Despite his cultural popularity and prolific writing, Stephen King adaptations rarely translate well to cinema. For every “Shawshank Redemption” or “The Green Mile,” you have numerous duds. Seasoned screenwriters, producers, or directors find a way to make King’s mostly horror or mystery genre fiction work for the big screen. Still, often his adaptations are relegated […]
The casual superhero movie viewer might not remember the events of the original “Doctor Strange,” and not everyone will have seen the limited series “Wanda Vision,” and that’s ok. Versatile director Sam Raimi brings his specific set of skills to this sequel that takes the viewer on a gothic horror movie journey. The production design
The strides Disney made with the original “Maleficent” (2014) are lost and forgotten in the sequel that reunites Oscar-winner Angelina Jolie with those squared cheekbones and devilish horns. The opening sequence is a conglomeration of over-saturated and mediocre CGI, reacquainting audiences with the fairytale land of The Moors and creatures therein. The narration informs us that
What hard lessons for a cub to learn, especially when malevolence is involved! Simba (McCreary as the young Simba) is so proud to be next in line for king, but is so young he doesn’t understand the responsibilities that are part of such an honor. He sees it initially as more freedoms for him, without regard for others. He’s
Take a trip to Africa to revel in the scenery, the music, the costumes, and the culture. Talented actor Chiwetel Ejiofor’s first venture in directing a feature film should assure him of a promising future in this aspect of moviemaking. His selection of story, timing of plot progression, and, in partnership with the producers, assembling a team
With all the adult themes (such as the complexities in relationships, literary references, and details in the plot), it’s hard to see how Sherlock Gnomes is a film for children, despite its being animated. Following Sherlock’s (Depp) reasoning through problems and clues is way over the kids’ heads; observing the intricacies of relationships between Sherlock
The fourteenth comic book film released by Marvel Studios has a different cook in the kitchen, but unfortunately horror movie director Scott Derrickson is working with the same tired ingredients. Doctor Strange is a kaleidoscopic adventure that aims to present the standard superhero origin story in new light, or at least different colors. The cast,
I have a good hunch why Triple 9, which was shot a couple of years ago, landed a soft release. Not the best social climate to promote a film about corruption and deadly cops. Still director John Hilcoat, known for his dark, moody and ensemble casts, assembles an intense thriller even if plot logistics and
Billy Ray’s Secret in Their Eyes feels more like the writer/director is trying to deliver the same type of Thanksgiving thrills Prisoners (2013) did two years ago.
You probably have to go all the way back to “Gladiator” to find a film from Ridley Scott that display’s the quality seen in “The Martian”. Not the first choice to direct this book to film adaptation, the 77-year-old director certainly understands space and gives us a lot of it. “The Martian” isn’t a