‘Jupiter Ascending’: Not terrible, but not great

HollywoodandFine.com There aren’t many films from the past 15 years that bowled me over the way “The Matrix” did. Unfortunately, the Wachoskis – Andy and Lana – haven’t come close since then. The “Matrix” sequels proved that not every successful movie deserves to be a trilogy. “Speed Racer” was an …

‘Foxcatcher’: Wrestling with tough characters

HollywoodandFine.com When I saw Bennett Miller’s “Foxcatcher” at the Toronto Film Festival in September, I wrote that “Miller, in my estimation, has jumped into the class of Steven Soderbergh and other great directors of the past 25 years (who don’t worship at the Tarantino altar).” Not that I’ve got anything …

The week in film: ’22 Jump Street,’ ‘The Signal’ and more

HollywoodandFine.com After I saw “22 Jump Street,” I noted publicly that, while it was funnier than “21 Jump Street,” so was my root canal. (Although the latter did include laughing gas.) Still, the bar wasn’t particularly high. So why is this film currently floating atop the Rotten Tomatoes chart with …

‘G.I. Joe: Retaliation,’ reviewed by Marshall Fine

HollywoodandFine.com People often debate situational ethics: Under what circumstances would an unethical act be ethical? Always an intriguing question. But what about situational movie standards? We’re talking about whether there’s ever a time when a bad movie should be given a pass because, well, it’s not as bad as it …

‘Haywire,’ reviewed by Marshall Fine

HollywoodandFine.com I don’t know whether Gina Carano has a future as an actress but she certainly kicks ass in Steven Soderbergh’s “Haywire,” a jet-propelled action-thriller that has little time for wasted motion. Working from a script by Lem Dobbs, who also wrote “The Limey,” Soderbergh has made an intense and …

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