Retro-view: Natural Born Killers

One of the advantages of living within a reasonable driving distance of an Alamo Drafthouse theater is that it gives me access to seeing older films in a theater on a big screen. In many cases this also means being able to see a 35mm print, which is becoming harder and harder to do. For a movie lover, such as myself, the big screen is the best way to see a movie, even if it is one you’ve seen many times over. The latest example of this is Natural Born Killers, a movie I originally saw in theaters as a homework assignment way back in 1994. Let me say that it was a great seeing it in a theater again.

Movie Review: Avengers - Age of Ultron - A Little Fun, a Little Meh

So, after years of waiting and years of build up, Avengers: Age of Ultron has finally arrived. As expected, it was a box office beast in its opening weekend, taking in more than $191 million on its way to becoming the second biggest opening film of all time (trailing only the $207 million take of its predecessor). Now, the crazy thing is that this is being seen as a disappointment, it had been expected to surpass the first Avengers film. One has to wonder what it was that kept it from taking the record, but then you have to think, it still took in $191 million! That is nothing to sneeze at. I also have to say I was amused at the idea that the boxing match had an effect on it. Geez, it made $191 million! Just be happy.

Movie Review: The Judge

The trailer for The Judge made it look like an interesting look into the relationship of an estranged father and son, a dissection of what makes them tick, what drove them apart, and ultimately what will bring them back together. Well, that might be a little bit more ambitious than what we actually get, but it sounds good, right? Frankly, this movie left me tired and uninspired when it comes to actually writing about. Besides having a solid cast, there is not a lot going in this movies favor. It is over-dramatic, sentimental, and hardly entertaining. The end result of this movie feels like an experiment showing Robert Downey, Jr. playing it straight outside of his Iron and Sherlock performances of late.

Movie Review: Iron Man 3

Iron Man Three (or 3, advertising shows the number, but the movie has it written out) has arrived amid much fanfare. There is no denying that there was a lot of anticipation, factoring both the popularity of the character (or Robert Downey Jr.'s portrayal) and the fact that it is the first Marvel movie since the runaway hit that The Avengers was last war. The biggest question is, well after how good the movie is, is how does it stack up to The Avengers and Iron Man 2? The answer is fairly simple, it is definitely a step up for, two, but doesn't have the big spectacle of The Avengers.