Ebert Did It Better: Gasbag Reviews

Author: coolpapae

  • Twixt: Coppola misfiring on all cylinders

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    Twixt – 2013 Written and Directed by Francis Ford Coppola Starring Val Kilmer, Elle Fanning, Joanne Whalley, Bruce Dern, Ben Chaplin, David Paymer Elle Fanning never saw it coming.  A chance to work with one of the most acclaimed directors of the latter half of the 20th century, and she should likely jump at the chance.…

  • Bullet to the Head: This is why Stallone can’t work alone

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    Bullet to the Head – 2013 Director Walter Hill Starring Sylvester Stallone, Sung Kang, Sarah Shahi, Christian Slater, Jason Momoa, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje Screenplay Alessandro Camon based on Du Plomb Dans La Tete by  Alexis Nolent This is Stallone’s version of a comic book movie.  It has few things to recommend it.  One of them is getting to view a career of Stallone head shot photos as police…

  • The Big Wedding: Win some, lose more

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    The Big Wedding – 2013 Written and Directed by Justin Zackham Starring Amanda Seyfried, Katherine Heigl, Robert DeNiro, Susan Sarandon, Diane Keaton, Robin Williams, Ben Barnes, Topher Grace, Christine Ebersole, David Rache, Patricia Rae, Ana Ayora Based on Mon frère se marie by Jean-Stéphane Bron and Karine Sudan “What is wrong with you?” a question asked by daughter Lila (Heigl), when she…

  • Elysium has no more than one answer to the world’s ills

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    Elysium – 2013 Written and Directed by Neill Blomkamp Starring Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Sharlto Copley, Alice Braga, Diego Luna, William Fichtner, Wagner Moura, Faran Tahir Alice Braga is one of the most beautiful women in the world.  Her beauty is breathtaking.  I spent much of Elysium wondering how in the world it was that Max De…

  • 42: Somewhere between legend and reality

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    42 – 2013 Writer and Director Brian Helgeland Starring Chadwick Boseman, Harrison Ford, Andre Holland, Christopher Meloni, John C. McGuinley, Lucas Black, Alan Tudyk, Nichole Beharie, C. J. Nitkowski, Brett Cullen, Ryan Merriman, T.R. Knight, Hamish Linklater, Brad Beyer, Jesse Luken, Max Gail, Peter MacKenzie, Linc Hand Somewhere in the middle of 42, a pitcher named Fritz Ostermueller…

  • Olympus Has Fallen is a not so subtle slice of Peckinpah

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    Olympus Has Fallen – 2013 Director Anton Fuqua Starring Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman, Angela Bassett, Robert Forster, Cole Hauser, Finley Jacobsen, Ashley Judd, Melissa Leo, Dylan McDermott, Radha Mitchell, Rick Yune Written by Creighton Rothenberger, Katrin Benedikt The attack on the White House is glorious.  An ungodly amount of .50 caliber bullets flying throughout, maiming some,…

  • Mud: The dream of love lives on

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    Mud – 2012 Written and Directed by Jeff Nichols Starring Matthew McConaughey, Tye Sheridan, Reese Witherspoon, Sam Shephard, Jacob Lofland, Sarah Paulson, Ray McKinnon, Michael Shannon, Joe Don Baker, Stuart Greer, Michael Abbott, Jr., Bonnie Sturdivant I was never more fiercely dedicated to the pursuit of love than when I was in the Grade School.  My nerves…

  • Admission is smartly compassionate

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    Admission – 2013 Directed by Paul Weitz Starring Tina Fey, Paul Rudd, Michael Sheen, Lily Tomlin, Wallace Shawn, Nat Wolff, Gloria Reuben, Tavaris Spears Screenplay Karen Croner based on Admission by Jean Hanff Korelitz The gift that Tina Fey brings to her movies is not limited to laughs.  It’s straight up compassion.  Her characters are often self-depreciating, but intelligent.  Maybe what she…

  • The Wolverine: Characters will survive…

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    The Wolverine – 2013 Director James Mangold Starring Hugh Jackman, Hiroyuki Sanada, Tao Okamoto, Rila Fukushima, Famke Janssen, Will Yun Lee, Svetlana Khodchenkova, Haruhiko Yamanouchi, Brian Tee Screenplay Christopher McQuarrie (uncredited), Mark Bomback, Scott Frank James Mangold’s take on The Wolverine is an example of how good any film can be if one focuses on the importance of building a good story around a great character.  That character, as…

  • G.I. Joe: Retaliation: Caricatures will die…

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    G.I. Joe: Retaliation – 2013 Director John M. Chu Starring Dwayne Johnson, Bruce Willis, D.J. Cotrona, Byung-hun Lee, Adrianne Palicki, Ray Park, Jonathan Pryce, Ray Stevenson, Channing Tatum, Luke Bracey, Walton Goggins, Joseph Mazzello, Robert Baker, James Carville, RZA Screenplay Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick Probably on video.  Definitely.  One had every reason to look forward to the second installment of G.I. Joe, and almost as…