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2012 Spectacular but Stupid

MOVIE REVIEW

Nov 13, 2009 6:50 AM CST

2012 Spectacular but Stupid

End-of-the-world epic is 'disaster porn' at its finest

(Newser) - Critics agree that world-destroying disaster epic 2012 boasts some stunning special effects, but they're split on whether that makes up for the cheesy script—and the run time of 2 hours, 38 minutes.

Director Roland Emmerich's previous destruction-fests Independence Day and The Day After Tomorrow "are nothing compared to

...

Sly, Arnie, Willis
to Unite Onscreen

Sep 13, 2009 5:58 PM CDT

Sly, Arnie, Willis to Unite Onscreen

The Expendables also stars Rourke, Li

(Newser) - Musclemen Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Bruce Willis are uniting for one last action flick, the Guardian reports. The Expendables, slated for release next year, tells the story of a band of mercenaries in Latin America, and will show the three grizzled stars together for the first time since the...

Overwrought G.I. Joe
'Everything You Could Want'

movie review

Aug 7, 2009 12:30 PM CDT

Overwrought G.I. Joe 'Everything You Could Want'

(Newser) - Most critics—who didn't have access to advance screenings, normally a huge red flag—agree that G.I. Joe: the Rise of Cobra isn’t anything but a popcorn flick. For some, that’s enough. For others, not so much.

"It’s all put together with such verve and

...

Vatican
Charmed
by Potter

Jul 15, 2009 4:30 AM CDT

Vatican Charmed by Potter

(Newser) - Though rarely a fan of wizards and witches, the Vatican has declared the latest Harry Potter film a positive tale of “friendship, altruism, loyalty" that achieves the "correct balance" in depicting teen romance, reports the Guardian. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, opening today, makes clear that...

This Summer's Top Trailers

Jul 8, 2009 1:38 PM CDT

This Summer's Top Trailers

(Newser) - Summer may not always yield the best movies, but it never fails to deliver the year’s best trailers. Wired celebrates this sacred art by picking out the trailers that managed to throw the most hype onto the screen in 3 minutes or less. We’ve helpfully compiled them in...

Stuntmen's Favorite Films

OPINION

Jul 7, 2009 4:55 PM CDT

Stuntmen's Favorite Films

(Newser) - When it comes to movies, nothing wows like an epic action sequence. Which flicks do stunt performers like best? Kevin Conley lists 'em for Slate:

The Matrix Trilogy: Legendary kung fu director Yuen Wo-Ping didn't really want the job and issued near-impossible demands—including six months of training for stuntmen—

...

A Tough Guy for Everyone

OPINION

May 3, 2009 4:56 AM CDT

A Tough Guy for Everyone

Why Wolverine has had such lasting appeal

(Newser) - Wolverine has endured. The character has two comic-book series, a new blockbuster movie, and his own exhibit at New York’s comic museum 35 years after being introduced as a sidekick. Why has Wolverine had such long lasting appeal? With a dark, mysterious past, and a “penchant for berserker...

Statham Cracks Skulls, Cracks Up Audiences

ANALYSIS

Apr 17, 2009 1:23 PM CDT

Statham Cracks Skulls, Cracks Up Audiences

Actor's films expertly blend adventure, slapstick

(Newser) - Jason Statham, the hulking British action star specializing in shoot-em-up, kick-em-down movies, owes much to Jackie Chan and Wile E. Coyote, Jody Rosen writes for Slate. After all, Statham trades in “a mix of bionic brute force and slapstick”—delivered with his Everyman charm. It may sound absurd,...

Push All Style, No Coherence

MOVIE REVIEW

Feb 6, 2009 4:03 PM CST

Push All Style, No Coherence

(Newser) - Push, the latest would-be superhero franchise, “has vibrant cinematography and decent acting,” writes Roger Ebert, “but I’m blasted if I know what it’s about.” Oh, he gets the basics: Movers are telekinetic, Watchers are psychic, and Pushers control minds. There are also Stitchers, Wipers,...

Critics Not So
Taken With Taken

moviE review

Jan 30, 2009 11:09 AM CST

Critics Not So Taken With Taken

Plot, lead character 'preposterous'

(Newser) - Critics disagree over whether Bourne-style action flick Taken is a quality picture, but they concur on one thing: Its plot is “preposterous,” as Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times puts it. It’s “a completely unbelievable action picture” in which Liam Neeson’s “sharpshooting, pursuit-driving, pocket-picking,...

