The World is Not Enough is one of the worst films in the James Bond franchise and would get the franchise closer to a hard reboot. An impressive boat chase on the River Thames is not enough to save the film. Pierce Brosnan does most of his own stunts, which helps add to the realism that we see on the big screen. But again, flashy and stylish action scenes–including the 14-minute pre-title sequence–cannot save a…
"The World is Not Enough is Lesser James Bond"Category: Movie Reviews
The second James Bond movie starring Pierce Brosnan, Tomorrow Never Dies, marks the 25th anniversary of its 1997 theatrical release. This was the first James Bond film that I watched on the big screen. I’ve seen everything else on the big screen ever since. My family saw the film over opening weekend since we saved Titanic for December 25. It’s the film that would lead me to buy the 30 Years of James Bond album…
"Tomorrow Never Dies Marks 25th Anniversary"
At long last, Pierce Brosnan was finally able to step into the role of James Bond as GoldenEye finds the British spy in a new era. GoldenEye‘s cold open more takes us back to 1986 where James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) and fellow MI6 Agent Alec Trevelyan (Sean Bean) are infiltrating a Soviet chemical weapons facility. Things quickly sour when the Soviets capture Trevelyan and Bond assumes they kill him, but not before Bond destroys the…
"GoldenEye Resets James Bond For Late 20th Century"
The Hallmark Channel is getting better as their 2022 Chanukah film, Hanukkah on Rye, is the network’s best Chanukah film yet. Their previous films have set a low bar but then again, most of them always find a way to inject Xmas into them. Last year’s Eight Gifts of Hanukkah was an improvement. I’m happy to say that Hanukkah on Rye feels like it’s an Oscar winner compared to the previous offerings. During the film’s…
"Hanukkah on Rye: The 2022 Hallmark Channel Chanukah Movie"
After years of talking about the film, James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water is finally arriving on the big screen in theaters. Here’s the thing about Avatar: you’re either a fan or you’re not. How one feels about the first movie will more or less be the way one feels about the second. I would have been fine just watching the 2D version of the film. Maybe it’s because of where I was sitting…
"Avatar: The Way of Water: You’ll Love It Or You Won’t"
The Oscar-nominated About Schmidt, starring Jack Nicholson, marks the 20th anniversary of its theatrical release in 2002. This is the first of two Jack Nicholson movies getting a milestone anniversary review in December. The other film is As Good As It Gets, celebrating 25 years on December 25. Anyway, it’s really hard to believe that About Schmidt is 20 years old this year. I can still remember watching the dramedy in theaters! As a film,…
"About Schmidt Marks 20th Anniversary"
The Poseidon Adventure, the 1972 Oscar-winning disaster film, marks the 50th anniversary of its theatrical release and doomed voyage. I started watching a series of disaster thrillers in January since my headspace wasn’t really in the mood for much of anything else. When there’s an attack at a shul–as there was this year–it’s hard to be in the mood for much of anything else. Anyway, I ran my reviews of Dante’s Peak and Volcano on…
"The Poseidon Adventure Marks 50th Anniversary"
Empire of the Sun, an underappreciated Oscar-nominated classic, marks the 35th anniversary of its theatrical release in 1987. In another universe, Steven Spielberg would be producing a David Lean epic set during WWII. With Lean busy at the time, Spielberg ended up directing the film. The end result is one of his most serious films of the 1980s. The film marked the first time that the city of Shanghai opened its doors for a major…
"Empire of the Sun Marks 35th Anniversary"
Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again is the newest installment of a franchise that should have ended when Robin Williams died. I would have probably been on board with an animated film if they had the original cast. Instead, this feels much like one of those direct-video sequels where the stars walked away after the theatrical predecessor. When I saw that Nick Daley (Joshua Bassett) was going to be the lead character, I thought,…
"Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again"
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio takes the classic story everyone knows and moves it up a few decades by dropping it into Fascist Italy. Before I dive into plot and such, let’s talk about the animation. Despite what some people might tell you otherwise, animation is film. It always has been and always will be. I delayed writing my review until after my second viewing of the new film. The film is even more impressive one…
"Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio Pushes Animation Into A New Direction"