It’s hokey, it’s cheesy, it’s campy....it’s Batman. The film follows the Dynamic Duo as they take on their four greatest villains, Joker, Penguin, Riddler, and Catwoman, who have come together in an attempt to take over the world. Adam West, Burt Ward, Lee Meriwether, Cesar Romero, and Burgess Meredith make up this iconic cast that would define Batman for a generation. All the sets and costumes are absurdly awful and ridiculous. And the dialog is atrocious, even for camp. At times the film gets so bad that it becomes fun to watch, but most of it is cringe worthy. Batman tests the limits of endurance for camp and cartoonishness, and is an embarrassment to the series that can never be lived down.
A rather poorly made horror film, Red Christmas doesn’t deliver any scares. The story follows a family celebrating Christmas in the Australian countryside that is visited by a mysterious stranger looking to settle some unfinished business. Except for Dee Wallace the acting is universally bad, and the script isn’t much better. But it’s the directing that really damns the film. The kill scenes are poorly shot and there’s no tension or suspense to them. And the special effects are terrible; particularly the creature make-up, which is downright laughable. Red Christmas is an amateurish film that doesn’t work at all.
Talk about f***ing up a classic, Black Christmas is a disgrace that’s unfit to bear the name. In this reboot the residents of a sorority house, which has a bloody history, are killed off one by one during a severe snow storm. There’s no real mystery or intrigue to the plot, just senseless violence and killing. And while the cast is first rate (Katie Cassidy, Michelle Trachtenberg, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Lacey Chabert), they’re completely wasted playing bland, stereotypical characters. Additionally, the violence is extremely gruesome and lacks any subtlety. Sadistic garbage, Black Christmas is an ugly and vulgar film.
From director Bob Clark comes the classic horror film Black Christmas. The story follows a college sorority that’s preyed upon by a mysterious killer who makes bizarre, disturbing phone calls to the house and murders the residents one by one during the Christmas break. Starring Olivia Hussey, Margot Kidder, and John Saxon, the casting isn’t too bad. And, Clark’s directing style gives a creepy and atmospheric tone to the film that’s quite effective. Still, the storytelling is a little weak, providing few answers as to who the killer is or his motives. Yet despite its problems, Black Christmas is a gritty and frightful slasher film.
“I’ll have a blue Christmas without you.” P2 is a terrifying thriller that’s intense and frightening. The story follows a businesswoman who’s working late on Christmas Eve and ends up getting trapped in a parking garage by a deranged security guard who’s obsessed with her. Wes Bentley and Rachel Nichols lead the cast and give strong performances that are incredibly engaging. And, the plot is especially well-crafted, and is able to maintain a high level of intensity and suspense throughout the entire film. However, there are some weaknesses; as it gets a bit clichéd and formulaic at times. Dark and foreboding, P2 is a chilling film that delivers plenty of scares.
Despite the rich subject material, Gangster Squad delivers a rather mundane crime thriller. Inspired by a true story, the L.A. police chief appoints a special task force to take down local crime boss Mickey Cohen, who’s attempting to establish a mob presence on the West Coast. With an all-star cast that includes Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, and Sean Penn, the performances are pretty good. But, the storytelling is weak and isn’t very compelling. However, the costumes and set designs give the film a remarkably authentic feel. Gangster Squad is more or less a stereotypical period crime film that has some impressive action sequences.
Gritty and intense, Run All Night is an exciting crime thriller. To save his son mob hitman Jimmy Conlon kills the son of his boss, starting a war that threatens to destroy them all. Liam Neeson and Ed Harris give incredibly strong performances that are quite compelling. And, the director does a good job at creating suspense and tension. Still, the plot’s fairly predictable and some of the characters are underdeveloped. Though it’s a little formulaic, Run All Night is entertaining and full of thrills.
“And sometimes you do Reindeer Games.” Affleck may be the bomb in Phantoms, but he totally phones it in in the holiday thriller Reindeer Games. When Rudy Duncan’s cellmate, Nick Cassidy, is killed two days before his release Rudy assumes his identity and hooks up with Nick’s girlfriend, but he’s soon kidnapped by her brother and forced to help him pull off a casino robbery. The film has a pretty solid cast (besides Ben Affleck) that includes Gary Sinise, Charlize Theron, Danny Trejo, and Dennis Farina. But the script is replete with problems; the dialog in particular is pretty bad. However, if you can get past the script issues and the weak acting, there’s a fairly interesting heist story with some good twists and surprises. While Reindeer Games has its issues, it’s entertaining and delivers some fun thrills.
