bloomjc
Lifetime Total
5+
IMDb Member
17 years
Reviews
Thor (2011)
Thor a big dud
Thor may be the god of thunder, but the movie "Thor" is the god of disappointment.
The first volley of the summer movie season is a misfire -- a dull dud that fails as a spectacle, an adventure film or even a good movie.
What is most shocking is that Kenneth Branagh, a fine actor who has worked wonders with his many cinematic Shakespearean adaptations, directed "Thor." Here, he fails to create any sense of excitement or wonder. Nor can he inject some life into any of the characters, with the exception of the villainous Loki.
His Thor, portrayed by Chris Hemsworth, is an arrogant oaf who, without his hammer, looks more like a sullen Chippendale dancer or a lost member of the Bee Gees rather than the Norse god of thunder.
At times it seems Thor's hammer shows more personality than its owner.
For more, go to jconline.com and check out the complete review by Journal & Courier movie critic Bob Bloom.
The first volley of the summer movie season is a misfire -- a dull dud that fails as a spectacle, an adventure film or even a good movie.
What is most shocking is that Kenneth Branagh, a fine actor who has worked wonders with his many cinematic Shakespearean adaptations, directed "Thor." Here, he fails to create any sense of excitement or wonder. Nor can he inject some life into any of the characters, with the exception of the villainous Loki.
His Thor, portrayed by Chris Hemsworth, is an arrogant oaf who, without his hammer, looks more like a sullen Chippendale dancer or a lost member of the Bee Gees rather than the Norse god of thunder.
At times it seems Thor's hammer shows more personality than its owner.
For more, go to jconline.com and check out the complete review by Journal & Courier movie critic Bob Bloom.
127 Hours (2010)
"127 Hours" s story of courage and determination
127 HOURS (2010): 4 stars out of 4. Starring James Franco and Amber Tamblyn. Screenplay by Danny Boyle and Simon Beaufoy. Directed by Danny Boyle. Rated R.
"127 Hours" is an extraordinary motion picture, a cinematic profile of courage, determination and the will to live no matter what the cost.
What is most amazing is that it is based on a true story. In 2003, mountain climber Aron Ralston goes canyoneering alone outside of Moab, Utah.
An accident wedges part of his arm under a boulder and he is unable to free himself until he resorts to very desperate measures.
As portrayed by James Franco, Ralston is somewhat of a hot dog — a loner and a somewhat irresponsible. He takes off for the wilderness without letting anyone know where he plans to climb. He also forgets to take his cell phone.
But he is a happy camper who enjoys trekking through the various crevices and byways of the canyons on his own,
That solitude also is his downfall for when he has his accident, he has nowhere to turn nor any means of communicating his predicament to anyone.
Franco gives a superb performance of a young man who, though impulsive, also is organized. With the exception of his cell phone, he packs all the gear he needs for what he believes will be a one-day excursion.
Director Danny Boyle opens the film with a montage of crowds and crowds of people hustling and bustling through their day.
He presents a frenetic, always on the go world. It is one Ralston is part of, but will soon leave for the comfort and stillness of the canyons.
One of Doyle's most impressive images is in showing how alone Ralston is after he becomes trapped. The vast emptiness around him swallows up his screams for help. T
(spoiler alert) The sequence where Ralston performs the necessary surgery to extricate himself is graphic and may make some queasy. It also is shot in a restrained manner. Doyle does not exploit the moment for shock value — that is not his intention.
What he does convey though, is the necessity and sacrifice one must make for survival.
"127 Hours" is a tour-de-force for Franco and Doyle. Both deserve Academy Award nominations in their respective categories, as does the picture in general.
It is one of the best films of the year, a gritty and triumphant inspirational story of one man's indomitable will to live despite the slimmest of odds.
Bloom is the movie critic and Blu-ray/DVD reviewer for the Journal & Courier. He also reviews Blu-rays and DVDs for Gannett. He can be reached by e-mail at bbloom@jconline.com
"127 Hours" is an extraordinary motion picture, a cinematic profile of courage, determination and the will to live no matter what the cost.
What is most amazing is that it is based on a true story. In 2003, mountain climber Aron Ralston goes canyoneering alone outside of Moab, Utah.
