Tag: movies

  • Movie Review – 300: Rise of an Empire

    I got in to see 300: Rise of an Empire at an advanced screening (thanks, Buffalo.com!) and I left shaking my head.  It’s basically the ‘rest of the story’ about what’s happening in Greece while the Spartans are kicking messengers into pits and defending gates.  Themistokles is a Greek general known for his cunning, trying…

  • Movie Review – The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

    Movie Review – The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

    Many people were nervous when Peter Jackson wanted to make two movies out of The Hobbit, and it only deepened when three were discussed.  The first movie was pretty divisive – Tolkien purists disliked the changes, and the added parts with the council and the Necromancer bothered some folks.  Others felt that if they got…

  • Movie Review – Thor: The Dark World

    Movie Review – Thor: The Dark World

    The first Thor movie (am I the only one who feels like THOR should be all-caps?  or maybe in that ‘Asgardian’ font they use in the comics?) was a solid effort despite some cornball moments.  The real star turn from that was for Tom Hiddleston’s Loki however, and the fact he got to villain it…

  • Movie Review – Ender’s Game

    Movie Review – Ender’s Game

    Note:  my love of the book predates any knowledge of OSC’s deplorable politics and views on gays.  Not discussing that here. I have a long history with the book Ender’s Game.  My brother gave it to me to read after he read it and loved it, I couldn’t have been more than 10 years old.…

  • Movie Review – Elysium

    Movie Review – Elysium

    I really wanted to like Elysium, and I guess I do, somewhat.  However, there are some serious problems here that kept me from getting even as far as “I really like it” or “It’s great!”.  The first half seemed to drag.  Too much establishing of characters, and even then, it didn’t stick.  I never got…

  • Movie Review – The Wolverine

    Movie Review – The Wolverine

    Adaptation movies are such balancing acts, especially with comic book movies.  Alienate the fans, and the negative backlash on the geek sites will wash you away.  But the superfans alone do not bring in the box office numbers (just look at Joss and Serenity) so you can’t hew too close to the source if it…

  • Movie Review – Pacific Rim

    Movie Review – Pacific Rim

    Ah, Pacific Rim.  The movie every geek wanted to see, but it’s ‘underperforming‘ despite that.  There are many reasons being bandied about (no big stars! being the most prominent).  For me, Pacific Rim did exactly what it was supposed to.  And it cuts through a lot of the crap we’ve come to expect with a…

  • Movie Review – Despicable Me 2

    Movie Review – Despicable Me 2

    Thanks to the fine folks at Buffalo.com, my 5 year old daughter and I saw Despicable Me 2 last night.  It’s got a lot to live up to, as the first is one of our favorite movies as a family, and one of the most-quoted.  I’m happy to report that, for the most part, Despicable…

  • Movie Review – Man of Steel

    Movie Review – Man of Steel

    Superman, the character, has never held great appeal for me.  I’ve enjoyed some of the movies and shows, read a few comics here and there, but he’s never been particularly interesting.  The trailers for Man of Steel, though, intrigued me.  They promised a Superman with some depth, played with the mythology a bit, and implied…

  • Movie Review – Iron Man 3

    Movie Review – Iron Man 3

    A few notes:  I’m a huge Iron Man fanboy, and I’ll try to keep spoilers out of the first paragraph.  Beyond that, you’ve been warned. My son and I went to see Iron Man 3 last night, and had a lot of fun.  I think, at this point, they are never recapturing the magic of…

  • Movie Review – G.I. Joe: Retaliation

    Movie Review – G.I. Joe: Retaliation

    I was never a G.I. Joe kid growing up – I don’t remember it being forbidden, but discouraged, but it was also always on opposite something else I wanted to watch.  I went to see this with a couple of friends who were way more into the Joes than I ever was, including one that…

  • Movie Review – The Croods

    Movie Review – The Croods

    I almost didn’t go see The Croods.  When I was just seeing the stand-ups and posters in the theaters, it didn’t appeal to me.  Cavemen really do little for me – how many jokes can you make about them, anyway?  Early clips and trailers did little to disuade me from that notion.  What actually got…