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5 articles from 2008

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Movie Reviews, Part 2: Hancock

2 July 2008 10:37 AM, PDT | From Studio Briefing - Film News | See recent Studio Briefing - Film News news

Additional reviews for Hancock, starring Will Smith, are appearing today (Wednesday) following the movie's release in some cities Tuesday night. And, for the most part, they are no more enthusiastic than the initial ones. Stephen Hunter in the Washington Post writes that the movie "turns out to be one of the strangest freak shows to arrive since the mermaid, the monkey-faced boy and Rip the wonder peanut. In fact, the most powerful amusement it generates is trying to figure out what thinking went behind it, what executive leap of faith justified its reportedly $150 million budget." Like other critics Michael Sragow in the Baltimore Sun, enjoyed the opening of the film but was disappointed with the rest of it and particularly the ending twist. "If only they had found a way to untwist their story, they might have come up with an ending that didn't leave audiences feeling screwed," he writes. And Mick LaSalle in the San Francisco Chronicle concludes: "Hancock is more intelligent than most summer blockbusters and features at its center a thought-out and committed performance by Will Smith. But in the end it's merely almost good."

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Movie Reviews: Iron Man

1 May 2008 10:34 AM, PDT | From Studio Briefing - Film News | See recent Studio Briefing - Film News news

Robert Downey Jr., an unlikely choice to play a superhero, is receiving much praise for his performance in the title role of Iron Man, which is opening at 8:00 p.m. in many theaters throughout the country tonight (Thursday). "This supremely gifted actor will please several generations of filmgoers," writes Bill Zwecker in the Chicago Sun-Times who calls the movie itself "simply great escapism." Kenneth Turan in the Los Angeles Times notes that the part seems to be "nicely tailored to Downey's talents and is a great deal of fun as a result." Says Lou Lumenick in the New York Post: "First and foremost, this is Downey's show." And some show it is, most critics agree. "Make no mistake," writes Peter Howell in the Toronto Star, "this is the birth of a new franchise. The only thing wrong with Iron Man -- and I can't believe I'm saying this -- is that it's too short, even at 126 minutes. It ends just as the action is really picking up. When was the last time a summer blockbuster left you longing for more?" And Michael Sragow concludes in the Baltimore Sun: "So far this spring, as far as live-action would-be blockbusters go, all that glitters is iron."

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Movie Reviews: Smart People

11 April 2008 10:31 AM, PDT | From Studio Briefing - Film News | See recent Studio Briefing - Film News news

Smart People , about, well, smart people in academia, is opening with quite a mixture of critical reaction. It passes the Iq test with flying colors. And intelligence plus genuine wit aren't its only distinctions," comments Joe Morgenstern in the Wall Street Journal. Carina Chocano in the Los Angeles Times concludes her review by remarking, "It's the kind of observational comedy, that'll be hard to find come summertime and should be enjoyed while there's still a chance." Michael Sragow awards it a B-, describing the film as "sometimes droll but often just pleasantly literate." Claudia Puig in Usa Today grades it only a C+, writing, "Though it features witty dialogue and good performances, the plot contrivances keep it from being an altogether winning enterprise." Joe Neumaier in the New York Daily News isn't even sure about that "witty dialogue," writing, "Its idea of 'smart' is to simply put multisyllabic words into its characters' mouths, ignoring how empty-headed the people saying them are." And Peter Howell in the Toronto Star dismisses the movie as "terminally dull."

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Movie Reviews: Nim's Island

4 April 2008 11:36 AM, PDT | From Studio Briefing - Film News | See recent Studio Briefing - Film News news

Many of the critics reviewing Nim's Island realize that most of the folks reading their reviews will never see the movie unless they're the parents of small children, so they set down teh barest assessments. "Nim's Island is strictly for the 8-and-under crowd," Lou Lumenick writes, providing most parents with the information that they're looking for. Michael Sragow is a bit more specific, writing that kids "will find Nim's Island a stunningly empty experience." But Roger Moore in the Orlando Sentinel sums up: "All things considered, the movie does a good enough job of filling that void of kid films between cartoons and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants."

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Movie Reviews: Semi-pro

29 February 2008 12:25 PM, PST | From Studio Briefing - Film News | See recent Studio Briefing - Film News news

Will Farrell doesn't bring many critics to their feet cheering with his sports-related comedies, but he often does receive polite applause. Such is the case with Semi-Pro, in which Ferrell portrays the owner, coach, and star of a 1970s basketball team. Matt Zoller Seitz writes in the New York Times that the movie "finds the sweet spot between sports melodrama and parody, and hammers it for 90 diverting minutes." Claudia Puig in Usa Today pronounces the film "definitely more than semi-funny" and concludes, "If you're a Ferrell fan, and if you enjoy his particular brand of eccentric tomfoolery, it's worth taking a chance on Semi-Pro." Michael Sragow in the Baltimore Sun also seems mildly amused. "The pacing and the staging are lackadaisical at best, but the virtue of this film's looseness is that it has some of the airy unpredictability of the best late-night TV comedy," he writes. Nevertheless, some critics blow the whistle on the movie. Kyle Smith in the New York Post leads off his review by remarking that "Semi Pro goes up for the dunk and misses the hoop, the backboard and the point." Jack Mathews in the New York Daily News compares Ferrell's performance in the movie with his real-life appearances on recent TV shows in which he ends up "embarrassing both the hosts and himself by acting crazy." In the same way, writes Mathews, "The movie itself leaps onto the screen and makes goofy faces at you without being either funny or involving."

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2008 | 2007 | 2005

5 articles from 2008

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