You may have seen, over the past few decades, a few dozen movies featuring an unconventional teacher, who, when thrown in with uninspired kids, goes on to push them to a greatness no one ever expected of any of them. Hamlet 2 definitely falls into this general category, but with tongue firmly planted in […]

I feel an utter loss of clinical objectivity as I sit down to write this review. I can say that I had a ball and a half, the likes of which I don’t think I’ve seen this year. Like a similar adored hoot, Hairspray, Mamma Mia is a stage musical adapted to the […]

My first exposure to the idea of this movie, I thought, who cares, don’t wanna see it. Another freaking superhero movie, only this time it’s not based on anything famous and it stars Will Smith so they figure our love for him will save them from having to actually write a script (see: Men […]

Matinee with Snacks
As always, Pixar preceded their feature with a short, called Presto. The rabbit who stars is an atypical sort of character design for Pixar, which made me nervous initially. Never fear! Presto plays with the laws of cartoon physics in another lovely, wordless short that is reminiscent of the madcap […]

Oh thank heaven, Get Smart is funny. If you are a fan of the show, there are enough little winks, nudges, and appropriately contextualized catch phrases to please you – but the movie doesn’t rely on them to carry itself. If you’d never seen the show, nothing was needed to make this film […]

In the interests of science, this movie review will be handled in a little different way. My friend Melanie is a long-time fan of the show, and went to see the movie with her mom. I had watched maybe half of one show in the first season and just couldn’t get into it, […]

Bigger Stronger Faster
Matinee with Snacks
Christopher Bell grew up watching big muscle guy movies of the 1980’s, with Stallone and Schwartzenegger, pro wrestlers, and basically the USA kicking tail all over the place.  In his film, he chronicles how these influences transformed himself and his brothers from low-end bully fodder into pumped-up competitive jocks.  Before long, […]

Indiana Jones is the kind of beloved cinematic icon whose fourth movie, set age-appropriately years after his last films, could stain his charming persona forever. The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull does veer dangerously away from its more archaeologically relevant predecessors, but it is still very much in the spirit of the original series. […]

This was my third Universal Studios comedy in a short time, and I was starting to worry. I am so glad this one was last! Writer/star Jason Segel was lovable and full of heart on Freaks and Geeks, but is he funny? Yes! The premise is promising: Segel is dumped […]

I’m not so much into the comic book movies.  Outside of Superman and Batman, my experience is limited and my interest less.  I have never seen or read any work based on Iron Man until this one, so I cannot speak to its fidelity to the canon.  I do see a crapload of movies, however, […]