Wednesday
24Jun
Keiichi Sugiyama's ORIGIN: SPIRITS OF THE PAST
Wednesday, June 24, 2009 at 10:32AM The visuals and artwork are impressive but the characters and story are a letdown.
Dennis McDonald’s MOVIE REVIEWS
This section contains my occasional movie & DVD reviews.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009 at 10:32AM Wednesday
24Jun
Tony Scott's THE TAKING OF PELHAM 123
Wednesday, June 24, 2009 at 10:16AM This is an enjoyable Summer action vehicle that’s held together by Scott’s taught action direction, witty dialog, and effective performances by Washington, Travolta, and Gandolfini.
Monday
22Jun
McG's TERMINATOR SALVATION
Monday, June 22, 2009 at 12:54PM This is a worthy continuation of the Terminator franchise. There’s enough new stuff here to keep your attention, the action is spectacular, and the characters are sufficiently differentiated to create some dramatic tension despite being frequently out-staged by the savage action sequences.
Thursday
04Jun
Tarsem's THE FALL
Thursday, June 4, 2009 at 12:27PM Although visually arresting, I thought Tarsem Singh’s THE CELL was inuman, inhumane, and tawdry. THE FALL is also visually gorgeous. It’s also clever, imaginative, and touching.
Wednesday
03Jun
Mamoru Oshii's THE SKY CRAWLERS
Wednesday, June 3, 2009 at 01:24PM Wonderfully animated, this moody anime adventure combines elements of 1984 (perpetual warfare), Blade Runner (androids with fuzzy memories), Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honneamise (alternate history and retro-futuristic aircraft), and Dark City (constant recycling of character experiences and events).
Friday
22May
Oliver Hirschbiegel's THE INVASION
Friday, May 22, 2009 at 09:38AM Taught, well acted, creepy, and fast-paced. The “invisible aliens among us” story has been done many times before. This one focuses less on wild histrionics than continually escalating terror.
Tuesday
19May
Yoji Yamada's LOVE AND HONOR
Tuesday, May 19, 2009 at 08:26PM A young samurai lives comfortably with his wife in an apartment on the grounds of a rich, aged feudal lord. His complaint: his job as a royal food taster leaves him dissatisfied and longing for more challenging and personally rewarding responsibilities.
Wednesday
13May
J.J. Abrams' STAR TREK
Wednesday, May 13, 2009 at 11:19PM I wasn’t a big fan of the original Star Trek TV series, but I did enjoy the movies and subsequent TV shows. Having a new Star Trek movie that reinvents original series and charcater premises is a welcome event, escpcially when you see and hear the results on a huge IMAX screen, which I just did.
Wednesday
13May
Gavin Hood's X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE
Wednesday, May 13, 2009 at 11:07AM By Dennis D. McDonald
What a humorless film this is. Yes, the action sequences are well done, and yes, the outdoor scenery - New Zealand, I presume - is gorgeous. But the main character, played by Hugh Jackman, has little personality and no charm. Glad I saw it at a discount price.
Copyright (c) 2009 by Dennis D. McDonald
Monday
11May
David Fincher's THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
Monday, May 11, 2009 at 09:17AM The special effects are the most impressive I’ve seen since Peter Jackson’s King Kong.
Thursday
23Apr
Timur Bekmambetov's WANTED
Thursday, April 23, 2009 at 11:02PM Talk about no redeeming social value! But it’s great fun.
Sunday
29Mar
Lilo & Stitch
Sunday, March 29, 2009 at 10:39AM This movie is one of the sweetest movies I’ve seen in years. And I mean that as a sincere compliment.
Friday
13Mar
Spike Lee's MIRACLE AT ST. ANNA
Friday, March 13, 2009 at 07:37AM There’s enough creativity, truth, history, drama, and excitement here for three movies.
Saturday
07Mar
Takeshi Yamakazi's RETURNER
Saturday, March 7, 2009 at 03:28PM This movie is 1000% better than it should be. Credit the director (Takeshi Yamakazi) and his top-notch crew and cast.
Saturday
07Mar
Kronos
Saturday, March 7, 2009 at 03:16PM This 1957 black and white science fiction movie is nowhere near classics like This Island Earth or Forbidden Planet in production values, but it holds up surprisingly well, if you give it a chance.
Friday
06Mar
Farah Khan's OM SHANTI OM
Friday, March 6, 2009 at 09:45AM This is the most entertaining movie I have seen since Andrew Stanton’s WALL-E.
Saturday
31Jan
Wednesday
28Jan
Peter Jackson's LORD OF THE RINGS: RETURN OF THE KING
Wednesday, January 28, 2009 at 10:27PM Many of the scenes in the Theatrical Return beg for more exposition. I don’t know if that’s because the story has been too highly compressed, or if I’m just aware that an Extended Edition is due out in a couple of months. Probably a bit of both.
Wednesday
28Jan
George Lucas' THE PHANTOM MENACE
Wednesday, January 28, 2009 at 10:09PM When I first saw this movie in the theater I was bored. My reaction is much more positive with this 2-DVD set.
Wednesday
28Jan
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within
Wednesday, January 28, 2009 at 10:04PM Watching this movie I was struck by the similarities and differences with The Phantom Menace. Both make heavy use of computer animation, both were based on characters or situations already popular from previous media incarnations, and both dealt with grand issues like Good versus Evil.