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movie reviews

Iron Helps Him Play!

Unlike Spider–Man or X–Men, Marvel’s Iron Man doesn’t have wide brand–name recognition. Despite being a relatively unknown superhero, the movie manages to succeed admirably. It may not go down as the best superhero movie of all time, but Iron Man is very entertaining, the visual effects are absolutely fantastic, and it has some engaging performances that make it soar. You could easily say Iron Man is in the top 10 superhero movies of all time, which is actually quite an achievement considering the number of movies in that genre. [ more ]

mini movie reviews

Reno 911: Miami

(Robert Ben Garant) The movie tracks the dumbest cops on earth
on a jaunt to a police convention in Miami, where they find they’re
the only officers on the street when a bio–terrorist attack leaves
all the other cops quarantined in the convention centre. It looks
cheap and moves fast, like three episodes of the show crammed
into one, so there’s no real reason to shell out theatrical coin for
something due on DVD in a very short time, but it is funny and
works exactly in the spirit of the TV show. If you enjoy the series,
here it is. We were overdue for a remake of Police Academy 6
anyway. 84 min.

The Last King Of Scotland

(Kevin Macdonald) A political thriller and Faust parable set during
the bloody reign of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin (Forest Whitaker).
Naive Scottish doctor Nicholas Garrigan (James McAvoy) gets
lured into becoming Amin’s personal physician and adviser,
realizing too late that his boss has anger management issues. The
film is based on Giles Foden’s “fact–inspired” novel, and takes lots
of historical liberties. Some of them create great suspense; others
seem melodramatic. Above all, it’s a study in point of view, with
McAvoy’s impressionable doctor slow to realize the cost of the
bargain he’s accepted. Anthony Dod Mantle’s athletic camera
work makes the African landscape and dialogue immediate.
Scenes crackle with menace, especially when Whitaker—in the role
of a lifetime—fills up the screen. 121 min.

Ghost Rider

(Mark Steven Johnson) Non–screened films are usually crap
movies dumped into the market with hopes of an opening
weekend to, essentially, trailer the DVD. Ghost Rider isn’t nearly
that bad. It’s 20 minutes too long, the effects are cheesy, and it
has one of those problems that beset a lot of the Marvel
adaptations. But it’s anchored by one of Nicolas Cage’s always fun
mad Elvis performances and has a strong supporting cast with the
likes of Donald Logue, Eva Mendes, Peter Fonda and Sam Elliott.
Ghost Rider, for those who haven’t read the comic book is about a
motorcycle stunt rider who in his youth sold his soul to Lucifer to
save his father’s life. This didn’t work out well, as deals with the
devil usually don’t, and years later, the Devil comes to collect,
making our hero into Ghost Rider, a flaming skeleton who works
as the devil’s bounty hunter. The Devil’s son shows up searching
for a mystical soul contract that’s been out there for more than a
century. Mayhem ensues. The weird problem that affects Marvel
comic books is their habitual creation of heros who don’t have
eyes. Spider–Man, for example. Ghost Rider for another, his head
being a flaming skull. It’s a great and striking graphic concept,
but it’s a comic book idea. It’s a lousy movie idea, because a
flaming skull has no emotional range, rather like a hero whose
face is entirely masked, including his eyes. Eyes are what they pay
movie stars for. It’s where we read the emotions. Take that away,
and anyone could star in movies. 112 min.

See All Mini Movie Reviews

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past movie reviews...

High As A Kite

Laughing At A Broken Heart

Just Another 'Bad Cop' Movie

Get Some Satisfaction

And I Ran, So Far Away