Sequel

Director Bryan Singer helms a sprawling epic that’s merely cobbled together from familiar plot points and franchise curtain calls.

Ultra-boring with an infuriatingly misleading advertising campaign, ‘The Huntsman: Winter’s War’ will likely be one of the most disappointing action films of the year.

No amount of added action or plot twists can elevate ‘The Divergent Series: Allegiant’ beyond a glorified soap opera

Like cinematic malaria, ‘Zoolander 2’ drains your resistance with its fever-dream insanity.

‘Creed’ is easily the second best film in the series and a quality picture in its own right.

‘Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation’ continues to up the ante for spectacular set pieces. More importantly, this is the fourth script penned for Tom Cruise by McQuarrie, who understands how to maximize Cruise’s particular skill set. Their collaboration, along with stunning cinematography and a solid supporting cast, makes this, arguably, the most entertaining entry in the series.

It’s taken almost seven months, but one movie has finally emerged from the dreary pack as the worst of 2015. That film is ‘Vacation,’ and it’s absolutely dreadful.

Despite some top-notch special effects and nostalgic callbacks, there’s a serious lack of fun and adventure in ‘Terminator Genisys.’ It seems that fate has finally caught up to this dilapidated franchise.

‘Magic Mike XXL’ is a thoroughly entertaining trifle that doesn’t have a malicious bone in its perfectly-sculpted body. Director Gregory Jacobs serves up a hilarious slice of All-American beefcake that puts a smile on your face and a wiggle in your hips.

By the time ‘Jurassic World’ reaches its gloriously-daffy climactic battle, you’ve lost all interest in the computer-generated nonsense and pointless sub-plots.

The Avengers clicked with both Marvel fans and general audiences because we loved watching these massive egos clash for the first time. It was the perfect blend of action and attitude, and its mastermind, Joss Whedon, was handed the golden ticket to Marvel’s keystone franchise. The long-awaited sequel, Avengers: Age of Ultron, shows the strain of trying to be bigger-and-better while still indulging the subtle pleasures of its predecessor. It succeeds, just barely, on the strength of a talented cast and our fondness for these characters. Still, it’s a decidedly somber affair that will turn off casual fans, and it stands as the most impersonal, and arguable weakest installment of Marvel’s vaunted “Phase Two.”

“This shit’s pretty flat, bro.” So sayeth the rudest man in the world, who just happened to be sitting behind me at the screening for Hot Tub Time Machine 2. He began the evening sitting in front of me; deliberately stealing a seat marked ‘Studio Representative’ so he could talk to the beautiful publicist. Shockingly, she rebuffed his drunken advances. “Whatever, bro,” he dismissively burped, and then ambled to the seat behind me. Yes, he’s the guy who calls both men and women ‘bro.’ He’s also the guy who talks through the entire movie, eats handfuls of popcorn with his mouth wide open (ostensibly, so he can still breathe), and kicks the back of the seat like a bored child. In other words, he’s the target audience for Hot Tub Time Machine 2. It’s a bad sign, then, that he laughed a grand total of two times during the entire film. That was exactly two more times than I laughed.

When the teaser for Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children first burst upon the scene in the fall of 2003, it would have been a staggering understatement to say fans were excited. In fact, fans of gamings flagship fantasy series were positively chomping at the bit for any new information regarding the sequel. The teaser was sparse but the morsels it did offer gave the public some pretty major bits, such as a recut of Sephiroth burning Nibelheim, shots of Vincent, Barret, and Tifa, and the return of the Turks, all scored to a new version of the iconic One Winged Angel theme from FFVII’s final battle. Was Square setting the bar a bit too high right out of the gate? Just how could they possibly match the insane hype they were already building almost two years prior to release?

Once upon a time, the Farrelly Brothers constructed sight gags capable of reaching new heights (or depths, as the case may be). Right about the time Brett Favre was murdering comedy in There’s Something About Mary, however, they abandoned their bread and butter in favor of a “comic spaghetti” approach. Meaning, they throw as many gags at the wall as possible and see what sticks. Thanks to the comic chemistry of Carrey and Daniels, Dumb and Dumber To is just sticky enough to justify its existence.

Sin City: A Dame to Kill For Written by Frank Miller Directed by Robert Rodriguez & Frank Miller USA, 2014   When Sin City exploded into theaters in 2005, we had never seen anything like it.  It was a resounding declaration that digital filmmaking had finally arrived.  The new Robert Rodriquez-Frank Miller collaboration, Sin City: …

The Expendables 3 Directed by Patrick Hughes Written by Sylvester Stallone, Creighton Rothenberger & Katrin Benedikt   Family themes are getting a good workout in action movies lately.  From the ragtag team of outlaws in Guardians of the Galaxy to the Pizza Hut dream-team in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, filmmakers need us to know that …

  UPDATE x2: So just over 80,000 signatures and rising. Congrats people, y’done good. But Dredd still needs our help.  That’s why on Wednesday, September 18th,  it’s time to put your money where your mouse is. 2000AD is launching a ‘Call to Action’, a global wide event with the hopes that the studio heads will notice …

Despite several new releases this past weekend, Oz: The Great and Powerful finished in first place at the box office again. With a domestic total of $145 million and counting, the L. Frank Baum prequel has already proven to be immensely profitable for its Disney overlords, and boy do the overlords know it. With word …

The Rescuers Down Under Directed by Hendel Butoy and Mike Gabriel Written by Jim Cox, Karey Kirkpatrick, Byron Simpson, Joe Ranft Starring Bob Newhart, Eva Gabor, George C. Scott The level of faith the Walt Disney Company places in its own products never ceases to be amazing if inexplicable. Each era at this massive corporation …

All Men Are Brothers Directed by Chang Cheh Written by Chang Cheh and Kuang Ni Hong Kong, 1975 In 1972, The Water Margin exploded onto the Hong Kong cinema scene, courtesy of acclaimed director Chang Cheh, an eclectic cast and impressive production values that clearly upped the ante in comparison to most Shaw films which …

Jeff Bridges is in talks with director Peter Bogdanovich about a second sequel to the American classic The Last Picture Show (the first being Texasville). According to The Collider Jeff Bridges had this to say at the the TRON: Legacy press junket: “I was just in Texas with Peter [Bogdanovich] and we’re looking at doing …

From the press release: GLENDALE, Calif., Oct. 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. announced plans to bring the epic action-adventure of Hiccup and his courageous Viking tribe as well as Toothless and the other beloved dragon characters on the Island of Berk back to the big screen in 3D with the sequel to How …

Despite the fact that Piranha 3D didn’t make huge box office numbers on opening weekend (only $10 million), Dimension Films has issued a press release announcing that they are already developing a follow-up with both director Alexandre Aja and producer Mark Canton returning. Considering Piranha 3d only has an estimated $24 million budget, the film …