Skip to Content

‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ is good, freaky fun

Of course, Guardians isn’t perfect, as it struggles to find a consistent tone. Sometimes it wants to be more adult, with bawdier language and sexual innuendo. For instance, Quill’s rumination that “If I had a black light, this place would look like a Jackson Pollock painting!” is pretty sophisticated for mainstream PG-13 fare. Other times, it feels as though the filmmakers are pandering to a much younger audience. You can almost visualize a ‘Dancing Groot’ doll gyrating in your kid’s Happy Meal.

Read More about ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ is good, freaky fun

‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ is solid entertainment, despite some wonky action and character work

For every good sequence, there’s one that’s muddled with bad camerawork and editing. Like a lot of blockbuster action, it’s barely legible; you have to work to keep up with it, and that work interferes with the enjoyment. The story also sags in the middle, as it seems to exist mainly to fill out the run-time. The protagonists take the MacGuffin to a dude they wish to sell it to, but the only real function of the section is to exposit what it is. It turns a big chunk of the plot into a shrug.

Read More about ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ is solid entertainment, despite some wonky action and character work

‘Out of the Furnace’ a bleak, gruesome descent into working-class hell

Out of the Furnace Written by Brad Inglesby and Scott Cooper Directed by Scott Cooper USA, 2013 In the last few years, American filmmakers have turned to the bleak parts of the country, both to explore the sharp, darkened corners of our current psyche, and to depict a world stuck in the past. Films like …

Read More about ‘Out of the Furnace’ a bleak, gruesome descent into working-class hell

‘Kaylien’, starring Bradley Cooper and Malin Akerman, directed by Zoe Saldana

Today’s film is the 2011 short Kaylien. The film is the first directorial effort of actress Zoe Saldana, and stars Malin Akerman and Bradley Cooper. Cooper has had a meteoric rise in success in recent years, with 2009’s The Hangover establishing him as a successful leading man following years of supporting roles in movies and television. …

Read More about ‘Kaylien’, starring Bradley Cooper and Malin Akerman, directed by Zoe Saldana

‘The Words’ is intricately constructed and one of the year’s best films

The Words Directed by Brian Klugman and Lee Sternthal Written by Brian Klugman and Lee Sternthal U.S.A., 2012 ‘The story’ is arguably the greatest artistic achievement mankind has ever accomplished. Historically, the stories found in books have oftentimes communicated so much more and in far easier fashion than the spoken word can ever aspire to, …

Read More about ‘The Words’ is intricately constructed and one of the year’s best films