Adventure

[7] Brad Pitt admirably carries this big-budget zombie apocalypse flick that has more in common with Outbreak or Contagion than it does your standard zombie fare — don’t expect blood and gore, horror fans. Director Marc Forster (Monster’s Ball, Stranger Than Fiction) succeeds in ratcheting up the tension with a script (based very loosely on Max Brooks’ book) that is essentially one dramatic escape sequence …

[7] Mild Spoilers Ahead! J.J. Abrams (TV’s Lost and Alias) serves up a second, solid entry in the rebooted Star Trek franchise. Into Darkness is equal parts action and character-driven charm, with an emotional climax and a terrific villainous performance from Benedict Cumberbatch. You don’t have to be a Trekkie to enjoy this flick, but it will add immeasurably to your enjoyment if you’re familiar …

[8] Dreams are a notoriously difficult thing on which to base a movie. In dreams there are no rules, no parameters — and in movies about dreams, writers and filmmakers are often all too eager to take advantage of our suspension of disbelief — because in dreams, hey? Who the hell’s to say what could or could not happen, especially if the contrivance pushes the …

[8] Before winning the Oscar for directing Slumdog Millionaire, Danny Boyle gave us Sunshine, a riveting, futuristic sci-fi thriller about a crew of scientists’ desperate plight to rejuvenate the sun.  Anything can and does go wrong during the mission, forcing the crew into some of the toughest life-and-death decision making they’ve ever faced.  With humankind’s existence hanging in the balance, the stakes couldn’t be higher.  …

[9] A man slowly discovers that reality is not what it seems and that we are all actually slaves to more advanced technological organisms in this uber-cool, groundbreaking sci-fi flick with an incredible screenplay and visionary aesthetics. There is a place in cinema for Keanu Reeves, and it is The Matrix. (Who knew?) Carrie-Anne Moss and Laurence Fishburne steal the show, both playing walking talking …

[9] By anchoring his screenplay in one of the most inherently compelling tragedies of the twentieth century and placing the the weight of the story on Kate Winslet’s able shoulders, James Cameron concocts a recipe for the biggest money-making movie of all time (still true as of this writing, though his own Avatar threatens to dethrone the ill-fated vessel). The movie is split in two, …

[9] If you think of this movie as Jaws on land, as director Steven Spielberg has suggested, it can’t quite compare to that masterpiece. The characters aren’t strong enough. But it’s still a hell of a summer event movie, delivering groundbreaking effects and well-choreographed thrills. The Michael Crichton story focuses on an island theme park where a wealthy entrepreneur (Richard Attenborough) has resurrected dinosaurs from …

[9] Underwater oil drillers are forced to work with the military to recover lost nuclear warheads, but they discover far more lurking in the depths of the ocean… This unique underwater sci-fi/thriller from James Cameron (Terminator, Aliens) is an ambitious, somewhat uneven film with thinly-drawn stereotypes and a pretentious alien subplot, but you know what? I like it anyway. I really like it — in …

[9] This is the ultimate romantic adventure, complete with a great cast, exotic locations, and measured doses of action, humor, and heart.  Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner never looked better.  They have that ephemeral “chemistry”, the kind that keeps you glued to the screen, rooting for them. The screenplay by Diane Thomas is well paced and constructed, giving plenty of breathing room to a romantic …

[9] It may not be as clever or well-crafted as its predecessor, but the first Indy Jones sequel (which is technically a prequel) is still loads of fun. In place of the Nazis, we get a blood-drinking Indian cult, and in place of a tough-as-nails heroine who can hold her own, we get a blonde screaming mess. Temple of Doom is both darker and cornier …

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