An accident wedges part of his arm under a boulder and he is unable to free himself until he resorts to very desperate measures.
As portrayed by James Franco, Ralston is somewhat of a hot dog — a loner and a somewhat irresponsible. He takes off for the wilderness without letting anyone know where he plans to climb. He also forgets to take his cell phone.
But he is a happy camper who enjoys trekking through the various crevices and byways of the canyons on his own,
That solitude also is his downfall for when he has his accident, he has nowhere to turn nor any means of communicating his predicament to anyone.
Franco gives a superb performance of a young man who, though impulsive, also is organized. With the exception of his cell phone, he packs all the gear he needs for what he believes will be a one-day excursion.
Director Danny Boyle opens the film with a montage of crowds and crowds of people hustling and bustling through their day.
He presents a frenetic, always on the go world. It is one Ralston is part of, but will soon leave for the comfort and stillness of the canyons.
One of Doyle's most impressive images is in showing how alone Ralston is after he becomes trapped. The vast emptiness around him swallows up his screams for help. T
(spoiler alert) The sequence where Ralston performs the necessary surgery to extricate himself is graphic and may make some queasy. It also is shot in a restrained manner. Doyle does not exploit the moment for shock value — that is not his intention.
What he does convey though, is the necessity and sacrifice one must make for survival.
"127 Hours" is a tour-de-force for Franco and Doyle. Both deserve Academy Award nominations in their respective categories, as does the picture in general.
It is one of the best films of the year, a gritty and triumphant inspirational story of one man's indomitable will to live despite the slimmest of odds.
Bloom is the movie critic and Blu-ray/DVD reviewer for the Journal & Courier. He also reviews Blu-rays and DVDs for Gannett. He can be reached by e-mail at bbloom@jconline.com
Conviction (2010)
Conviction a story of family loyalty
CONVICTION: 2 ½ stars out of 4. Starring Hilary Swank, Sam Rockwell, Minnie Driver and Melissa Leo. Directed by Tony Goldwyn. Rated: R, strong language, violent images In "Conviction," performances overcome the weaknesses and flaws in a story that is more gripping in real life than it is on the screen. The movie centers on the strong bond between Betty Anne Waters (Hilary Swank) and her brother, Kenny (Sam Rockwell), and the extraordinary efforts she undertakes to exonerate him from a gross miscarriage of justice. The movie scores in showing Waters' tenacity and determination to prove her brother, who is serving a life sentence, innocent of the murder for which he was convicted. To do so, this high school dropout decides to return to school, gets her GED then goes on to college and law school. This should be the most compelling part of the movie because Waters paid a hefty price to achieve her goal, costing her not only her marriage but also her children. Yet director Tony Goldwyn rushes through this part of the movie. Instead he concentrates on the efforts of Betty Anne, her friend and fellow lawyer, Abra Rice (Minnie Driver), and the head of The Innocence Project to overturn Kenny's conviction. And while this makes for interesting viewing, it also is rather formulaic as we have seen this scenario many times before. The heart of the movie, though, is the unwavering devotion between Betty Anne and Kenny, who were raised in the most harrowing of circumstances and yet survived by clinging to each other and watching each other's backs. Their fierce relationship and unconditional love are what keeps you riveted to the screen. At times "Conviction" is superficial, especially when dealing with Betty Anne's personal life, and manipulative Goldwyn does everything but paint a black mustache on the wonderful Melissa Leo as the small-town police officer whose investigation helped convict Kenny but the sincerity of the cast is what draws you in. Swank is bulldog-tenacious albeit a bit too self-sacrificing as Betty Anne. Driver brings a sense of humor and street smarts to her role as Rice, while Juliette Lewis steals her one big scene as a trashy ex-girlfriend of Kenny whose perjured testimony helped convict him. But the movie belongs to Rockwell as the swaggering, irresponsible Kenny. He is someone aimlessly drifting through life. He is tough and cocky, but underneath his rough exterior beats a good heart. Rockwell's ability to display the many facets of Kenny should earn him a best supporting actor Oscar nomination. "Conviction" is flawed, yet still will draw an audience into its story. But because it shrugs off many intriguing aspects about Betty Anne's struggles, it fails to reach its potential as great cinema.
