When you walk into a film that screams Oscar bait, your expectations are automatically shifted.  Ask a critic and he or she can deny it until they die, but it’s hard to judge a film destined for Academy Award treatment in the same manner as others.   If anything, one can be harder on these films because they are loaded with so much talent and ambition.

While imperfect and a little long winded, David O. Russell’s follow up to Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle, is a wildly funny look back at the Helter Skelter days of the 1970’s and how a great con could topple not just the law but organized crime as well.  The moment the credits roll, the sound of the era and the looks swell your lenses and take you right back to that period of time where looks traveled farther than your words or integrity did.  The film opens on a potbellied Bale arranging his elaborate hairpiece/comb-over special and it’s a sight that sets you up for the entire film.   The confidence of Russell and his cast guide you through the more uneven and glossy parts of the film.  (more…)

Watching Stallone and DeNiro trade the oldest jokes in movie history for a couple hours is like watching two old pros handling a customer at a car sales lot.  It’s engaging at first but after a while, a tiring experience and one that needs to be retired soon.

Don’t get me wrong here, there were times in this comedy that I laughed and enjoyed myself.  I would be lying though if I said it was worth paying full admission for at a movie theater.  There is simply too much fine entertainment at the movies right now to send you to this A.A.R.P. boxing party.

The experience isn’t dreadful and could make some easygoing movie couple’s night.  Alda makes a fine comic replacement for Mickey.   Basinger returns to the big screen to the play the flame that got away.  Hart brings a few laughs and energy but wears you down by the halfway mark.  Stallone and DeNiro are fine comic actors but they seem to be going through the motions and are bored by the material.   (more…)

Attention all football fans and casual observers alike, get ready to love Ivan Reitman’s new movie about the fanaticism that surrounds NFL National Draft Day.  Reitman, along with screenwriters Scott Rothman and Rajiv Joseph, have crafted a perfect spring blast of cinematic entertainment and also pay a fine salute to the millions of NFL maniacs out there who drop everything and watch the pro teams select the college elite.  And for all the people who don’t care for football but love a good story, no worries because this is simply a very good movie that may teach you a few things about the most popular game in the United States.

Reitman made a perfect choice when he casted the white hot Kevin Costner, who deserves a lifetime achievement award for being awesome in any sports related film.   Playing Sonny Weaver Jr., Costner dials up the charm and carries a perfect blend of cynicism and pride in showing us a guy driven to live up to the legacy of his legendary coaching father and bring this team back from the dead.   (more…)

Film addicts, it’s important to walk into Brick Mansions with the right mindset. It can’t be stressed enough that this movie is a glorified version of cinematic frozen pizza. As a critic, my job was to also separate the film from the bittersweet paradox that came with the tag of Paul Walker’s last completed film. The minute I saw the twinkle in Walker’s blue eyes and the youthful vulnerability in his performance in this brainless action exercise, there was a small moment of nostalgia.

Seeing him drive a sports car furiously around a parking lot was plain eerie.  The action star died tragically in a car accident in November and seeing his confident energy on screen kicking, punching and sprinting for justice, it’s rather difficult at first to separate real life and cinema. With his death coming 2 fast 2 furious only months ago, the effort was on to properly critique his last film.

The movie starts, and David Belle starts jumping through windows and off buildings, and right away the IQ level of Brick Mansions is revealed. 1980’s throwaway action candy.  Take it for what it is, and the film can be enjoyed at a modest level. Take it for anything more, and disappointment will settle in. (more…)

(older movie reviews with a new coat of paint)

Here’s one way that tells you the movie that just consumed 90 minutes of your life was a bad idea. When you can’t seem to come up with a coherent way to explain the plot to someone. The latest Jason Statham vehicle is bland, pointless and goes nowhere in its brisk running time. He plays a tough guy “fixer” who helps people in a variety of ways. He could help a man land a beautiful woman by letting the man knock him out. He could help a brutally beaten friend get revenge on a gangster. You name it and Statham’s Nicky will do it. I wish I could have asked for a better movie with such talent involved.

Say what you want about the British action star, but Statham is a fun man to watch. He is truly something unique and is a reliable guy when it comes to producing a good old fashioned dose of kickass therapy. Here, he is joined by a fine cast including Jason Alexander, Stanley Tucci, Hope Davis along with a few worthy B-list stars and the script is from William Goldman, who wrote the book the film is based on as well. That novel was called “Heat” and the name switch just makes the film look more laughable. (more…)