Jennifer Garner forces her real-life pregnancy into the fifth season of Alias, dooming the series to certain cancellation. When a new terrorist group called Prophet Five emerges APO must discover who its members are and prevent them from uncovering the secrets of Rambaldi. Turning Sydney into a pregnant super-spy is ridiculous and makes the character appear reckless. And the cast turn over (Michael Vartan, Greg Grunberg, and Mia Maestro all leave, special guest appearances not withstanding) is a mortal wound that the show just couldn’t recover from. However, the addition of Amy Acker as a new villain is a highlight of the season, and Rachel Nichols brings a new energy to the show playing the Season 1 Sydney role of a black ops CIA agent who learns that she has actually been working for a rogue faction. Luckily ABC gave the show advanced notice of their cancellation so that it could have several episodes to wrap-up the series; which it does impressively well, delivering an action-packed, emotional finale and finally reveals the Rambaldi endgame. Cancellation ended up being a mercy killing for Alias, as Season 5 really struggled to find a direction and ways to continue the series.
Lethal Weapon 4 goes to the well once again and serves up another pointless action film. In this installment Riggs and Murtaugh stumble across a human trafficking operation that leads to the Chinese Triad. Gibson and Glover return, along with Pesci and Russo. Plus, Chris Rock is added to the mix for some extra comedy, and Jet Li takes the reigns as the new villain. Yet, the film stays true to form and delivers more over-the-top action and the same tired old jokes. There’s nothing especially bad Lethal Weapon 4 (except maybe the heavy handing moralizing), but the series has worn itself out.
Six days to retirement, what could go wrong? Lethal Weapon 3 is a lighthearted action film that’s lost the edginess that made the series so compelling and original. In this installment Riggs and Murtaugh get busted down to patrolmen and accidentally stumble onto a gun smuggling operation. Glover and Gibson are true to form, and Joe Pesci is back to offer his usual comedic relief. But the addition of Rene Russo really drags down the film; her character seems forced and doesn’t feel authentic. However, Richard Donner delivers on the action once again, making for some fun and excitement. Still, Lethal Weapon 3 takes the series into generic action film territory and loses its distinctiveness.
Lethal Weapon 2 makes the classic mistake of going over-the-top, way over-the-top. Richard Donner returns to direct this sequel in which Riggs and Murtaugh are pitted against a group of South African diplomats that are secretly running a crime syndicate in LA. The plot is beyond ridiculous and is full of common tropes that are exceedingly obvious, like the wisecracking criminal sidekick. And that sidekick is Joe Pesci, who joins the cast and adds a lot of unnecessary comedy that changes the tone of the film and breaks up the buddy cop feel. Still, the action scenes go all-out; though some of them get a little cartoonish and are a bit much. There’s fun to be had in Lethal Weapon 2, but it’s lost all of the smart edginess that the first one had.
Director Richard Donner has crafted an action film classic with Lethal Weapon. It’s the ultimate buddy cop film; a cop on the edge, Martin Riggs, is paired up with a seasoned veteran, Roger Murtaugh, and the two must work together in order to bust a drug trafficking kingpin. Mel Gibson and Danny Glover are brilliantly cast and have a great onscreen chemistry as a buddy cop duo. And, Gary Busey delivers a solid performance as the relentless villain going after Riggs and Murtaugh. The action and fight scenes are especially well done; adding a lot of energy and suspense to the film. Lethal Weapon is a riveting, high adrenaline action film that’s a lot of fun.
Don’t Panic...Douglas Adams’ cult science-fiction comedy The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy has finally been bought to the big screen. When the Earth is destroyed to make way for a galactic highway Arthur Dent is accidentally rescued by the President of the Galaxy, Zaphod Beeblebrox, and taken on a whirlwind adventure as Zaphod attempts to find the Ultimate Question to Life, the Universe, and Everything. Featuring an all-star cast that includes Sam Rockwell, Mos Def, Zooey Deschanel, Martin Freeman, Bill Nighy, and Alan Rickman, the performances are all really good. The comedy is also extraordinarily well-written, with some brilliant satire that’s quite clever. Incredibly imaginative, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is a unique film that’s hilarious from start to finish.
The Simpsons continues the hilarity into a second season that delivers even more laughs. With the characters established, the show starts to explore their quirks and develops their chemistry with one another. This season delivers such classic episodes as “Bart Gets Hit By a Car,” “Oh Brother Where Art Thou?,” “Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment,” “The Way We Was,” and the first “Treehouse of Horror” anthology episode (which became an annual tradition for the series). Additionally, several major stars make appearances, including James Earl Jones, Larry King, Danny DeVito, Ringo Starr, and Dustin Hoffman. Also, Phil Hartman joins the cast as a recurring guest star; debuting his signature character of shyster lawyer Lionel Hutz. Ridiculously funny, Season 2 of The Simpsons is incredibly entertaining.
