Alex Armstrong
Article Category: Movie Review
Movie Reviews: November 2011 By Alex Armstrong The Thing Newcomer Matthijs van Heijningen Jr. has taken it upon himself to remake this old but not-forgotten horror classic, most famously remade by John Carpenter back in 1982. At a super-duper cold Antarctica research site, the discovery of an alien spaceship leads to a fight between scientists Kate Lloyd (Mary Elizabeth Winstead of “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World”) and foreign guy Dr. Sander Halvorson (Ulrich Thomsen of “Hitman”).... [Read more...]
Alex Armstrong
Article Category: Movie Review
THE HELP Tate Taylor (“Winter’s Bone”; “Queer As Folk”) takes a break from acting to direct this summer’s movie to think about, “The Help.” In this screen adaptation of Kathryn Stockett’s 2009 novel of the same name, wannabe writer Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan (Emma Stone) conducts research for a book about African American housekeepers, the white families they clean for, and the hardships they go through daily. Set in Mississippi during... [Read more...]
Alex Armstrong
Article Category: Movie Review
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 Director David Yates (who directed “The Order of the Phoenix,” “The Half-Blood Prince,” and “The Deathly Hallows: Part 1″ installments of the Harry Potter franchise) has again taken charge of the wizarding world to finish what I like to call J.K. Rowling’s “Encyclopedia Satanica.” In the last half of this chapter, Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) searches with his pals for Voldemort’s remaining... [Read more...]
Alex Armstrong
Article Category: Movie Review
BAD TEACHER Directed by Jake Kasdan Keeping up with his hit comedy streak after “Walk Hard,” director Jake Kasdan now lends his talent to the entertaining “Bad Teacher.” In it, Cameron Diaz (“My Best Friend’s Wedding”) plays a crappy middle school teacher who, after being ditched by her loaded boyfriend, begins to mack on the school’s new hot guy — a move that pits her against a beloved instructor. I myself was a C student, and not because my... [Read more...]
Alex Armstrong
Article Category: Movie Review
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides Directed by Rob Marshall Veteran Director Rob Marshall (“Chicago”; “Nine”) takes a crack at the cutthroat Disney fanchise with the fourth installment of “Pirates of the Caribbean,” “On Stranger Tides.” Ol’ Captain Jack (Johnny Depp) has got his compass pointed at the greatest treasure of all — the Fountain of Youth — and it will pit him and his high seas comrades against the most famous... [Read more...]
Alex Armstrong
Article Category: Movie Review
Fast Five Directed by Justin Lin Justin Lin, who directed “Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift,” turns the inigtion on one more time with the dude-bro pentalogy, simply named “Fast Five.” Dom, played by Vin Diesel, and his gang royally break the law again when they try to rip off a Brazilian drug lord for a hundred milly and thwart the trail of a relentless federal agent. Firstly, this movie literally starts off where the last one stopped which is always cool, but I gotta... [Read more...]
Alex Armstrong
Article Category: Movie Review
Limitless Directed by Neil Burger Director Neil Burger (“The Illusionist”; “The Lucky Ones”) takes us on a fantasy thrill ride and forces us to open our minds — or watch someone open theirs — in “Limitless.” In it, a writer (played by Bradley Cooper of “Wedding Crashers” and “The Hangover”) is given a top-secret drug that allows him to think with superhuman abilities. First off kids: don’t do drugs and stay in school.... [Read more...]
Alex Armstrong
Article Category: Movie Review
Just Go With It Directed by Dennis Dugan Director Dennis Dugan (“Grown Ups”; “Big Daddy”) does it again with Adam Sandler (and all those guys Adam Sandler usually makes movies with) in his most recent film, “Just Go With It.” On a weekend trip to Hawaii, a plastic surgeon (Sandler) convinces his loyal assistant (Jennifer Aniston) to pose as his soon-to-be-divorced wife in order to cover up a careless lie he told to his much-younger girlfriend. You know the trailer... [Read more...]
Alex Armstrong
Article Category: Movie Review
THE RITE Directed by Mikael Håfström In “The Rite”, Colin O’Donoghue (“The Tudors”) plays Michael Kovak, a young American priest who, after enrolling in an Italian exorcism class, meets up with Father Lucas Trevant (Anthony Hopkins), an aging exorcist who may or may not be possessed by the Devil. Exorcism movies usually scare the crap out of me, and this one didn’t disappoint, with Hopkins embracing every chance to creep the viewer out. But if I admit that I... [Read more...]
Alex Armstrong
Article Category: Movie Review
True Grit Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen The Coen Brothers have teamed up again to make their parents proud with the retelling of the classic John Wayne period piece, “True Grit.” In this newer — some would say better — version, Jeff Bridges plays Rooster Cogburn, a trigger-happy marshall who, when hired by a young girl to find her father’s killer, finds himself involved in a “who’s the better lawman” battle when a young Texas Ranger (played by Matt... [Read more...]
