AltWeeklies Wire
Jackie Chan and Jet Li Bring the Monkey King to Hollywoodnew
The most obvious selling point of The Forbidden Kingdom is the first-ever onscreen teaming of Jackie Chan and Jet Li, the world's two best-known martial arts stars. But it also represents another first: It's the first big Hollywood production in two decades to really absorb the kinds of Chinese stories that have formed the basis for much of Hong Kong action cinema.
Los Angeles CityBeat |
Andy Klein |
04-21-2008 |
Reviews
'Expelled': Another Expression of the Right Wing's Victim Complexnew
The film claims not to be about atheism vs. religion or Darwinism vs. Intelligent Design, but rather about academic freedom. I'll agree with the first half of that: Among the reasons this film was made, religion is second and science (at best) third. But the No. 1 agenda has much less to do with academic freedom than with political ideology.
Los Angeles CityBeat |
Andy Klein |
04-21-2008 |
Reviews
Girls Gone Wildnew
The filmmakers score an A+ for the title of this tongue-in-cheek horror film that stars porn star Jenna Jameson and horror fixture Robert Englund, even though its best special effects are reserved for breast implants.
Austin Chronicle |
Marjorie Baumgarten |
04-20-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: Jay Lee, Zombie Strippers
A Run for the Rosesnew
This booster documentary follows six horse trainers and their experiences on the 2006 trail to the Kentucky Derby.
Austin Chronicle |
Marjorie Baumgarten |
04-20-2008 |
Reviews
'Emotional Arithmetic' is a Lackluster Adaptationnew
Despite a knockout cast, this film based on Matt Cohen's critically acclaimed novel of the same name, feels distant.
Montreal Mirror |
Matthew Hays |
04-18-2008 |
Reviews
Al Pacino Plays Beat the Clock in '88 Minutes'new
Jon Avnet's cheesy new thriller is 105 minutes long, and going in, I feared that 100 of them would be eaten up by Al Pacino chewing the furniture. Alas, it's worse than that.
L.A. Weekly |
Ella Taylor |
04-18-2008 |
Reviews
'88 Minutes' Wastes Timenew
For a guy who's just been told he has less than an hour and a half to live, Al Pacino sure does seem relaxed.
NOW Magazine |
Norman Wilner |
04-18-2008 |
Reviews
'Ben X' Boresnew
First-time director Nic Balthazar has already worked this fact-based material as a novel and a play. At bottom, he seems to be making a plea for tolerance and understanding for the autistic; what he's put on the screen is a merely okay problem drama.
NOW Magazine |
Andrew Dowler |
04-18-2008 |
Reviews
'The Forbidden Kingdom': A Thoroughly Enjoyable Action Flicknew
It's also a smart and loving tribute to the genre that unobtrusively enhances the fun for knowledgeable kung fu movie fans.
NOW Magazine |
Andrew Dowler |
04-18-2008 |
Reviews
'The Big 4-0' Isn't Quite 'My Super Sweet 16' for the Middle-Agednew
Perhaps there's more distasteful wallowing to come, but at least in its first episode, 4-0 is wholesome and bland.
Las Vegas Weekly |
Josh Bell |
04-18-2008 |
TV
Morgan Spurlock's Search for bin Laden is an Exercise in Crass Futilitynew
There may be worse movies out there right now, but none so utterly and dispiritingly pointless.
Las Vegas Weekly |
Mike D'Angelo |
04-18-2008 |
Reviews
'Under the Same Moon' Humanizes the Immigration Issuenew
The feature film debut of director Patricia Riggen follows the long-distance parent-child relationship between Rosario, a woman who has crossed the border from Mexico to seek work in Los Angeles, and Carlitos, the 9-year-old son she left behind with her mother.
The Memphis Flyer |
Chris Herrington |
04-18-2008 |
Reviews
Puppy Lovenew
If CJ7 is a mild disappointment artistically, with neither a cohesive style nor focused plot, it is also a sweet and purposeful tale that genuinely defies categorization.
Eugene Weekly |
Jason Blair |
04-17-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: CJ7, Stephen Chow
The Botch Jobnew
Demi Moore makes a flawed semi-comeback in Flawless.
Eugene Weekly |
Molly Templeton |
04-17-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: Flawless, Michael Radford
Painful, Necessary Viewingnew
A stunning investigation into the abuse of prisoners in U.S. prisons in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere and a detailed argument against the use of torture.
Eugene Weekly |
Molly Templeton |
04-17-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: Alex Gibney, Taxi to the Dark Side
