MACHETE
by Lydia Ianni
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 Critics have reacted favorably to Machete, Robert Rodriguez's 70s B-flick style movie that USA Today's Claudia Puig calls, "entertaining and blood-spattered action comedy." Machete, co-directed by Ethan Maniquis, features an ensemble cast including Danny Trejo, Robert De Niro, Steven Seagal, Don Johnson, Jessica Alba, and Lindsay Lohan in a film about an ex-Ferderale taking revenge against a former boss. Many are quick to note the film's social commentary on immigration with Ty Burr of The Boston Globe stating, "Remarkably, just about everybody involved knows how to play this mixture of camp, carnage, and social commentary." The Hollywood Reporter's Frank Scheck comments "Machete delivers the '70s-style B-movie goods with a relentless onslaught of over-the-top violence, extreme gore, gratuitous nudity and cheap laughs, with a healthy dose of up-to-the-minute political satire to sweeten the package." However, for many the film is simply too long. Burr notes "At 105 minutes, Machete is at least half an hour too long for its own good." As Joe Leydon of Variety evidences, the film is not without its critics,"this slam-bang B-movie pastiche is wildly uneven as it doggedly strives (sometimes with obvious strain) to sustain a free-wheeling, anything-goes air of exuberant junkiness." However, while some critics take aim at the film's excess, Puig sums up the majority opinion in her review, "Rodriguez combines sharp satire and timely political commentary with a decidedly B-movie ethos. The result is inconsistent but amusing." |
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LAST EXORCISM, THE
by Lydia Ianni
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|
 Reviews for The Last Exorcism have been positive though hardly stellar for the horror flick. Exorcism stars Patrick Fabian, Ashley Bell and Irish Bahr in a mockumentary style film about a con-artist reverend called in when a girl becomes possessed. While the film lacks known actors, Nick Pinkerton of Village Voice is quick to point out note Exorcism's "small, well-chosen cast" which according to Claudia Puig of USA Today delievers "persuasive performances." John Anderson of Variety goes on to comment, "The Last Exorcism reps a potential breakout for almost all involved." Many critics are quick to note the film's use of fake-documentary style, though few can agree as to whether this has been used effectively in the film. For Puig, it feels stale, "The faux documentary style has perhaps jumped the shark, coming on the heels of the much scarier Paranormal Activity and long after the seminal Blair Witch Project in 1999. The conceit just doesn't feel as fresh as it might have pre-Paranormal and even 2008's Cloverfield." Michael Rechtshaffen of The Hollywood Reporter remarks, "Self-possessed performances elevate this creepy but half-cocked faux-doc." However, the stylistic choice works for Anderson, "While spasmodic handheld camerawork has become increasingly tiresome as a shock device-cum-convention, it's deployed here with enormous restraint and skill by d.p. Zoltan Honti, and helmer Daniel Stamm knows when to trim the visual frills and stick to the demonic vs. the divine." Many, like Peter Travers of Rolling Stone, find the film enjoyable but hardly brilliant, "For a movie made from spare parts - take The Exorcist and attach to The Blair Witch Project and Paranormal Activity - The Last Exorcism delivers the heebie-jeebie goods." |
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TAKERS
by Lydia Ianni
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 Action film Takers has received decidedly mediocre reviews from critics with most pronouncing movie fun but largely lacking any substance. Idris Elba, Matt Dillon, Hayden Christensen, Paul Walker, hip hop artist Chris Brown, and rapper T.I. star in a film about a group of bank robbers in a heist gone wrong flick that Brian Lowry of Variety notes is "Graced with ample style if not much substance." Echoing this idea is Screen Daily's Tim Grierson who states "Getting off on its impeccable suits, high-sheen cinematography and upscale downtown L.A. locations, Takers opts to distract audiences from its narrative conventionality by emphasising the endless cool of its milieu." Postive remarks have focused on the film's acting, in spite of Takers other issues. The Hollywood Reporter's Stephen Farber notes "Strong cast and solid script are undermined by hyperactive direction." In a similar vein, is Ty Burr who states "some decent actors are lost amid the cross-cutting." Most reviewers, like Grierson, find it simultaneously enjoyable and meaningless, "Much like the film's nattily dressed characters, the heist thriller Takers may not always smoothly execute its caper, but it sure looks good in the process." |
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LOTTERY TICKET
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 Most reviews for comedy Lottery Ticket have been somewhat disparaging, though complaints vary broadly. The film starring Bow Wow, Ice Cube, and Brandon T. Jackson is about a young man in the projects who suddenly finds himself in a predicament after winning hundreds of millions of dollars through the lottery. But for many critics, the film simply feels full of stereotypes. Kirk Honeycutt of The Hollywood Reporter complains the film contains "an unfortunate onslaught of caricatures one had hoped had gone out of fashion a long time ago." Variety's Andrew Barker, on the other hand, takes particular aim at the movie's direction, "Young director White shoots the film with some almost neorealist splashes of grit, and the scenes set around the project grounds feel welcomely vivid and lived-in. He doesn't quite manage to sustain this tone, unfortunately, and the pic vacillates between gentle comedy and strangely brutal violence later on, with no solid center to hold things together." Summarizing a negative review, Honeycutt seems to aggregate many negative opinions with his comment on Lottery, "A disappointing, trite comedy overrun with African-American stereotypes." There are a few more positive reviews, with Dan Kois of Village Voice vaguely complementing the flick by talking about director Erik White's future prospects, "They might be as stupid as this one, but they probably won't be as much fun." Chris Nashawaty of Entertainment Weekly also finds the film's comedy, if not the picture as a whole, rewarding, "If Lottery Ticket had as much conviction as laughs, it could have hit the jackpot." However, overall the film has garnered criticism that outweighs many of its positive qualities. |
