By Bob Garver This past weekend saw an upset at the box office as “The Call” became the weekend’s most successful new release, beating out the star-studded but formulaic magic comedy “The Incredible Burt Wonderstone”. Maybe it was just my relief at not having to review that bomb, or maybe it was the excitement of […]
By Bob Garver I was talking with my mom the other day and we agreed that 1939’s “The Wizard of Oz” was my first favorite movie. When I was a toddler I would make her impersonate the characters for hours on end, I owned toy models of all the characters, my first Halloween costume was […]
By Bob Garver Earlier this year, I had the displeasure of reviewing “Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters”. The R-rated update on the fairy tale made for one of the most miserable moviegoing experiences I’ve ever had in my life. So I wasn’t exactly thrilled to see another action-packed take (though with a more family-friendly PG-13 […]
By Bob Garver “Snitch” is the epitome of a “star vehicle”. In this case the star is Dwayne Johnson. There is no reason to see “Snitch” other than Dwayne Johnson. I’ve seen some movies lately that offer zero reasons to see them, so it’s fair to say that Dwayne Johnson is better than nothing. Still, […]
“A Good Day to Die Hard” By Bob Garver Lovers of blockbusters are usually quick to point out 1988’s “Die Hard” as a perfect example of how to correctly do a modern action movie. Sure it has a lot of explosions, gunfire, and cheesy one-liners, but it also has a tight script, attention to visual detail, […]
By Bob Garver After its first act, “Identity Thief” becomes a predictable, mildly amusing road trip comedy. This is actually a really good creative decision because the film is effectively cutting its losses after realizing that it can’t keep milking laughs from identity theft. I can accept that it’s supposed to be funny to see […]
By Bob Garver I have to admit that it was a great decision to release a movie called “Warm Bodies” in February. The title makes for a terrific invitation to get out of the cold and into a theater. If the film were called “Warm Bodies Wrapped up in Snuggly Blankets and Drinking Rich Hot […]
By Bob Garver It’s January, and I know that for three reasons. The first is that the calendar says so. The second is that it’s freezing cold. And the third is that I have to review garbage like “Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters”. This month is notorious for its awful slate of new releases (not […]