Choosing among the other recently-opened films Final Destination and Land of the Lost, we settled to watch Jack Black and Michael Cera’s Year One last night. We entered the theater with meager expectations and a half-open mind. Here’s what’s on my mind when we left.
Pluses.
* Underneath the brash, slapstick…

Emerging almost from out of nowhere in my cinematic consciousness, the sci-fi flick District 9 becomes one of summer’s must-see attractions. This movie, sealed with the sign-off of film legend Peter Jackson (of Lord of the Rings trilogy fame), has garnered mostly positive reviews from all over. We saw this film…

Five years after the movie’s release, I finally had the chance to view the critically-acclaimed Jim Carrey-Kate Winslet romantic comedy Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
The film has left me with too many reflections, completely blowing my mind away with its offbeat approach. I’m afraid my review won’t do…

Once in a while a movie like UP comes along and redefines what an animated feature is capable of showcasing.
Pixar ups the ante anew with the 10th film in their canon, shattering all my expectations of the movie’s premise and execution.
Pluses:
* Successfully tackles a myriad of themes: adventure,…

Pluses:
* Full of rowdy, deliriously funny antics
* The unpredictability of the ridiculous plot elements builds up and adds to the viewers’ anticipation of what happens next
* Offbeat, oddball cast that turns in some absurdly effective comedic performances
Minuses:
* Some gross-out scenes are quite over-the-top
* Racial stereotyping may…

Growing up to Hasbro toys and Marvel comics is not easy: it gives you fairly high expectations of the current incarnates of your childhood classics. Thus far, I have yet to be majorly disappointed with the character franchises I care about. Stephen Sommers’ live-action G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra is…

Two weeks after its release, we finally pushed through with watching Johnny Depp’s Public Enemies.
Pluses,
* Visually arresting and gripping depiction of 30’s gangsters
* Johnny Depp’s captivating performance as John Dillinger
* Top-notch production design and cinematography
* Marion Cotillard and her chemistry with Depp
Minuses.
* Not a…

The controversial documentary Religulous is one of the many movies I have on my home stash, and I got to watch it last week.
In the movie, comedian Bill Maher travels around the world, speaking to people about their religious beliefs. Interviewing both religious leaders and common folk, Maher, a professing…

On a toss-up choice between it and Johnny Depp’s Public Enemies, we went to see Greg Mottola’s Adventureland recently because it had a more convenient screening schedule at the time.
Pluses:* Light and uncomplicated coming-of-age story
* Some really funny scenes
* Evokes musings on relationships, the formative teenage years, and…

I made a mental note to see Julia Roberts and Clive Owens’ Duplicity each time I see its trailer, and have been awaiting its theatrical release for a while now. However, I don’t recall ever seeing this movie on local theaters (it opened last March in the US), so I fired…