ReelViews for PG-13 movies

Note to readers: this review contains spoilers. While I do not believe the revelation of certain plot points will in any way compromise the viewing experience, those who wish to see The Cider House Rules without having previous knowledge of certain...

Consider Cinderella Man to be a Depression era Rocky. While that may at first seem like a glib way to describe Ron Howard's rags-to-riches boxing drama, a careful examination of the storyline reveals numerous similarities between this drama and Sy...

Thematically, James Ponsoldt’s The Circle (based on the novel by Dave Eggers) takes its cues from George Orwell’s 1984 and Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World. Grand aspirations, to be sure, and ones that are never truly met. From its beginn...

Is it too much to ask that a narrative film have a beginning, a middle, and an end? Apparently in the case of Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant, a loose adaptation of Darren Shan's Vampire Blood trilogy, the answer is "yes." Developed with...

There is something a little retro about the relaxing blend of screwball comedy and low-key drama that represents Raymond De Felitta's City Island. An indie of the sort that achieved popularity during the 1990s but which has since fallen out of fav...

As the world hurtles towards the end of the second millennium, there seems to be an increased awareness of mysticism and things spiritual. Suddenly, it's hip to believe in God (not necessarily a specific god -- an amorphous, non-denominational dei...

Let me begin this review by stating that I am weary of courtroom dramas. This is in large part because of John Grisham, whose popularity has encouraged screenwriters exploring this genre to fall into familiar, predictable patterns. Seen in retros...

Seen in standard digital 3D. To employ a cliché, there's good news and bad news for Clash of the Titans fans. The good news is that the 2010 remake is an improvement upon the 1981 original. The bad news is that the degree of improvement is mi...

The average American production about teachers and students invariably turns into an inspirational melodrama in which some great life lesson is imparted. All of these movies - from Dead Poets Society to Mr. Holland's Opus to Dangerous Minds to Fre...

We know from experience that Adam Sandler has a fondness for Frank Capra. After all, is there anything odder than watching Sandler channel Gary Cooper in a remake of Mr. Deeds (Goes to Town)? Actually, there is. It's watching Sandler channel Jim...