CHICAGO – The funny meter of Netflix went off the scale last week, as the animated series “Chicago Party Aunt” made its debut on September 17th. What began as a Twitter account by comic actor Chris Witaske (who also provides his voice talent) has morphed into the cartoon adventures of Aunt Diane Dumbowski, her nephew Daniel, and an array of familiar Chicago-isms and characters.
Martin Freeman
All Forms of Heroism Available in ‘Black Panther’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 15, 2018 - 10:50am Rating: 5.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – 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.
Too-Long ‘The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies’ Delivers on Intimate, Hand-to-Hand Combat
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on December 17, 2014 - 3:49pm- Adam Fendelman
- Benedict Cumberbatch
- Billy Connolly
- Cate Blanchett
- Christopher Lee
- Evangeline Lilly
- Fran Walsh
- HollywoodChicago.com Content
- Hugo Weaving
- Ian McKellen
- J.R.R. Tolkien
- Lee Pace
- Luke Evans
- Martin Freeman
- Movie Review
- Orlando Bloom
- Peter Jackson
- Philippa Boyens
- Richard Armitage
- The Hobbit
- The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
- Warner Bros. Pictures
 Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Though he’s never been called it before in scientific speak, I’m saying it now: Peter Jackson is a master of mitosis. He’s one of Hollywood’s best in splitting up the cinematic cellular DNA of one story into three because, apparently, he can’t do epics unless they’re in groups of three.
‘The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug’ Solidifies Franchise
Submitted by BrianTT on December 12, 2013 - 11:46amRating: 3.5/5.0 |
Peter Jackson and Bilbo Baggins find their groove in the entertaining “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” an improvement over “An Unexpected Journey” in every single department. Whereas the first one suffered from a tumultuous pre-production process and the fact that it was all prologue, “Smaug” expands this universe in ways that are narratively engaging, while also providing enough of that gorgeously shot and perfectly choreographed fantasy action that made “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy such a phenomenon.
Farcical Themes Bring Laughs to ‘The World’s End’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 23, 2013 - 8:22am Rating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – In the collaboration of actors Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and director Edgar Wright, the best in life come in threes. Following their sublime “Shaun of the Dead” and the wacky “Hot Fuzz,” comes ther third comic film rendering, “The World’s End.”
Truly Disappointing Trek of ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey’
Submitted by BrianTT on December 13, 2012 - 12:48pm Rating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Twice as many frames per second and another dimension only serve to amplify the notable flaws of Peter Jackson’s truly disappointing “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” a bloated, dull mess of a film that meanders when it should move and stumbles when it should run. Paced like a high school student writing a paper to meet a word count but without anything actually worth writing, this incredibly slow CGI adventure barely merits comparison to Jackson’s masterful “Lord of the Rings” films other than to point out how much this work reminds one of another start to a prequel trilogy that quickly earned fan spite.
Clever, Fun Adventures of ‘The Pirates! Band of Misfits’
Submitted by BrianTT on April 26, 2012 - 3:25pm Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “The Pirates! Band of Misfits” has that incredible Aardman energy and elegance of works like “Wallace & Gromit” and “Chicken Run” along with some of the best voice work you’ll hear in an animated film all year.
Anna Faris Falls Flat in Awful ‘What’s Your Number?’
Submitted by BrianTT on September 30, 2011 - 10:14am Rating: 1.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Why can’t anyone figure out how to use Anna Faris effectively? She’s got some of the best comic timing of any actress working today but she can’t find a good script in which to display it. Take her latest venture, the misogynistic, creepy, and just BAD “What’s Your Number?,” a pale excuse for a chick flick that should look even more ghostly in light of the similarly-themed and far-superior “Bridesmaids” earlier this year.
