Category: Review

Sacha Baron Cohen is nothing if not courageous. The creator of Borat and Brüno regularly treads the fine line between humour and offense, often generating both in equal measure. With The Dictator, Baron Cohen and his frequent collaborator, director Larry Charles, now aim their satire at political and religious extremism, particularly as practiced by the infamous world leaders of North Africa and the Middle East. But, while the film often walks that same fine line, it also seems curiously conventional, and lacking in edge. It’s not hard enough for rabid Baron Cohen fans, and others may be left wondering what the big deal is.

Read the rest of my review at Oakville.com:

http://www.oakville.com/articles/the-dictator-movie-review/

There really is no other actor like Johnny Depp. In a long, eclectic career, and especially in collaboration with director Tim Burton, he has given us characters that are nearly impossible to imagine being portrayed by anyone else. This seems doubly true for Dark Shadows, though it’s a pity the rest of Burton’s movie doesn’t live up to Depp’s performance.

Read the rest of my review at Oakville.com:

http://www.oakville.com/articles/dark-shadows-movie-review/

It’s not at all surprising that Marvel’s The Avengers quickly smashed box-office records on its opening weekend – there have been no less than six films before it acting as extended commercials. That’s not meant to diminish the strengths of Iron Man or Captain America, nor lay further punishment on the Hulk movies. We’ve simply been chomping at the bit for years to see these diverse superheroes come together in the same story. And I’m very happy to report that the wait was well worth it.

Read the rest of my review at Oakville.com:

http://www.oakville.com/articles/the-avengers-movie-review/

Though they don’t produce all that many, the British seem to excel at animated films, mostly because they don’t let the fact that the characters on screen are made of clay, paint, or pixels get in the way of treating the audience like more than brainless schoolchildren. The Pirates! Band of Misfits continues this tradition, the only awkward thing about it being the title.

Read the rest of my review at Oakville.com:

http://www.oakville.com/articles/the-pirates-band-of-misfits-movie-review-2/

Romantic fiction has always found loyal and patient audiences, who are willing to endure all manner of clichéd storylines to get their fill of torrid affairs and longing gazes over a sink full of supper dishes. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with this, but I strongly suspect that even those lovely people will heave a sigh during The Lucky One, and not the good kind.

Read the rest of my review at Oakville.com:

http://www.oakville.com/articles/the-lucky-one-movie-review/

In a lifetime of following popular culture, I have never encountered a neutral opinion on The Three Stooges. People either love the anarchic silliness of Larry, Curly, and Moe, or they find the whole concept completely asinine. (The former group also tend to giggle at the word “asinine”, but I digress.)

The Farrelly Brothers’ new tribute to the classic Stooge shorts of the 1930s will do nothing to change these opinions, but it’s wonderful to have a film that actually revives the argument. The Three Stooges is as good a remake as could be expected.

Read the rest of my review at Oakville.com:

http://www.oakville.com/articles/the-three-stooges-movie-review/

True Confession: I had never seen James Cameron’s Titanic before this week. The reasons are many and mundane, but so many elements of it have entered popular culture that it was easy to believe I knew as much as anyone who had seen it – “King of the World”, doomed love affair, sinking ship, yadda yadda yadda.

Read the rest of my review at Oakville.com:

http://www.oakville.com/articles/titanic-3d-movie-review/

When a mirror cracks, an interesting thing happens. The fragments, each slightly askew, reflect at different angles, distorting the image. This is an accurate analogy to describe Mirror Mirror, a new retelling of the story of Snow White. It holds together as entertaining, but tries to do too many things at once, detracting from the overall experience.

Read the rest of my review at Oakville.com:

http://www.oakville.com/articles/mirror-mirror-movie-review/

The timing may or may not be coincidental, but it’s fitting that The Hunger Games arrives during an Olympic year. Suzanne Collins’ novel portrays a similar high-profile sporting event full of tradition and pageantry, though with a lot more violence and higher stakes. And the film version nearly qualifies for a gold medal.

Read the rest of my review at Oakville.com:

http://www.oakville.com/articles/the-hunger-games-movie-review/

21 Jump Street was a late-80s TV cop drama starring Johnny Depp about undercover detectives working in high schools. The updated movie version keeps the basic premise and throws out everything else in favour of crazy teen-focused comedy with action elements. And while it is sporadically funny, it won’t be to everyone’s taste.

Read the rest of my review at Oakville.com:

http://www.oakville.com/articles/21-jump-street-movie-review/