AltWeeklies Wire
Movie Magic Keeps Howl's Castle Movingnew
What sticks with you are the film's moments of delicate epiphanies, like seeing a fire demon cook bacon and eggs, or watching a hopping scarecrow hang clothes to dry.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Curt Holman |
06-16-2005 |
Reviews
Batman Begins Examines the Man Behind the Masknew
Batman Begins breaks from tradition by compellingly tracing the motives that lead a brooding billionaire to pick fights dressed as an airborne rodent.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Curt Holman |
06-16-2005 |
Reviews
Tags: Christopher Nolan, Batman Begins
Mr. & Mrs. Smithnew
John and Jane Smith (Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie) are actually freelance assassins unaware of each other's occupation. When they discover each other's double lives, they embark on a series of deadly cat-and-mouse games.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Curt Holman |
06-09-2005 |
Reviews
Tags: Doug Liman, Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Some Aspects Give Film Unsportsmanlike Conductnew
The authority-defying premise and violent punchlines still click, but the gay-bashing humor gives The Longest Yard penalties for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Curt Holman |
06-02-2005 |
Reviews
Tags: Peter Segal, The Longest Yard
Cinderella Man's Fight Scenes K.O. Clichesnew
The boxing biopic Cinderella Man offers a sweat-dripping, rib-cracking, tooth-loosening version of the famous fairy tale. Instead of a humble beauty meeting a noble prince with a glass slipper, Cinderella Man shows a humble bruiser who finds his destiny through an ignoble prizefighter with a glass jaw.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Curt Holman |
06-02-2005 |
Reviews
Tags: Cinderella Man, Ron Howard
Lords of Dogtown Skates Along the Edgenew
Digging deeper into the personalities behind this fierce cadre of pioneer skateboarders would have made sense, but Lords of Dogtown is unnecessarily beholden to the skating milestones unearthed in Stacy Peralta's documentary.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Felicia Feaster |
06-02-2005 |
Reviews
Restored Film Remains Flawlessnew
For Major Dundee's 40th anniversary, Sony Pictures Repertory presents a re-edited, extended version of the film with new music and 12 minutes of restored scenes that more closely match director Sam Peckinpah's intentions.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Curt Holman |
05-26-2005 |
Reviews
Tags: Sam Peckinpah, Major Dundee
Tame Madagascar Fails to Captivatenew
Though brand new, Madagascar feels stale, and its most clever ideas play second banana to tired, TV-friendly shtick.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Curt Holman |
05-26-2005 |
Reviews
Layer Cake a Slice of the Dangerous Lifenew
Layer Cake exemplifies how recent English gangster films seldom prove as grandly operatic or steeped in social issues as America's Godfather imitators. But that can be good.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Curt Holman |
05-26-2005 |
Reviews
Tags: Matthew Vaughn, Layer Cake
Fans Make Own Star Wars Filmsnew
Many fan productions are spoofs, but Star Wars: Revelations keeps a straight face for what might be the most elaborate fan film ever made.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Curt Holman |
05-19-2005 |
Reviews
Humor Comes Too Little Too Latenew
Will Ferrell's primal-scream shtick should be perfect for a comedy about the timely subject of enraged sports parents. But when Phil finally cuts loose and bellows at boys, the humor comes too little too late.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Curt Holman |
05-19-2005 |
Reviews
Globalization Squeezes the Wine Industrynew
A documentary about the changes globalization has wrought on the wine industry, Mondovino, takes a concept that on its surface would have limited appeal, and makes it feel like a matter of profound urgency.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Felicia Feaster |
05-19-2005 |
Reviews
Tags: Jonathan Nossiter, Mondovino
Oldboy an Operatic Tale of Revengenew
Oldboy is explosive and crazed. But at moments, the film is also remarkably still and dead calm, suggesting the merry-go-round rhythms of a disturbing dream.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Felicia Feaster |
05-19-2005 |
Reviews
Tags: Chan-wook Park, Oldboy
Sith's Tragic Tone Redeems Prequel Trilogynew
George Lucas's operatic finale, Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, nearly redeems the whole prequel trilogy by dramatizing the downfall of Anakin Skywalker.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Curt Holman |
05-19-2005 |
Reviews
Mindhunters Almost Made Obsolete by Changing Timesnew
Despite its slick veneer, Mindhunters never realizes that its expiration date passed long before audiences even got a look at it.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Curt Holman |
05-12-2005 |
Reviews
Tags: Renny Harlin, Mindhunters
