Men in Black II: some good ideas go to waste in a cheap sequel
Barry Sonnenfeld, “Men in Black II” (2002) Five years after the events of the original “Men in Black”, at the end of which Agent K (Tommy…
North American Films
Reviews of films made in Canada and United States including all films made by Hollywood.
Batman & Robin: so one-dimensional, it should be called “Flatman & Ribbon”
Joel Schumacher, “Batman & Robin” (1997) Some folks probably call this film “Flatman & Ribbon” for the fact that the Dynamic Duo (played respectively by George…
Men in Black: a sci-fi comedy sending up intel agencies and immigration issues
Barry Sonnenfeld, “Men in Black” (1997) Very loosely based on the original comic series of the same name, in which a secret organisation called The Men…
Batman Forever: combining colourful camp and brooding darkness with duality as its theme
Joel Schumacher, “Batman Forever” (1995) After Tim Burton’s “Batman Returns” scooped millions at the box office, there was the general feeling that his films of the…
Batman Returns: a dark Gothic Christmas fantasy turns out tired, kitschy and bombastic
Tim Burton, “Batman Returns” (1992) A Christmas movie that probably rarely enters most viewers’ lists of Christmas movies to watch is this wintry sequel to Burton’s…
Contagion: a pessimistic and unforgiving study of human society in crisis
Steven Soderbergh, “Contagion” (2011) Unexpectedly discovering a new lease of life and relevance in the current COVID-19 near-global shutdown environment, this film purports to be a…
British Films, North American Films
Skyfall: revisiting the past for new inspiration and direction
Sam Mendes, “Skyfall” (2012) Released in 2012, the year being the 50th anniversary of the first EON Productions’ James Bond film release “Dr No”, “Skyfall” carries…
Latin American Films (non-Spanish / non-Portuguese), North American Films
Quantum of Solace: badly named film offers no ounce of comfort in a trail of chases, explosions and murders
Marc Forster, “Quantum of Solace” (2008) For a film called “Quantum of Solace”, this sequel to “Casino Royale” sure affords its hero James Bond (Daniel Craig)…
Casino Royale: a new Bond actor, a new start and a new character development arc
Martin Campbell, “Casino Royale” (2006) A change of actor from Pierce Brosnan to Daniel Craig to play MI6 agent James Bond provides an opportunity for EON…
Cycle of revenge continues in an amoral world of cartoon sadism and violence in “Kill Bill: Volume 2”
Quentin Tarantino, “Kill Bill: Volume 2” (2004) The revenge odyssey of The Bride, whom we met in the first chapter of the “Kill Bill” movie series,…