Recently it has become very difficult to go see a movie without bringing in a prefabricated bias. The scandals, the scoops, the marketing campaigns trying to capitalize on the fame of leads are becoming confusing (let alone tiresome). Although I can avoid the gossip pages, or ignore the constant attentions big stars get these days, …
Tag Archives: adventure
War of the Worlds (2005)
Death and destruction everywhere. Steven Spielberg sheds the usual cutesy antics. The typically warm fuzzy feelings we associate with “his” aliens are gone out of the theater with the first strike of lightning. And there’s quite a lot of lightning in the movie. What you’re witnessing is an invasion. What will follow is a story …
Batman Begins (2005)
The franchise that was successfully squandered by a well known director (see Joel Schumacher) gets a well-deserved reboot in this origin story. Directed by Christopher Nolan (Memento, Insomnia), and written by David S. Goyer (Blade, Dark City), this film is a prequel that sets up all adventures to come. Darker, more violent, even scarier than …
Star Wars 3: Revenge of the Sith (2005)
It’s finally over. The saga is complete, George Lucas will hopefully move on to other projects, FOX studios will start looking for a new franchise to milk (while they’re squeezing off the last drops from SW movies), and all of us fans will have to deal with this finale, and move on to other sci-fi …
Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy (2005)
Don’t panic. The movie adaptation of “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” (which in a way is an adaptation of an old BBC radio show) is not as bad as some people on the internet will have you believe. Sure, the naysayers have a point – the source material (a trilogy in five parts) is …
Kung Fu Hustle (2005)
Kung Fu Hustle was by far the silliest Kung Fu movie I have ever seen. It was very much the insanity and slapstick humor of the Three Stooges, Buster Keaton, and all the Warner Brothers cartoons mixed in with Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Couching Tiger Hidden Dragon, and every anime, superhero and kung fu movie …
Sahara (2005)
Indy might have some serious competition. Not in a direct sense (Indiana Jones franchise is well established and is set in 30s and 40s, way before this movie), but in a “charismatic-hero-who-punches-first-and-asks-questions-later” kinda way. A fast-paced, intelligent adventure movie is difficult to find these days (“The Lord of the Rings” lacked the speed, and “The …
Finding Neverland (2004)
This small budget film appeared out of nowhere last fall (along with other small films like Million Dollar Baby, Sideways and Hotel Rwanda), captured the hearts of many, and went on to receive countless nominations and awards for writing, costumes, and performances. Well deserved, I must say, especially since the film doesn’t try to force …
Polar Express (2004)
At first glance, The Polar Express doesn’t have a lot of unique qualities that will hook you: it’s best seen on IMAX screens (which is not available everywhere); many characters are played by Tom Hanks, and is directed by Robert Zemeckis (didn’t we get enough of them in Castaway?) Plus, it was animated using motion capture – …
Ocean’s Twelve (2004)
That Danny Ocean (George Clooney). He’s smart enough to fool a ruthless casino owner Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia), but he cannot hide from him too long. So the gang is back, and with Terry on their tail, they have no choice but to get back to stealing expensive things in elaborate ways. The entire cast …