Tag: Retro Review

RETRO REVIEW: Spider-Man 2 (2004)

Theatrical Release Poster - Columbia Pictures
Theatrical Release Poster – Columbia Pictures

The following is a spoiler-filled retro review of Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2. It was written in 2016.

I vividly remember watching this film with my mom when it was first released. We both loved the film, and I just remember talking about it for hours. Talking about it when we were walking to the car, talking about it inside the car on the way home, and talking about it when we got home.

It’s not that Spider-Man 2 blew my mind. It isn’t one of those films that changed everything, not like I think the first Raimi Spider-Man did, or like The Dark Knight or Iron Man did. But it was just so much fun. It was everything a Spider-Man movie could and should be. It did what you want a superhero movie to do. It entertained people of all ages, and, in my opinion, it has aged really well over the years. Continue reading “RETRO REVIEW: Spider-Man 2 (2004)” →

RETRO REVIEW: Blue Valentine (2010)

Theatrical Release Poster - The Weinstein Company
Theatrical Release Poster – The Weinstein Company

The following is a quick spoiler-filled retro review of Derek Cianfrance’s Blue Valentine.

“You always hurt the one you love,” Ryan Gosling’s character sings in Derek Cianfrance’s ‘love story’ Blue Valentine from 2010. That line tells you everything you need to know about this film, which tells a story about two people (played by Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams) falling in love, starting a family, and how they become victims of complacency and expectations for their spouse.  Continue reading “RETRO REVIEW: Blue Valentine (2010)” →

RETRO REVIEW: The Dark Knight (2008)

Theatrical Release Poster - Warner Bros.
Theatrical Release Poster – Warner Bros.

The following spoiler-filled retro review of The Dark Knight was written in August 2016

I saw this film in a movie theater, but I don’t quite remember how I felt after I first saw it. What I do remember, quite clearly actually, was that my sister bought the Blu-Ray for me as a Christmas gift. I think The Dark Knight is a haunting superhero movie masterpiece, but, for a specific reason, I don’t often sit down to watch it.

I’ve always thought Heath Ledger was an exceptionally entertaining actor, and it was tough for me to hear that the world had lost him when we did. Although he was brilliant in Brokeback Mountain and while I was never worried about what he would do with the Joker character, this performance remains one of the most surprisingly magnificent performances that I’ve ever seen. The Dark Knight wouldn’t be a masterpiece without Heath Ledger’s performance. Continue reading “RETRO REVIEW: The Dark Knight (2008)” →

RETRO REVIEW: Batman Begins (2005)

Batman Begins Poster
Theatrical Release Poster – Warner Bros.

The following retro review of Batman Begins was written in August 2016.

I grew up with many different takes on a live-action Batman and Bruce Wayne. Michael Keaton. Val Kilmer. George Clooney. But it wasn’t until I saw Christian Bale in Batman Begins that I loved, I don’t just mean liked, a live-action version of the character. When I first saw Batman Begins, I hadn’t seen Bale in a lot of films (probably just American Psycho and Reign of Fire), but when I saw Bale as Bruce Wayne I was just overjoyed this was going to be my Batman – like I, at that time, saw Roger Moore as my James Bond. Continue reading “RETRO REVIEW: Batman Begins (2005)” →

RETRO REVIEW: Shotgun Stories (2007)

Theatrical Release Poster - Multicom Entertainment Group
Theatrical Release Poster – Multicom Entertainment Group

The following is a retro review of Shotgun Stories, a Jeff Nichols film.

Writer-director Jeff Nichols, who is about to have his breakthrough in 2016 with two major motion pictures (‘Midnight Special’ & ‘Loving’), has quietly been making a name for himself. 2011’s Take Shelter was very impressive, and his 2013-film, Mud, was one of the very best films of that year, in my opinion. But for today’s retro review, I’m looking back at his feature film debut: Shotgun Stories from 2007.
Continue reading “RETRO REVIEW: Shotgun Stories (2007)” →

RETRO REVIEW: Ghostbusters 2 (1989)

Theatrical Release Poster – Columbia Pictures

The following is a retro review of Ghostbusters 2 (1989).

In preparation for the release of Paul Feig’s new rebooted Ghostbusters, I’ve been rewatching the two original Ivan Reitman films. I’ve always liked the franchise and the characters, but I’ve never been a real Ghostbusters fanboy. Just the other day, I rewatched and reviewed the original Ghostbusters, which is still an amazing comedy. Now, I hadn’t actually seen Ghostbusters 2 in, maybe, around ten or eleven years. I couldn’t really remember it that well, and, when I sat down to watch the sequel today, I found out why: Ghostbusters 2 is a serious step down from the first film and, arguably, a thoroughly lackluster ghostly comedy by comparison.

Continue reading “RETRO REVIEW: Ghostbusters 2 (1989)” →

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)” →

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)” →

RETRO REVIEW: Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999)

Drew Struzan’s Release Poster – 20th Century Fox

The following is a retro review of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, a George Lucas film.

The first return of Star Wars didn’t go as well as planned. Way back in 1999, George Lucas resurrected the greatest movie franchise of all-time with The Phantom Menace. It included politics, fan-service, and a very young Darth Vader. Fans were certain that this franchise reboot was going to work, but, unfortunately, the end result did not live up to most fans’ expectations. To this day, the end result is remembered as one of the worst examples of prequel films, but, while I can’t say that I like the film, I don’t think it is as catastrophic as its sequel. Continue reading “RETRO REVIEW: Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999)” →