The second great depression? Who cares? Where’d the cute decoy dog go?
“Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit” focuses on the Tom Clancy-created character, Jack Ryan (Chris Pine), a CIA analyst who’s suddenly made operational after coming across hidden files suggesting a Russian oligarch is about to unleash a devastating financial attack on the United States. As the most knowledgeable person on the case, Jack’s superior, William Harper (Kevin Costner), decides he’s the man for the job and sends Jack on his first field assignment to Moscow where he’s expected to uncover the details of the terrorist plot before Kenneth Branagh’s Viktor Cherevin can topple the economy.
Oddly enough, more happens to Jack in the 15 minutes prior to everything in that synopsis. We meet a young Jack in London where his studies are interrupted by the 9/11 attacks. He’s inspired to join the Marines and becomes an all-star solider until his helicopter is shot down, landing him in rehab for months. His doctor-in-training, Cathy Muller (Keira Knightley), motivates him to suck it up and get back on his feet, and that’s when Costner’s Harper moves in, waiting until the time is right and then recruiting Jack for the CIA. Now that’s a movie. The script doesn’t give these life-changing events much time to breathe, but based on this sampling, had the film chronicled the ups and downs of Jack’s career prior to becoming an analyst, there would have been far more heart and meaning to the experience.
Click here to read more.
“Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones” isn’t half as scary as three of its four predecessors, but its strong characters and clever story layers do prove the mythology is worth expanding.
Between the prime source material, built-in fan base, epic star power and increased budget, Francis Lawrence’s adaptation of “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” had all the potential in the world, but that also shrouded it in an exorbitant amount of pressure and expectation, so it’s a good thing Lawrence rose to the occasion.
“The Wolf of Wall Street” lets you relish in unparalleled no holds barred debauchery while increasingly disillusioning the fun and games with the nasty reality of the situation along the way.
2013 marks my fifth year working as a film critic and reporter and I’m proud and very thankful to say it was the best yet. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to work alongside some fiercely talented friends and colleagues, interview some of the most esteemed talent in the industry, attend events like SXSW, San Diego Comic Con and Cinema Con, and, perhaps most importantly, see a number of films that I’ll carry with me well beyond 2013.
I wouldn’t mind living in Spike Jonez’s version of the future, but for now I’m happy to just keep watching “Her” over and over again.
A revenge mission doesn’t play well when you don’t care about who’s avenging what and why.
Despite striking visuals and Josh Brolin’s all-in performance, the new “Oldboy” fails to build a riveting, believable mystery strong enough to support its big twist.
Better prepare yourself for many days’ worth of running around singing, “Let it go, let it go,” because there’s no way you’re walking out of “Frozen” without a pep in your step, massive smile on your face and the desire to build a snowman.
In Afflicted, Derek (Derek Lee) and Clif (Clif Prowse) have been friends all their lives but when a string of severe headaches lead to the discovery that Derek is suffering from AVM (arteriovenous malformation), he decides it’s now or never – he’s got to take a trip around the world. With Clif in tow documenting the adventure, Derek hops a plane to Europe to begin fulfilling his lifelong dream.