Film Reviews
Zero Dark Thirty: Tortured Logic
Osama gets killed. Woo-hoo! But this movie has some major issues.KRISTIAN LIN
OK, everyone. Here it is, the movie where Osama bin Laden bites the big one. And yeah, it’s also topping lots of film critics’ lists of the best movies of 2012, and it’s a mortal lock for multiple Oscar nominations, but w...
Gangster Squad: Old Hats
This retro cop thriller is rotten at its core.KRISTIAN LIN
As you’ve probably heard, Gangster Squad was supposed to arrive in theaters last September, but it was also supposed to include a scene (visible in the film’s early trailers) of the bad guys shooting up the audience in a mo...
Top 10 Movies
They’re not the ones you’re expecting.KRISTIAN LIN
I don’t have enough slots! That’s always a nice problem to have when making a list of the year’s best movies. Even taking into account a number of heavyweight contenders that didn’t make my list (because I think they’...
Les Misérables: Do You Hear the Actors Sing?
At the end of the day, a strong cast saves this musical.KRISTIAN LIN
I’ve never been a fan of Les Misérables, the Broadway musical, and the movie version reminded me of all the reasons: the bombast, the simplistic characters, the relentless self-seriousness, the endless ballads that all sound...
Django Unchained: I’m No Slave 4 U
Southern slaveowners are killed wholesale in Tarantino’s rip-snorting Western.KRISTIAN LIN
Last month, Steven Spielberg put out Lincoln, a movie about the evils of slavery. Predictably, he took a serious, high-minded approach to the issue. This Christmas, Quentin Tarantino also has released a movie on slavery, and ju...
Spawn of Knocked Up
Judd Apatow’s fingerprints are all over this week’s comedies.KRISTIAN LIN
On the one hand, Judd Apatow may just be the defining comic genius of our generation. As a producer, he has discovered and nurtured so many talented actors, writers, and directors that his influence is to be found in places as ...
Hyde Park: FDR & HRH
This tepid comedy longs for a bygone, less intrusive time.KRISTIAN LIN
Unadventurous and ultimately forgettable, Hyde Park on Hudson played at the Lone Star Film Festival last month to an appreciative reception, and it begins a regular theatrical run in North Texas this weekend. Based on a stage p...
Hobbit Forming
Looks are the only thing going for this epic, but just look at it!KRISTIAN LIN
You’ve seen the giant JumboTron at Cowboys Stadium, right? Well, watching The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is like having that JumboTron installed in your local movie theater. And projecting in 3D, on top of that. As you may...
Playing for Keeps: Blown Dryer
After starting strong, this soccer romance fades badly in the second half.KRISTIAN LIN
I’m not sure what convinced Gerard Butler and decision-makers in Hollywood that his best move was to start portraying brash Americans. Whatever it was, it has done him no favors in the past few years, as his acting has steadi...
Hitchcock: American Psycho
This behind-the-scenes drama runs into a few hitches.KRISTIAN LIN
Nothing in Hitchcock tops its opening sequence. After serial killer Ed Gein (Michael Wincott) murders his brother with a shovel, the camera pans to Alfred Hitchcock (Anthony Hopkins) standing a few feet away, wearing a suit and...