Bob Richards Movie Reviews

Movie Reviews for 1-23-12

Finally a little good news for Hollywood as box office receipts were actually up from a year ago, with most new releases faring better than expected. In the top slop as expected was Underworld Awakening with a better than expected 25.4 million. In second place, the George Lucas produced Red Tails also exceeded expectations with 19.1 million. Falling to third place was last week's champ, Contraband with 12.2 million. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close was fourth, and haywire was fifth.

(The Artist - The Weinstein Company - Rated PG-13)
The Artist is a sublime return to moviemaking in the days before widescreen, color and sound. It looks terrific, the performances are wonderful and it does it all with techniques that are novel today, but are as old as movies themselves. It tells a compelling tale of film's early days with heart and emotion. I loved every second! It is my favorite film from 2011…5 Stars Out of 5

(Red Tails - 20th Century Fox - Rated PG-13)
The inspirational World War II film Red Tails is exciting, thrilling and pretty terrific. This mostly true story contains fantastic flight sequences that kept me on the edge of my seat for most of the film. Despite a couple of plot problems, the young cast is outstanding. I had sweaty palms most of the time in this mostly outstanding film. High tail it to Red Tails! 4 Stars Out of 5

(Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close - Paramount - Rated PG-13)
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is one of those films where you just expect to shed a few tears, and you do. Actually more than a few. It feels a little bit manipulative, but first time kid actor Thomas Horn is terrific, as is Viola Davis. Sandra Bullock and Tom Hanks are bigger names but make less of an impact. It's not so loud, but is close to a great movie. 4 Stars Out of 5

(Haywire - Relativity Media - Rated R)
Haywire features curvy, gorgeous former MMA fighter and American Gladiators star Gina Carano kickin' butt and being slugged in the face by nearly every guy in this movie - It's a little off-putting - make that a lot off-putting! But she manages to fight back even harder and turns the action genre on its ear in the process. And she is actually a pretty good actress, too! But I wouldn't want to catch her on a bad day. This is an involving, fun, twisted action film. 3 ½ Stars Out of 5

(Underworld Awakening - Sony - Rated R)
In Underworld Awakening Kate Beckinsale is back so I had high hopes, but they diminished as the film progressed. It really didn't offer anything all that new, or interesting. It was kind of bland…I felt myself going, "Eh…"
But face it, we can't really get enough of Kate Beckinsale in skin tight leather, can we? Although, I'd rather see UnderWEAR Awakening…She gets a 10, but the film, 2 ½ Stars Out of 5

Movie Reviews for 1-16-12

It cost 25 million to produce and made 25.6 million in its opening weekend…Contraband was tops at the box office over the weekend. In second place the 3-D re-release of Disney's Beauty and the Beast scored 18.5 million dollars, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol was third with 11.5 million, Joyful Noise was fourth with 11.3 million, and Sherlock Holmes A Game of Shadows was fifth with 8.4 million.

(Contraband - Universal - Rated R)
Contraband is an overlong, run of the mill crime caper that's a bit sleepy. You'd think with the cast it has, more sparks would fly. But Kate Beckensale is wasted, Mark Wahlberg just goes through the motions, and both are hampered by a paint by the numbers script and rote direction. The secondary characters are so over the top, nothing is close to believable. Contraband is rather bland…2 ½ Stars Out of 5

(Carnage - Sony - Rated R)
Put four stars in one setting for an hour and 20 minutes of screaming and insufferable navel gazing, and you get Carnage - a film with the name to match how it makes you feel. Supposedly a comedy, I didn't laugh. Kate Winslet projectile vomits in the film…I know the feeling. 1 ½ Stars Out of 5

(Joyful Noise - Warner Brothers - Rated PG-13)
Queen Latifah must be in serious career crisis. But I don't understand why. She has so much talent, and so much screen charisma, yet she makes films like Joyful Noise. It's Glee goes to church…but worse. It's not all bad…just the parts where no-one is singing…The young stars, Keke Palmer and Jeremy Jordan can really sing. And they have a lot of promise ahead of them. Then there's the animatronic that has taken over Dolly Parton. Her plastic surgery is so bad, they gave her fish lips …seriously…I had to turn away every time she appeared on screen. She is that hideous. Her expressionless plastic substitute for a face is enough to scare away roaches. She's so nasty, her shadow ran away from her. They have to turn off the surveillance cameras when she walks into a bank. Her pillow cries at night. She gives Freddy Krueger nightmares. She can look up a camel's butt and scare the hump off it...1 ½ Stars Out of 5

Movie Reviews for 1-9-12

(Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy - Focus Features - Rated R)
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy has a deadly dull, convoluted plot that never gains any traction - or interest. Gary Oldman's performance is odd, but pretty good, however nothing around him stokes anything that resembles a spark, let alone a fire. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is meticulous, dreary, wordy, sleepy. 2 Stars Out of 5

