A 12-year-old boy is kidnapped from the local orphanage and embarks on a fantastical journey in the recklessly reimagined Pan. J.M. Barrie‘s beloved character Peter Pan returns for another in a long list of many remakes, reboots and reimaginings. To date, I’ve enjoyed none of them, including the iconic 1953 animated Disney film. I did love both 2004’s […]
In the ‘90s, there was a sitcom on Fox called Herman’s Head in which four actors portrayed the emotions at odds in lead character Herman’s brain. The show was funny and creative, and it lasted for three seasons. When I first heard about Inside Out, I immediately thought of Herman’s Head. If this animated Pixar […]
A young girl’s inner emotions struggle to cope with major change in Pixar‘s intriguing animated film Inside Out. 11-year-old Riley (voiced by Kaitlyn Dias) has lived a bit of a charmed existence up to this point in her young life. She’s popular with all of her friends, she’s a natural hockey player and she has two […]
The translation of animated properties to live-action movies has a mixed past. I still cringe when I think of Speed Racer and The Flintstones and its sequel. I was not impressed when I heard that there was going to be a live-action version of Cinderella. After all, the original Disney classic is one of the […]
Potential tragedy looms for the magical occupants of a famed New York museum in Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb. In the third installment of the series, museum security guard Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) returns with a new responsibility. His boss, Dr. McPhee (Ricky Gervais), has entrusted him to provide the “special effects” […]
Most film trilogies build up to a finale that pulls together all of the characters and subplots into a satisfying story that resolves most things for those who invested in the series. That is certainly the case for The Lord of the Rings. Each film got better until the moving, dramatic third entry that was […]
Despite the best attempts to kill off these resilient creatures, vampires continue to be popular on television as well as the big screen. Shows like True Blood and films like the Twilight series perpetuate the fascination with vampires as well as their glamorization. Universal Pictures adds another monster to their canon with Dracula Untold. Although […]
A nefarious villain plans to gain entry into elite society by exterminating the creatures dwelling underground in the town in The Boxtrolls. The town of Cheesebridge lives in fear of flesh-eating monsters called Boxtrolls who, as their name suggests, wear discarded boxes over their ghastly figures to more easily hide among the town’s refuse. Each night, […]
A sudden, potentially fatal accident gives a hopeful classical musician a unique new perspective on life in If I Stay. Mia Hall (Chloë Grace Moretz) grew up as the black sheep in her musical family. Both of her parents were huge fans of classic rock. Her father, Denny (Joshua Leonard), was a member of a well-respected local rock […]
Reboots of franchises can be a good idea if they’re done right. The recent Godzilla is a perfect example of how a reboot can still feel fresh and entertain audiences. I can’t be as positive about the reboot — is this the second or third attempt? — of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to coincide with the 30th […]
Marvel‘s venerable web-slinger returns to protect the city from Electro, the Green Goblin and OsCorp in The Amazing Spider-Man 2. I grew up with what’s called “Retro Spider-Man” — an animated series that originally ran from 1967 to 1970. Even with its occasionally outrageous plots and rather low-quality animation, every kid in the neighborhood was a huge […]
An estranged common thief is captivated by a beautiful, quirky resident of the estate he intended to rob in Winter’s Tale. The parents of Peter Lake (Colin Farrell), hoping for a better life for their infant son, set him afloat in a model boat after being denied entry into the United States in the late […]