Director Peter Berg opens “Lone Survivor” with actual footage of Navy SEALs training. And with that decision, Berg unwittingly creates a problem, right from the start. When we’re watching a movie based on reality, we usually don’t get to do…

The “manic pixie dream girl” has become a well-recognized stereotype in romance movies. She’s bubbly, flirtatious and quirky, but most importantly, she’s a tool for the moody male hero to discover himself/a new lease on life. This usually makes her…

Imagine walking into a blow-the-roof-off party. Naked ladies galore. Pulsating music. Pills popped like Tic Tacs. A game involving a dwarf and a bull’s-eye. Crazy fun for a while, right? (Rhetorical question). But then you’re stuck there with a bunch…

As has been proven many times, making a sequel to a beloved comedy is usually a fool’s errand. While Will Ferrell and his writing partner and director, Adam McKay, aren’t always hilarious (even the best comedians bomb sometimes), they’re no…

In a dazzling movie about the art of the con, the actress —- playing a feisty and frustrated New York housewife —- manages to steal all her scenes. And that’s no small feat, given the powerhouse lineup in this latest…

A follow-up to last year’s underwhelming The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug feels like a return to form for the man who made his name directing the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Fans…

First adaptation of Cassandra Clare’ book strikes the wrong chord. The Young Adult book market is still a booming and since Twilight scored huge box office numbers every movie studio has tried to recapture its success. The Hunger Games emerged…

First appearing on radio way back in 1933, the lone ranger has since become an icon in American culture. Disney latest outing is a re-boot of the 80-year-old franchise and with Gore Verbinski as director (also of numerous Pirates of…

Even more violent DIY superheroes take to the streets. 2010′s Kick Ass was a fresh take on the superhero genre and successfully adapted a popular comic book to the big screen. Although it didn’t make blockbuster money the movie was…

Old fashioned scares from the director of Saw and Insidious. Set in 1971 and based on true events, real life married psychic investigators Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga) come to the aid of the Perron family (Ron…