CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Dan Baker on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on March 21st, 2024, reviewing the new streaming series “Manhunt” – based on the bestseller by James L. Swanson – currently streaming on Apple TV+.
HollywoodChicago.com Movie Reviews
Kevin Kline, John C. Reilly Are Eccentric New Yorkers in ‘The Extra Man’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 13, 2010 - 8:08am Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The beauty of watching creative character actors like Kevin Kline and John C. Reilly is that they seem to revel in the craft of embodying their roles. In “The Extra Man,” they both take a trippy and literate script and apply some additional magic that helps to flesh out a young man’s journey into the heart of Manhattan.
Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham Are Halfway in ‘The Expendables’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 13, 2010 - 6:57am Rating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Seeing them all together was fun. Enduring some macho joshing, even in the form of stiff dialogue, was tolerable. But doing a bad, boring action movie with Sylvester Stallone trying to prop up his “legacy” was sadly too much to bear. Jason Statham, Jet Li, Mickey Rourke, Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger are among “The Expendables.”
Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek Elevate Drama ‘Get Low’
Submitted by BrianTT on August 6, 2010 - 5:30pmRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – What could possibly drive a man into such a deep pit of despair that he would choose to break from society and take on the life of a hermit? The mystery of such a decision is the driving force behind Aaron Schneider’s “Get Low,” a based-on-a-true-story drama that has already earned Oscar buzz for star Rubert Duvall and praise for co-stars Bill Murray, Sissy Spacek, Lucas Black, and Bill Cobbs.
‘Life During Wartime’ Provides Haunting Coda to ‘Happiness’
Submitted by BrianTT on August 6, 2010 - 2:16pm Rating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Todd Solondz’s 1998 masterpiece, “Happiness,” is the darkest American comedy ever made. It’s so brutal and uncompromising that it calls into question the very definition of comedy. When one character explains to her sister that she isn’t laughing at her, but with her, the sister responds, “But I’m not laughing.” Solondz isn’t laughing either.
Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg Partner in Cop Farce ‘The Other Guys’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 6, 2010 - 6:29amRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – While a cop film take-off is filed under the fish-in-a-barrel category, writer/director Adam McKay manages to spin some absurd gold threads into the thin blue cloth. In other words, Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg are damn funny in this all-in cop farce, with enough familiar co-star support to prop up the whole enchilada.
‘Countdown to Zero’ Paints Vivid Picture of Nuclear Threat
Submitted by BrianTT on July 30, 2010 - 2:01pmRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Lucy Walker’s “Countdown to Zero” is the most terrifying film of the year and one of the most frightening documentaries in a long time. The director pushes the envelope of taste a bit too far in the fear-mongering final act and underlines her point a few too many times in the process but the education that comes with the terror is a necessary one.
Spirituality, Zac Efron Overcome Plot Holes in ‘Charlie St. Cloud’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on July 30, 2010 - 12:44amRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The rise of Zac Efron has been one of the more interesting movie stories of the past year. Fresh from his notable role in “Me and Orson Welles,’ Efron takes the lead in “Charlie St. Cloud,” with veteran actors Ray Liotta and Kim Basinger. This journey into afterlife issues highlights some nice acting chops from Efron.
Steve Carrell, Paul Rudd Serve ‘Dinner for Schmucks’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on July 30, 2010 - 12:14amRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The third of the Steve Carrell Seasonal Movie Trilogy debuts with the uneven but absurd comedy “Dinner for Schmucks.” Paul Rudd, now the go-to actor for straight-man-yuppie-turned-wild-dude joins a strong cast, including the ubiquitous Zach Galifianakis, Jemaine Clement (”Flight of the Concords”), and Bruce Greenwood.
Beverly Cleary’s ‘Ramona and Beezus’ Works For Young Adults
Submitted by BrianTT on July 23, 2010 - 1:18pmRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “Ramona and Beezus” may not be the perfect film that Beverly Cleary fans hoped for when they fell in love with these characters but it is successful on its own terms in its refusal to talk down to its pre-teen audience and through the massive future star-power of its talented young stars. I admittedly have a soft spot for any film that places teachers on a higher pedestal than businessman and effectively teaches young viewers to stick to their creative visions. It’s flawed, but “Ramona and Beezus” works.
‘Salt’ With Angelina Jolie Suffers From Lack of Flavor
Submitted by BrianTT on July 23, 2010 - 12:48pmRating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Perhaps the creators of “Salt” took the potential double meaning of its title a bit too seriously because the film has been overloaded with one flavor at the expense of the variety that could have turned this well-done action movie into something a bit more memorable. Angelina Jolie is great and the film is undeniably expertly made but it’s also shockingly lacking in personality or moments to make it register as more than just an extended chase scene.
Following ‘The Dark Knight,’ Nolan’s ‘Inception’ is a Mind-Stupefying Masterpiece
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on July 15, 2010 - 10:11am Rating: 5.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – After thinking it’d take “a couple months” to ink, director Christopher Nolan (of “The Dark Knight” fame) took eight years to painstakingly write the “Inception” script. And you can tell. It’s his first pure masterpiece.
Forged in Myth, Nicolas Cage Shines in ‘The Sorcerer’s Apprentice’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on July 14, 2010 - 11:56amRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The fantasy action epic has joined the animated film as the go-to genre for summer films. Disney joins the fray with “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” featuring magic, special effects action and a deep mythology, spiced with Nicolas Cage doing a slightly warped version of a King Arthur-era apprentice for Merlin the Magician.
Adrien Brody’s ‘Predators’ Unmemorably Lulls Through the Expected Motions
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on July 12, 2010 - 12:17am Rating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Good films deliver on their promise. Great films up the ante even more. In this version of the long “Predators” franchise from director Nimrod Antal (“Control,” “Armored,” “Vacancy”) and more-known producer Robert Rodriguez (“Grindhouse,” “Sin City”), we merely see more of the same: just enough to get us by but not nearly enough to make us care.
