Alexander the Great joins Julius Caesar, Genghis Khan and Napoleon as one of the great military conquerors in history.Likewise, "Alexander" should join "Ishtar," "Heaven's Gate" and "Gigli" as one of the biggest cinematic bombs of all time."His failures tower over other men's successes," a ...
If Dick Cheney had attempted to write "The Da Vinci Code," he might have envisioned something like "National Treasure."The adventure/heist movie explores themes of patriotism, greed, clandestine organizations and hunting for things that may or may not exist.Despite what one might logically ...
Chris Van Allsburg's beloved children's book presented a problem for filmmakers.The 1985 holiday tome "The Polar Express" was illustrated with oil paintings, and it had an almost otherworldly quality. Part fairy tale, part Norman Rockwell.Rendering it in live action seemed impractical, given ...
A Japanese house makes a fine setting for a horror film.There are so few barriers in such tight quarters, just a few sliding glass doors and paper-thin walls -- not even a bed to hide under.This is especially the case when one of the rooms features a closet sealed shut with masking tape that ...
With all the political puppeteering going on during this election year, it seems only fitting that the most savage cinematic satire of American culture is delivered via puppets.Taking a page from the beloved "Thunderbirds" series of the 1960s, "Team America: World Police" uses ornate ...
I wonder if companies get a discount for product placement when they're being parodied by underwater creatures.That would explain why "Shark Tale" is packed to the gills with so many of these ads.Logo replicas for Coral-Cola, Kelpie Kreme donuts, Gup jeans andPreparation O ointment pollute the ...
There's a scene in 1953's "Roman Holiday" where Audrey Hepburn's princess is stuck at another obligatory state function, and she's forced to politely dance for hours with one decrepit geezer after another.It dawns on the viewer that life as a princess might not be all glass slippers and ...
Don't let "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow" fool you.Despite a $70 million budget and cast of A-listers, it really falls into the category of an experimental film. Conceptually, it's the kind of project more likely to be shown at indie festivals and film school classes than at the local ...
If the recent remake of "Dawn of the Dead" proved how to expertly craft a zombie-horror-action flick, then "Resident Evil: Apocalypse" demonstrates the reverse.Not even the flesh-baring outfits of Milla Jovovich can keep a viewer's attention in this tepid follow-up to the 2002 original.To be ...
It's easier to admire "Wicker Park" for what it DOESN'T do than what it does do.Despite ads that make this movie look like "Single White Female" or"Fatal Attraction," the story isn't about homicidal roommates or malevolent affairs. Admirably, this is the rare thriller that avoidsa body ...