 Once upon a time, I remember enjoying the original Anchorman and finding it pretty quotable, but also not exactly getting why it was so beloved. Apparently, I’m in the minority since many folks seem to be hotly anticipating this sequel. Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues just got a new Teaser Trailer, and it’s definitely catering to fans of the original. You can see it after the jump, and I’m sure those of you who can’t wait will be more than pleased. I’m sure I’ll like this one just fine, but I can’t say I’m awaiting it with baited breath . Check it out below.
Read more on New Teaser Trailer for ‘Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues’…
 It’s no secret that I’m not wild about “The Hangover” films. The first one was an amusing but overrated diversion to me, and I really disliked the sequel intensely. Chief among my issues with that one was that it simply rehashed every moment of the first flick, to diminishing returns. This time around though for The Hangover Part III, Todd Phillips at least seems intent on mixing it up a little bit. This recent trailer for the film suggests some new developments and a slightly different adventure for the cast. I wouldn’t say that I’m hopefully about this one, but I’m at least not dreading it to the same degree. Take a gander below and see what you think…
Read more on ‘The Hangover Part III’ gets a New Trailer!…
Categories: Trailer Tags: 2013 releases, Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, franchise, John Goodman, Justin Bartha, Ken Jeong, sequel, The Hangover Part III, Todd Phillips, trilogy, Zach Galifianakis
Nearly twenty years after plunging through a filth-splattered loo, evading the law, and overcoming addiction, Danny Boyle’s surviving Scottish blokes from Trainspotting (1996) will make a return to the big screen. Giving a talk at SXSW, the director of the cult-inspiring black comedy revealed plans for a sequel, saying it’s “been a long time coming.”
Read more on Danny Boyle Talks Plans for ‘Trainspotting’ Sequel…
 I know that the title of the movie that I’m reviewing is A Good Day to Die Hard, but it actually took some convincing for me to actually believe that this was a part of the Die Hard franchise. Sure, Bruce Willis is in it, and he has the right name, but still…this is a stretch for me to accept. The John McClane we all know and love has become some senior citizen superhero, and while moments of this flick are entertaining, it just isn’t Die Hard. Director John Moore and writer Skip Woods (who previously had an uncredited hand in the penning of Live Free or Die Hard) are overly concerned with making this a loud and violent action movie that they completely disregard the whole point of having Willis become McClane again. I honestly believe that if you took the Die Hard names and connective tissue away and just left us with a generic shoot em up, it would have been a better sell. Everything about this is mediocre, but because of affection for the main character, it just winds up hurting all the more. The sequels have all been ridiculous in one way or another, but this one just up and takes the cake for stupidity.
Read more on A Good Day to Die Hard (**)…
 As we close the book on our coverage of the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, I’m speeding up the pace a bit by grouping together some of my remaining reviews. I’ll be doing short looks at a quartet of movies that I enjoyed when I was in Park City, though none of them blew me away. They each got a three star rating from me. I’ll be talking about ‘The Way, Way Back’, ‘S-VHS’, ‘Sightseers’, and ‘A.C.O.D.’ briefly here, but look for full length reviews later on this year when they hit theaters. ‘The Way, Way Back’ is the highest profile of the lot, so I’ll give that one a few more words that the others. Read more on SUNDANCE: ‘The Way Way Back’, ‘S-VHS’, ‘Sightseers’, and ‘A.C.O.D.’…
Categories: Festivals, Film Reviews Tags: Allison Janney, Amanda Peet, Amy Poehler, Catherine O'Hara, Early Review, festival round up, Gareth Evans, jane lynch, Jessica Alba, Jim Rash, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Maya Rudolph, Nat Faxon, review round up, Richard Jenkins, Rob Corddry, S-VHS, Sam Rockwell, sequel, Sightseers, Steve Carell, Sundance Film Festival, The Way Way Back, Toni Collette
 It’s hard for lightning to strike twice, let alone three times, but somehow the team of Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke, and Richard Linklater have done just that with Before Midnight. Almost two decades since they first charmed audiences in Before Sunrise (1995) and nearly a full decade since they returned with the equally impressive sequel Before Sunset (2004), the trio are back and as good as ever.
