CHICAGO – From villain to anti-hero to homoerotic fan fiction icon, Loki has traveled a long way from the greasy-haired megalomaniac we have come to love. For most of his cinematic character development, Loki has been a foil to Thor’s massive himbo (n.: a very attractive, often beefy male who isn’t the brightest bulb, but is still able to shine because of his good-natured attitude and respect for women. Male version of a “bimbo”) energy.
Hugh Jackman
‘Logan’ Bares Its Sharp Claws & Eviscerates Us Emotionally
Submitted by JonHC on March 2, 2017 - 4:46am Rating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – There is a war raging in the comic book cinematic universe where filmmakers think that these kinds of films should embrace their over the top (verging on campy) nature while others think they should be darker and made deathly serious. “Logan” proves that they are both wrong as it strikes a balance between all of those elements while remaining true to the character.
‘Eddie the Eagle’ is Predictable But Pleasant Tale
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 27, 2016 - 8:32am Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “Eddie The Eagle” is thoroughly predictable underdog story, but this picture won me over with a plucky persistence fitting for its peculiar protagonist. It’s an admittedly minor but mostly true tale of an oddball outsider overcoming overwhelming odds.
Consciousness Morality for Robots in Odd ‘Chappie’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 6, 2015 - 10:15am Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Who would think a robot movie would teach us about being more intuitively “human”? “Chappie” is a very peculiar film – with fighting robots, violence and grit on one side, and the tenderness of finding a nurturing source and a consciousness on the other. It is worth experiencing.
‘X-Men: Days of Future Past’ Dares to Richly Invest in Story First, CGI Second
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on May 24, 2014 - 2:07pmRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – After a string of superhero movie disappointments in recent memory, last month “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” renewed our faith in Hollywood blockbusters once again. Just 7 weeks later, can “X-Men: Days of Future Fast” impress us again?
Complex, Wow-Inducing ‘X-Men: Days of Future Past’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 22, 2014 - 7:47pmRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Although a post graduate degree in space/time continuum studies may be necessary for maximum enjoyment, “X-Men: Days of Future Past” still delivers a comic book wham-bam, and the series continues its exploration of recent history through the prism of a mutant universe.
Jake Gyllenhaal, Hugh Jackman Enter Darkness of ‘Prisoners’
Submitted by BrianTT on September 19, 2013 - 3:28pmRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – What would you do if your child was in jeopardy? We all love to answer quickly and instinctually that we would do absolutely anything but the fact is that we’re incredibly lucky to never be put in that situation. Would you torture someone else? What if you weren’t sure they were responsible?
Audacious ‘The Wolverine’ Also a Bit Excessive
Submitted by PatrickMcD on July 25, 2013 - 7:08pmRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Following the release of “Iron Man 3” and “Man of Steel,” “The Wolverine” is the best of the bunch, simply by following “The Dark Knight” and the Marvel Comics formula, creating a conflicted superhero who cannot conform to any conventional definition of heroism.
‘Les Misérables’ Paints Emotion in Widescreen Colors
Submitted by BrianTT on December 19, 2012 - 3:21pm Rating: 5.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Tom Hooper’s “Les Misérables,” the best movie musical in over a decade, is what a musical like this should be – unabashed, unashamed emotion painted in vibrant, broad colors across a massive screen. It is gloriously bereft of the cynicism that has sapped so many stage-to-film adaptations from achieving the heights of their source material and features some of the most striking performances in the history of the genre.
Banal Story, Unique Visuals Define ‘Rise of the Guardians’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on November 21, 2012 - 7:36pm Rating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Okay, we get it. The current crop of animators can create amazing worlds, full of sensory-expanding images and visions of magical awe (and in 3D). But, if there is a dull story interacting with the eye candy, it can feel like a fancy cake that tastes like sawdust. Chris Pine, Alec Baldwin, Isla Fisher Jude Law and Hugh Jackman lend their voices to “Rise of the Guardians.”
‘Real Steel’ Overcomes Harebrained Premise With Heart, Quenching Hollywood Wizardry
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on October 8, 2011 - 4:08pmRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Try selling a friend on paying to see a movie with you about machine-operated boxing where humans control robots for money.
Just call your friend on his Motorola DynaTAC retro brickphone and say: “Hey, Billy! Remember all those swell nights we had as kids when I smoked you every time in Rock’em Sock’em Robots with our two dueling robot boxers mechanically manipulated by us?
