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American Gangster is compelling in the same way that many mob-related motion pictures are compelling, but it fails to achieve the greatness that the best of them attain. The problem with American Gangster may be that it tries to hard to provide bal...

Here's a word analogy: Amistad is to The Lost World as Schindler's List is to Jurassic Park. In 1993, after Steven Spielberg made the monster dino hit, many critics described Schindler's List as the director's "penance" (as if there was a need for...

Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver seeks to inject a dose of high octane into a heist film while illustrating how it’s possible to make a car chase exciting in an era when few action staples have become more boring and predictable. The film also s...

For Rodney Dangerfield, the stand-up comedian whose catchphrase was “I don’t get no respect,” Back to School provided an opportunity to get more than his share of praise and adulation. The crowd-pleasing comedy grossed $91M, making it th...

Basmati Blues isn’t nearly as bad as some of the online buzz might indicate…and that’s actually unfortunate. Instead of vying for a so-bad-it’s-entertaining categorization, it falls squarely into the hell of cinematic mediocrity. A fo...

E.T. There, I’ve gotten it out of the way - the obligatory mention of the classic 1982 collaboration between director Steven Spielberg and screenwriter Melissa Mathison that every critic will make when reviewing The BFG. The truth is, howev...

In 2013, Frozen arrived in theaters to capture the hearts, minds, and imaginations of young people (especially girls) around the world. Big Hero 6 is Disney's follow-up and it's unlikely to have the same seismic impact. Although competently made a...

Black Bag belongs on an Endangered Species list – a spy thriller that relies on uncovering motivations and unraveling narrative knots to generate suspense. There’s nary a car chase to be found nor a shootout to dodge during the course of this ...

Feelings of déjà vu while watching The Box are understandable (perhaps inevitable), with the movie evoking memories of a Twilight Zone or Outer Limits TV episode. Such similarities are not coincidental; the author of the source material, Richard...

With names like Spielberg, Hanks, and the Coen Brothers, it's hard not to be excited about a project like Bridge of Spies. Yet, although the workmanlike production is solidly engaging, it falls short of the loftiest expectations. It's worth s...