Co-writer/director Richard Linklater is again content to sit back and let co-writers/stars Delpy and Hawke inhabit these characters. We’ve grown to love and care about them, something the team uses to their advantage in some really interesting ways this time around. As much as it’s a direct sequel, the most compatible film to this one might actually be the recent Judd Apatow flick This is 40. A movie about what happens when youthful love is replaced by something more complex; Before Midnight is a home run for all involved. Read more on SUNDANCE: Before Midnight (***½)…
 I have a confession to make. It may shock some, considering how I wind up seeing just about everything that comes out in a given year. Are you ready? Well, here it is. This is my first time watching any of documentarian Michael Apted’s Up series. This new installment ’56 Up’ is definitely an interesting entry point into the documentary franchise, as it’s self contained enough to remain fascinating. I’m not in love with it like many of my fellow critics are, but I’m fairly confident that a lot of that has to do with not having seen any of the prior installments. It’s a real credit to Apted’s skill as a filmmaker that an admittedly too long movie at almost two and a half hours only starts to wear on you near the end. That’s me though, and I know lots of people are absolutely captivated by this latest look at a group of average human beings. The documentary hit theaters last week, so this is a bit of a belated review (it honestly took me forever to pop in the screener I got), but better late than never, right? Regardless, anyone who likes this series will love this latest look at where these individuals are now.
Read more on 56 Up (***)…
 For a movie that arguably was originally intended to go direct to video, ‘Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning’ is weird. I mean, really weird. At times, the arty touches added by co-writer/director John Hyams suggest a strong future ahead for the filmmaker, but too often the feel like unnecessary excess on a movie that barely deserves it. This latest installment in a franchise I honestly was shocked still was putting out flicks is possibly their best one to date, but that’s certainly damning with faint praise. Hyams has an eye for violence and his homages to classic films, notably ‘Apocalypse Now’ add some variety to the proceedings, but it’s hard to argue that this is an especially “good” movie. Read more on Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning (**)…
 I don’t know of a single person who was asking for a sequel to ‘Silent Hill’, but here we are anyway. True, that film was one of the better video game adaptations to reach the screen, but that’s damning with faint praise if there ever was such a thing. With ‘Silent Hill: Revelation’, the formula has changed to increase gore, decrease intelligence, and add 3D. Does that sound like a winning formula to you? If it somehow does, then you’re in luck. If however you have a bit more sense, then this is likely to be about as bad a time for you as it was for me. Obviously this isn’t designed to be great art, as evidenced by me being under Embargo until the day of release, but even for a quick Halloween money grab this is lacking. Writer/director Michael J. Bassett finally got his long delayed film ‘Solomon Kane’ into theaters recently, but if this is what he’s been up to of late, perhaps all of his future films should get shelved. There’s very little to like here. Now that ‘Silent Hill: Revelation’ is in theaters, you should skip it for your fright flick needs. Hell, even ‘Paranormal Activity 4′ is better, though ‘Sinister’ or ‘V/H/S’ are the options you should really be taking advantage of.
Read more on Silent Hill: Revelation 3D (*½)…
Categories: Film Reviews Tags: Carie-Ann Moss, Deborah Kara Unger, Early Review, franchise, Kit Harington, Malcolm McDowell, Martin Donovan, Michael J. Bassett, Radha Mitchell, Sean Bean, sequel, Silent Hill: Revelation
 Up until now, I’d been somewhat of a ‘Paranormal Activity’ apologist. I loved the first movie, enjoyed the second one a bit more than the average critic, and actually thought that the third one was a step up from the prior installment. Here, however, things take a deep turn downward. ‘Paranormal Activity 4′ is a limp sequel that really doesn’t have much going for it. The law of diminishing returns has finally struck the franchise started by Oren Peli and this film, directed by ‘Paranormal Activity 3′ helmers Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman is easily the least frightening and weakest overall installment yet. Nothing really is added to the already minimal mythology of the films, while there’s barely any technological advancement as well. The main issue here though is that the movie just isn’t scary. These sort of flicks need some level of consistent terror to function, and all of the feelings of dread and anxiety that the last 3 films exhibited are out the door here. With the prior movies, you spent the quieter moments waiting for something bad to happen. Here, you’re just bored and slightly annoyed that your time is being wasted. ‘Paranormal Activity 4′ doesn’t deliver the goods and winds up being one the weaker found footage films to come along since the genre got a kick in the pants with the original installment of the Paranormal franchise.
