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.
HollywoodChicago.com Movie Reviews
Discerning the Heroes is Tough in ‘Megan Leavey’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on June 9, 2017 - 7:40am Rating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The poster is what gives away “Megan Leavey” the most. The titular soldier, and her bomb-sniffing dog, below a billowing American flag. So which war is it? Why, it’s the Iraq invasion, where the U.S. military and the politicians at home “freed” the Iraqi citizens from a peaceful life. Making a dog story out of that boondoggle doesn’t make it any more palatable, except to “support the troops.”
‘The Mummy’ is a Marvel of a Muddled Mess
Submitted by PatrickMcD on June 9, 2017 - 6:36am Rating: 1.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Universal Studio’s “Dark Universe,” which is centered around its stable of classic movie monsters, isn’t a bad idea. But in the darkly inauspicious debut feature called “The Mummy,” everything unravels. This is a mixed, muddled, marvel of a mess that contains an assembly of special effects, but precious little life.
The Human Being Behind the Greatness in ‘Churchill’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on June 2, 2017 - 6:37pm Rating: 5.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Winston Churchill, except to hardcore history buffs, is fast fading from the cultural radar. Often called the Greatest Briton Ever, the lion who led his people for so many years became a bit toothless during the greatest World War II battle ever conceived, D-Day the Sixth of June. That moment in his life, and the lives of those around him, is the subject of the magnificent new film, “Churchill.”
‘Captain Underpants’ Saves Us From the Summer Snooze
Submitted by JonHC on June 2, 2017 - 4:31am Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – I’m sure from the title you can glean the level of seriousness to expect, but how funny “Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie” turns out to be is no laughing matter. The film’s surprising irreverence and respect for the comic book genre makes this the animated hero we’ve needed, and the second best superhero film out this weekend (SEE: Wonder Woman).
‘Wonder Woman’ Creates Power with Social Justice
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 29, 2017 - 11:45pm Rating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – There is a truth in the latest superhero epic, “Wonder Woman,” that is undeniable. The suppression of the power of woman in society, and denying the acceptance of all people – who just desire love – is the evil that can destroy the world. Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman saves the day.
Johnny Depp Stays Afloat in ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 26, 2017 - 4:10pm Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The “Pirates Of The Caribbean” series has undergone a strange transformation over five films. The first film was better than any movie “based on a theme park ride” then it had any business being. But now in its fifth film voyage, “Dead Men Tell No Tales” bears a closer resemblance to the ride now more that ever.
Nostalgia Not Enough to Save ‘Baywatch’ From Drowning
Submitted by JonHC on May 25, 2017 - 11:24pm- Alexandra Daddario
- Baywatch
- Damian Shannon
- David Hasselhoff
- Dwayne Johnson
- Hannibal Buress
- HollywoodChicago.com
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- Ilfenesh Hadera
- Jon Bass
- Jon Espino
- Kelly Rohrbach
- Mark Swift
- Movie Review
- Pamela Anderson
- Paramount Pictures
- Priyanka Chopra
- Seth Gordon
- The Rock
- Yahya Abdul-Mateen II
- Zac Efron
Rating: 1.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Going to the beach is simultaneously an exciting and disgusting experience. Swimming in the cool water that thousands have gone inside in the past, with more than a few leaving bodily fluid deposits, is the perfect way to describe “Baywatch”. No amount of beefy biceps or shirt-busting breasts could have given “Baywatch” the buoyancy needed to keep from sinking, let alone stay afloat.
‘Everything, Everything’ Offers Close to Nothing, Nothing
Submitted by JonHC on May 21, 2017 - 7:24pmRating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – I’ll be the first to admit that I am not the target audience for these stock young adult romance novels. Aside from the odd fascination and romanticization of teenage death and terminal illness, these stories feel trite and much closer to fantasy than anything real or plausible. This is what the film “Everything, Everything” brings to the table, which essentially translates to Nothing, Nothing.
Diane Lane Hits the Blacktop in ‘Paris Can Wait’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 19, 2017 - 3:32pmRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The cache of “Paris Can Wait” is what immediately makes it attractive. It’s Diane Lane road tripping through France on the way to Paris, guided by the script and direction of Eleanor Coppola, in her narrative film debut (at age 80!). Along the way there is food, seduction, incredible sights and Alec Baldwin. That formula was destined to work.
‘Alien: Covenant’ is a Pale Copy of Previous Best Films
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 18, 2017 - 6:30pmRating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – It’s worth noting that the Alien series extends back nearly 40 years, and yet the chest-bursting Xenomorphs have produced a grand total of exactly two good movies. The orginal “Alien” and “Aliens” are great films that stand the test of the time, while every other entry in this series would require a significant stretch of the imagination to be called barely watchable.
‘King Arthur: Legend of the Sword’ is a Dull, Magicless Bore
Submitted by JonHC on May 12, 2017 - 6:27pm- Aidan Gillen
- Annabelle Wallis
- Astrid Bergés-Frisbey
- Charlie Hunnam
- David Dobkin
- Djimon Hounsou
- Eric Bana
- Excalibur
- Guy Ritchie
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- Joby Harold
- Jon Espino
- Jude Law
- King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
- Lionel Wigram
- Man from UNCLE
- Merlin
- Movie Review
- Sherlock Holmes
- Tom Wu
- Warner Bros
Rating: 1.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Have you ever had such a bad case of déjà vu while watching a film that trying to remember where the familiar elements are from turns into a more enjoyable experience than actually seeing the film itself? If you haven’t, your quest for that kind of film is fulfilled by the incredibly forgettable “King Arthur: Legend of the Sword.”
Amy Schumer, Goldie Hawn Bring Hilarity to ‘Snatched’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 12, 2017 - 9:11amRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – This is the Amy Schumer-in-the-movies we’ve all been waiting for… the brash zing factory who has a bit of insecurity behind her adventurous and licentious ways. Schumer teams with Goldie Hawn in a mother and daughter laugh factory called “Snatched.”
Love is Champion in ‘The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 9, 2017 - 9:56amRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – As a film set in 1962, shot on glorious black & white 16mm stock, “The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki” has both a feeling that it was made back then, and a timelessness that radiates from that quality. The film is about a boxer, but his heart turns out to be the champion.
