MOVIE REVIEW: The World’s End (2013)
REVIEW SYNOPSIS: Director Edgar Wright concludes the Cornetto Trilogy with the tastiest morsel of all, a lean yet loving tribute to John Wyndham, Jack Finney, and Ira Levin [...]
News Ticker
Articles by Derek Austin Johnson
MOVIE REVIEW: Elysium (2013)
REVIEW SYNOPSIS: Despite an interesting heist element, above average action, and glimpses of an intriguing future, Neill Blomkamp’s follow-up to his surprise hit [...]
MOVIE REVIEW: The Wolverine (2013)
REVIEW SYNOPSIS: Enjoyable if forgettable, The Wolverine’s balancing of comic book superhero adventure and existential thriller never fully engages as either. MY RATING: [...]
MOVIE REVIEW: Pacific Rim (2013)
REVIEW SYNOPSIS: Despite impressive action and effects, Guillermo Del Toro sends a labored, often lifeless love letter to the giant monster genre. MY REVIEW: SYNOPSIS: When [...]
MOVIE REVIEW: Man of Steel (2013)
REVIEW SYNOPSIS: Overly long, sloppily scripted, needlessly violent, with changes that need not—and in some instances, should not—have been made, Zack Snyder’s [...]
MOVIE REVIEW: Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)
REVIEW SYNOPSIS: Though it starts strongly, the sophomore journey of the fresh-faced crew of the starship Enterprise covers too little new ground. MY REVIEW: SYNOPSIS: When [...]
MOVIE REVIEW: Iron Man 3 (2013)
REVIEW SUMMARY: Messy and needlessly convoluted, lacking much of the cleverness and insight of Iron Man and Marvel’s The Avengers, Iron Man 3 still engages thanks to [...]
BOOK REVIEW: The Apes of Wrath, edited by Rick Klaw
REVIEW SUMMARY: An eclectic, enjoyable mix of fiction and nonfiction suffering only from one or two significant absences. MY RATING: BRIEF SYNOPSIS: 17 remarkable stories and [...]
FILM REVIEW: Oblivion (2013)
REVIEW SUMMARY: Often visually arresting sequences never save this homage to 1970s science fiction films from flat characters, routine action, and uninspired direction. MY [...]
FILM REVIEW: Evil Dead (2013)
REVIEW SUMMARY: Dumb, noisy, and ultimately pointless reboot of Sam Raimi’s groundbreaking picture shows as much life as the revenants shambling across the screen. MY [...]
FILM REVIEW: Jack the Giant Slayer (2013)
REVIEW SUMMARY: Well-executed set pieces, clever touches, and tongue-in-cheek manner manage to save Bryan Singer’s mostly by-the-numbers fantasy adventure. MY RATING: BRIEF [...]
FILM REVIEW: Beyond the Black Rainbow (2010)
REVIEW SUMMARY: A pretentious, self-indulgent, and ultimately silly first feature from director Panos Cosmatos that never captures the erratic grace or fitful elegance of [...]
FILM REVIEW: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
REVIEW SUMMARY: Plodding, ponderous, and ultimately pretentious, Peter Jackson’s prequel to The Lord of the Rings trilogy never reaches its predecessor’s epic heights. MY [...]
FILM REVIEW: Skyfall (2012)
MY RATING: BRIEF SYNOPSIS: James Bond returns in a visually lush and emotionally involving adventure that benefits from a strong script and one of the best casts the series [...]
MOVIE REVIEW: Cloud Atlas (2012)
MY RATING: SUMMARY: Audacious, daring, and never uninteresting, yet the execution falls far short of its visionary ambitions. MY REVIEW: PROS: Visually absorbing and lush; [...]
MOVIE REVIEW: Looper (2012)
REVIEW SUMMARY: Ambitious and often clever, Rian Johnson’s first foray into science fiction never quite pieces its philosophical content together with its thriller [...]
FILM REVIEW: Dredd (2012)
REVIEW SUMMARY: Covering almost no new cinematic ground, director Pete Travis and screenwriter Alex Garland nonetheless concoct a tight, gritty, and resiliently dark picture [...]
MOVIE REVIEW: The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
REVIEW SUMMARY: Messy, way too long, and with far too many missteps and misguided elements, Nolan’s final chapter in the rebooted Batman franchise still remains watchable [...]
MOVIE REVIEW: The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
REVIEW SUMMARY: Marc Webb’s updating of Spider-Man’s origin story looks good but feels flat and, ultimately, too familiar. MY RATING: BRIEF SYNOPSIS: High school student [...]
MOVIE REVIEW: Brave (2012)
REVIEW SUMMARY: Beautifully shot, as one would expect from Pixar, but only intermittently engaging and sputters badly as it moves toward its climax. MY RATING: BRIEF [...]
Copyright Signal Web Media