Read more on Paranormal Activity 4 (**)…
 If you’re looking for the same thrills that ‘Taken’ offered you, then look elsewhere. ‘Taken 2′ is the diet cola of sequels…only 1 calorie of fun as compared to the original, not nearly enough. There’s definitely a bit of fun in seeing Liam Neeson again play a retired CIA agent with a “very special set of skills”, but the initial enjoyment factor from a few years ago is much lower key this time around. Everyone involved seems to be going through the motions, with the cast shortchanged by the director and screenplay especially. Director Olivier Megaton has a great name, but his direction leaves a lot to be desired. As for scribes Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen, it feels like they didn’t have their heart in this project. ‘Taken 2′ exists solely because the first one made a ton of money, and it shows in its lackluster execution. The film isn’t overtly bad, but it’s a bit stale already and mainly serves to remind how much better the last installment is while coasting on some of its leftover goodwill. Neeson makes things bearable, but this flick didn’t need to happen. There are worse movies out there, but most are much better than this one…
Read more on Taken 2 (**)…
 Over the last few months or so, there was a juicy rumor floating around that the planned second sequel to the indie favorite ‘Before Sunrise’ was already being shot by filmmaker Richard Linklater. Of course it was starring Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke again, with the trio co-writing the script once more, but lots of people poo-pooed that theory. Well, go figure…they were right, as the movie just completed shooting and is headed to the Toronto Film Festival for buyers to purchase. Set in Greece this time around (an interesting location change, but more on that in a bit), I know I’m eager to learn more about the flick, and after the jump you can see a quick statement from Delpy, Hawke, and Linklater, along with my further thoughts on the now trilogy we have. Read on below for more on this surprising yet delightful news…
Read more on Richard Linklater has shot ‘Before Midnight’ with Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke!…
 Most of the time when you’re dealing with the third film in a franchise, the easiest way to enjoy it is to have been a fan of the previous installments. In the unique case of ‘[REC]³ Génesis’ however, fans of the prior movies may not have nearly as good a time as others. The reason for this? Well, co-writer/director Paco Plaza has decided to go in a far different direction for his latest sequel, giving the flick a tone closer to horror comedies than I think anyone expects. He also makes a very unique decision in terms of the found footage aspect of the film, a hallmark of the franchise. Plaza has the format only utilized for roughly the first 15 or 20 minutes of the film (essentially just an extended prologue/setup for the action), then switching to a traditional filmmaking method, though it’s done in a way that winks and nods to the prior format. It’s something I don’t know that I’ve ever seen before, and it’s a choice I really admire, since it would have probably been easier to just keep plugging away like he did with ‘[REC]‘ and ‘[Rec] ²’ (which he co-directed with Jaume Balagueró). That all being said, it could potentially alienate fans of the series and overall this still isn’t a phenomenally effective movie, but it does enough interesting and meta things to keep it from being completely forgettable. It’s a step up from the last part of the trilogy, but it’s still not as scary as the original. Overall, it’s simply decent, which can sometimes be a compliment for the horror genre. In my eyes, it gets a recommendation, but with some strong caveats, so take those into account when deciding if the film is worth your time. It opens in September, so make a note of that.
Read more on [REC]³ Génesis (**½)…
 An even bigger and far more ridiculous sequel to an already ridiculous film, ‘The Expendables 2′ is a lot of fun, and perhaps surprisingly immensely satisfying to boot. I enjoyed the first flick for what it was, but the idea of the movie was perhaps better than the execution. Here, everything has been bumped up a notch, and the results are rather enjoyable. It’s still a big budget B movie, but the fun of taking as many action heroes from the 80′s and giving them giant guns and letting them loose while the camera rolled is done in a far more fun way this time around. There’s more muscle, more stars, more violence, more jokes, and less plot, but somehow that’s a winning formula for co-writer/star Sylvester Stallone and director Simon West (Stallone turned over the reigns to West, and though I generally prefer the former’s directing to the latter, it proves to be a very good choice). This is not a movie to be taken seriously in any way, but simply one to be enjoyed, and in that regard I have absolutely no complaints about it. If you don’t like this sort of shoot-em-up formula then you need not apply, but if this was a sequel you were hotly anticipating…well, this is your lucky day, or should I say weekend (hell, your lucky month if you wait a bit and take it in at a matinee next week)? Your action movie prayers have been answered.
