Movie Reviews

‘John Wick: Chapter 2’ – A Gleefully Over-the-Top Orgy of Violence?

ljablesnikLeave a comment

The first installment of ‘John Wick’ came out of nowhere, slaying action audiences as a violently over-the-top Keanu Reeves vehicle directed by his ‘Matrix’ stunt double and action choreographer, Chad Stahelski (2nd Unit director on Marvel’s ‘Captain America: Civil War’).  While this was his first directorial seat, his vast experience coordinating martial arts, gun fights,… Continue reading ‘John Wick: Chapter 2’ – A Gleefully Over-the-Top Orgy of Violence?

Movie Reviews

‘Split’ – M. Night Shyamalan Back in Top Form?

ljablesnikLeave a comment

Writer / Director M.Night Shyamalan has had an interesting career.  He broke out of the gate with ‘The Sixth Sense,’ a film that ushered in the PG-13 supernatural thriller, and shocked the world with a calculated twist no one saw coming.  He followed that film with a series of original movies (‘Unbreakable’, ‘Signs’, ‘The Village’)… Continue reading ‘Split’ – M. Night Shyamalan Back in Top Form?

Movie Reviews

‘Patriots Day’ – A Powerful or Misguided Presentation of a Horrific Event?

ljablesnikLeave a comment

In the new film ‘Patriots Day,’ filmmaker Peter Berg subjects the audience to terrifying sequences of events that unfolded in April of 2013, the infamous Boston Marathon Bombing and its’ aftermath as authorities worked tirelessly to track down its’ perpetrators.  These scenes are extremely effective due to both their impeccably realistic, verite, you-are-there staging, as well as evoking thoughts and… Continue reading ‘Patriots Day’ – A Powerful or Misguided Presentation of a Horrific Event?

Movie Reviews

‘La La Land’ – A Hollywood Dream, Fully, Magnificently Realized?

ljablesnikLeave a comment

Great musicals of the past represent the ultimate Hollywood realization – flights of fancy as works of art that don’t seem to have a place in these cynical modern times.  It’s a rare thing when studios back a full blown, star-studded song-and-dance show, and when they do, it’s usually big screen versions of popular Broadway… Continue reading ‘La La Land’ – A Hollywood Dream, Fully, Magnificently Realized?

Movie Reviews

‘Everybody Wants Some!!’ – Linklater’s spiritual sequel to ‘Dazed and Confused’?

ljablesnikLeave a comment

In 1993, Richard Linklater wrote and directed the seminal ’70s hang-out flick, ‘Dazed and Confused,’ an immensely entertaining movie about the last day of school in an unnamed Texas town that launched the acting careers of the likes of Ben Affleck, Matthew McConaughey, Milla Jovovich, Parker Posey, and many more.  He’s back at it with ‘Everybody Wants… Continue reading ‘Everybody Wants Some!!’ – Linklater’s spiritual sequel to ‘Dazed and Confused’?

Movie Reviews

‘Manchester by the Sea’ – A Masterful Meditation on Grief, An Exercise in Pain?

ljablesnik2 Comments

Writer/Director Kenneth Lonergan’s latest, the quiet family melodrama, ‘Manchester by the Sea,’ may be the most devastating film to receive awards attention this year.  Buoyed by an incredible, understated performance by Casey Affleck, surrounded by a stellar supporting cast, and featuring a unique flashback structure, it’s impossible to argue its’ artistic merit.  From an entertainment… Continue reading ‘Manchester by the Sea’ – A Masterful Meditation on Grief, An Exercise in Pain?

Movie Reviews

‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’ – Making the Prequel Safe Again?

ljablesnikLeave a comment

The first experiment in the burgeoning ‘Star Wars’ franchise, the first test of Disney/Lucasfilm’s expansion of the brand, ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,’ manages to succeed on multiple levels.  The film and its’ director, Gareth Edwards (‘Godzilla’), were given a chance to play in the prequel sandbox, telling a standalone tale of the first… Continue reading ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’ – Making the Prequel Safe Again?

Movie Reviews

‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’ –Magical Extension to a Beloved Franchise, Cash Grab, or Somewhere in Between?

ljablesnikLeave a comment

One can imagine the collective sigh at Warner Brothers when the beloved cash-cow ‘Harry Potter’ franchise completed its’ run with ‘Deathly Hollows – Part 2’ back in 2011.  Almost every year for a decade, the movie studio had a reliable quality film to release, culminating in a finale that displayed a maturity that matched an… Continue reading ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’ –Magical Extension to a Beloved Franchise, Cash Grab, or Somewhere in Between?

Movie Reviews

‘Doctor Strange’ – The Marvel Cinematic Universe Takes a Trip?

ljablesnikLeave a comment

‘Doctor Strange,’ the latest comic book adaptation from Marvel Studios, proves yet again that the hit factory can take even the most esoteric material and create compelling, exciting entertainment.  Through spot-on casting and the most spectacular special effects yet seen in a super-hero film, the magical corner of this now sprawling universe is effectively introduced.  As the titular… Continue reading ‘Doctor Strange’ – The Marvel Cinematic Universe Takes a Trip?

Movie Reviews

‘The Girl on the Train’ – Damaged Hero or Unreliable Narrator?

ljablesnikLeave a comment

The latest movie adaptation of a best-selling page-turner with ‘Girl’ in its’ title (see ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’, ‘Gone Girl’), ‘The Girl on the Train,’ provides more than competent acting from its’ players and a compelling enough story to keep an audience rapt.  While it doesn’t quite reach the masterful heights of visual… Continue reading ‘The Girl on the Train’ – Damaged Hero or Unreliable Narrator?