Film section: Metro Weekly

Star Trek Returns

J.J. Abrams's latest has plenty of bang, but also rekindles the franchise's noble roots

Published on May 16, 2013, 1:16pm

What does it mean to make a Star Trek movie? Director J.J. Abrams skirted this question when he brought the U.S.S. Enterprise back to life four years ago, plotting a new origin story for Captain James T. Kirk that was engorged with interstellar combat, death-defying stunts and an endless parade of fistfights. The revival was a delight, of course – but at what cost? It seemed less a Star Trek movie than a sci-fi action romp that just happened to ...[more]

Wretched Excess

Baz Luhrmann tromps across Fitzgerald's ''The Great Gatsby,'' all too eager to interpret subtle tension as over-the-top melodrama

Published on May 9, 2013, 6:17am

What kind of maniac tries to adapt The Great Gatsby? Few books are legitimate touchstones in American culture, and for better or for worse, F. Scott Fitzgerald's sits atop that very short list. It's a perennial bestseller and a staple of high school English classes across the country, and yet in all of its years, it hasn't spawned a single decent movie. The Great American Novel can't seem to inspire The Great American Film. Despite director Baz Luhrmann's manic attempt ...[more]

Texas Hold 'Em

Yen Tan's ''Pit Stop'' offers a story about rural gay life

Published on May 9, 2013, 5:46am

A decade ago, when Texas-based filmmaker Yen Tan regularly commuted between Dallas and Houston, he wondered if he was alone out there. ''I would stop at gas stations and wonder if there were gay people living in these small towns between the cities,'' Tan says. His latest film, Pit Stop, reflects what he uncovered. The evocative film tells the fictional story of two gay men struggling to move on from past relationships, each wondering if there's hope for love again. ...[more]

Flash over Substance

All of Iron Man 3's potential for meaningful moments goes up in a box-office bang

Published on May 2, 2013, 5:08am

Let's just get this out of the way: Robert Downey Jr. is, and always will be, magnificent as Tony Stark. The character's cocky wit blends so pleasantly with the actor's anxious charm, it seems impossible to pull one from the other. He clearly relishes the role, and races toward the spotlight it creates with unmatched vigor and enthusiasm. Stark has made Downey millions, but Downey made Stark a cultural icon. He is the reason people will watch Iron Man 3, ...[more]

Puzzles

''Trance'' is a sexy, violent revenge fantasy and a letdown from Danny Boyle, while ''Room 237'' guides ''The Shining'' down a loony-tunes path

Published on April 11, 2013, 7:37am

I want to like Trance. It's a mostly good-looking movie, with talented actors and a talented crew, all attempting to do something bold within the confines of a story that's seemingly generic. This isn't director Danny Boyle's most ambitious movie -- not by a long shot -- but it's no simple feat, either. Trance is a heist movie that aspires toward the taut psychological thriller, and if not for a few gargantuan missteps, it might have straddled the two brilliantly. ...[more]

Magic Show

''Burt Wonderstone'' is a comedy that isn't quite as funny as it should be, with actors we know to be much funnier than they are here

Published on March 14, 2013, 8:14am

What happened to Steve Carell? He set the comedy world on fire with his naive-fool shtick in The Office and The 40-Year-Old Virgin, sweetening his performances with a lovely, disarming warmth. The characters he played were occasionally dolts, to be sure, but their intentions were good -- just a bit misplaced. They seemed to be whole people, blemishes and all, an uncomfortable reflection of the regrettable instincts we can all recognize in day-to-day life. And, most important, they were utterly ...[more]

Woes of Oz

Sam Raimi's ''Oz'' is mired in fructose � it's syrupy, artificial, and most definitely terrible for your health

Published on March 7, 2013, 3:22am

There's something rotten in the state of Oz. It reeks of the billable hour, the legal retainer, the foul stench of litigation. Yes, that fiend of fiends – the Hollywood attorney – has conquered the Emerald City. You'll see no ruby slippers in Oz The Great and Powerful, director Sam Raimi's severely unofficial prequel to The Wizard of Oz. Ditto the iconic look of the Wicked Witch of the West; under fear of copyright infringement, her skin tone has been ...[more]

And the Oscar Goes To...

Our film critic takes a hard-nosed look at the Oscars and comes up with his predictions on who will and who should take home a prize

Published on February 21, 2013, 4:07am

There are only three things certain in life: death, taxes and petty arguments about the Oscars. (Well, four if you count Joan Rivers. She will outlive us all.) There's an inherent ridiculousness to the Academy Awards -- it's basically a gaudy evening of Hollywood celebrating the genius that is Hollywood -- but, isn't that why we watch? It's absurd, and entertaining and -- if we're lucky -- even a bit controversial. Sharpen your knives, people; Oscar night is coming. Best ...[more]

Die Hard Death Knell

The latest offering of the action-packed franchise is an unworthy iteration

Published on February 14, 2013, 6:10am

Almost a quarter-century after Die Hard premiered, the travesty of John McClane lives on. He's bruised and balder, wrinkled and wearier. Whatever once seemed charming or thrilling about him has been trimmed away or strangled into formulaic submission. And yet, against any sense or good will, the old man keeps trudging ahead, a parody of the wisecracking cop he once was. Yippie-ki… yay? Not in a long, long time. A Good Day to Die Hard picks up the reins from ...[more]

Swan Song

''Side Effects'' is an oddly ho-hum send-off for one of this generation's most fiercely independent, daring filmmakers

Published on February 7, 2013, 6:32am

This is the end for director Steven Soderbergh. He says he's packing up, retiring from film, moving on to other artistic projects. If he is finished, Side Effects is an oddly ho-hum send-off for one of this generation's most fiercely independent, daring filmmakers. At its worst, it practically bleeds indifference. Even Soderbergh's flickering interest, however, is enough to ply and twist his farewell into a fascinating, smutty interpretation of our cultural and commercial relationship with pharmaceutical drugs. Soderbergh and screenwriter ...[more]

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