Friday, May 17, 2013
'Star Trek Into Darkness' proves that J.J. Abrams' success with 2009's 'Trek' reboot was no fluke.
With "Star Trek Into Darkness," director J.J. Abrams proves his first "Trek" outing in 2009 was no fluke. He completed the resuscitation of Paramount's once-ailing flagship franchise and set the scene for what one can only hope will be many more adventures with this winning cast. As he did with 2009's "Star Trek," Abrams has crafted a film that will appeal to casual popcorn-flick fans while still respecting hard-core Trekkies. "Into Darkness" begins at mid-gallop and only rarely slows through its 132-minute running time. The movie opens with the Enterprise crew working frantically to save an alien world from certain doom, in the form of an impending volcanic eruption. A monkey wrench gets thrown into the works when first officer Spock (…
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Billy Crystal, Bette Milder and three talented child actors make this film, which opens on Christmas Day, worth checking out.
You'll be forgiven if you think "Parental Guidance," a comedy starring Billy Crystal, Bette Midler and Marisa Tomei seems to follow a standard formula of old vs. new. The producers of the film aren't apologetic about it. They even promote the movie as Old School vs. New School in parenting. The film is playing in Athens at Carmike 12 and Beechwood Stadium Cinemas. As the movie starts, Crystal's character, Artie Decker, a baseball announcer, is having career problems. The last thing Artie wants to do is spend time with his grandchildren. But his wife, Diane, portrayed by Bette Midler, wants a chance to no longer be her grandkids' second favorite grandmother. When the grandparents arrive in the Atlanta suburb that is home to their …
Friday, July 13, 2012
The fourth installment in the familiar franchise will keep the kids laughing, critics say, despite its shortcomings.
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Friday, July 13, 2012
Will Scrat finally secure the cursed acorn? Will his pursuit have world-changing consequences? Find out in “Ice Age: Continental Drift.” Megan Lehmann of The Hollywood Reporter described “Ice Age: Continental Drift” as a movie children will love despite its failings. “It’s familiar, drawn-out shtick, and the humor lacks the subtlety of the first and best ‘Ice Age,’ but there are some visually inventive high points,” Lehmann wrote. Simon Reynolds of Digital Spy agreed that the fourth installment of the “Ice Age” series covers little new ground. “Ultimately, 'Ice Age 4' feels very much like it's a sequel for a franchise running out of steam. The jokes don't quite stick anymore, too many new characters are introduced (including mammoths …
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Aardman Animations' latest creation is a pirate adventure.
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Saturday, April 28, 2012
It's a handcrafted means to making an animated movie, and based on critics' reviews, "The Pirates! Band of Misfits" is a stop-motion winner. The movie is playing at Beechwood Cinemas and Carmike Cinemas in Athens. Not sure what stop-motion animation is? Think back to "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer", circa 1964. Or the 2009 films "Fantastic Mr. Fox" and "Coraline". From the producers of the 2000 stop-motion flick "Chicken Run" comes a pirate tale in which the generically named Pirate Captain (voiced by Hugh Grant) is on a mission to thwart his rivals and win the award for Pirate of the Year. Los Angeles Times film critic Kenneth Turan calls the movie "a clever piece of business that is a complete pleasure to experience." Michael …
