Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 – Movie Review

As a total fan who has lost all objectivity when it comes to anything Potter-related, the biggest surprise about the seeing the final movie was how it wasn’t a sad experience. I don’t want to use cliches like “the end of an era”, but reading seven un-short books and watching eight un-short movies is quite…

Midnight In Paris – Movie Review

Paris being famous as a city of romance, it’s no surprise that Woody Allen would set his latest romantic film there. However, Midnight In Paris holds a number of surprises, including the casting of lead actor, Owen Wilson. The blondest of the Wilson brothers, Owen’s typical role is that of the goofy-yet-good-looking man-child (or cocky…

Fall TV Sneak Peek 2011

I know it seems odd to be talking about fall tv already. The spring tv season (with its cliffhangers and surprises) isn’t even cold in the ground yet, and summer tv (with its fluffy lightness) is still on the way. However, because all the major US networks have their upfront presentations to advertisers in May,…

Thor – Movie Review

Pulling off a movie like Thor is no easy feat. The story of a Norse-god superhero set in modern-day USA requires the convincing marriage of an epic fantasy backdrop (with its magic, battles, and dialogue full of thee’s and thou’s) and a modern superhero movie (with its high tech, explosions, and dialogue often laced with…

Sucker Punch – Movie Review

Why does everyone hate Sucker Punch? Was it the giant samurai robots toting artillery guns? Was it the WWI steampunk German zombies? Was it the fire-breathing dragons or the armies of orcs? Or was it the emphasis on over-the-top, stylized visuals over a bleak and irrelevant storyline? Does anyone really care about the depressing fable…

The Adjustment Bureau – Movie Review

When I saw the trailer for The Adjustment Bureau, I saw similarities to two other rather different movies and I wondered which one was closer. With mysterious men-in-hats who secretly manipulate the world, is it going to be a mind-bending proto-film-noir like Dark City? Or when boy meets girl and they are kept apart by…

Midseason TV 2011

I confess I’ve been a bit slow on the draw this year to talk about midseason TV. I guess I’ve been too caught up with my pre-Oscar movie-watching. However, I’ve still found the time to enjoy many of the series which have debuted or returned since the start of 2011. What’s more, many if them…

Tangled – Movie Review

Whenever Disney releases an animated movie, I wonder whether they’ve finally abandoned their classic formula. Last year’s The Princess and the Frog was probably their last foray into hand-drawn animation, but Tangled clearly suggests that they’re staying true to the kinds of movies that brought them success in the past. It’s definitely the successor of…