Anyone who has seen the trailer will be one hour ahead of the characters. I don’t mind being teased into seeing a film, but when a trailer divulges an important plot twist that doesn’t occur until at least an hour into the film, something is terribly wrong. Read the rest of this entry »

Handsomely mounted, exquisitely detailed and gorgeously shot, the latest incarnation of Alexandre Dumas’ “The Man in the Iron Mask” is ultimately stolid. Adapted and directed by Randall Wallace, who delivered a rousing “Braveheart” script, “The Man in the Iron Mask” seems as lifeless as it’s title character. Read the rest of this entry »

They first meet in an out-of-the-way pub, late at night, during a rain shower. The perfect setting for a little intrigue. They’re nameless at first, but hey, isn’t that Robert De Niro? Yeah, and the woman behind the bar, wasn’t she Truman’s fantasy in “The Truman Show?” That guy sitting at the bar? Didn’t he double-cross Tom Cruise in “Mission: Impossible?” And speaking of double-crossing, isn’t that guy in the booth the same person who tripped up Harrison Ford in “Patriot Games?” Read the rest of this entry »

I wasn’t thrilled the first time I saw “Rocky.” It wasn’t one of my favorite films at the time. Now “Rocky” is 25 years old, and it’s amazing how time can change your outlook. “Rocky” is the sort of film that has to work its magic on you. I wasn’t interested in a magic show 25 years ago. Now I embrace the film’s charm and ability to take common themes and make them special. Read the rest of this entry »

The first time I saw “One Magic Christmas,” I was perplexed. I didn’t know what to make of the film. At the time it seemed dark and moody, not really the calling cards of a holiday family movie. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s not that flat – mates Shaun (Simon Pegg) and Ed (Nick Frost) are clueless. They are. You just can’t blame them for not noticing their neighborhood has been overrun with zombies. As Shaun of the Dead begins, it’s difficult to tell the living from the living dead. We watch as people trudge through their everyday lives, so systematically beaten down they look and walk like zombies. Read the rest of this entry »

The writing-directing brother team of Andy and Larry Wachowski must have felt like illusionist David Copperfield after their runaway hit “The Matrix” became a pop culture phenomenon. After you’ve made the Statue of Liberty disappear, how do you top it? Read the rest of this entry »

It’s Friday at Central Park Zoo in New York, and that means tour groups. Lots of them, mostly school kids, the perfect audience for the spoiled and pampered animals. Just ask Alex (Ben Stiller) the lion, the zoo’s star and chief proponent of fast food and easy living. Today is also Marty (Chris) the zebra’s tenth birthday, and even before he blows out the candles on his cake, Marty knows exactly what he wants: freedom! Read the rest of this entry »

After spending another summer watching and reviewing movies starring and aimed at teenagers, what a pleasure it is to spend quality time with some old friends. Read the rest of this entry »

Killer robots. Lascivious coeds. Lisping Kung-Fu heroes. Bad odors. Dead kids.
They’re all part of the landscape of “Kentucky Fried Movie,” the brainchild of the driving force behind “Airplane,” “The Naked Gun” and “Ruthless People.” Long before Peter Graves asked a young boy if he liked gladiator movies, “Airplane” creators Jerry Zucker, James Abrahams and David Zucker were known for their stage antics at the “Kentucky Fried Theater” in Los Angeles. Read the rest of this entry »