Daredevils of the West (1943)
dardevils of the west a critic's view
DAREDEVILS OF THE WEST (1943) 4 stars out of 4. Starring Allan Lane, Kay Aldridge, Eddie Acuff, Robert Frazer, William Haade, George J. Lewis, Ted Adams, Jack Rockwell and Stanley Andrews. Written by Ronald Davidson, Basil Dickey, William Lively, Joseph O'Donnell and Joseph F. Poland. Directed by John English. A Republic serial in 12 chapters.
An inherent danger arises when a movie has disappeared or has been out of circulation for several years or decades.
Its qualities grow in proportion to the time it has gone unseen until its attributes almost reach mythic status.
Thus when it is eventually seen, it can sometimes lead to disappointment an almost, "is that all there is?" backlash.
Happily, it can be reported that such is not the case with "Daredevils of the West," which was screened on May 16 and 17 at Serial Fest 2008 in Newtown, Pa.
For years serial fans have read and seen excerpts of the four available chapters of this action-packed Western and have savored seeing the chapterplay in its entirety.
The question always has been would the serial as a whole maintain the quality of those existing episodes.
The answer is a definite and resounding "yes."
Republic was known for its non-stop action, stunt work, special effects and fight choreography in its heyday of producing serials and B-Westerns and "Daredevils" maintains and at time exceeds the studio's high standards.
From start to finish, the chapters roll by offering fans of the genre chases, explosions, gun battles, fistfights and well-done cliffhangers.
If features a strong and stalwart hero in Allan Lane, a plucky and fiery heroine in Kay Aldridge and two formidable action heavies in William Haade and George J. Lewis.
Forget the standard plot about wrecking the stage line to keep out settlers so the big land baron can buy up all the acreage for his cattle empire.
It is the way the story flows seamlessly from situation to situation without any let-up.
"Daredevils of the West" is a prime example of why Republic was tops not only in the serial arena but in the B-Western market as well.
After going unseen for 65 years, "Daredevils of the West" did not disappoint. It even surpassed expectations among those who fondly cherish the cliffhangers of yore.
Bob Bloom is the film critic and DVD reviewer at the Journal & Courier in Lafayette, Ind., and for the Gannett News Service. He can be reached by e-mail at bbloom@journalandcourier.com or at bloomjc@yahoo.com. Bloom's reviews also can be found at the Journal & Courier Web site: www.jconline.com
Other reviews by Bloom can be found at the Rottentomatoes Web site: www.rottentomatoes.com.
An inherent danger arises when a movie has disappeared or has been out of circulation for several years or decades.
Its qualities grow in proportion to the time it has gone unseen until its attributes almost reach mythic status.
Thus when it is eventually seen, it can sometimes lead to disappointment an almost, "is that all there is?" backlash.
Happily, it can be reported that such is not the case with "Daredevils of the West," which was screened on May 16 and 17 at Serial Fest 2008 in Newtown, Pa.
For years serial fans have read and seen excerpts of the four available chapters of this action-packed Western and have savored seeing the chapterplay in its entirety.
The question always has been would the serial as a whole maintain the quality of those existing episodes.
The answer is a definite and resounding "yes."
Republic was known for its non-stop action, stunt work, special effects and fight choreography in its heyday of producing serials and B-Westerns and "Daredevils" maintains and at time exceeds the studio's high standards.
From start to finish, the chapters roll by offering fans of the genre chases, explosions, gun battles, fistfights and well-done cliffhangers.
If features a strong and stalwart hero in Allan Lane, a plucky and fiery heroine in Kay Aldridge and two formidable action heavies in William Haade and George J. Lewis.
Forget the standard plot about wrecking the stage line to keep out settlers so the big land baron can buy up all the acreage for his cattle empire.
It is the way the story flows seamlessly from situation to situation without any let-up.
"Daredevils of the West" is a prime example of why Republic was tops not only in the serial arena but in the B-Western market as well.
After going unseen for 65 years, "Daredevils of the West" did not disappoint. It even surpassed expectations among those who fondly cherish the cliffhangers of yore.
Bob Bloom is the film critic and DVD reviewer at the Journal & Courier in Lafayette, Ind., and for the Gannett News Service. He can be reached by e-mail at bbloom@journalandcourier.com or at bloomjc@yahoo.com. Bloom's reviews also can be found at the Journal & Courier Web site: www.jconline.com
Other reviews by Bloom can be found at the Rottentomatoes Web site: www.rottentomatoes.com.
