Movie Reviews
Boyhood
To describe “Boyhood” as unique is to underestimate a film that was shot in 39 days over the course of 12 years.
Selma
Arriving on screens almost precisely 50 years after the events it portrays unfolded, director Ava DuVernay’s fact-based drama “Selma” compellingly recreates a crucial battle in the long struggle for African-American equality.
Unbroken
Positive values permeate the inspirational fact-based drama “Unbroken.” Despite its admirable qualities, however, the film also represents something of a missed opportunity.
Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb
All creatures great and small, including some long-dead humans, spring to life when the sun goes down in “Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb”, the third film in the popular franchise.
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
With “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies”, director Peter Jackson’s trilogy of films based on Catholic writer J.R.R. Tolkien’s 1937 fantasy novel “The Hobbit, or There and Back Again” reaches a rousing finale.
Into the Woods
Despite its fairy-tale roots, and Christmas Day release date, “Into the Woods” is an inappropriate choice for youthful moviegoers.
Annie
The you-know-what will come out tomorrow, bet your bottom dollar, in “Annie.” It’s an exuberant adaptation of the 1977 Broadway musical — which previously became a 1982 film — about the little orphan with big dreams.
Exodus: Gods and Kings
Though it ends with the giving of the Commandments on Mount Sinai, at an intimidating running time of over two-and-a-half hours, “Exodus: Gods and Kings” may strike many as recalling more directly the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness by which the fidelity of the Hebrews was thereafter put to the test.
Penguins of Madagascar
The holiday season turns out to be the time for the “Penguins of Madagascar” to come to the fore — and into their own.
These supporting characters from previous movies in the franchise that began with 2005’s “Madagascar” take center stage in a spirited animated adventure calculated to please kids and leave parents’ minds at ease.
The Identical
Although they may be sociologically fascinating, in the cultural scheme of things, Elvis Presley impersonators are not widely deemed to occupy a particularly exalted position.
When the Game Stands Tall
There’s little to object to and much to honor in director Thomas Carter’s idealistic fact-based sports drama, “When the Game Stands Tall”
The Giver
Hollywood continues to makes the future a dangerous and challenging place to be a teenager.
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