CHICAGO – Like many of you, I have been perusing the digital platforms, looking for the appropriate binge shows that will provide a temporary bit of sanity. Amazon Prime, for example, offers the entire series of “30 Rock” (2006-13), the seminal NBC-TV series created by and featuring Tina Fey.
Taron Egerton
Elton John Bio ‘Rocketman’ Doesn’t Deliver
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 31, 2019 - 10:31am Rating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – As a wee lad, one of the first records I bought was Elton John’s Greatest Hits. The album was magnificent, each song expressing the very emotion it sought to deliver. With that basis in mind, I approached John’s biopic “Rocketman” with a hope of deliverance. It felt flatter than a pancake under a steam roller.
‘Robin Hood’ is a By-the-Book Waste of Cinema Energy
Submitted by PatrickMcD on November 22, 2018 - 9:17amRating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – No one in the movie-going universe was pining for another Robin Hood remake. No. One. Yet, with the story in public domain and some overseas cash to spend, here we are. Taron Egerton (“Kingsman” series) takes on the title role, with support from Jamie Foxx.
‘Kingsman: The Golden Circle’ is High-Flying Spy Fun
Submitted by PatrickMcD on September 22, 2017 - 9:41am Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “Kingsman: The Golden Circle” is a hard “R”-rated sequel with a thoroughly juvenile soul. It pairs silly wordplay, dirty jokes and a startling amount of bloody and gratuitous violence while its tongue remains thoroughly in cheek. This is a James Bond movie as made by an unusually sadistic 16-year-old under the influence of some not entirely legal substances.
Despite Cast, ‘Sing’ Fails to Strike a Chord
Submitted by JonHC on December 23, 2016 - 12:14am Rating: 1.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Singing is something that everyone can do. I tend to do it while in the shower or sitting in traffic. I’ve been told I have the singing voice of an angel… of death. Okay, I’m exaggerating, but the point is that while everyone can sing, not everyone should. The same extends to creating films like “Sing,” which is loud but seldom harmonious.
‘Eddie the Eagle’ is Predictable But Pleasant Tale
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 27, 2016 - 8:32am Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “Eddie The Eagle” is thoroughly predictable underdog story, but this picture won me over with a plucky persistence fitting for its peculiar protagonist. It’s an admittedly minor but mostly true tale of an oddball outsider overcoming overwhelming odds.
‘Kingsman: The Secret Service’ is Fun, Very Odd
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 13, 2015 - 10:09amRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Part James Bond, part absurdist adventure, “Kingsman: The Secret Service” is nonetheless a romp, with Colin Firth handling the Brit spy role with a natural aplomb. If the notion of a super secret rogue spy agency under a London tailor shop is something that sounds intriguing, that doesn’t even begin to tell the tale.
