Mike's Movie Tips

3.5/4 Starring: Harrison Ford, Gary Oldman, Glenn Close, Wendy Crewson, Liesel Matthews, Dean Stockwell, Paul Guilfoyle, William H. Macy Rated R for Violence "Air Force One" is an example of how top notch acting and energetic direction can elevate an average screenplay.  This movie is almost wall-to-wall suspense with some very exciting action sequences and some truly sensational air battles.  But the dialogue is at times phony and the plot isn't airtight.  For summer action movie standards, it's perfectly acceptable.  It comes up short when matched to its contemporaries like " Speed " and " The Rock ," which had more intelligence and wit. Under the orders of President James Marshall (Ford), Kazakhstani dictator Ivan Radek (Jurgen Prochnow) has been captured in a daring nighttime raid.  When congratulated by the Russian president, Marshall announces that the US will no longer tolerate terrorism under any circumstances and will intervene on ...

2/4 Starring: Anne Hathaway, Rosie Perez, Willem Dafoe, Ben Affleck, Edi Gathegi, Toby Jones Rated R for Language, Some Violence, Disturbing Images and Brief Nudity I gave up trying to follow the plot of "The Last Thing He Wanted" after about, oh, 20 minutes.  Nothing is clearly established in this movie.  Everything that happens in this movie could be seen in a different way and I was never sure what I was supposed to be learning about the characters at any one time.  That's if I understood what was going on at all, which is a rare occurrence in this film. Elena McMahon (Hathaway) is a hard-hitting journalist investigating the revolutionaries in Central America.  Much to her displeasure, she has been reassigned to cover the presidential election.  Her mother has also recently died.  Just when things couldn't get any worse, her estranged, deadbeat dad Dick (Dafoe) comes around begging her to help him with one last job that will put him on easy stree...

2/4 Starring: Liza Minelli, Michael York, Helmut Griem, Fritz Wepper, Marisa Berenson, Joel Grey Rated PG (probably for Violence and Sexuality) I hate reviewing movies like "Cabaret."  I really do dread it.  There are two reasons for this.  On the one hand, it's considered a classic, so as the one film critic who didn't like it, I risk no one taking me seriously ever again.  I have to be honest and stand by my convictions, but having integrity doesn't make it any easier.  The other is that by every standard of criticism that I have I should be giving this movie a glowing review. The film is well-acted, Bob Fosse knows what he's doing behind the camera, and there are some stirring moments (particularly at the end).  And yet the film just didn't work for me. Many people are wary of so-called "classic" or art films because there is often an indescribable distance between what is happening on screen and the audience.  It can't be articula...

2.5/4 Starring: Essie Davis, Nathan Page, Izabella Yena, Rupert Penry-Jones Not Rated (probable PG-13 for Violence) I'm writing this review as an unabashed fan of "Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries."  Bordering on fanatical.  I came across the series by accident and after the first few episodes I began to devour it voraciously.  And of course I was devastated when it concluded, although I was fortunate enough not to have to wait between seasons.  So when a film spin-off was announced, I was excited enough to frequently check for any news, and more importantly, how I could watch a film spinoff of an Australian TV show.  Finally, I got my chance, and sadly, it's not worth the wait.  Or even the time investment. The film picks up a few years after the series left off.  Phryne Fisher (Davis) is still off having adventures, and this time she's rescuing the niece of a sheik she knows.  Her name is Shirin Abbas (Yena), who has been arrested by the B...

2.5/4 Starring: Tony Jaa, Sorapong Chatree, Sarunyoo Wongkrachang Rated R for Sequences of Violence The first " Ong Bak " advertised itself with this tagline: "No Computer Graphics.  No Stunt Doubles.  No Wires."  In that film, I saw no reason to doubt such claims, which made Tony Jaa's ability to utterly destroy any opponent all the more impressive.  Here, I'm not so sure.  There are a lot of camera tricks and fast cuts that it allows Jaa to cheat (or seem to).  And by cheating, it robs him of the credibility he needs and deserves for pulling off such impressive moves. Don't even ask about the plot.  It doesn't make any sense and isn't all that interesting.  There's something about a war, a coup, and associated violence and betrayal.  I dunno.  The story only took a few minutes to lose me, which is a double-edged sword (no pun intended).  On the one hand, it leaves more time for the spectacular action scenes.  On the o...