Gilmore Girls delivers more laughs and family drama as the show moves into its second season. When Luke’s wayward nephew Jess comes to live with him, Jess soon gets a reputation as a troublemaker and causes a rift between Rory and Dean; meanwhile Lorelai explores the possibility of owning her own inn and helps her father transition from the corporate world to running his own business. Milo Ventimiglia is a good addition to the cast and has great chemistry with Alexis Bledel. Also, a number of the secondary/supporting cast members get explored more. And several interesting guest stars are featured, including Madchen Amick and Seth MacFarlane. Entertaining and fun, Season 2 of Gilmore Girls continues to grow and develop the series.
Quirky and fun, Gilmore Girls is a lighthearted family comedy that delivers an impressive first season. Developed by former Roseanne writer Amy Sherman-Palladino, the show follows a mother and daughter, Lorelai and Rory Gilmore, who live in a small New-England town called Stars Hallow; and when Rory gets accepted into a prestigious private school Lorelai most seek help from her estranged parents. Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel are perfectly cast as the leads and give tremendous performances. In fact the entire cast is quite good and has great chemistry together. And the show’s trademark fast-paced, quippy dialog is rather clever and has a certain charm to it. Still, the series can get a little too farcical at times. Season 1 of Gilmore Girls, while it has its problems, is an incredibly entertaining and touching show about family and growing-up.
From the creative team behind Arrested Development comes the exciting, cutting edge comedy Running Wilde. When environmental activist Emmy Kadubic goes to see her old boyfriend, rich playboy Steve Wilde, she decides to take him on as her new cause and accepts his invitation for her and her daughter to move in with him; thus a battle of wills ensues as Steve tries to corrupt Emmy with his extravagant lifestyle, and Emmy tries to get Steve to be more socially responsible. Starring Will Arnett, Keri Russell, and David Cross, the show has a great cast that’s able to bring the comedy. Additionally, the series uses a meta style format that sets up the daughter is an omniscient narrator, and includes clever Arrested Development homages and in-jokes. An entertaining and witty sitcom, Running Wilde delivers 13 hilarious episodes.
Coach’s fifth season takes on a matrimonial theme as Hayden and Christine finally tie the knot. After a prolonged engagement, Hayden and Christine finally set a date and spend the season planning for their wedding, but the fates seem to be against them as a series of mishaps keeps postponing their wedding. But in the meantime, Christine gets cast in a national coffee commercial, Hayden develops a new scheme to go after the Rizzendough fortune, and Luther takes a trip to Vegas to risk his life’s savings on a game of roulette. Craig T. Nelson takes on a larger behind-the-scenes role by becoming a reoccurring director, and a number of celebrates cameo in the star-studded “Bachelor Party” episode. Additionally, the show addresses the very topical and controversial issue of steroid abuse in a powerful special episode. With a good balance of character drama and comedy, Season 5 of Coach is one of the best of the series.
Though short-lived, NBC’s sci-fi series The Event delivered a thrilling and action-packed adventure. The show follows several characters whose stories intertwine as a terrorist name Thomas attempts to force the President to free a group of detainees from another world who are being held at a secret U.S. prison. The storytelling is a bit problematic with time jumps and switches to seemingly unrelated character stories. But by mid-season this is tightened up and becomes more fluid and engaging. The show also does an impressive job at creating interesting characters that have some ambiguity, and switch between hero and villain as the season unfolds. Still, there are a number of failed subplot and mysteries that are never answered or don’t add much to the overall story arc. While it was problematic at times, The Event ultimately proved to be an exciting and compelling series worthy of more than the one season it got.
A mediocre adventure film, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom delivers some exciting action but is a little lacking on story. When a volcano erupts on Isla Nublar Claire Dearing teams up with a wealthy industrialist to help evacuate the dinosaurs to a preserve, but when they get to the island she’s double crossed. Despite having a strong cast that includes James Cromwell, Toby Jones, and Ted Levine, most of them are wasted; except Levine, who proves to be a good villain. Yet the writing is rather poor, as the plot is forced and doesn’t make a lot of sense. Also, it teases mysteries that don’t really pay off. Still, the special effects are incredibly good, and make for some amazing dinosaur scenes. And the score does an extraordinary job at capturing the dark and tragic tone of the film. While it has its problems, in the end Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is entertaining and full of thrills.
Full of thrills, Jurassic World is a fun adventure film with some interesting social commentary. The story follows two children who are sent to visit there aunt who runs the Jurassic World theme park on Isla Nubla, but while touring the dinosaur exhibits a newly created cross-bread dinosaur breaks loose and starts rampaging through the island, stranding the children out in the wild. Bryce Dallas Howard, Chris Pratt, and Vincent D’Onofrio lead the cast, but the real stars of the film are the dinosaurs; particularly the Indominus rex. And the special effects do an incredible job at making them look realistic and frightening. Additionally, the script is well-written, as it both honors Michael Crichton’s original vision and poses some provocative questions about entertainment and corporate responsibility. A smart sci-fi thriller, Jurassic World rescues this franchise from extinction.
