FLY ME TO THE MOON, rendered in 3-D animation rife with possibilities, has exactly one thing to recommend it, but it is something that is so completely enchanting, that it almost made up for the dreck that composes the rest of it. It’s something that I have never seen before and always wondered about. Specifically,… Read More »
STAR WARS — THE CLONE WARS
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, STAR WARS was fun. I miss that time. STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS, the animated annotation to the live-action films tries to recapture that magic. It begins with the same screen-filling title as the very first film. That immediately gives way to a prologue, spoken… Read More »
NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS 2-DISC COLLECTOR’S EDITION, THE
When Tim Burton was shopping around his idea for THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS, animation was not considered a viable product for the big screen, at least not outside kiddie flicks. Even with the success of his dark and moody Batman franchise, even with the quirky but wildly romantic EDWARD SCISSORHANDS under his belt, and BEETLEJUICE,… Read More »
IGOR
IGOR is a charming bit of gothic whimsy that makes up with a sweet-tart brand of light irony what it lacks in surprises. It may not be the most original plot, but for riffing so expertly on classic horror flicks, and for plumbing the depths of horror to be found in the relentless perkiness of… Read More »
BLINDNESS
BLINDNESS, based on the novel of the same name by Jose Saramgo, takes away one of the five sense in order to examine the larger picture of humanity. It’s not the newest of conceits, nor is it the most original. Removing one item from ordinary life and speculating on the outcome is a time-honored premise.… Read More »
CITY OF EMBER
CITY OF EMBER is a triumph of art direction trumping everything else. Based on the novel by Jeanne Duprau, it is brimming with imagination, a pointedly political subtext, but not a whit of the wonder that should drive a tale such as this. The eponymous city contains the remnants of humanity, sent to the underground… Read More »
TWILIGHT
TWILIGHT, the film version of Stephenie Meyer’s young adult novel, operates on two levels of fantasy, one traditional that speaks to many of the roiling and contradictory impulses that lurk in the collective subconscious of us all: to dominate, to fit in, to cheat death. It also speaks to the other irresistible impulses, roiling and… Read More »
WALL-E DVD
The true test of a great film is whether or not it is able to affect you as deeply the tenth time you see as it did the first time. WALL-E does. When WALL-E, the eponymous robot hero of his own Pixar feature, first takes the hand, or robot facsimile of same, of his robot lady… Read More »
THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX
THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX is as bold, as brave, and as charming as its eponymous mouse hero. Adapted from the book of the same name by Kate DiCamillo, this is an animated film for both kids and adults that is vibrant, complex, and fearless in its depiction of the good, the bad, and the careless… Read More »
THE SPIRIT
There is much that is irksome about THE SPIRIT, so much, alas, that it overwhelms the spiffy art direction that is nothing short of dazzling. Written for the screen and directed by Frank Miller, and based on the graphic novels by Will Eisner, it is a syncopated series of missteps and gaffes served up in… Read More »
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 17
- 18
- 19
- 20
- 21
- …
- 38
- Next Page »