Fool's Gold (2008)
A formulaic movie that looks pretty but is basically shallow
FOOL'S GOLD (2008) 1 star out of 4. Starring Matthew McConaughey, Kate Hudson, Donald Sutherland, Ewen Bremmer, Ray Winstone, Alexis Dziena, Kevin Hart and Malcolm Jamal-Warner. Story by John Claflin and Daniel Zelman. Screenplay by John Claflin, Daniel Zelman and Andy Tennant. Directed by Andy Tennant. Rated: PG-13. Running time: Approx; 115 mins.
Fool's Gold is a harmless excursion, a cinematic vacation that is simply nice to look at. It is all fluff and no substance.
Basically it is a cookie-cutter, formulaic feature that offers pretty scenery, pretty stars and not much else.
The movie tries to be part adventure, part screwball comedy but succeeds at neither.
The plot, a hunt for long-lost Spanish treasure is simplistic. The characters are cardboard and stereotypical. They are just archetypes.
The only people who will get any enjoyment out of this feature are those who love to ogle Matthew McConaughey shirtless which he is for a good part of the film or would like to see Kate Hudson in a bathing suit.
Originality seems to have been buried along with the treasure everyone is seeking.
(SPOILER)
The film opens with McConaughey's Finn and Hudson's Tess getting divorced, but you know by the fade-out they will be together again.
It seems this was just thrown in for convention because that's they way it's always done in the screwball genre.
Everything about the movie feels familiar.
Also along for the cruise are Donald Sutherland who plays a British billionaire with one of the phoniest English accents heard on screen in a decade.
Ray Winstone plays a fellow treasure hunter and speaks with some sort of Southern accent, but from what part of the south and from what country is never made clear.
Fool's Gold is no treasure. It offers more pyrite than riches. It's like one of those DVDs of a fireplace you put on your television screen. It only offers an illusion of warmth and comfort.
Bob Bloom is the film critic and DVD reviewer at the Journal & Courier in Lafayette, Ind.. and for the Gannett News Service. He can be reached by e-mail at bbloom@journalandcourier.com or at bloomjc@yahoo.com. Bloom's reviews also can be found at the Journal & Courier Web site: www.jconline.com
Other reviews by Bloom can be found at the Rottentomatoes Web site: www.rottentomatoes.com.
Fool's Gold is a harmless excursion, a cinematic vacation that is simply nice to look at. It is all fluff and no substance.
Basically it is a cookie-cutter, formulaic feature that offers pretty scenery, pretty stars and not much else.
The movie tries to be part adventure, part screwball comedy but succeeds at neither.
The plot, a hunt for long-lost Spanish treasure is simplistic. The characters are cardboard and stereotypical. They are just archetypes.
The only people who will get any enjoyment out of this feature are those who love to ogle Matthew McConaughey shirtless which he is for a good part of the film or would like to see Kate Hudson in a bathing suit.
Originality seems to have been buried along with the treasure everyone is seeking.
(SPOILER)
The film opens with McConaughey's Finn and Hudson's Tess getting divorced, but you know by the fade-out they will be together again.
It seems this was just thrown in for convention because that's they way it's always done in the screwball genre.
Everything about the movie feels familiar.
Also along for the cruise are Donald Sutherland who plays a British billionaire with one of the phoniest English accents heard on screen in a decade.
Ray Winstone plays a fellow treasure hunter and speaks with some sort of Southern accent, but from what part of the south and from what country is never made clear.
Fool's Gold is no treasure. It offers more pyrite than riches. It's like one of those DVDs of a fireplace you put on your television screen. It only offers an illusion of warmth and comfort.
Bob Bloom is the film critic and DVD reviewer at the Journal & Courier in Lafayette, Ind.. and for the Gannett News Service. He can be reached by e-mail at bbloom@journalandcourier.com or at bloomjc@yahoo.com. Bloom's reviews also can be found at the Journal & Courier Web site: www.jconline.com
Other reviews by Bloom can be found at the Rottentomatoes Web site: www.rottentomatoes.com.