2.5/4 Starring: Gabrielle Union, LL Cool J, Duane Martin, Mel Jackson, Dartanyan Edwards, Essence Atkins, Robinne Lee, Meagan Good Rated R for Sex-Related Dialogue Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew" is such a timeless story because it gives us the fantasy that even the most hardened of souls can be redeemed.  Take Eva Dandridge, for instance.  She can make a grown man cower simply by narrowing her eyes.  This woman is not to be taken lightly.  Which of course creates a problem for a couple guys she knows.  Not to mention the man they hired to sweep her off her feet. You see, Eva is one of the Dandridge sisters, and they're in serious relationships with three guys named Mike (Martin), Tim (Jackson) and Darrell (Edwards).  But Eva is a type-A personality to the extreme, and a major impediment with all three couples.  What she says goes, and that's the way it has always been.  Fed up, they decide that Eva needs a man for herself (at leas...

1/4 Starring: Amy Ryan, Gabriel Byrne, Thomasin McKenzie, Oona Laurence, Dean Winters, Kevin Corrigan, Reed Birney Rated R for Language Throughout Just because a movie tells a story of importance or has its heart in the right place doesn't mean I will endorse it.  I am not that easy to please.  Whether I agree with a movie's politics or point of view is irrelevant.  In fact, movies are more interesting when they don't fall into either category (or at least challenge my way of thinking).  Such is the case with "Lost Girls," a new film that tells the story of a woman who is fighting for justice when the police and community have turned a blind eye. Mari Gilbert (Ryan) is doing her best to stay above water for her daughters Sherre (McKenzie) and Sarra (Laurence).  She's working as many jobs as she can, and relies on her oldest daughter Shannan to send money when she can.  One days Shannan says that she is coming home to visit.  But she doesn't arr...

2/4 Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Ann-Margaret, Burgess Meredith, Ed Lauter Rated R (probably for Violence, Language and Sexuality) I could say the same things about "Magic" that I could say about the film's central character, a ventriloquist named Corky: intriguing, well-acted, scary...and a bit dull.  The movie is ambitious, but the results are mixed. Corky (Hopkins) is an aspiring magician.  Under the tutelage of his ailing mentor, he strike out on his own, but his first appearance is a total bomb.  Cut to a year later.  Corky is back, and this time he has a dummy named Fats who accentuates his act with his foul mouth and dirty humor.  His agent, Ben Greene (Meredith), or "Gangrene," as Corky calls him, tells him that he's going to hit the big time.  But Corky refuses to undergo a medical exam demanded by the studio and flees to the Catskills to clear his head.  There, he hooks up with an old crush named Peg (Ann-Margaret), who runs a b&b a...

2.5/4 Starring (voices): Tom Holland, Chris Pratt, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Octavia Spencer, Mel Rodriguez Rated PG for Action/Peril and Some Mild Thematic Elements For the past 25 years, Pixar Animation has been behind some of the most celebrated animated films of all time, and the shift from hand-drawn animation to films drawn on computer (the former isn't completely dead, but apart from " The Princess and the Frog ," they come mostly from Studio Ghibli). It's probably unfair to expect a masterpiece each time out, but that doesn't ease the disappointment when one misfires.  "Onward" is an original work and certainly not terrible by any means, but it feels tired and repetitive.  Maybe their hearts weren't in this one (the lack of marketing seems to indicate this).  Maybe Dan Scanlon just isn't a gifted director (his previous film, " Monsters University ," would seem to indicate this).  Or perhaps the Pixar formula has simply lost its...