Eric Melin Movie Reviews & Previews

Critics » Eric Melin

Official Websites:
lawrence.com

Eric Melin

Agrees with the Tomatometer 80% of the time.

Publications:: Kansas City Star , Lawrence.com , Scene-Stealers.com
Critics' Group:: Kansas City Film Critics Circle

Total Reviews:: 778
Total QuickRatings:: 83

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Rating	T-Meter	Title \| Year	Add Date
3/4	78%	Iron Man 3 (2013)	" In the midst of various plot threads with varying degrees of contemporary relevance, Black pulls off a crazy plot twist a little more than halfway through the film that's truly inspired and solidifies it as a comedy. " — Scene-Stealers.com Posted May 8, 2013
3/4	71%	Naked Lunch (1991)	" A challenge if you're expecting a forward-moving plot but there's also more than enough pitch-black humor and straight-faced madness to lighten the mood, especially since Burroughs' strange lingo and vicious knack for language are intact." — Scene-Stealers.com Posted Apr 23, 2013
2/4	56%	Oblivion (2013)	" Plot holes and mismanagement of suspense aside, it fails because it establishes an interesting premise and then abandons its characters as soon as things get complicated in favor of a typical save the world-type action story. " — Scene-Stealers.com Posted Apr 23, 2013
3/4	67%	Stoker (2013)	" Park subverts standard framing rules when characters are speaking to one another, employs sweeping camera movement from weird angles, and stops key scenes just at their climax, only to return to them later for a fuller picture." — Lawrence.com Posted Apr 15, 2013
4/5	62%	Evil Dead (2013)	" Alvarez adopts the film language of Raimi's films, adds more to the bag of tricks, and keeps the sardonic attitude without necessarily being slapstick." — Lawrence.com Posted Apr 15, 2013
3.5/5	45%	On the Road (2012)	" At just over two hours, its challenging to stay invested in the movie and its choppy, rambling storyline. As a filmic experience, however, it serves as an interesting companion piece to the similarly challenging 'The Master.'" — Lawrence.com Posted Apr 15, 2013
3/4	81%	The Place Beyond The Pines (2013)	" Roger Ebert once said, 'It's not what a movie is about, it's how it is about it,' and that applies 100 percent to this movie, a haunting film that makes something new out of the tradition of sprawling epic tragedies told in linear fashion." — Scene-Stealers.com Posted Apr 15, 2013
1/4	28%	G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013)	" I was prepared for the expected amount of flag-waving nonsense in this film, but one sequence with a Cobra member posing as the President of the United States is so offensive, it seems like it was an outtake from Team America: World Police. " — Scene-Stealers.com Posted Apr 15, 2013
3/4	100%	Sansho the Bailiff (1954)	" It illuminates the human condition and gives you plenty of time to think. It is the nature of nature to show no mercy, but mercy is inherent to the nature of human beings, even when it seems buried under loads of suffering." — Scene-Stealers.com Posted Apr 15, 2013
3/4	100%	Narayama bushiko (Ballad of Narayama) (1958)	" Modern audiences may find it difficult to adjust to its laconic pace, but it is a stirring tale, full of dignity and sorrow, and worth checking out for sure." — Scene-Stealers.com Posted Apr 15, 2013
.5/4	——	Dead In France (2013)	" Neither funny nor thrilling, and it is frustratingly, singlemindedly bent on cheap thrills and faux-clever dialogue and situations that are so contrived and hackneyed that Troy Duffy probably threw them out while making Boondock Saints II." — Scene-Stealers.com Posted Apr 15, 2013
3/4	82%	Rust and Bone (2012)	" Rust and Bone is a tough, emotionally raw movie, but its not a difficult watch, and its a very skillfully rendered piece of neo-realism." — Scene-Stealers.com Posted Apr 15, 2013
3/4	84%	Smashed (2012)	" Smashed is a non-judgmental snapshot of the small world surrounding this couple, and is filled with insightful moments and really great low-key performances." — Scene-Stealers.com Posted Apr 15, 2013
2.5/4	63%	Hitchcock (2012)	" The Cook/Reville subplot is pretty standard stuff, so the movie is pretty lopsided, but the behind-the-scenes stuff surrounding Psycho is very compelling, even if it's not 100 percent true. " — Scene-Stealers.com Posted Apr 15, 2013
2/4	38%	The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013)	" Everything that happens after it lets its abrasive character off the hook is completely predictable, but movies with this kind of pervasive silliness don't exist for their unpredictable plot lines-in fact they rely on predictability. " — Scene-Stealers.com Posted Apr 15, 2013
