Kill Bill

CHICAGO – “The Man with the Iron Fists” is the most tedious picture in many a moon. How, you may ask, can wall-to-wall action possibly by tedious? Two reasons: 1.) The action is nonstop, and 2.) The characters are impossible to care about. The single take of Uma Thurman’s devastated outburst upon awakening from her coma is the emotional hook that keeps the audience engaged as she wreaks her path of vengeance through both volumes of “Kill Bill.”

CHICAGO – Given its lack of star power, Joe Wright’s “Hanna” was a surprisingly effective box office story, bringing in over $60 million worldwide on a budget half as big. And it’s likely to find an even-bigger audience on Blu-ray as action movies with this high a level of quality always do. With an A-list cast and incredible production values, “Hanna” is a speeding train. Don’t rent it for a “nice, relaxing evening.” Rent it and strap in.

CHICAGO – You won’t be able to take your eyes of Saoirse Ronan in Joe Wright’s action film “Hanna,” a visceral thrill ride that’s likely to be a more satisfying experience than most of the action blockbusters that will fill the multiplex as the temperatures rise.

CHICAGO – Bethesda Softworks’ “Wet” is a sloppy wet kiss to the cinema of the grindhouse as filtered through Quentin Tarantino’s love affair with it. The game plays not so much as an ode to B-movie thrills but to the way that QT interprets them. Clearly (and admittedly) inspired by “Kill Bill,” “Wet” is an often-fun but also often-frustrating shooter with style to spare but not as much substance as one would hope.

CHICAGO – The Weinstein Company (QTC) announced that Quentin Tarantino’s recent film “Inglourious Basterds” passed “Pulp Fiction” at the box office and is now his highest grossing film ever. “Basterds” has now grossed more than $108 million in North American box office sales since the film was released on August 21, 2009.