CHICAGO – In anticipation of the scariest week of the year, HollywoodChicago.com launches its 2024 Movie Gifts series, which will suggest DVDs and collections for holiday giving.
HollywoodChicago.com Movie Reviews
‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules’ is Wacky Family Fare
Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 25, 2011 - 7:51am Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The overwrought movie term “family fare” can automatically inspire a swift movement toward the exits. The true something-for-everyone film is rare, and “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules” actually fulfills that standard. It’s strange, funny and heart-warming, plus features a cast that can deliver the somewhat oddball material.
‘Sucker Punch’ Has Dazzling Imagery, Comic Book Wham-Bam
Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 25, 2011 - 5:36am Rating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – It’s a pleasure to see the comic book film done right, especially with the visionary guidance of director Zach Snyder (”300”). “Sucker Punch” is an amazing treat, a feast of eye candy and incredible adventure.
‘Kill the Irishman’ Offers History as Explosions
Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 18, 2011 - 4:47pm Rating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The amalgamation of big time unions and organized crime in post-WW2 industrial America is as enlightening as any struggle for power. Cleveland, Ohio, in the 1950s thru the ‘70s was both on the waterfront and had the East Coast influence of New York City’s most notorious crime families. That history is wasted in “Kill the Irishman.”
Bradley Cooper’s ‘Limitless’ Unlocks 100% of Hollywood’s Ridiculousness
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on March 18, 2011 - 4:39pmRating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – If you’re not easily susceptible to vertigo and can survive the intro cut scene, “Limitless” proceeds to treat you to one part thrill ride and one part exercise in ridiculousness. While we often go to the movies to escape, “Limitless” manipulatively exploits our deepest and darkest desires for wealth, power and Google-like global conquests.
Mia Wasikowska, Judi Dench Float on ‘Jane Eyre’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 18, 2011 - 10:53amRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Film adaptations of classic literature are often lose-lose scenarios. The ardent admirers of the source often sour on what is left out, and the average filmgoer might wonder what the fuss is about when experiencing a truncated interpretation. There is obvious passion behind the latest adaptation of “Jane Eyre,” with performances that follow that lead.
Abbas Kiarostami’s ‘Certified Copy’ Tantalizes, Delights
Submitted by mattmovieman on March 18, 2011 - 9:33am Rating: 5.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Nothing transfixes me quite like transcendent acting and writing when viewed under a cinematic lens. My favorite films of early 2011 have been Tommy Lee Jones’s stunning adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s play, “The Sunset Limited,” and Abbas Kiarostami’s beguiling new masterwork, “Certified Copy.” Both films derive their dramatic power from the differing philosophies of two articulate characters who may or may not be what they seem.
Matthew McConaughey Nearly Saves Problematic ‘The Lincoln Lawyer’
Submitted by BrianTT on March 18, 2011 - 9:11am Rating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Proving yet again that he can deliver when he avoids horrendous romantic comedy cliches, Matthew McConaughey does his best work in years in “The Lincoln Lawyer,” but the film doesn’t quite come together like one wishes that it would due to the common traps that befall big screen adaptations of best-selling thrillers.
Simon Pegg, Seth Rogen Have Close Encounter in Fun ‘Paul’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 18, 2011 - 8:58amRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – When having fun at the movies seems in short supply, the British film duo of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost come along with one of their goofy, comic tributes to our cinematic heritage. After zombies in “Shaun of the Dead” and action heroes in “Hot Fuzz.” Pegg and Frost take on the extra terrestrials in “Paul.”
Spectacle, Emotion Propel Animation in ‘Mars Needs Moms’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 11, 2011 - 6:07pm Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “Mars Needs Moms” is an animated epic that takes its time to build toward the message, but the path to that real emotion is decorated with spectacular imagery and sprightly comedy. It’s Mom, apple pie and motion capture technology.
‘Happythankyoumoreplease’ Falls Flat With Unlikable Characters
Submitted by BrianTT on March 11, 2011 - 5:00pmRating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Josh Radnor’s “Happythankyoumoreplease” wants to be a new-generation Woody Allen film but misses the mark wildly by presenting characters that aren’t likable in situations that aren’t believable. None of the relationships that drive this awkward dramedy ring true and only a few supporting performances make the effort worthwhile as they highlight the weaknesses at the core of the manipulative script.
Loud, Annoying ‘Battle: Los Angeles’ Fails in Spectacular Ways
Submitted by BrianTT on March 11, 2011 - 4:36pm Rating: 1.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – It used to be an insult to say that a loud action movie reminded a critic of a video game. The fact is that most recent video games feature better storytelling and more entertainment value than the horrendous “Battle: Los Angeles,” an annoying movie with such inept direction that it’s not even fun on a visceral level. Even the explosions are boring.
‘Elektra Luxx’ Offers Middling Showcase For Carla Gugino
Submitted by mattmovieman on March 11, 2011 - 10:40amRating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Sebastian Gutierrez is the sort of filmmaker who thrives best on the festival circuit. His work is just quirky and distinctive enough to garner overenthusiastic praise from jaded festival goers in the mood for markedly lighter fare. Yet when screened out of the celebratory atmosphere at SXSW, Gutierrez’s films fail to register as anything more than mediocre trifles.
Award-Winning ‘Of Gods and Men’ Presents Devotion at Any Cost
Submitted by BrianTT on March 11, 2011 - 9:20amRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – How many of us can honestly say that we have the level of devotion to anything that we would put our lives at risk to protect it? How many of us can say that when faced with almost certain violence, we would stand up and refuse to run in the other direction for any imaginable reason?