A-Team Bound for Theaters

Jan 28, 2009 1:11 PM CST

A-Team Bound for Theaters

Joe Carnahan tapped to direct

(Newser) - The A-Team is coming back! Fox has tapped director Joe Carnahan, of Smokin’ Aces fame, to direct a big-budget update of the hugely popular '80s action show, Radar Online reports. Few plot details have emerged, except that it will keep the core story of veterans—now of Iraq, not Vietnam—...

Craig's Bond Saves Solace

MOVIE REVIEW

Nov 14, 2008 12:13 PM CST

Craig's Bond Saves Solace

Daniel Craig shines in superspy sequel but some find Bond brand too diluted

(Newser) - Quantum of Solace doesn't quite measure up to its predecessor, but that's because the Bond makers set the bar so high with Casino Royale, say critics. Daniel Craig returns for his second outing as the superspy, and his cold-blooded but charismatic performance ensures that his "place as the best...

Beyoncé Wants to Be Wonder Woman

Nov 8, 2008 3:36 AM CST

Beyoncé Wants to Be Wonder Woman

Aspiring superhero ready to try on Amazon's outfit for size

(Newser) - There’s no film in the works yet, but Beyoncé has made her intentions clear: She wants to be the first big-screen Wonder Woman. The star shared her ambitions with DC Comics and Warner Bros. after being wowed by Linda Carter’s original costume at superhero-themed museum exhibition earlier this...

Bangkok Dangerously Bland

MOVIE REVIEW

Sep 5, 2008 10:37 AM CDT

Bangkok Dangerously Bland

Cage-starring remake of Asian hit lacks the spice of the original

(Newser) - The Pang brothers' Hollywood rehash of their 1999 hit Bangkok Dangerous lacks spice despite the exotic locale, say critics. The "rough, Bangkok underworld-set story" has morphed into "a cleaner tourist's take on crime and corruption," Jordan Mintzer writes in Variety, with Nicolas Cage playing a more conventional...

UK Bans Jolie 'Wanted' Posters

Sep 4, 2008 11:41 AM CDT

UK Bans Jolie 'Wanted' Posters

Gun-toting ads too violent, promote guns

(Newser) - The UK has banned racy ads featuring a gun-toting Angelina Jolie promoting her action flick Wanted, claiming that they glorify the use of firearms and violence, Reuters reports. Britain's media watchdog said it received complaints that the ads weren't suitable for children, especially during a time in which public opinion...

Time to Wrap Up Mummy

MOVIE REVIEW

Aug 1, 2008 11:52 AM CDT

Time to Wrap Up Mummy

Franchise feels distinctly creaky

(Newser) - The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor is more than a little musty. The third movie in the cycle features "more ancient corpses come to life amid digital effects laid on with a trowel," Jane Horwitz writes in the Washington Post, but the "tiresome and messy" result...

Dark Knight Dazzles

MOVIE REVIEW

Jul 17, 2008 11:09 AM CDT

Dark Knight Dazzles

Heath Ledger's final performance burns in the dark

(Newser) - Dark Knight swoops into cinemas tomorrow and critics say the hype is more than justified. "This is not merely a Batman movie," Amy Biancolli writes in the Houston Chronicle. It is one of the year's best films "and far and away the most hypnotic chiller." The...

Hellboy Burns Up the Screen

MOVIE REVIEW

Jul 11, 2008 8:07 AM CDT

Hellboy Burns Up the Screen

Red-hot sequel showcases del Toro's dazzling imagination

(Newser) - Hades' greatest hero is back in Hellboy II: The Golden Army, and most critics agree it's a hell of a ride. Director Guillermo del Toro returns with comic book creator Mike Mignola, ensuring the dynamic sequel is "shot through with the franchise's signature goofiness, sarcasm and good heart,"...

People Don't Like You, Hancock

movie review

Jul 1, 2008 11:22 AM CDT

People Don't Like You, Hancock

They all want to, though

(Newser) - Everyone wants to like Hancock. The idea of a slovenly, booze-swilling superhero screwup is undeniably priceless. But “the finished product is so poorly conceived and misguided that even Will Smith… can't save it,” writes Claudia Puig of USA Today. The movie starts out irreverent and fun, then veers...

Get Smart Not So Clever

movie review

Jun 20, 2008 12:15 PM CDT

Get Smart Not So Clever

Film struggles to balance action and comedy

(Newser) - The film version of the 1960s TV spy parody Get Smart can’t decide if it's an action flick or a comedy, and it shows. It’s “an action comedy that represents the worst of both worlds,” Mick LaSalle writes in the San Francisco Chronicle—“as funny...