Change Your Image
tcolburn-4
Reviews
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
Disjointed and depressing
Acting - good; special effects and action sequences - great; Wonder Woman - amazing. Plot and story line - horrible.
In spite of the horribly disjointed script and twisted story line, all of the actors provided good performances. Especially well portrayed were Diana Prince (Gal Gadot), Alfred (Jeremy Irons), and Clark Kent (Henry Cavill). Worthy of note were Amy Adams, Diane Lane, and even Ben Afflack--Laurence Fishburn was under-used and his Perry White unfortunately lacking in depth. Even more unfortunate was Jesse Eisenburg's villain, who was so over the top insane, one must wonder how his Lex Luthor ever managed to stay out of the psych unit, much less build a major corporation.
I realize that the DC "Universe" is darker than the Marvel "Universe" but really people, let's at least give the next film a plot that adheres to at least some of the elements of good story telling.
Blackhat (2015)
Interesting concept-boring film
I thought I'd give this film a chance on DVD, in spite of the so-so ratings when it hit the theaters. This was a nice concept for an intellectual thriller. However, two-dimensional characters, spotty writing, and the director's attempt to make it feel like--how can I describe it--an artistic, moody dream, combine to make this a fail. The actors gave it their best, and the film began with potential. Viola Davis is a wonderful actress and gave her character depth, in-spite of the writing. None of the characters were written with any dimensionality, which is sad, since the scenario and pacing would have allowed for some nicely developed dialogue. In addition, Mann's attempt at a stylized cinematography with the accompanying mood music, caused the film to drag. Spend your money on a nice black fedora, not this sad Blackhat.
Avalon High (2010)
Fun twist on the Arthurian legend
Avalon High is a fun updating of the Arthur legend. It is totally age appropriate for young teens--as opposed to many of today's films aimed at that age group. A high schooler, Allie, is used to her parents moving frequently, supposedly the result of their scholarship and expertise on the King Arthur legends. She's excited to find out that for once they will be living in a location for longer than six months. On her first day at school, she quickly observes some of the typical--and not so typical--drama that takes place on high school campuses. The audience quickly becomes aware that a modern-day Camelot is unfolding. The characters are a little slower on the uptake. There were no award-winning acting turns, but there were no duds. I think Molly Quinn would have done better in the lead role than Britt Robertson; Quinn has more depth to her as an actress, even though Robertson is older with more credits to her name. The twist at the end was a little out there, and just barely worked, but it was still an entertaining film.