CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Dan Baker on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on May 5th, reviewing the new miniseries “The Offer,” about the creation of the classic film “The Godfather,” currently streaming on Paramount+.
Andy Serkis
Film Review: ‘The Batman’ with Robert Pattinson is On Its Way Up
Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 3, 2022 - 1:46pmCHICAGO – Since I was no fan of of director Zack Snyder’s take on the Caped Crusader – “Batman v Superman” and “The Justice League” being some of the worst superhero movies ever to sputter onto the big screen – as far as I was concerned the franchise had nowhere to go but up.!—break—>
Film Review: All Forms of Heroism Available in ‘Black Panther’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 15, 2018 - 10:53amCHICAGO – The fortune of the latest Marvel Studios superhero epic, “Black Panther,” lies in its solid foundation in African mythos and intelligent storytelling. And with Ryan Coogler (“Creed”) as director, there are still major confrontations and battles, intertwined into the soul.
Film Review: ‘War for the Planet of the Apes’ Delivers Old Hollywood Glory
Submitted by JonHC on July 13, 2017 - 11:54pmCHICAGO – Since the Golden Age of cinema, theaters have tried countlessly to deliver up big budget films. Summer is here and the public is showing that they are cooling off these blockbusters, no longer fooled by the thought that cost equates to quality. “War for the Planet of the Apes” shows us that blockbusters may still be redeemed by channeling some Old Hollywood magic.
Film Review: ‘Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens’ is the One We’ve Been Waiting For
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on December 16, 2015 - 3:01am- Adam Driver
- Adam Fendelman
- Andy Serkis
- Carrie Fisher
- Daisy Ridley
- Domhnall Gleeson
- George Lucas
- Gwendoline Christie
- Harrison Ford
- HollywoodChicago.com Content
- J.J. Abrams
- John Boyega
- Lupita Nyong'o
- Mark Hamill
- Oscar Isaac
- Peter Mayhew
- Simon Pegg
- Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens
- Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
CHICAGO (No Spoilers!) – I felt privileged on Tuesday morning. Not just to be a Chicago film critic, but to be a movie lover. Film critics and movie lovers alike wade through scores of yawners hoping for one or two masterpieces that remind us why we fell in love with the experience of watching a film in the company of people we like.
Film Review: Dull Soap Opera in ‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on July 10, 2014 - 11:55pmCHICAGO – “Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes” just goes to show you can have the most expensive and best looking visual effects money can buy, but it doesn’t mean a damn thing if you haven’t got a good tale to tell.
HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 30 Pairs of Passes to ‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’ With Gary Oldman
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on July 6, 2014 - 2:35pmCHICAGO – In the latest HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 30 pairs of advance-screening movie passes up for grabs to the highly anticipated “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” starring Gary Oldman and Keri Russell!
Blu-ray Review: Lavish Extended Edition of ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey’
Submitted by BrianTT on November 16, 2013 - 10:57pmCHICAGO – I had notable problems with “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” when it premiered in theaters but they were softened a bit when I saw it on Blu-ray and not in 3D nor 48 frames per second, two effects that I believe actually hurt the world designed by Peter Jackson in these films in that they make it look less artistic and faker than the standard HD image. Now I’m here to flop back again to the disappointed side with the extended edition of the film, one that runs WAY too long for a flick that was already too short.
Blu-ray Review: ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey’ Works Better in HD Than in Theaters
Submitted by BrianTT on March 20, 2013 - 4:26pmCHICAGO – Can we end this 48fps nonsense now? Having seen “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” in 3D/48fps, I found the film artificial and boring. At home, in traditional, flat HD, the movie works so much better.
Blu-ray Review: ‘The Adventures of Tintin’ Looks Great, Feels Hollow
Submitted by BrianTT on March 16, 2012 - 9:33amCHICAGO – Being a Steven Spielberg super-fan, I looked forward to being able to re-appreciate “The Adventures of Tintin” with a beautiful HD picture and, I hoped, some special features to enhance my opinion of a film that I found pretty seriously flawed in theaters. Well, the HD transfer is a beauty — the film looks just as good as its 3D theatrical presentation — but the film is still flawed and the special features are lackluster. In theaters, it was a near-miss and my opinion has not changed on Blu-ray.
DVD Review: Flawed ‘Brighton Rock’ Adaptation Enhanced By Fine Ensemble
Submitted by mattmovieman on January 11, 2012 - 1:34pmCHICAGO – Graham Greene’s haunting 1938 crime novel doesn’t deserve to be uttered in the same breath as Stephenie Meyer’s tween phenomenon, “Twilight.” Yet in the hands of British filmmaker Rowan Joffe, Greene’s masterwork loses its theological intrigue and becomes a self-conscious melodrama fueled by two grim lovers who could be dead ringers for Bella Swan and Edward Cullen.