(The Devil Inside - Paramount - Rated R)
The Devil Inside is a faux documentary…one of those supposed "found footage" movies. This one looks like the footage was found in a high school film class. The acting is laughable, and the story is tired. And the ending…well, let's just say there isn't one. You should have heard the howls from the audience at the conclusion of the showing I attended. Someone said, "I paid 10 bucks and got half a movie." And, "OH MY GOSH that was stupid! What a rip off!" But the film makers can't really be blamed for their greed and incompetence…you see, the devil made them do it. 1 ½ Stars Out of 5

Movie Review for 1-2-12

(Into the Abyss - Sundance Selects - Rated PG-13)
Into the Abyss, now playing at The Flicks, deals with a Texas triple murder.
While every murder is terrible, they happen every day. Why Herzog focused on this case baffles me. There isn't anything overly compelling about this story over any other - certainly no reason to make a movie about it. This overwrought yet boring film veers off into meaningless tangents, rambling here and there…the prison chaplain swerves the golf cart to miss squirrels, a felon can't read and has a conversation about the tattoo of his lady on his arm…they last forever you know…it plays like a bad episode of real crime TV. Into the Abyss describes how I felt as I struggled to sit through this aimless, wandering blather. 2 Stars Out of 5

Movie Reviews for 12-26-11

(The Adventures of Tintin - Paramount - Rated PG)
While The Adventures of Tintin is animated, it isn't just a kids movie! There is something here for the whole family to enjoy. The performance capture animation is very good - so good, it never crosses your mind…in fact, there are times I forgot it was an animated movie! Rousing, near constant action reminds one of early Indiana Jones. It's easily one of the best action movies of the year, and one of the best animated movies of the year. You will love it! I sure did! 4 ½ Stars Out of 5

(War Horse - Dreamworks - Rated PG-13)
Steven Spielberg's War Horse is a sweeping, emotional epic packed with wonderful moments and fantastic cinematography, it is moving, thrilling and memorable. It's not Spielberg's finest work, as it drifts into corny melodrama at times, but it is certainly worth seeing. 4 Stars out of 5

Movie Reviews for 12-19-11

(Young Adult - Paramount - Rated R)
Charlize Theron stars in Young Adult as a character you never really like. I wanted to, but never really did. Theron deserves kudos for taking on - and doing so well with - a role that she'll get little recognition for, because her character is so repugnant. Patton Oswalt is the highlight of this film. - he's the real surprise here - he's really fantastic. Writer Diablo Cody redeems herself from that horror movie she wrote, and gets it right in a film that is funny, a bit challenging and ultimately rewarding. 4 ½ Stars Out of 5

(Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows - Warner Brothers - Rated PG-13)
More action and less deduction…that seems to be the case with Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law reunite with director Guy Ritchie for a film that is even farther away from the original intent created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It seems more contrived and less imaginative. Holmes' purists will hate it. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either. 3 Stars Out of 5

(Alvin and the The Chipmunks: Chipwrecked - 20th Century Fox - Rated G)
There isn't anything for adults and precious little for kids to like in the insipid Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked. Easily the worst and most cringe inducing of the trio, Chipwrecked is how I felt after having to sit through it. 2 Stars out of 5

Movie Reviews for 12-12-11

(The Skin I Live In - Sony - Rated R)
Antonio Banderas plays a mad scientist with an axe to grind in the haunting, weird, twisted and very good The Skin I Live In. It won't appeal to everyone, but daring filmgoers will love it. I did. 4 ½ Stars Out of 5

(The Sitter - 20th Century Fox - Rated R)
Jonah Hill stars opposite three bratty kids in The Sitter. This sophomoric comedy contains a couple chuckles mostly from villain Sam Rockwell. If you're bored and have nothing better to do, it might provide a mildly pleasant diversion. 3 Stars Out of 5

(New Year's Eve - Warner Brothers - Rated PG-13)
Frequently I sigh and say to myself, "So many movies, so little time…" When I am forced to sit through cinematic debris like New Year's Eve, it makes things so much worse. There are no less than 10 plot lines…well, 11 if you count Ryan Seacrest. Yes, even he's in it…featuring postage stamp sized roles in a movie of short vignettes and no substance. You've got Robert DeNiro, Halle Berry, Hillary Swank, they all had to work about four hours on this movie and are in it about 8 minutes. Lea Michelle, Sarah Jessica Parker, Ashton Kutcher…It's like Hollywood had a big scoop and grabbed a big scoop full of Hollywood…um…stuff….let's call it cinemuck. Chhhooooiiiick…thhhhppppt!!!…here's a movie….here's a movie with no substance and a lot of stars. oh, darn…we got Ryan Seacrest too…oh, well… Chhhooooiiiick…thhhhppppt!!!…here's your movie anyway…and we'll name it after another holiday…never mind that the last movie named after a holiday totally stunk. Remember…Chhhooooiiiick…thhhhppppt!!!…Valentines Day? Of course you don't. It stunk too. Now here's more of the same, only worse. It's got none of the fun of New Year's Eve, but all of the after effects. After having to experience New Year's Eve, I've got a hangover. And I've just gotten over puking and the spinners. Chhhooooiiiick…thhhhppppt!!!…1 ½ Stars Out of 5

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