Tag: Movie Review

REVIEW: The Break-In (2016)

IMDb poster

The following is a review of The Break-In, a Justin Doescher film.

I was recently approached online by filmmaker Justin Doescher, and asked to review his newest film, The Break-In. I was happy to do so, and so I sat down to watch his 72-minute long attempt at making a found-footage horror film, which takes inspiration from films like Oren Peli’s Paranormal Activity.

The Break-In follows Jeff Anderson (played by Justin Doescher) and Melissa Joseph (played by Maggie Binkley), an expectant couple who lives in a townhouse complex that has been the target of numerous burglaries.  Continue reading “REVIEW: The Break-In (2016)” →

REVIEW: The Invitation (2016)

The Invitation Poster
Release Poster – Drafthouse Films

The following is a review of The Invitation, available in some regions on Vimeo via Drafthouse Films. I attribute it to 2016, due to the fact that it was only released at festivals in 2015 and had its official release in 2016.

This film wasn’t anywhere on my radar until very recently. I didn’t hear about this film until a few weeks ago, when I was watching Meet the Movie Press, and The Wrap‘s Jeff Sneider brought up this suspense thriller he had just seen. I looked its trailer up on YouTube and I was instantly intrigued. The Invitation is a really neat thriller.  Continue reading “REVIEW: The Invitation (2016)” →

REVIEW: Iron Man 3 (2013)

Theatrical Release Poster – Marvel Studios – Disney

The following is a review of Iron Man 3, a Shane Black film. This review was written in early 2016.

Iron Man 3 might be the most controversial film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Most comic book fans aren’t all that pleased with the film, to say the least, but most critics enjoyed the experience. I wouldn’t really say that any crowd really loves the film, though. Now, why is that? Well, let’s just say that the marketing hurt the film, and the vision of the script wasn’t what fans were expecting.  Continue reading “REVIEW: Iron Man 3 (2013)” →

RETRO REVIEW: Iron Man 2 (2010)

Theatrical Release Poster – Marvel Studios – Paramount Pictures

The following is a retro review of Iron Man 2, a Jon Favreau film. 

Jon Favreau returned to the Iron Man-franchise, with a sequel to the critically acclaimed original film from 2008. Marvel Studios was desperate to build the universe, and chose to start building their new empire within the sequel to Iron Man. But while easter eggs can be promising and exciting, studio-mandated easter eggs can ruin a film if they dictate too much of the plot.  Continue reading “RETRO REVIEW: Iron Man 2 (2010)” →

RETRO REVIEW: Iron Man (2008)

Theatrical Release Poster – Marvel Studios – Paramount Pictures

The following is a retro review of Iron Man, a Jon Favreau film.

Jon Favreau’s Iron Man successfully kickstarted the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2008. Few had expected that the film would be great – and nobody saw the greatness of the Marvel Cinematic Universe coming. Iron Man is one of the most groundbreaking superhero films of all-time, and is still one of the best in that genre.  Continue reading “RETRO REVIEW: Iron Man (2008)” →

REVIEW: Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

Theatrical Release Poster – Marvel Studios – Paramount Pictures

The following is a review of Captain America: The First Avenger, a Joe Johnston film. The review was written in early 2016.

I’ll be the first to admit that I really didn’t have a lot of strong feelings for Captain America prior to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I hadn’t really been interested in the character: to me, he was just this patriotic ‘boy-scout’. I didn’t think Marvel would be able to really make me love the character. Boy, was I wrong!
Continue reading “REVIEW: Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)” →

REVIEW: Thor: The Dark World (2013)

Theatrical Release Poster – Marvel Studios

The following is a review of Thor: The Dark World.

Thor: The Dark World is the sequel to what I believe is one of the most underrated superhero films of the 21st Century: Kenneth Branagh’s Thor. I never expected for this sequel to be as great as the first Thor (especially not when I heard that Kenneth Branagh wasn’t returning), but I expected a good movie. In the end, I was left with one of the most disappointing films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Continue reading “REVIEW: Thor: The Dark World (2013)” →

REVIEW: Thor (2011)

Thor Poster

The following is a review of Thor, a Kenneth Branagh film.

Thor was the first film that really made it clear to me that Marvel Studios could make any hero character interesting and cool. What really made this film work was how they managed to add both humor and Shakespearian dialogue to a film about a Norse God. I absolutely love this film, though, I do realize that I might be one of the biggest fans of this film. Continue reading “REVIEW: Thor (2011)” →

RETRO REVIEW: The Incredible Hulk (2008)

The Incredible Hulk Poster
Theatrical Release Poster – Marvel Studios – Universal Pictures

The following is a retro review of The Incredible Hulk, a Louis Leterrier film.

Five years after Ang Lee released his version of a Hulk-film, Marvel Studios decided to make a quasi-sequel/reboot of Bruce Banner’s adventures and make it a part of a newly planned franchise. But while The Incredible Hulk became the second film in a multi-billion dollar movie franchise, stuff behind the scenes would end up making this film the least important that Marvel Studios produced in the first phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Continue reading “RETRO REVIEW: The Incredible Hulk (2008)” →