The Eyes of Tammy Faye (***) – All you are is blind
If nothing esle, the movie gives us some depth to what feels like an incredibly trite characterization living in memory.
Another Look: Full Metal Jacket (***)
“In total, this film means the same thing to me that it did back in 1987. It’s schizophrenic and frustrating. In the effort to make mirror images of life before and after being honed into the “full metal jacket” they forgot to make the story a believable one. It might have been more effective if the characters were more than just big, dumb mouthpieces of some of the post poetic prose you ever did hear about war. Or if they’d just stuck with Hartman until the end.”
The Kid (***1/2) is a good first step
“The Kid is a good film with a limited scope. D’Onofrio manages to keep things within the realm of the legend as we know it and add a little something extra. Here’s one vote to see the great actor work a little more on becoming a better director.”
Death Wish (***) is down the middle
If this were a great film, there might be something to say about the rights to bear arms to protect oneself from the criminals. The filmmakers are not interested in waging a war in politics. They really just wanted a vehicle for Eli Roth to be just a little more mainstream and for Bruce Willis to climb back out of the straight to video market.
The Magnificent Seven (****) is star power at its best
Even if you are not a fan of the recent spate of pale remakes that come along with every generation, this update is worth your time. It will take a spot in my collection, to be sure. Right after Kurosawa.
Escape Plan (***): Character actors beware
Escape Plan – 2013 Director Mikael Håfström Starring Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jim Caviezel, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Vinnie Jones, Vincent D’Onofrio, Amy Ryan, Sam Neill, Faran Tahir Screenplay Miles Chapman, Jason Keller Having skipped many of Sylvester Stallone’s […]
Ebert Did It Better: Gasbag Reviews 