Blackhat is a timely exploration of terrifying cyber-terrorism, headed by a rising star and directed by a veteran known for crisp action and slick style. Why then is it such a disappointing movie? Because of Morgan Davis Foehl’s pedestrian script, which […]
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Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (2014) ☆ ☆
The Night at the Museum trilogy which this episode caps has never been one of great import. Young audiences should appreciate the notion of historical figures and skeletons of dinosaurs coming to life in a museum after hours, but the primary […]
Continue reading »Into the Woods (2014) ☆ ☆ 1/2
I didn’t know what to expect from Rob Marshall’s new musical Into the Woods; I was not familiar with the play at all, to the point that I had no idea it conglomerated some of Grimm’s fairy tales into a […]
Continue reading »Selma (2014) ☆ ☆ ☆
The big flap regarding Selma was its failure to secure a slew of Oscar nominations, which it was expected to do. Selma is certainly the type of film — an historical drama addressing race relations, focusing on one particular historical personage — […]
Continue reading »Foxcatcher (2014) ☆ ☆ 1/2
I had seen the preview for this months ago, then learned that Steve Carell was in it. Where was he, I wondered, for I did not recognize him. Carell underwent a couple of hours a day in the makeup chair […]
Continue reading »The Imitation Game (2014) ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2
The Imitation Game chronicles the history of how the British were able, finally, to decode the legendary “Enigma” coding machine during World War II. This story has been told before, in Enigma (2001), which was rather dull and confusing. This tale is […]
Continue reading »2014 Classics Wrap-Up
We began the year hoping to see and review a movie a week, with a week or two off for vacation or especially busy times. That notion devolved pretty quickly to every other week, and we struggled with that. Even […]
Continue reading »Annie (2014) ☆ ☆ 1/2
On first blush, Annie would not seem to interest me very much. But I liked the preview, which promised energy and vitality; the performers, who are talented and likable; and an updated view of an old-fashioned source. I am not much […]
Continue reading »Wild (2014) ☆ ☆ 1/2
Great movies surface during awards season, but my cynical side also notes that actors often take roles that they believe or hope will surface during awards season to capture those very awards. Reese Witherspoon’s decision to make Wild seems to me […]
Continue reading »The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014) ☆ ☆ 1/2
I’ve liked the first two entrants in the “Hobbit” trilogy, more so than the three “Lord of the Rings” movies, but this third Hobbit movie — serving as the bridge between the two series — is disappointing to me because […]
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