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SWITCH, THE
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 Reviews have been rather uneven for the Jennifer Aniston-Jason Bateman comedy The Switch, which Miramax releases today. The film revolves around a single woman who desperately wants a child and chooses to go through artificial insemination, unaware that her best friend has switched her intended sperm donor's sample with his own. Most positive assessments of the movie seem to rest on the film's acting, with Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly explaining, "It's a by-the-numbers movie, but the dots that get connected feel new. Aniston, playing a forward-thinking lonely girl, is at her most sexy and charming." The Hollywood Reporter's Kirk Honeycutt also praises the film's acting, commenting, "Bright spots come in performances by Jennifer Aniston and Jason Bateman as the leads, with Jeff Goldblum and Juliette Lewis adding sparkle in the roles of best friends." Karina Longworth of Village Voice echoes similar sentiments, "...Bateman acquits himself admirably by playing it straight, developing a genuinely convincing and affecting chemistry with Robinson and taking his character's repression seriously." However, reviewers have been highly critical of the film's premise, which rests on Bateman's character drunkenly switching sperm samples so his friend unwittingly has his child. Part-way through describing this plot point, Honeycutt questions, "Are you buying any of this?" For many, this section (which incidentally drives the rest of the film) has some serious problems with plausibility. The premise may not be that fresh at this point either, as Wesley Morris points out, "The Switch enters the marketplace at a time when audiences may be tiring of sperm, what with everything from The Back-Up Plan to The Kids Are All Right." Overall, reaction is mixed though most critics seem to agree that even if you like the film, it's hard to get over the premise. |
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EXPENDABLES, THE
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 Packed full of action stars and action, The Expendables have left some critics underwhelmed. The action-flick boasts a who's-who of actions stars, including Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Mickey Rourke, Steve Austin and Jet Li in a high concept film about mercenaries hired to overthrow a ruthless dictator. For Variety's Peter DeBruge, the film is simply "A Hot Mess." The New Yorker's Anthony Lane complains, "The Expendables is savage yet inert, and breathtakingly sleazy in its lack of imagination." The Expendables is not without its supporters, however, and Sheri Linden of The Hollywood Reporter remarks, "The body count is high and the personalities click in this old-school testosterone fest." Another fan of the film, Pete Hammond of Boxoffice Magazine praises the movie, "A who's who of classic action stars light up the screen for pure combustible entertainment in Sly Stallone's The Expendables, a sort of Dirty Dozen meets Inglourious Basterds--and then some." Seemingly summarizing many critics' objection to the movie is DeBruge, "With The Expendables Stallone makes the point that Hollywood wouldn't be the same without these action heroes. As for their big group effort? Not so indispensable." |
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Other Current Reviews
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| SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD
|
Based
on
a
graphic
novel
of
the
same
name,
Scott
Pilgrim
Vs.
The
World
has
left
critics
divided.
In
the
film,
Michael
Cera
plays
the
character
who
is
trying
(more)
|
| STEP UP 3D
|
Critics
have
found
dance
flick
Step
Up
3D
dramatically
flat
but
visually
entertaining,
with
Variety's
Justin
Chang
explaining,
"A
reliable
guilty
pleasure
takes
a
dramatic
step
backward
but
a
(more)
|
OTHER GUYS, THE
|
The
Will
Ferrell-Mark
Wahlberg
buddy-comedy
The
Other
Guys
has
been
well
received
by
critics,
with
many
reviewers
noting
that
strong
comedy
and
well-done
action
scenes
make
for
a
rewarding
(more)
|
| DINNER FOR SCHMUCKS
|
Reviews
for
Dinner
for
Schmucks
have
overall
been
positive,
though
the
movie
is
not
without
its
dissenters.
Schmucks
stars
Paul
Rudd
as
a
man
who,
hoping
to
get
ahead
(more)
|
| CHARLIE ST. CLOUD
|
Critics
have
been
largely
harsh
when
reviewing
Charlie
St.
Cloud,
with
Peter
Travers
writing
a
particularly
unfavorable
review
for
the
movie
complaining,
"Some
bad
movies
should
carry
a
leper's
(more)
|
| SALT
|
While
the
majority
of
reviewers
have
found
the
film
somewhat
shallow,
most
critics
seem
to
agree
that
Angelina
Jolie's
action-thriller
Salt
delivers
exciting
entertainment
and
Roger
Ebert
calls
the
(more)
|
| RAMONA AND BEEZUS
|
Reviews
for
Ramona
and
Beezus,
based
on
the
Beverly
Cleary's
bestselling
novels,
have
been
decidedly
mediocre.
In
the
film,
precocious
Ramona
Quimby
(Joey
King)
and
overachieving
big
sister
Beezus
(more)
|
INCEPTION REVIEW
|
Christopher
Nolan's
enigmatic
and
heavily
anticipated
Inception
has
garnered
significant
critical
praise
from
critics.
Kenneth
Turan
of
The
L.A.
Times
called
it
"popular
entertainment
with
a
knockout
punch
so
(more)
|
| GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE, THE
|
Swedish
thriller
The
Girl
Who
Played
with
Fire
has
had
a
positive
reaction
from
critics,
though
the
film
has
hardly
gained
complete
critical
acclaim.
The
film
is
the
sequel
(more)
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