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It's an axiom of the filmmaking industry that any time an animated movie shows a profit, it instantly becomes the foundation for a franchise. Unfortunately, when money drives creative decisions, it's like the cart pulling the horse. Take away the f...
U.S. Release Date: 2014-06-13
MPAA Rating: "PG"
Genre: ANIMATED
Director: Dean DeBlois
Cast: (voices) Jay Baruchel, Cate Blanchett, Gerard Butler, ...
The third (and likely final) installment of the How to Train Your Dragon trilogy, The Hidden World, continues a trend that started with the previous film: muting adult-friendly content in favor of material with a greater appeal to kids. Althoug...
U.S. Release Date: 2019-02-22
MPAA Rating: "PG"
Genre: Animated/Adventure
Director: Dean DeBlois
Cast: Jay Baruchel, America Ferrera, F. Murray Abraham, ...
What were they thinking?To anyone who was a fan of the original 1970s run of the comic book (written by Steve Gerber and drawn primarily by Gene Colan), it seemed unlikely that a live-action film could recapture the absurd zaniness that the creato...
U.S. Home Release Date: 2024-05-03
MPAA Rating: "PG" (Violence, Sexual Content, Profanity)
Genre: Science Fiction/Adventure
Director: Willard Huyck
Cast: Lea Thompson, Jeffrey Jones, Tim Robbins, ...
With Hugo, Martin Scorsese has accomplished what few in Hollywood are willing to try: make a movie for adults that arrives without sex, violence, or profanity and earns a PG-rating. It's a fairy tale for mature viewers, but the airy exterior hides ...
U.S. Release Date: 2011-11-23
MPAA Rating: "PG"
Genre: DRAMA/ADVENTURE
Director: Martin Scorsese
Cast: Ben Kingsley, Asa Butterfield, Chloe Moretz, ...
Hulk represents the most involving superhero motion picture since >Superman soared skywards in 1978. By taking its time to develop characters and situations, Hulk does what so many action/adventure movies fail to do - allow us to really feel for t...
U.S. Release Date: 2003-06-20
MPAA Rating: "PG-13" (Violence, Nudity)
Genre: ACTION/ADVENTURE
Director: Ang Lee
Cast: Eric Bana, Jennifer Connelly, Sam Elliott, ...
When Paramount Pictures greenlit production for The Hunt for Red October, there was no thought of it becoming the first film in a “Jack Ryan” series. Red October, Tom Clancy’s debut as an author, became an international best-seller but wa...
U.S. Release Date: 1990-03-02
MPAA Rating: "PG" (Violence)
Genre: Thriller
Director: John McTiernan
Cast: Sean Connery, Alec Baldwin, Scott Glenn, ...
I Am Legend, the third cinematic adaptation of Richard Matheson's novel, has been in development for a very long time. Originally slated to star Arnold Schwarzenegger and be directed by Ridley Scott, this movie has kicked around for so long that b...
U.S. Release Date: 2007-12-14
MPAA Rating: "PG-13" (Profanity, Mature Themes)
Genre: SCIENCE FICTION/ADVENTURE
Director: Francis Lawrence
Cast: Will Smith
I Am Love falls into the select category of films that are easier to admire than like. Director Luca Guadagnino's arm's length approach to the story creates a buffer between the audience and the main character - something that works well during th...
U.S. Release Date: 2010-06-25
MPAA Rating: "R" (Sexual Content, Nudity)
Genre: DRAMA
Director: Luca Guadagnino
Cast: Tilda Swinton, Flavio Parenti, Edoardo Gabbriellini, ...
Never trust a serious drama that uses a line from a Dr. Seuss book as its title. I Am Sam (inspired by a line from "Green Eggs and Ham"), despite boasting interesting character relationships, stumbles and falls because of a storyline that consiste...
U.S. Release Date: 2001-12-28
MPAA Rating: "PG-13" (Profanity)
Genre: DRAMA
Director: Jessie Nelson
Cast: Sean Penn, Michelle Pfeiffer, Dakota Fanning, ...