Read more on The Expendables 2 (***)…
 I may well be the only critic out there that thinks Judd Apatow is a perfect 3 for 3 as a filmmaker so far (or at least very few so heavily embrace all 3 of his directorial outings like I do), so it’s hardly a surprise that I’m highly anticipating his next film. ‘This Is 40′ is the sort-of sequel to ‘Knocked Up’ and follows the lives of Pete and Debbie (Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann) as they enter into middle age. Today we have the new Trailer for the flick, and I very much like what I see. Co-starring the likes of Albert Brooks, Chris O’Dowd, Melissa McCarthy, John Lithgow, and Megan Fox, this could be a possible Oscar contender if everything breaks right for the movie. Take a gander after the jump and see for yourself. It’s not as funny as the last Trailer, but it looks better overall and suggests a potentially strong emotional arc for the characters. Behold it below…
Read more on New Trailer for Judd Apatow’s ‘This Is 40′!…
 Julie Delpy has a low-key charmer here in the comedy of manners ’2 Days in New York’. A sequel to ’2 Days in Paris’, Delpy has substituted her relationship with Adam Goldberg for a new one with Chris Rock, and the results are just as entertaining as they were last time (and perhaps a little bit more satisfying here). Delpy’s work behind the camera and in front of it deserve commendation, but for me the highlight of the film is Rock’s quietly exasperated performance. In many ways, he’s playing the Woody Allen role here (in fact, one can argue that Delpy does too), and it makes me wish that Allen casts him in a lead role real soon. In fact, Delpy’s made the movie very much like the Wood man, and that’s not an accident (it’s also got a French-ness to it, which also goes along with Allen’s work). While not on the level of his finest work, this does have the same sort of mellow appeal that his more second tier efforts have, and I mean that as a compliment. Watching Delpy and Rock deal with her character’s intrusive family that’s on vacation for a few days in the Big Apple creates a lot of opportunities for humor. The film doesn’t always hit its mark, but it does so more often than not and that makes it easy to like. The movie is opening this Friday, and I have no problem recommending it to you in this Earl Review. It deserves your time…
Read more on 2 Days in New York (***)…
 Many of us have been looking for a big film to begin eagerly anticipating now that ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ is over and done with. Personally, now I’ve got it with the latest James Bond flick ‘Skyfall’. Today we have a new Full Trailer for the movie, and it’s pretty sweet (complete with a few Batman vibes, actually). It’s everything you’d like to see 007 doing, and then some. You can take a look at the Trailer after the jump, and get set to have a new adventure with Bond on November 9th, courtesy of director Sam Mendes (and of course with Daniel Craig still in the lead). Take a gander and enjoy…for me November can’t come soon enough. Behold it below.
Read more on Full Trailer for ‘Skyfall’…
I won’t waste anyone’s time with this installment of Weekend Openings. No pussyfooting around or trying to disguise the only new release worth discussing today:
Arguably the most anticipated film of the year, The Dark Knight Rises brings Christopher Nolan’s massively successful and influential Batman trilogy to an end, this time with Tom Hardy’s Bane pushing our hero to his breaking point in a plot to destroy Gotham City once and for all. This film has been the subject of just about every journalist and commentator associated with the entertainment industry as of late (with even this very site undertaking a Bat-marathon in preparation for it). What sequel to one of the major cinematic cultural phenomena of the previous decade wouldn’t be?
