|
62%
|
Evil Dead (2013)
|
"Enjoy but be warned: you might need a tetanus shot and stitches just watching it."
|
Kevin A. Ranson
|
|
28%
|
G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013)
|
"Folks, we'd all love to see a hard-line G.I. Joe film where everything is realistic, but when was the show ever realistic?"
|
Kevin A. Ranson
|
|
60%
|
Oz the Great and Powerful (2013)
|
"Sam Raimi has managed to recapture the feel and charm of the original 'Wizard of Oz'... and that may be the greatest compliment of all."
|
Kevin A. Ranson
|
|
40%
|
The Call (2013)
|
"... the only thing worse than pulling the final punch... would have been showing the script cover to 'The Call 2: Aftercall' after the credits."
|
Kevin A. Ranson
|
|
87%
|
Frankenweenie (2012)
|
"... a padded short story that didn't require embellishment... looks very weak directly compared to the sheer brilliance of the similarly themed ParaNorman."
|
Kevin A. Ranson
|
|
89%
|
Lincoln (2012)
|
"Pushing this film as merely 'Lincoln' is something of an injustice to the man himself, as if audiences wouldn't have any interest in the actual story of the film."
|
Kevin A. Ranson
|
|
14%
|
Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013)
|
"... a guilty pleasure film... pokes (fun) at pop culture and other similar fantasy action films. Purists and "flim buffs" will want to steer clear... to avoid its taint..."
|
Kevin A. Ranson
|
|
78%
|
Flight (2012)
|
"Denzel Washington's one-note character is a prisoner of a one-thought plot."
|
Kevin A. Ranson
|
|
88%
|
Django Unchained (2012)
|
"... it's a Tarantino Western... people will be screaming, the blood will flow freely and be splattered about, and the explosions are unnecessarily bigger than they have to be."
|
Kevin A. Ranson
|
|
65%
|
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
|
"... there's nothing to hate or fear here (unless you buy the super-chubby size soda). Welcome back, Middle Earth."
|
Kevin A. Ranson
|
|
43%
|
Hotel Transylvania (2012)
|
"... feels more like a good Cartoon Network series pilot than a great feature film... no one thought to do a parody of The Eagle's 'Hotel California' for this?"
|
Kevin A. Ranson
|
|
93%
|
Looper (2012)
|
"... re-establishes the (time travel) genre in a new and fresh way. And seriously, how cool is it to have an actual blunderbus for an assassin's weapon?"
|
Kevin A. Ranson
|
|
78%
|
Dredd (2012)
|
"A straight-forward dystopian police actioneer with violent tendencies (but without Sylvester Stallone). In two words, it's good."
|
Kevin A. Ranson
|
|
69%
|
Ted (2012)
|
"If you've ever put a Twisted Sister cassette into a Teddy Ruxpin or wished you could have, this movie is for you."
|
Kevin A. Ranson
|
|
87%
|
ParaNorman (2012)
|
"A smart, contemporary monster movie that doesn't talk down to its young or adult audience."
|
Kevin A. Ranson
|
|
31%
|
Total Recall (2012)
|
"... the machines from I, Robot hitch a ride on the magma train from The Core to invade the world of Blade Runner for the benefit of the citizens living in The Fifth Element?"
|
Kevin A. Ranson
|
|
87%
|
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
|
"... Nolan thinks small in a big way... providing an imperfect yet satisfying conclusion, and that in itself is quite an accomplishment."
|
Kevin A. Ranson
|
|
74%
|
Prometheus (2012)
|
"(The) parent/child and creator/creation themes (are) pretty deep for a film this pretty. What else did you expect from Ridley Scott?"
|
Kevin A. Ranson
|
|
48%
|
Snow White and the Huntsman (2012)
|
"An effective retelling of Snow White that puts the Grimm all back in."
|
Kevin A. Ranson
|
|
70%
|
Men in Black III (2012)
|
"Third time's the charm; director Barry Sonnenfeld finally nails a story cool enough for the Men in Black."
|
Kevin A. Ranson
|
|
34%
|
Battleship (2012)
|
"... finally exercises its self-awareness bone and has a little fun before the credits roll... worth sneaking into the ending after you see The Avengers again."
|
Kevin A. Ranson
|
|
58%
|
The Dictator (2012)
|
"Where most of Cohen's films exploit non-actors falling for his ruse, this dictator has been banished to one of those (regrettable and forgettable) SNL movies..."
|
Kevin A. Ranson
|
|
38%
|
Dark Shadows (2012)
|
"... it shouldn't surprise anyone that all the funny bits are in the trailers and what's left is a beautiful production design in need of a worthy plot."
|
Kevin A. Ranson
|
|
93%
|
Marvel's The Avengers (2012)
|
"If you only see one movie this year over and over again, it'll probably be this one."
|
Kevin A. Ranson
|
|
92%
|
The Cabin in the Woods (2012)
|
"What do you do when a genre has completely played itself out? You reinvent it one last time and let all hell break loose."
