.
The Triumph of 'The Diving Bell and the Butterfly'
At first, it's a little difficult to get your bearings. The camera wanders, is never completely in focus, and the audio is muffled, cutting in and out. It pans back and forth to simulate the movement of the eyes. A narrator begins to speak. Seeing the world through the limited perspective of a bedridden man wouldn't normally strike one as the most cinematic of ideas.
Provocative "There Will Be Blood" the Best Movie of the Year
From "Citizen Kane" to "Wall Street," cinema has been a fantastic forum for examining the frayed edges of unchecked ambition and greed. The latest film from Paul Thomas Anderson follows single-minded oilman Daniel Plainview to show us the dark side to this particular American dream-not knowing when to give it a rest.
"Legend" could have been just that were it not for the last 15 minutes
Give Will Smith credit for one thing-he is fully capable of absorbing work. In "I Am Legend," based on the 1954 sci-fi novel by Richard Matheson, the actor holds our attention by himself for virtually the entire film.
Images linger in grim 'No Country for Old Men'
Ever since their first movie, 1985's low budget neo-noir "Blood Simple," the writing and directing team known as the Coen brothers have always been visual stylists-not in a Baz Luhrmann kind of way (that is, with rich art direction , as did in "Moulin Rouge") kind of way, but more a la Gregg Toland (deliberate camera placement and lighting schemes). Over the years, this style has become less showy and more evocative. In their latest film, "No Country for Old Men," they prove they can hold an audience in thrall with the simplest of cinema's elements-a memorable image.
'Beowulf' manages heroic effort
It is oddly appropriate that the oldest surviving epic poem in the English language is the inspiration for the latest in motion picture technology. Director Robert Zemeckis tells the 13-century-old tale of Beowulf, the original larger-than-life Anglo-Saxon hero, by using equally larger-than-life cinematic techniques.
'Lions' as subtle as a dump truck driving through a nitroglycerin plant
Is this a movie or an 88-minute civics lecture?
Scary urban premise botched in dull 'P2'
It's a common phobia, fodder for many an urban legend: What horror is waiting for me in that empty parking garage tonight?
Contradictions abound in Ridley Scott's 'American Gangster'
By titling his new epic look at the late 60s/early 70s heroin trade in New York City "American Gangster," director Ridley Scott is already asking us to consider what it is that makes the story of rags-to-riches drug peddler Frank Lucas and uncorrupted cop Richie Roberts so uniquely American. But its the even-handedness of his storytelling that makes that question so hard to answer.
Review: "30 Days of Night"
The new horror flick "30 Days of Night," (*.5) based on the comic book series of the same name, is one of those simple, high concept movies you can explain to your friends right away. In a tiny Alaskan oil town, it stays dark for 30 days out of the year. Bloodthirsty vampires come to feast, and there's no sunlight to kill them-nice idea.
'30 Days' feels as long as its title
The new horror flick "30 Days of Night," based on the comic book series of the same name, is one of those simple, high concept movies you can explain to your friends right away. In a tiny Alaskan oil town, it stays dark for 30 days out of the year. Bloodthirsty vampires come to feast, and there's no sunlight to kill them-great idea.
Affleck directs challenging, moody 'Gone Baby Gone'
One of the toughest and most intangible things for a first-time director to capture onscreen is a consistent mood or tone. In his directorial debut, Ben Affleck creates a strong sense of locale that permeates the entire story and becomes its most affecting element. It is familiar turf for Boston native Affleck, and his movie introduces a bleak environment haunted by the specter of missing and abused children.
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