3/4	100%	Ivanovo detstvo (Ivan's Childhood)(My Name Is Ivan)(The Youngest Spy) (1962)	" Pairing [poetic] images with fragmented characters and Ivan's single-minded desire to get back in the fray, the result is disturbing and affecting." — Scene-Stealers.com Posted Mar 11, 2013
1.5/4	52%	Jack the Giant Slayer (2013)	" Flat and uninspired... the latest in the steady stream of films that takes old, familiar fairy tales and updates their antiquated social mores with a modern sensibility." — Scene-Stealers.com Posted Mar 11, 2013
3/4	96%	The Kid with a Bike (2012)	" The Dardennes have once again crafted a lean, efficient film that is plotted with singular purpose without hitting a false note." — Scene-Stealers.com Posted Mar 11, 2013
2/4	75%	Chicken with Plums (2012)	" ...an admirable trip down the rabbit hole of a lonely man's mind and inspiration, but it loses its way about halfway through the movie and feels like a series of inspired, lovely short films, held together by the barest of threads." — Scene-Stealers.com Posted Mar 11, 2013
2/4	14%	Small Apartments (2013)	" Åkerlund seems distracted by all the inherent quirkiness of the personalities and uses it as a crutch." — Scene-Stealers.com Posted Mar 11, 2013
2.5/4	65%	Don't Stop Believin': Everyman's Journey (2013)	" The film is mostly surface-value kicks, relaying the basic parts of the story (poor guy battling drug and alcohol addiction suddenly makes it big) without being particularly probing or revealing too many shades of gray. " — Lawrence.com Posted Mar 11, 2013
3/5	60%	Oz the Great and Powerful (2013)	" It has the wow factor that big, Hollywood event movies demand. Raimi was the right person to elevate some pretty standard material, though Franco and Kunis may not have been the right people for the job. " — Lawrence.com Posted Mar 11, 2013
3.5/4	98%	It Happened One Night (1934)	" Gable and Colbert have charm to spare, and even though the tropes are well-worn and have been mishandled poorly by every by-the-book chick flick of the last 15 years, it still isn't enough to keep this from working like gangbusters." — Lawrence.com Posted Feb 12, 2013
2.5/4	79%	A Late Quartet (2012)	" There may be some overly melodramatic notes hit along the way, but the sober and thoughtful performances from its four lead actors keep "A Late Quartet" from getting too out of hand." — Lawrence.com Posted Feb 12, 2013
2.5/4	85%	Side Effects (2013)	" Side Effects sports two very strong performances from Law and Mara, and Soderbergh's direction is lean and efficient. If only the final act were as muscular and sure-footed as the rest of the movie." — Lawrence.com Posted Feb 12, 2013
4/4	93%	Amour (2012)	" This subject matter is ripe for sentimentalization, but Haneke resists it at every turn, opting instead for unflinching honesty. It is the economy of theme paired with the subtle richness of character that make Amour so powerful." — Scene-Stealers.com Posted Feb 12, 2013
3.5/4	94%	Two-Lane Blacktop (1971)	" ... a quiet, existential masterpiece that has turned into a bonafide cult classic." — Scene-Stealers.com Posted Jan 25, 2013
1.5/4	14%	Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013)	" It wants desperately to be on the same level as Sam Raimi's slapstick horror Evil Dead trilogy, but it's nowhere near as fun or clever." — Scene-Stealers.com Posted Jan 25, 2013
2/4	65%	Mama (2013)	" The visual effects and sound design are unique, and a pleasure to watch, even when the suspense isn't really working. Producer del Toro should have let more things stay ambiguous and encouraged first-time director Muschietti to concentrate on the mood. " — Lawrence.com Posted Jan 18, 2013
3/4	78%	Die Blechtrommel (The Tin Drum) (1979)	" There are many themes running through The Tin Drum: resistance against an unkind world, the need for acceptance, the horrors of romance and war, and the final idea that growth is inevitable and unfortunately, necessary." — Scene-Stealers.com Posted Jan 16, 2013
3/4	100%	Plein soleil (Purple Noon) (Blazing Sun) (Full Sun) (Lust for Evil) (1996)	" Clément's strategy is to film Ripley's actions with little editorializing and the film is both laid-back and taut at the same time, especially in the second half of the film as the stakes get higher and it becomes more of a thriller. " — Scene-Stealers.com Posted Jan 16, 2013
1.5/4	11%	House at the End of the Street (2012)	" It isn't very scary, but it does pile a bunch of really tasteless twists on towards the end that make no sense and it almost becomes a comedy. On one hand, is a failure as a horror film, but as an exercise in desperation, it's kind of a hoot" — Scene-Stealers.com Posted Jan 16, 2013
