The stakes have been raised so many times with event flicks that, when approaching one, hope is always tempered with experience about what to expect, to paraphrase Samuel Johnson. With AVENGERS: ENDGAME, though, hope wins out. The spectacle is everything it should be, and the story, of necessity a meandering thing, is nonetheless sustained by… Read More »
CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR
CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR asks the cinematic question “What would happen if we took a whole passel of superheroes from the Marvel Comic universe and tossed them together into one film?” But wait, what if we pitted them against one another over a fundamental difference of opinion about ethics, and then added a dash (or… Read More »
CHRONICLES OF NARNIA, THE — THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER
There is no stinting on the sumptuous factor in THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA — THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER. Once the action shifts from World War II England to the magical kingdom ruled by Aslan (Liam Neesons sonorous voice), the wise lion and stand-in for Christ, every frame is filled to the brim with… Read More »
THOR: THE DARK WORLD
In THOR: THE DARK WORLD, there may be no suspense about how the latest nefarious plot to destroy the universe will turn out, but there are plenty of clever tricks along the way courtesy of the real star of the film, Thors trickster brother, Loki. Not that Thor, once again in the toothsome person of… Read More »
CAPTAIN AMERICA — THE WINTER SOLDIER
fIn CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER, Captain Steve Rodgers, aka Captain America (Chris Evans), is experiencing an existential crisis. Its not just that he has a lot of catching up to do after being cryogenically asleep for seventy years or so. The novelty of Thai food and the internet dont get him down, its the… Read More »
THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA — PRINCE CASPIAN
Call it the sophomore curse. Call it going to the well once too often, in this case twice. Call it the way the Christ-substitute in THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN, that would be the lion Aslan, does as he explains to sweet little pre-teen Lucy why he in all his goodness has allowed bad… Read More »