stjoelive.com | Movies

Review: 'Green Zone'

A fast-paced action flick gets bogged down by politics

Whether it’s Scorsese and De Niro or Tim Burton and Johnny Depp, there have been certain director/actor collaborations that seem to bring out the best in both participants. This seems to be the case for director Paul Greengrass and leading man Matt Damon based on their successful reinvigoration of the action thriller with “The Bourne Ultimatum” and “The Bourne Supremacy.”

The overlooked season

Don’t skip the theater this spring —especially if you love hot tubs and time machines

This summer may be the most profitable in the history of the movie industry. May and June are stacked with blockbusters like “Toy Story 3,” “Iron Man 2,” “Robin Hood,” “Sex and the City 2” and “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse,” just to name a few. But in anticipation, many moviegoers may overlook spring remakes like “Clash of the Titans” and “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” legit action flicks such as “Green Zone” and “Repo Men” and comedies with — ahem — interesting titles (in all my days as a reporter, I never thought I’d write “Kick-Ass” and “Hot Tub Time Machine” in the same sentence).

Stories for the statue

The most explosive story lines of the 2010 Academy Awards

Let’s face it, people don’t really seem to care about awards shows anymore. Whether it’s the Grammys or the Emmys, ratings have been down since their heyday. But neither one of those awards shows seem to come with as much hype, excitement and planned pre-parties as the Academy Awards, and some say there’s a reason behind it.

Review: Shutter Island

The best movie of 2010 (so far)

Had any other director filmed “Shutter Island,” we’d have another mediocre insanity thriller on our hands. Luckily, Martin Scorsese’s excellent narrative filmmaking and outstanding visuals give this film noir mind-bender plenty of life. Plus, the dude knows how to get the best out of Leonardo DiCaprio (see “The Departed”).

Oscars! Oscars! Oscars!

Shea reviews his nomination forecast and predicts the winners

My Oscar predictions weren't too far off, although my hopes for "The Hangover" getting some kind of recognition were completely destroyed. Let's review my forecast.

Review: 'The Wolfman'

Cool effects can’t save this monstrous disappointment

Warning to teenage girls: Unlike Taylor Lautner’s Jacob in “The Twilight Saga,” you won’t get a crush on this werewolf. In fact, aside from noteworthy special effects, a bit of strong action and a lot of effort to revitalize the 1941 monster classic “The Wolf Man” for a new audience, “The Wolfman” isn’t a film most audiences will walk away remembering due to its derivative style and underdeveloped storytelling.

Trends for '10

Revivals, fantasy films and tons of 3-D movies are coming to a theater near you

Three days after the monster known as “Avatar” hit theaters, I received an e-mail press release from Paramount Pictures. It read that the third “Jackass” movie would be making its way to theaters on Oct. 15, 2010 — this time in “eye-popping 3-D.”

Review: ‘Edge of Darkness’

Gibson’s big comeback is painfully erratic

On a few occasions, “Edge of Darkness” shows glimpses of greatness. Unfortunately, they’re muddied with over-the-top performances and some really, really bad Boston accents. One word can describe this Mel Gibson thriller: uneven. “Edge of Darkness” meanders between the realms of corporate suspense and shoot-’em-up revenge flicks with a handful of cute father-daughter flashbacks.

DVD Review: 'The Hurt Locker'

An intense war movie with thrilling action and dramatic power

Hollywood has churned out plenty of war movies through the years. World War II and Vietnam have been done to death and through those topics, unquestionable cinematic classics have emerged. But when it comes to the Iraq war and our country's conflicts in the Middle East, nobody has been able to nail it on film. Enter "The Hurt Locker," a tense action thriller and dramatic powerhouse with gritty realism thanks to director Kathryn Bigelow's unflinching direction and a can't miss cast.

Review: 'The Lovely Bones'

Poor storytelling dooms potentially good film

If the Disney Channel ever made a movie about a 14-year-old girl being brutally raped and killed, it would be called "The Lovely Bones."

Review: 'The Book of Eli'

Action flick entertains despite greater aspirations

In Hollywood's current trend of post-apocalypse now (see "2012" and "The Road"), "The Book of Eli" may come off as a somewhat generic genre flick. Regardless of the film's obvious aims at heavy themes and profundity, that's exactly what it is. Luckily, audiences will walk out of "The Book of Eli" still having seen a pretty good action film, with Denzel Washington carrying the material with effortless magnetism.

A decade at the movies

The '00s gave audiences Spider-Man, Nemo, Edward and Bella and McLovin - and Heath Ledger at his best

If the '30s and '40s are considered the "Golden Age of Cinema," this decade should be dubbed the "Green Age." While most of the country has suffered during the economic decline, the movie industry has proven to be recession-proof. From 2000 to 2009, box office records were broken time and time again. As a result, Hollywood keeps pumping out more and more movies.

Review: 'Sherlock Holmes'

Revival turns up the action, turns down the mystery

Spoiler alert: The ending of "Sherlock Holmes" sets up a sequel. Warner Bros. clearly expects Detective Downey Jr. to be another bankable franchise. Well, those studio execs better hope for some big bucks at the box office this weekend because "Sherlock Holmes" falls flat in too many ways to have much staying power.

Review: 'Up in the Air'

A breezy, bruising masterpiece perfect for our tough times

Ladies and gentleman. We have a winner. With a flawless George Clooney, a stellar supporting cast, Jason Reitman's expert direction and a story that perfectly captures and forever preserves the country's present economic angst, "Up in the Air" is without a doubt the best movie of the year.

Review: 'Avatar'

James Cameron's monsterous sci-fi epic soars despite flaws

When you're James Cameron, the visionary director of box-office champ "Titanic" and you've declared yourself "king of the world," what do you do next? Simple. You create another one from the ground up.