I wanted to like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. I really did. And I enjoyed it enough when I was watching it at the theater. But moments after the credits rolled (and I’d sat through all the mid and post-credit scenes), I left feeling empty. Guardians Vol. 2 is visually stunning, with bright colors […]
Jurassic World
Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park was a cultural phenomenon. It remains an impressive movie that has captured the imagination of every child and adult, dinosaur-obsessed or not. While its sequel, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, didn’t manage to captivate audiences like its predecessor did, it remained an entertaining dinosaur-themed diversion. (Jurassic Park III, on the other hand, does not exist.) So when Universal Studios […]
Nate’s Top 10 Films of 2014
So many movies released in the past twelve months felt like advertisements that it was nice when the year periodically decided to come back from commercial break. That doesn’t mean that every non-blockbuster was a masterpiece. For every gem like The Grand Budapest Hotel there were duds like Palo Alto or Transcendence. And don’t get me started on The Giver again. I […]
Guardians of the Galaxy Changed Blockbusters
A little film called Guardians of the Galaxy accomplished something extraordinary this summer. It featured a cast of characters from a lesser-known comic series, essentially subverted the entire superhero film genre and redefined the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Oh, and it also had the best August opening in box office history. Summer is the season of […]
Why CGI In Guardians of the Galaxy Works
There are many reasons to love Guardians of the Galaxy. It’s funny, it’s smart and it’s one hell of an action-packed ride. The film was a risk; unlike Captain America or Batman, almost no one knew who the these characters were before the film came out. Making a successful blockbuster out of a no-name property was no small feat. […]
Guardians of the Galaxy
For the first few moments of Guardians of the Galaxy, I worried. I saw elements of tropes rearing their head instantly. I sighed at a roguish hero whose existence screamed traits of other classic movie characters. I cringed at a villain whose antics veered well into the theatrical. I gaped as names of planets, new alien […]
The Lego Movie
Style is so often substituted for substance in film that seeing something as synergistic as The Lego Movie is truly marvelous, and even more of a joy to look back on. Writer-directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller have built a multifaceted, visually stunning film. The Lego Movie is at once a brilliantly subversive satire, a heartfelt ode to […]
