When all is said and done this is a good movie that can be enjoyed for what it is: an intelligent and thrilling story, elegantly produced, with excellent acting and beautiful photography.
Robert Zemeckis' FLIGHT
A lot has been written about the harrowing plane crash flight. Yep, it’s pretty harrowing, but I’ll still hold of World War Z, Numbers, and Pitch Black is having comparable crash sequences.
Wong Kar-Wai's FALLEN ANGELS
One thought that popped into my mind at first about Fallen Angels was “style over substance.” That’s simplistic. Yes, there’s a ton of style here. There is also a lot of substance. It’s just that the substance is not the feel-good or warm-and-fuzzy type; at times things get really dark. How the movie is photographed supports that. But it’s a movie well worth watching.
David Twohy's PITCH BLACK
I recently re-watched this scifi-horror film from 2000 and boy was I impressed.
Hark Tsui's “FLYING SWORDS OF DRAGON GATE”
Hark Tsui’s FLYING SWORDS OF DRAGON GATE at times reminded me of a Saturday morning cartoon. It’s almost Tom-and-Jerry-like in its portrayal of action and violence. Yet it’s immensely entertaining if only for its exotic locations, diverse costumes, visual splendor, and fascinating facial tattoos.
I'm Giving Up On UNDER THE DOME
I loved the book. To say I’m disappointed with the TV series would be an understatement. I’ve watched 5 or 6 episodes so far (via Amazon Prime) but I think I’ll stop there.
Pete Travis' DREDD
Lena Heady proves again she is well on her way to becoming the go-to actor for psychopathic female leaders. This woman does not fool around and is just plain fun to watch. I would love to see her play a character up against “Alice” in the next Resident Evil movie.
Neill Blomkamp's ELYSIUM
You can enjoy it as an action thriller but the underlying stories and significance go way beyond that. I’ll take Elysium over a comic book hero movie any day.
Guillermo del Toro's “PACIFIC RIM”
A few times I closed my eyes while watching Pacific Rim and — I swear — I was a little boy again watching humans and their technology duke it out on the big screen with aliens.
Don Scanlon's MONSTERS UNIVERSITY
I enjoyed this movie immensely. Visually inventive in ways I could never imagine on my own, the characters and story are involving and potentially more sophisticated than might be appreciated by very young children.
Marc Forster's WORLD WAR Z
This is an amazing and exciting film. While the storyline is a bit thin at times the viewer is rushed headlong through a series of harrowing adventures culminating in an intense cat and mouse chase in a secret research facility.
J.J. Abrams' STAR TREK: INTO DARKNESS
Having grown up reading the science fiction of Clarke, Heinlein, and Asimov, the original Star Trek TV series always seemed unsophisticated and juvenile.
Rupert Sanders' “SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN”
The only reason I rented this Blu-ray was to see Charlize Theron. I was smitten by her in Prometheus and was really looking forward to seeing her in a turn as the Evil Stepmother.
Alas, it was not to be.
Joseph Kosinski's “OBLIVION”
Great popcorn movie. Really enjoyed it. Terrific visuals, interesting variations on familiar themes.
Benh Zeitlin's BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD
I’m glad I saw this film, it’s a pleasure to see something that’s grounded in reality but sufficiently fantastic to the point where the dividing line between the two becomes blurred.
Tom McCarthy's THE STATION AGENT
While watching this film I said to myself, “If I could make a movie this is the kind of movie I’d make.”
Barry Sonnenfeld's MEN IN BLACK III
To my surprise, I really enjoyed many Men in Black III. What did I like about it?
Timo Vuorensola's "IRON SKY"
I was really looking forward to seeing Iron Sky after all the online hype. Actually seeing it was a major disappointment. This movie is awful.
Mamoru Oshii's “ASSAULT GIRLS”
This is sort of a sequel to Avalon. We have, again, a post apocalyptic society where immersive multiplayer videogame warfare seems to have evolved into a major societal and economic force.
Steven Spielberg's LINCOLN
My first reaction, walking out of the theater after the credits, was to ask my wife, “How is it possible that the same guy who directed a terrifying movie like War of the Worlds could then go on to do something like LIncoln?”