Film

Too mechanical

Jason Statham cranks out another mediocre flick in The Mechanic

British actor Jason Statham is perhaps the most believable and interesting action hero we have today. With his pumped-up physique and shaved head, he seems to propel himself through his movies like a

Film

Supergood

SETH ROGENS FINDS THE FUNNY IN THE GREEN HORNET

By Carey Norris

There have been enough comic book movies over the last few years that we all know the basic beats of the traditional superhero origin story by now.

Film

Best movies of 2010

By Carey Norris

I won’t pretend to have seen everything that came out this year. And living in Birmingham, it’s almost impossible to see all the award contenders before February.

Film

The Dude does the Duke

JEFF BRIDGES AND THE COEN BROTHERS DELIVER A GRITTIER TRUE GRIT

By Carey Norris

John Wayne still has such high standing as a film icon these days that the idea of remaking one of his films, least of all the one which netted him his only Oscar, can seem to some of us like a bit of blasphemy.

Film

The dude goes digital

LIKE THE ORIGINAL, TRON: LEGACY HAS DAZZLING VISUALS, CLUMSY STORY

By Carey Norris

When Tron came out in 1982, it seemed like a cinematic revolution, being the first movie to place actors inside computer-generated environments. It told the story of a video-game designer who was sucked into a digital realm and had to defeat an evil computer program that wanted to take over the world.

Film

Charisma Isn’t Everything

DESPITE THE GLAMOROUS STARS, THE TOURIST IS INSUBSTANTIAL, AND NOT IN A GOOD WAY

By Carey Norris

The new caper comedy The Tourist has no reason to exist besides providing the audience an excuse to gawp at Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie, and to a lesser extent the scenery of Paris and Venice. And that isn’t necessarily a bad thing, when done right.

Film

Faster, Rock! Kill! Kill!

EXCITING ACTION, CHARISMATIC STARS PROPEL REVENGE FLICK

By Carey Norris

Faster is the kind of brutal, stripped-down action film that we don’t see a lot of these days, when CGI extravaganzas tend to crowd the marketplace. It’s uneven and imperfect, but the movie delivers the kind of no-frills thrills that action fans will enjoy.

Film

Harry Potter and the Beginning of the End

THE PENULTIMATE POTTER FILM IS ENCHANTING AND HARROWING

By Carey Norris

The end of a pop culture era is almost here with the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, the penultimate film in the series which has split J.K. Rowling’s gigantic final book in two.

Film

Independent’s Day

SKYLINE IS AN INTERESTING, IF MEDIOCRE, INDIE ALIEN-INVASION FLICK

By Carey Norris

Low-budget genre films are a long and hallowed tradition in movie-making, but unfortunately the tradition also includes most of them being terrible.

Film

Asleep at the wheel

ROAD TRIP BUDDY COMEDY DUE DATE VEERS OFF COURSE

By Carey Norris

Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis are both very funny men, and putting them together in a buddy movie seems like a slam dunk, a sure-fire recipe for a hit. The makers of their new road trip buddy comedy Due Date must have thought the same thing, and not felt the need to put much work into the script, because the movie has some real laughs in it, but still often ends up feeling unpleasant and oddly disappointing.