|
Kevin A. Ranson
|
|
88%
|
Titanic (2012)
|
"Forget that we know how it all ends; it's the drama of dealing with eventuality that tells the real story here."
|
Kevin A. Ranson
|
|
51%
|
John Carter (2012)
|
"John Carter is an instant classic... Disney should be ashamed of themselves for treating Mars like a red-headed step planet."
|
Kevin A. Ranson
|
|
85%
|
The Hunger Games (2012)
|
"While the ending is a bit of a mess, the rest isn't terrible (and nobody sparkles in the sunlight)."
|
Kevin A. Ranson
|
|
33%
|
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)
|
"... continues not only the tale of (the Sparrow and Barbossa) rivalry but also why (and how well) they ever worked together to begin with."
|
Kevin A. Ranson
|
|
85%
|
Tucker & Dale vs Evil (2011)
|
"... a far-fetched but bloody fun film that doesn't talk down to its target audience so much as it celebrates fans of the genre."
|
Kevin A. Ranson
|
|
82%
|
Trollhunter (2011)
|
"... this one is well worth the troll hunt to find."
|
Kevin A. Ranson
|
|
98%
|
The Artist (2011)
|
"A story that's so sweet and innocent, it's practically forgivable for being the awards bait it's being offered up as."
|
Kevin A. Ranson
|
|
71%
|
Hanna (2011)
|
"Sometimes a gritty, unpolished, and decidedly European-style thriller is exactly what you're looking for."
|
Kevin A. Ranson
|
|
76%
|
We Need to Talk About Kevin (2012)
|
"You know those television shows where... it says 'three days earlier' with an explanation of how they got there? It's like that (but in no way satisfying here)."
|
Kevin A. Ranson
|
|
84%
|
The Tree of Life (2011)
|
"If I can prevent just one person from watching this, it'll have been worth suffering through it."
|
Kevin A. Ranson
|
|
93%
|
Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol (2011)
|
"...everything that worked in the third film amped up to eleven. It's about the team, it's about the mission, and it's about time."
|
Kevin A. Ranson
|
|
58%
|
Red State (2011)
|
"Full of controversial subjects and interesting characters, it's the story that ultimately fails."
|
Kevin A. Ranson
|
|
77%
|
Melancholia (2011)
|
"Beautiful doom, gloom, and the peaceful certainty of the end of the world. What's not to love?"
|
Kevin A. Ranson
|
|
26%
|
Green Lantern (2011)
|
"In an attempt by the script to be both epic and snarky, director Martin Campbell and actor Ryan Reynolds did the best they could with what they were given to work with."
|
Kevin A. Ranson
|
|
36%
|
In Time (2011)
|
"When time really is money, it's hard not to keep looking at your watch. Fortunately, viewing this film won't have you looking at yours."
|
Kevin A. Ranson
|
|
69%
|
A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas (2011)
|
"Although still not as fun as the original, fans should enjoy this one better than the preachy second installment (more so if they're slightly blitzed)."
|
Kevin A. Ranson
|
|
84%
|
Puss in Boots (2011)
|
"Family fun adventure with an occasional wink to the adults. Who doesn't love Puss in Boots? Even Guillermo del Toro got in on this!"
|
Kevin A. Ranson
|
|
68%
|
Paranormal Activity 3 (2011)
|
"Bored now. 'Teddy Ruxpin is evil' would have been a more plausible explanation."
|
Kevin A. Ranson
|
|
75%
|
Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988)
|
"'Can't Sleep, Clowns Will Eat Me.' Not just pretty words, thanks to the Chiodo brothers."
|
Kevin A. Ranson
|
|
58%
|
Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark (2011)
|
"An intimate ankle biter vs. ankle biters battle of flashbulbs, sharp things, and suspense."
|
Kevin A. Ranson
|
|
72%
|
Fright Night (2011)
|
"If the remakers of Conan the Barbarian wonder how the remake of Fright Night got it right, here's a hint: it's the writing, you fools."
|
Kevin A. Ranson
|
|
61%
|
Final Destination 5 (2011)
|
"The best all-around installment of the series (since the original) with an opening sequence that just misses rivaling the intro to the #2 freeway pileup."
|
Kevin A. Ranson
|
|
24%
|
Conan the Barbarian (2011)
|
"Alternate titles may include Conan and the Argonauts, The Seventh Voyage of Conan, or Conan the Scorpion King."
|
Kevin A. Ranson
|
|
79%
|
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
|
"The best attempt thus far at bringing Cap off the page and onto screens. Too bad it was hamstrung by 'setupforsequelitis.'"
|
Kevin A. Ranson
|
|
44%
|
Cowboys & Aliens (2011)
|
"Hey, wouldn't a prequel to Independence Day about an advance alien scout ship landing in the Old West be cool? Surprise! It is."
|
Kevin A. Ranson
|
78%
33%
100%
85%
45%
40%