A rather poor historical epic, Dragon Blade is more myth than history, and it’s not told very well. Set in 50 BC, a rogue Roman legion on the run seeks shelter at the Wild Geese Gate at the end of the Silk Road, connecting Europe and Asia, in exchange for help in finishing the outpost’s construction. The film is extremely heavy-handed with its theme of unity and working together, going so far as to have soldiers bond over a dance-like competition. And the dialog is just as thudding and ham-fisted. The bad acting doesn’t help either, though leads Jackie Chan, John Cusack, and Adrien Brody do what they can. Also, Chan’s fight choreography/directing is pretty good and delivers a number of exciting action sequences. Dragon Blade has its moments, but it tries too hard and ends up being a mess.
Sylvester Stallone and Matthew Modine lead the cast (sort of) in the crime thriller Backtrace. When a bank heist goes bad the last surviving robber ends up with amnesia after a shootout, and seven years later he’s broken out of prison by a new crew with an experimental treatment that they think can help him remember where he hid the bank money. It’s not that bad a story, but it’s stretched a little thin and has some pretty predictable twists. Still, there are some good action scenes and a few intense moments. Entertaining but forgettable, Backtrace is a mediocre action film.
The Coen brothers Academy Award winning film Fargo is adapted into a black comedy–crime drama television series. In Season one a mild mannered insurance agent named Lester Nygaard murders his wife after a chance meeting with a hitman who’s on his way to a job, but before long both the police and the mob are on their trails. Starring Billy Bob Thornton, Martin Freeman, Allison Tolman, and Colin Hanks, the series features an impressive cast. And the show does an extraordinary job at capturing the tone and spirit of the original film, and includes a number of homages and callbacks. The writing is also quite good, particularly the dialog, which has a real Coen brothers flare to it. Incredibly smart and full of thrills, Fargo proves to be a worthy successor to the film and delivers an extraordinary first season.
While it’s still full of laughs, Season 4 of Coach isn’t quite as lighthearted as past seasons. Things get serious for Coach Hayden Fox as he helps his daughter through her divorce and has his relationship with his fiancée tested when she's offered the opportunity to host a national news program in New York City. On the football side of things, the Screaming Eagles do fairly well; resulting in a thrilling two part bowl game episode which features Robert Prosky guest starring as Hayden’s former mentor. The writing’s also pretty good, but seems less ambitious and more generic than in previous seasons. Still, the comedy is quite funny and the characters drama is rather touching at time. Though not its strongest season, Coach: Season 4 is entertaining and fun to watch.
Hayden Fox faces his greatest challenge yet in Season 3 of Coach. This season Dauber finally graduates, Luther faces some demons from his past, and Hayden and Christine break up when their relationship reaches an impasse. The episodes are especially character driven, and do a good job at developing and enriching both the main and supporting cast. Yet, the comedy remains as hard hitting as ever. Even after three seasons Coach remains a smart and funny sitcom that the whole family can enjoy.
ABC’s hit sitcom Coach gets even better in Season 2. Though most of the episodes take place in college football’s off-season, Coach Hayden Fox gets into a number of shenanigans as he starts up a rivalry with the women’s basketball coach, has to deal with a new university president from his past who has a vendetta against him, and he must come to terms with his daughter’s marriage. Guest stars Pam Stone and Robin Srasser make for great additions to the supporting cast, and they do a good job at delivering the comedy. And, a young Rob Schneider debuts in one of his first television roles. With Season 2, Coach proves that it can deliver laughs both on and off the field.
Coach: Season 1 is an entertaining family sitcom that’s incredibly funny. The show follows head coach Hayden Fox of the Minnesota State Screaming Eagles as he struggles to lead the college football team to a winning season, and also to reconnect with his estranged daughter. Craig T. Nelson is perfectly cast as Coach Fox, and Jerry Van Dyke is hilarious as his comedic sidekick. And, despite following a lot of the usual sitcom tropes, the show has a lot of heart. Though it’s only a 13 episode season, Coach: Season 1 packs in plenty of laughs.
The Muppets are back baby! “It’s time the play the music. It’s time to light the lights…” This is the most meta of all the Muppet films; a revival film about the revival of The Muppet Show. In fact, half of the time one didn't know whether you’re was laughing at the film or with it, yet it’s the funniest film of the year bar none. Jason Segel and Amy Adams both give great performances, and the musical numbers are incredibly fun with catchy songs, including “Life’s a Happy Song” and “Man or Muppet.” The Muppets is a charming nostalgia piece that pays homage to The Muppet Show (and films) while delivering a campy, goofball comedy.