Read more on Weekend Openings (July 20-22)…
 Against almost impossible hype, anticipation, and expectations, Christopher Nolan has managed to deliver not just the best Batman film to date, but also the best superhero film of all time with ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ (while also once again elevating the playing field for what the genre can be at its pinnacle). In fact, I’d go so far as to argue it’s the best 3rd film of any series, and solidifies this franchise as the best of all time, in terms of pure filmmaking and quality. Both epic and intimate in scale, Nolan is working on a level I’ve never seen from him before. Everything before this for him has been leading up to ‘The Dark Knight Rises’. The same goes for all the returning members of his cast, notably Christian Bale, who I feel gives us the definitive version of Bruce Wayne here, not to mention Batman. This is a brutal film about war, redemption, sacrifice, and a reflection of our current political climate, while still being a rousing and entertaining heroic adventure. It’s damn near perfect, and even more so than ‘The Dark Knight’, this is the film that the Academy should be nominating for Best Picture. Nolan deserves nods for his directing and screenplay duties (the way he uses the city of New York to stand in for Gotham City is stupendous, but I’ll get more into that triumphant decision in a bit) as well, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Quite simply, this is the best film of the year so far, and a surefire awards contender. Nominations obviously have more to do with just quality, but in that regard, ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ has that in spades. I had tears in my eyes during the final minutes, and I never expected that. Bravo Mr. Nolan…
Read more on The Dark Knight Rises (****)…
Categories: Film Reviews Tags: Anne Hathaway, batman, Christian Bale, Christopher Nolan, Early Review, franchise, Gary Oldman, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Oscar hopeful, sequel, the dark knight rises, Tom Hardy, trilogy
 It’s clear that Pixar as a company is now deep into making franchises out of their biggest hits, and as long as we get more ‘Toy Story’ franchises and less ‘Cars’ ones, you won’t hear me complaining much. I’ll admit that I need to revisit ‘Finding Nemo’, and apparently I need to do it in the next couple of years before the sequel hits. Deadline is reporting here that at least we’ll have a recognizable director shepherding it in Andrew Stanton. It makes perfect sense for Disney/Pixar to want Stanton back, but it initially seems like an odd choice on his part (especially after getting to do live action with ‘John Carter’), though there seems to be a method to his madness. After the jump you can see what he has up his sleeve, but in any event…try and get excited for another adventure with Nemo!
Read more on Andrew Stanton will direct the ‘Finding Nemo’ sequel!…
 I’ll be seeing ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ tomorrow, but late last night (3AM here on the East Coast, though it was midnight over in Hollywood when the embargo came down) the first critical response to Christopher Nolan’s conclusion to the Batman trilogy came in, and they’re about as enthusiastic as you’d expect. There are some mentions of small flaws, but for the most part just about everyone is raving about this flick. I wasn’t sure the anticipation level could rise (no pun intended) any higher than it’s already been at for what feels like months now, but this first batch of reviews has seemingly done that. I’ll be chiming in on Wednesday with my take on the film, as will Clayton, but for now you can see what some of my fellow critics are saying after the jump, and yes, I’ve made sure not to include any spoilers, so fear not. Behold the initial reactions below and let the countdown continue…
Read more on The first reviews for ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ are in!…
 When I was a kid, I loved ‘Independence Day’. Now…not so much. It’s silly and has a nostalgic quality to it, but I don’t consider it to be an especially “good” movie anymore. Well, godfathers of the film Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich are banking on my opinion being in the minority, since according to The Hollywood Reporter (here) they’re ready to make a sequel. After the jump you can see what else they have planned, but really folks…do any of you actually want to see this? Am I wrong? Well, either way check out what other project of theirs they want to revisit (and no, it’s not ‘Godzilla’) below…you probably won’t be surprised.
Read more on What the world needs now is…a sequel to ‘Independence Day’?…
 Channing Tatum has done his part to change my opinion of him this year. He hit a new low for me with ‘The Vow’ back in February, but a month later he surprised me with his comic aptitude in ’21 Jump Street’. Finally, last month Tatum had what I might call his career high point with ‘Magic Mike’. Of course, he now has even more options in terms of the next step in his acting, and according to The Hollywood Reporter here, 2 of the projects are going to be a sequel to ‘Magic Mike’ and also a biopic of the stunt man Evel Knievel. After the jump you can see the details of these ventures, but I certainly think both (especially if the sequel isn’t just a quick cash grab, which Tatum’s involvement suggests it won’t be) have potential…
Read more on Sequel to ‘Magic Mike’ in the works…
 When it was announced that the character of Q would be returning to the James Bond franchise, I don’t think anyone especially minded (certainly not myself). Things were a bit more split though when Ben Wishaw was cast as the character. Personally, I never had an issue, but making the character so young didn’t sit well with some. Well, today you can see your first glance of Wishaw as Q, with the full image after the jump. I think he looks just fine, but time will tell I suppose. Check him out (with 007 in the background) below…
Read more on Here’s our first look at the new Q in ‘Skyfall’!…
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