“That’s My Boy” begins with a felony being committed, but the movie itself is only a serious misdemeanor. Film critics share a mutually understood sense of dread every time we are forced to see the latest of Adam Sandler’s Happy Madison productions, which are all ceaseless assaults on the good sensibilities of those who enjoy […]
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Given its pedigree and hype, one would expect “Prometheus” to have Great Film written all over it. This is an even more important label than Oscar Material, because Great Films are the ones that set the standards and populate the coffee table books, becoming the currency of Best lists and endless debates about what works
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Like the recent “Cabin in the Woods,” John Gulager’s “Piranha 3DD” proves that merely drawing attention to the cheap shortcomings of the horror genre does not equate to intelligently parodying them. Both films seem less interested in actual parody than the suggestion of parody — as if by consciously spewing garbage, the filmmakers will be
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Would it surprise you to learn that Kristen Stewart makes an unconvincing military leader? The fact that I can even start a review of “Snow White and the Huntsman” that way cements the film’s status as one of the summer’s more peculiar would-be hits. Stylistically, the film pushes no particularly eccentric boundaries, but one can
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While never vile like the recent “What to Expect When You’re Expecting,” John Madden’s “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” is another reminder that a good “intersecting stories”-style ensemble movie is nearly impossible to make. Here is a film that boasts a capable director, a fine cast of British actors, and a beloved source novel. But
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After nearly four years absent from the big screen, Will Smith decided to make his return with a sequel no one asked for. “Men in Black 3” could practically be imagined by anyone blessed with an ounce of imagination, and until the third act, that’s about what we get. The first film was a smash
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Most Hollywood films are made for profit, not artistic reasons, but rarely do they make their financial motives as transparent as Kirk Jones’ “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” does. The film’s desire to win ticket-buyers, rather than admirers is evident in every element of its existence, right down to the title — which, taking
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Peter Berg’s “Battleship,” “based on” the board game, is the sort of film that contains the caption “Hong Kong, China,” as if to remind the viewer that the events aren’t unfolding in the rival Asian metropolis of Hong Kong, Nebraska. The caption is an indication of just how low the film’s sights are set, made
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Sacha Baron Cohen is perfectly capable of going after hard targets. And that’s the biggest disappointment about “The Dictator,” which at times suggests he’s going soft. Certainly, the gags are profane, vulgar, and habitually dedicated to annihilating good taste. But the edge that drew blood in both “Borat” and “Brüno” is dulled to harmlessness. Then
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While I have long detested the employment of the phrase “wait for HBO” among critics–as a staunch defender of the theatrical experience, I believe most films are either good enough to warrant a night out or aren’t worth seeing, period–“The Five-Year Engagement” so perfectly fits the cliché that I may have to break with tradition
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