Category: Commentary
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‘Dumb’ doesn’t live up to original lowbrow classic
The sequel to the Farrelly brothers’ classic comedy “Dumb and Dumber” is an almost carbon copy of the original film. However, “Dumb and Dumber To” isn’t as iconic, and the jokes haven’t aged as well as Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels have. In this movie, Harry (Jeff Daniels) and Lloyd (Jim Carrey) must travel across…
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‘Ouija’ underwhelms with unoriginality
With uninspired scares and lackluster directing by Stiles White, “Ouija” is a completely forgettable foray into the horror-film genre. Hasbro is taking a similar approach to 2012’s “Battleship” by force feeding viewers another movie about a board game, this time about one where friends spell out answers on a wooden board in hopes of connecting…
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Color, intricate details paint the scenes of holiday film
“The Book of Life” takes viewers on a spiritual journey through three visually astounding worlds to spread a message of self-determination for young viewers. The new animated film, written and directed by Jorge Gutierrez, is an interesting and original take on the Mexican celebration of The Day of the Dead. Although it’s targeting a younger…
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‘Tusk’ engrosses with sickening visuals
“Tusk” seeks to answer the question of what sets humans apart from animals in an unusual way. Its talented cast brings a refreshing take on the horror genre, effortlessly juggling knee-slapping comedy and dramatic twists. Wallace Bryton (Justin Long) is a podcaster constantly in search of strange people with exotic stories. He shares their stories…
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Found-footage ploy ruins film
Horror film features one-note characters trekking through Parisian catacombs While it’s a good commercial for the Paris catacombs, “As Above/So Below” is ultimately another unimpressive foray in the found-footage horror genre. Scarlett, played by Perdita Weeks, is essentially Lara Croft, the famous female treasure hunter. On top of owning two Ph.D.s and a black belt…
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Creative twists engage viewers
Moss, Duplass keep “The One I Love” real A romantic comedy disguised as a dramatic indie film in science fiction wrapping, the genre-crossing Sundance hit, “The One I Love” is a well executed two-hander. Sophie (Elisabeth Moss) and Ethan (Mark Duplass) are in couples therapy. The somewhat newlywed couple is in a rut. Ethan has…
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‘Sin’ sequel offers nothing new
Stunning monochrome visuals fail to supersede shallow female roles, lack of novelty in ‘A Dame to Kill For’ If presented as a shameless satire, “Sin City: A Dame to Kill For” would have been a smashing success. The darker-than-dark noir oozes with brooding figures, melodrama and gorgeous monotone imagery that slaps you right in the…
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Star performance keeps James Brown biopic afloat
James Brown, the godfather of soul, gets the biopic treatment in “Get On Up.” It won’t disappoint. The film goes against the classic biopic structure by hopscotching around Brown’s life. For example, the film opens with five minutes of a drug-addled Brown wildly wielding a shotgun during an insurance seminar, upset because someone used his…
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‘Lucy’ underwhelms with predictable plot, unimpressive action
SPOILER ALERT Scarlett Johansson escapes from the Marvel universe and gets to play her own superhero in “Lucy.” Unfortunately, the result is unintentionally cheesy and dumb. Directed by Luc Besson, “Lucy” stars Johansson as a 25-year-old American in Taiwan. She isn’t given much of a description before her newfound boyfriend forces her to deliver a briefcase to…
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‘Purge’ sequel disappoints
“The Purge: Anarchy” is a surprising step forward in the franchise but only because the first one was so poor. James DeMonaco returns after directing last year’s “The Purge,” a critically panned, but financially successful, film (on a $3 million production budget it grossed $89 million worldwide). So, of course, Universal pictures created a sequel…