3.5/4	93%	Zero Dark Thirty (2013)	" What makes Zero Dark Thirty such a fascinating film is that it plays both as an engaging procedural thriller and a serious examination of the country's moral compass. It is already doing what great movies do-starting conversation." — Scene-Stealers.com Posted Jan 16, 2013
3.5/4	69%	Not Fade Away (2012)	" Because its more about intertwining themes than it is about obvious plot and conflict, it has melancholic energy. It revels in the mystery, appreciation, and ultimately creation of art-from a guy who was empowered and inspired by rock himself." — Scene-Stealers.com Posted Jan 5, 2013
3/4	52%	This is 40 (2012)	" Apatow's biggest strength is his ability to wrangle frank and perceptive scenes into one overarching theme and wring huge laughs out of them, and he does that in This is 40 in spades." — Scene-Stealers.com Posted Jan 5, 2013
3/4	88%	Django Unchained (2012)	" As an entertaining revenge flick with roots in exploitation films and spaghetti westerns, Django Unchained succeeds. But it never rises above its genre to become a real, affecting emotional experience. " — Scene-Stealers.com Posted Dec 26, 2012
3/4	61%	Jack Reacher (2012)	" Gradually, 'Jack Reacher' overcomes its eerie early parallel to the most recent awful public shooting and becomes what it is - a skillfully plotted, disposable mystery that may serve as a launching pad to a new franchise for Tom Cruise." — Scene-Stealers.com Posted Dec 20, 2012
2/4	67%	Lawless (2012)	" Lawless features a unique villain and several great supporting actors, but none of them are able to rise above what is pretty standard crime movie material with nothing really new added to the mix. " — Scene-Stealers.com Posted Dec 20, 2012
3/4	79%	Following (1999)	" Besides the similarities in playing with time and structure, Nolan is already zeroed in on his favorite cinematic theme: obsession. " — Scene-Stealers.com Posted Dec 20, 2012
.5/4	70%	Les Misérables (2012)	" A punishing movie adaptation from director Tom Hooper that may very well prove to be the 'adult' equivalent of the Twilight series." — Scene-Stealers.com Posted Dec 18, 2012
3/4	66%	The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)	" Despite some minor missteps, watching it feels like welcoming an old friend into your home. He may ramble a bit and slightly overstay his welcome, but hanging out with him reminds you of why you're friends in the first place." — Scene-Stealers.com Posted Dec 14, 2012
2/4	74%	Hope Springs (2012)	" Sure, there's some big, general things about common couples' problems that ring true, but Hope Springs is all posturing with very little believable character building. " — Scene-Stealers.com Posted Dec 12, 2012
2.5/4	70%	Men in Black III (2012)	" Funny, if familiar. Energy and pacing are reasons it's able to skate by. It actually deepens the relationship between J and K, but it's still really a showcase for more of the same offbeat humor and imaginative special effects the first two are known for." — Scene-Stealers.com Posted Dec 12, 2012
3.5/4	76%	Killing Them Softly (2012)	" Killing Them Softly finds its own rhythm and eventually its own way of building dread, punctuated by bravura cinematic moments that won't soon be forgotten " — Scene-Stealers.com Posted Dec 12, 2012
2.5/4	95%	Weekend (Week End) (1967)	" It's all meant to be a vicious takedown of middle-class life in the late 60s, but much of it is incomprehensible today. Still, if you want to see absolute anarchy portrayed on film, you'll do no better than Weekend." — Scene-Stealers.com Posted Dec 12, 2012
4/4	100%	Rashômon (Rashomon) (In the Woods) (1951)	" Akira Kurosawa's masterpiece Rashomon is as compelling and powerful today as it must have been over 60 years ago when it took the world by storm." — Scene-Stealers.com Posted Dec 12, 2012
3/4	79%	Miami Connection (2012)	" Miami Connection is one of those rare films where the positive energy exuded by its oh-so-amateur cast and crew starts to rub off on you, despite the fact that almost all of the basic tenets of motion-picture storytelling are non-existent." — Scene-Stealers.com Posted Dec 12, 2012
3/4	89%	They Live (1988)	" They Live is a paranoid thriller that stretches a paper-thin budget with inventive special effects that serve the story and a message that still holds water today." — Scene-Stealers.com Posted Dec 12, 2012
1/4	16%	The Watch (2012)	" This lame sci-fi comedy was supposed to be for teens, but was re-written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg to be aimed at adults. The result is a movie that doesn't work for either." — Scene-Stealers.com Posted Dec 12, 2012

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