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, […]

Nicolas Cage and director Jon Turteltaub found a certain magic with the “National Treasure” movies, so it’s not surprising that Disney turned to them again in hopes of turning another existing property in the form of the infamous “Fantasia” scene into a possible franchise starter. A story of ancient sorcery and modern action in present-day […]

All the pieces have been put in place for 1982 cult classic “Tron” to reinvent itself as a moder-day sci-fi epic. Between Disney sinking hundreds of millions into “Tron: Legacy,” marketing it like the must-see event of the year and then securing a PG rating to make sure anyone and everyone could see it, the […]

My how time flies. Not only have we watched three young actors and their respective characters grow up over the course of 10 years before our very eyes, but also the tonal shift from light to dark in the “Harry Potter” movies has been unusually drastic. “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 1” is […]

This is a repost (with some grammatical edits and few deletions) of my review from Aug. 24, 2009. Like every movie thus far in the Harry Potter series based on J.K Rowling’s novels, “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” (book no. 6) cuts a lot of corners. Those who regard Rowling’s tome as a bible […]

Despite its fourth director in five tries and even a new screenwriter, the Harry Potter franchise takes a huge step forward in “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” based off the fifth book in the young adult fantasy series by J.K Rowling. Whereas Harry’s character growth took a backseat in the Mike Newell-directed […]

As a huge fan of the intelligence and beauty that Alfonso Cuarón brought to the third Harry Potter film based on J.K Rowling’s fantasy book series, I was saddened to hear that he backed out of the fourth, “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,” because of the quick year-and-a-half turnaround. Though director Mike Newell […]

Producer Chris Columbus, who directed the first two films made of the Harry Potter series of fantasy books by J.K. Rowling, couldn’t have made a better choice than stepping away from the camera and giving the reigns to a seasoned director with a fresh perspective. It’s what makes “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” […]

The first Harry Potter movie was kind of like a freak-out test for its creators: how much material do we use from the book? How loyal do we stay to it? How do we make this all come to life? “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,” the film version of the second book in […]

Hey, Harry Potter fans! Look for an archive review for every Harry Potter film, one each day until the release of “Deathly Hallows, Pt. 1”! When a beloved book is given the big-screen treatment, there’s always the excitement factor of getting to see what was once only in your head come to life right before […]

It only takes a few great cinematic elements to turn a helter-skelter sci-fi fantasy into a cult classic. Russell Mulcahy finds that edge in directing Gregory Widen’s story “Highlander.” Part of it is Christopher Lambert’s hardened hero Connor McLeod as well as Clancy Brown’s exceptionally psychotic performance as the Kurgan, but Mulcahy commands how we […]

As I left “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World,” a woman probably in her 40s or 50s exclaimed into her cell phone how it was the worst movie she’s ever seen. I rather liked it, though I’m definitely 20-30 years younger than she. That kind of split is evident of only a few films in cinema […]

When Tim Burton and Disney present you a pretty little 3-D film with a tag on it that says “Watch Me,” you’re likely to indulge. The prospect of one of the finest fantasy directors (who’s a bit mad himself) creating the beloved and colorful world of Lewis Carroll’s classic children’s tales in the era of […]

Crack open the mind of filmmaker Terry Gilliam and you’re likely to find something akin to the imagination world inside the mirror in his film “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.” Known for surrealism, candy-coated visuals and deliberately hacking at all that stands for common sense, Gilliam applies these trademarks to the kind of film where […]

There’s only one pair of glasses that will make “The Last Airbender” a tolerable adventure and it’s not the 3-D kind. Based on the Nickelodeon animated TV series, “Airbender” is a kids movie, fully equipped with a PG rating and young protagonists asked to shoulder a majority of the workload. Expect just that: a film […]