MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 2
Action/Adventure, Action/Drama, FIVE STARS, Franchise, Reviews Blog, Spectacle, Sports, Spy Thriller
But the strongest aspect of the movie is Woo’s love of the duel. Ethan and Nyah fall in love while…
Action/Drama
SULLY
For a near-disaster movie about a pilot who famously kept his commercial jetliner (with “155 souls on board”) above water,…
A MOST WANTED MAN
Anton Corbjin’s unconventional post-9/11 spy thriller (based on John le Carré dated 2008 novel) remains an engaging experience in spite…
WHITE HOUSE DOWN
Action/Drama, Agitprop, Dystopia, ONE STAR, Political Thriller, Propaganda, Reviews Blog, War, War Fantasy
Copycat redundancies to the recent “Olympus Has Fallen” aside, “White House Down” is an unintentionally laughable action movie that wallows…
THE GREY
“The Grey” is an old-fashioned survival movie in the vein of John Huston’s 1956 version of “Moby Dick.” The glory…
ROBIN HOOD
There are three or four great scenes, and all involve Cate Blanchett and Max von Sydow. Seen through this relief,…
EDGE OF DARKNESS
Acting in his first film since 2003 Mel Gibson is a bit rusty as retiring Boston homicide detective Thomas Craven…
ANGELS & DEMONS
Unlike “The Da Vinci Code,” everything here has been carefully thought out. Some of the early exposition falls from Tom…
FIGHTING
Writer/director Dito Montiel drops down a few rungs after his promising debut film “A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints,” with…
AUSTRALIA
Its grandiose title might encourage visions of a sweeping epic romance but Baz Luhrmann’s bloated and boisterous movie is little…
BODY OF LIES
There is no integrity and no accountability to be had. From this perspective, “Body of Lies” is a cynical cinematic…
AMERICAN GANGSTER
Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe deliver inspired performances as rivals from opposite sides of the law in director Ridley Scott’s…
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
Action/Drama, Classic Cinema, Crime Drama, FIVE STARS, Literary Adaptation, Neo Western, Reviews Blog
After a string of disappointing projects (“The Man Who Wasn’t There” 2001, “Intolerable Cruelty”—2003, and “The Ladykillers”—2004) Joel and Ethan…
SMOKIN’ ACES
“Smokin’ Aces” is an energetic action movie with more than a few genuine surprises, coupled with notable ensemble performances. Joe…
CHILDREN OF MEN
Cinema history has been made in 2006 by a trinity of Spanish directors whose films consort to press at the…
BLOOD DIAMOND
Djimon Hounsou and Jennifer Connelly give pitch-perfect performances behind DiCaprio’s striking representation of a survivalist opportunist. It is unsettling to…
JET LI’S FEARLESS
In clarifying his public statement about the movie marking the end of his career as a martial arts star, Jet…
THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS: TOKYO DRIFT
Then there’s the exotic charm of newcomer Nathalie Kelley as D.K.’s fickle girlfriend Neela. Born in Peru and raised in…
POSEIDON
Composer Klaus Badelt’s (“Gladiator”) pitch-perfect score works like an invisible gear within the film’s clockwork to increase its at times…
LUCKY NUMBER SLEVIN
Josh Hartnett indulges in a snappy tongue-in-cheek puzzle of a thriller that’s akin to eating ten flavors of ice cream…
COLE SMITHEY’S CLASSIC CINEMA
