AltWeeklies Wire
'Mongol': A Kinder, Gentler Warlordnew
Not your father's Genghis Khan, this despot is so sensitive that he's whatever the word for emo is now. Mongol plays like The Last of the Mohicans 2: Asia Minor, turning an otherwise excellent movie into something totally pretty and revisionist.
The Portland Mercury |
Kiala Kazebee |
06-19-2008 |
Reviews
Mike Myers Isn't Funny Anymore ... and It Makes Me Sadnew
Buried inside The Love Guru, there's a blink-and-you'll-miss-it reference to Wayne's World, and man, is it depressing. I know Wayne's World isn't necessarily a work of cinematic genius, but it was funny when I was 12, and it's funny now -- which is more than I can say for Mike Myers' latest.
The Portland Mercury |
Erik Henriksen |
06-19-2008 |
Reviews
Control Freaks: 'Get Smart' Favors Dumb Slapstick over Cold War Tensionnew
The spy spoof trades cold-war tension for dumb slapstick.
Boston Phoenix |
Tom Meek |
06-19-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: Peter Segal, Get Smart
Werner Herzog's Gross 'Encounters'new
In his latest attempt to capture visual wonder, Herzog finds the quirky; but it's not that amazing.
New York Press |
Armond White |
06-19-2008 |
Reviews
'Brick Lane' Feels More Like an Alley Thanks to Sloppy Scriptnew
Brick Lane revels in confrontations, but they burst forth without any build. Fewer incendiary incidents and a red pencil applied to the script might have freed the good movie that's buried somewhere beneath layers of unearned emotional conflict.
New York Press |
Mark Peikert |
06-19-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: Brick Lane, Sarah Gavron
'Get Smart': Bomb Threatnew
Steve Carrell and Anne Hathaway look great together -- too bad it's in a pointless TV remake.
New York Press |
Armond White |
06-19-2008 |
Reviews
Shyamalan's a Ding Dongnew
M. Night Shyamalan aims to evoke 9/11 fear with The Happening but the result is anything but shocking.
New York Press |
Armond White |
06-19-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: M. Night Shyamalan, The Happening
'Mongol' Gets to the Heart of the Genghis Khan Legendnew
Mongol hinges on its revisionist notion of an enlightened Temudjin, who was dubbed with the title "Genghis Khan" after his death. Throughout the film, Temudjin comes across not as a bloodthirsty superwarrior, but a reasonably sensitive guy whose military success derives from the love of a good woman and belief in the rule of law.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Curt Holman |
06-18-2008 |
Reviews
Despite Third Screen Threats, Movie Theaters are Here to Staynew
Even as movies become easily available on computers, iTunes, Netflix and iPhone, theaters are finally back on track after the 2005 slump, and National Association of Theatre Owners President John Fithian says they're here to stay.
San Antonio Current |
Ashley Lindstrom |
06-18-2008 |
Movies
Bigger, Strong, Faster* Struggles with Its Cheating Heartnew
Director Christopher Bell isn't just a regular, curious guy: He's one of three brothers who have all tried steroids, and he's the only one who isn't still taking them.
Willamette Week |
Aaron Mesh |
06-18-2008 |
Reviews
'Get Smart' is Better Than the TV Shownew
While series creators Mel Brooks and Buck Henry were mostly interested in poking fun at the espionage dramas of the day with Marx Brothers-style nonsense and physical comedy, the Steve Carell-helmed adaptation aims to take on the real-world intelligence community.
Willamette Week |
Ben Waterhouse |
06-18-2008 |
Reviews
Tom Kalin's 'Savage Grace' is Shallow and Gracelessnew
Other New Queer Cinema mavericks have gone on to make films that challenge artistic, thematic, and commercial assumptions. In comparison, Savage Grace is oddly conservative.
San Francisco Bay Guardian |
Dennis Harvey |
06-18-2008 |
Reviews
Steve Carell Stars in Mediocre Remake of TV Classic 'Get Smart'new
In the Apatow era, one more fallible-but-lovable man-boy may be one too many to make Get Smart's concept the laugh riot it aims to be.
Charleston City Paper |
Felicia Feaster |
06-18-2008 |
Reviews
'The Incredible Hulk' Fails in the Shadow of 'Iron Man'new
Edward Norton, try as he does with an almost heroic effort to make Bruce Banner as interesting as his towering, verdure-shaded beefcake within, doesn't possess Robert Downey's casual radiance.
Dallas Observer |
Robert Wilonsky |
06-17-2008 |
Reviews
CONTROL Issues: 'Get Smart' Favors Nostalgia over Comedic Potential
Stuck with a title and a history, Get Smart loses its comedic potential.
Salt Lake City Weekly |
Scott Renshaw |
06-17-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: Peter Segal, Get Smart
