April 2013 – David Raitt

Film Review – Jurassic Park 3D

As Jurassic Park returns to theatres in a 20th Anniversary 3D edition, it’s a good time to reflect on how movie making has changed. There can be no doubt it’s still a great film, but will today’s young audiences, raised on a steady diet of CGI effects, view it with the same wonder as those in 1993?

Read the rest of my review at Oakville.com – click the title link.

Film Review – 42

This past week, Major League Baseball held its annual tribute to Jackie Robinson, the league’s first African American player in the modern era, who joined the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1947 season and changed not only the sport, but the world. 42, released to coincide with the anniversary, tells the story of the events leading up to and during that legendary year. It isn’t a world-changing film, but it is entertaining, and a fitting tribute to the man.

Read the rest of my review at Oakville.com – click the title link.

Film Review – Spring Breakers

Few festive celebrations are portrayed as hedonistically as the annual Spring Break in Florida, as beaches and swimming pools pack full of young adults in minimal clothing and maximal alcohol. Writer/director Harmony Korine’s Spring Breakers is a crime drama set in this world of sun, sand, surf, and sex – a dream for many students, with the potential for nightmares as well. But while it has some okay performances and plenty of atmosphere, it’s ultimately too plotless to be really engaging.

Read the rest of my review at Oakville.com – click the title link.

Film Review – GI Joe: Retaliation

Sequels often change things up to bring fresh ideas, accommodate cast alterations, or renew interest in a franchise. But GI Joe: Retaliation is so different from its predecessor The Rise of Cobra that the two might as well be unrelated. It’s also a mess.

Read the rest of my review at Oakville.com – click the title link.

Film Review – The Incredible Burt Wonderstone

Professional magicians will always avoid performing the same trick twice. Obviously, this prevents the crowd from catching on to the secret, but more importantly, it maintains the sense of wonder – seeing things again diminishes their impact. It’s a concept the makers of The Incredible Burt Wonderstone have forgotten – its best tricks have been given away in the marketing, and there’s not much else up its sleeve.

Read the rest of my review at Oakville.com. Click the title link.