CHICAGO – Excelsior! Comic book legend Stan Lee’s famous exclamation puts a fine point on the third and final play of Mark Pracht’s FOUR COLOR TRILOGY, “The House of Ideas,” presented by and staged at City Lit Theater in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood. For tickets/details, click HOUSE OF IDEAS.
Columbia Pictures
‘Inferno’ Was Damned From The Start
Submitted by JonHC on October 28, 2016 - 12:19pmRating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – You can’t keep a good conspiracy down. Tom Hanks returns to a role we thought had joined the pages of history his character was so eager to uncover. Like the previous films in the franchise, “Inferno” promises to deliver a new problem to solve even though they never attempt to fix any of the cinematic and narrative flaws from its past.
‘Ghostbusters’ Entertains, But Lacks the Paul Feig Edge
Submitted by PatrickMcD on July 15, 2016 - 10:18amRating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO –Throughout the reboot of “Ghostbusters,” it becomes obvious that co-writer/director Paul Feig (“Bridesmaids,” “The Heat”) is just going to do a straight re-do of the 1984 film, because the film lacks his sardonic touch, even though it does entertain and has the requisite big special effects.
Reverent, Joyful & Inspirational Jesus in ‘Risen’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 20, 2016 - 9:02amRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – I am a recovering Catholic, which I’ll tell you a million times – or maybe shortly after I meet you – and I have to say I had a well of nostalgia while experiencing “Risen,” the story of Jesus’s Resurrection and aftermath. It is enjoyable, in a strange way, for Christians and film fans alike.
‘Concussion’ Can’t Quite Tackle its Difficult Subject
Submitted by PatrickMcD on December 25, 2015 - 6:53amRating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “Concussion” suffers from what I call the “Moneyball” problem – it’s got an interesting subject matter, but it doesn’t seem to know what to do with it. It doesn’t have enough faith in its own material or its audience, so it stocks up on a lot of off-the-shelf melodrama in effort to avoid digging into what makes the story interesting in the first place. It’s also a movie that chickens out at the end and seems afraid to pick a fight.
Spirit Starts Early in Fun, Raunchy ‘The Night Before’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on November 20, 2015 - 10:29amRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The tradition of the holiday party gets a workout in “The Night Before,” as three friends take a Christmas Eve walk through the environs of New York City, and make their merry journey an unforgettable night of libation enhancement, magic moments and yes, the Holiday Spirit.
Drac Pack Still a Drag in ‘Hotel Transylvania 2’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on September 25, 2015 - 8:57am- Adam Sandler
- Andy Samberg
- Columbia Pictures
- Dana Carvey
- David Spade
- Fran Drescher
- Genndy Tartakovsky
- HollywoodChicago.com Content
- Hotel Transylvania 2
- Jon Lovitz
- Keegan-Michael Key
- Kevin James
- Megan Mullally
- Mel Brooks
- Molly Shannon
- Nick Offerman
- Robert Smigel
- Selena Gomez
- Sony Pictures Releasing
- Spike Walters
- Steve Buscemi
Rating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – For the younger set unable to experience the mystique of Dracula, Wolfman and Frankenstein in their original creations, “Hotel Transylvania 2” may prove to be an introduction to the legendary bloodsucker and his band of movie monsters – and for that Adam Sandler deserves a stake through his heart.
Uneven ‘Annie’ Makes Some Very Bad Decisions
Submitted by PatrickMcD on December 19, 2014 - 9:01amRating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The diabetes-inducing Broadway musical “Annie” does not deserve two film versions – including the newest release – especially since both are tortuous and somewhat dark. The “modern” version even eliminates most of the strength that “Annie” possessed on stage, its chipper songs.
World War II Drama ‘Fury’ Fires on All Cylinders
Submitted by PatrickMcD on October 17, 2014 - 7:02pmRating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “Fury” just might be Brad Pitt’s “Saving Private Ryan.” At its heart it’s a crowd pleaser, but it never shies away from the sheer brutality of war. While it doesn’t have anything quite so devastating as “Saving Private Ryan’s” D-Day sequence, it depicts the everyday horrors of killing the enemy and the men who must force themselves to make their peace with the casualties that pile up in the muck.
Overall Story of ‘The Equalizer’ Doesn’t Add Up
Submitted by PatrickMcD on September 26, 2014 - 12:25pmRating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – You could call “The Equalizer” a bit of an underachiever. It re-teams Oscar winner Denzel Washington with his “Training Day” director Antoine Fuqua for a movie remake of a 1980’s TV show with a cult following, but the film as a whole adds up to less than the sum of its parts.
‘22 Jump Street’ is a Proud Bargain Bin Blockbuster
Submitted by PatrickMcD on June 13, 2014 - 7:58amRating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “22 Jump Street” is a big budget Hollywood sequel that actively comments on the diminishing returns of sequels. Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller know that for every “Lethal Weapon 2,” that manages to surpass the original, there are a dozen “Another 48 Hours” that try and fail to give audiences an approximation of what they enjoyed before.