By the time the fourth installment rolls around in any movie franchise (be it a continuation, prequel or even a spin-off in some cases), you have to know which side of the fence you’re on. Either you receive personal gratification experiencing the characters, lore and various other qualities of that cinematic world and identify as […]

“Wrath of the Titans” really captures the spirit of its 2010 predecessor — that spirit being uninspired and underdeveloped. If the goal was not to work on improving the quality of the sequel, Warner Bros. succeeded.

The success of “Sherlock Holmes” in 2009 certainly opened up Warner Bros.’ pockets wide enough to give director Guy Ritchie a bit of free reign over the sequel. His choice of what do with that cash, however, didn’t have to be as straightforward as it is in “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.” In other […]

After 10 years it’s tough to imagine “Men in Black III” having any kind of meaningful impact on audiences. No one has spent 10 years clamoring for another entry after “Men in Black II” disappointed — at least no one who would go on the record publicly. Yet despite no attachments to the series but […]

The hype, the fan base, the skeptics—the skeptics created by the hype and the fan base—all of these make adapting an insanely popular novel anything but easy. Given the breadth of the age and gender demographics that Suzanne Collins’ young adult science-fiction story “The Hunger Games” has reached, there are so many niches to please. […]

When we think of science fiction, we so often think about the future. We expect it to stretch our imaginations in ways we never thought possible with groundbreaking concepts beyond our current understanding. “John Carter” appears to aspire to that level. Yet in spite of the film’s hefty price tag, use of latest in motion-capture […]

Never underestimate Martin Scorsese. Just because “Hugo” lacks in F-words doesn’t mean the master filmmaker is so out of his element that he couldn’t possibly put his stamp on this family-friendly film. In fact, “Hugo” might be the most personal of the director’s catalog. 

A film of few words, “Conan the Barbarian” strays from the path of most action films as far as storytelling goes. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who would become notorious for delivering one- liners has only one or two opportunities in this film. But how can one possibly complain about an action/adventure film that doesn’t waste its time […]

Eight films in just about 10 years and no rusty wands in the bunch — or however you wish to phrase it. The success of J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” series theatrically has been unprecedented in both box-office receipts and critical success. Perhaps Warner Bros. and producer David Heyman are to thank for their careful supervision, […]

Festering somewhere in the chaos of “Sucker Punch” is an exotic narrative twisted into an epic adventure waiting to be born. But Zack Snyder has pulled his bun out of the oven way before he’s given it time to rise. A multi-layered rock fantasy that could find a permanent home on MTV2, Snyder’s premature brainchild […]

“The Voyage of the Dawn Treader,” the third book in “The Chronicles of Narnia” series and the fifth chronologically speaking, is often cited as a favorite among fans of the C.S. Lewis fantasy books, which is a shame because the writers here have taken extensive liberties with the story. Although I’m one to frequently remind […]

Created by J.J. Abrams and produced by Steven Spielberg. That phrase says a lot. As more and more clues were revealed as to Abrams second secret film project, the mere presence of these two respected names began to connect dots in the minds of film fans. The first teaser — made before the film even […]

After a four-year hiatus to regroup and determine the future of the franchise, Disney and what was once its surprise mega-hit “Pirates of the Caribbean” series have returned in “On Stranger Tides.” Hard to believe that this franchise evolved from the once-lambasted concept of a theme park ride being turned into a successful motion-picture blockbuster. […]

I just re-watched “At World’s End” and man, I recall liking it much more the first time, so my rating here reflects a balance of my two viewings. Here’s a review of my “revised” opinion. “At World’s End” or “At Wit’s End,” whatever you want to call it, the third installment in Disney’s theme-park-ride-turned-mega-movie-franchise has […]

Looking at the whole of the Marvel universe, Thor would have to be the black sheep. For one thing, he’s the Norse god of thunder. His world — the realm of Asgard — is completely foreign to us, as is most Norse mythology. Greek mythology, maybe, but definitely not Norse. As for the hero himself, […]