Inception 29 April, 2012

Thanks to a friend who loaned me his copy on DVD, I finally saw Inception. I have previously written about how much I liked Batman Begins and how much I disliked The Dark Knight so I started the film with some reservations. Much to my surprise, I ended up really liking Inception. However, one thing quite bothered me: [...]

Hugo 31 December, 2011

Hugo, based on The Invention of Hugo Cabret, is a fantastic film in both senses of the word. Directed by Martin Scorcese, Hugo follows the titular character as he struggles to recover from the loss of his father. Asa Butterfield delivers an award-worthy performance as Hugo. In an odd yet successful casting, Borat plays the station inspector, [...]

The Muppets 11 December, 2011

The Muppets is exactly what you would expect from a Muppet movie. Jason Segel, who cowrote the script, serves mostly as the straight man for his Muppet brother and the others in the film. Amy Adams brings her scene-stealing appeal in an understated way. Because the stars of the film are obviously the Muppets. With a knowing [...]

Runtime Error 17 July, 2011

My artist’s edition of Runtime Error, complete with a custom sketch, arrived. Huzzah! I do not remember who originally introduced me to Not Invented Here so I do not know to whom to give thanks. (My best guess is that it was Dave Kellett of Sheldon.) But I have been reading Not Invented Here for some [...]

Kung Fu Panda 2 26 June, 2011

I expected that I would dislike Kung Fu Panda but ended up liking it very much. Thus, I expected that I would like Kung Fu Panda 2 and I did, if maybe not quite as much as the first. Jack Black reprises his role as Po, the eponymous Dragon Warrior. The Furious Five have a smaller role than [...]

Thor 26 June, 2011

Thor brings one of my favorite Marvel superheroes to the modern cinema. It reminded me of Iron Man in all the right kind of ways. Despite being long for a superhero film, Thor maintains a nice pace. Chris Hemsworth, sporting the Marvel-standard-but-inaccurate blond hair and a disturbing amount of muscle mass, wields his dazzling smile as deftly [...]

X-Men: First Class 15 June, 2011

X-Men: First Class is the latest in the films about Marvel’s franchise, the X-Men. It works well as one in the series. The first half of the film feels slow but the second half picks up suitably. The writing, direction, and Michael Fassbender‘s performance work together to show Magneto as more a tragic hero than moustache-twirling [...]

TRON: Legacy 26 December, 2010

TRON: Legacy does an admirable job of continuing the spirit of the original TRON. While it resonates with the nostalgia I felt for the original, this film may not work as well for those without it. Jeff Bridges reprises his role in both his current age as well as digitally rejuvenated to 1982. The digital [...]

Tangled 5 December, 2010

Tangled quite possibly may have saved Disney Animation in its return to the magic of previous decades. Tangled provides a delightful mix of comedy and drama. While I would not have thought of Zachary Levi for a musical, his voice acting and singing keep up with that of Mandy Moore and Donna Murphy, all of [...]

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice 17 July, 2010

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice provides a special-effects-laden break from the inclement summer weather. With only a callback to Fantasia as a connection to the eponymous character, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice is a big, loud, summer popcorn flick. The plot felt a little loose to me but did its primary job of providing a framework for the special [...]