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2/5
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The Expendables 2
(2012)
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Patrick Kolan
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Perhaps we're pawns in an elaborate homage to excess and macho stupidity. It's purposefully - even wilfully - bad. Given that I can't prove that Simon West isn't actually that kind of wheels-within-wheels genius, he earns benefit of my doubt.
Posted Sep 26, 2012
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4/5
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John Carter
(2012)
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Stephen Lambrechts
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John Carter is a fantastic fusion of old-fashioned adventure excitement and modern blockbuster spectacle. In short, it's wonderful.
Posted Mar 02, 2012
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4.5/5
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The Raid: Redemption
(2011)
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Stephen Lambrechts
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The combination of a great premise, brilliantly-inventive direction, incredible fight sequences and spirited performances makes it easy for us to already proclaim that The Raid is the action movie of the year.
Posted Feb 14, 2012
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4/5
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The Secret World of Arrietty
(2010)
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Stephen Lambrechts
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While this is a deeply rewarding film, people with short attention spans might not get as much out of it. Those willing to let these wonderful little characters into their hearts however, will find a film they won't soon forget.
Posted Jan 08, 2012
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4/5
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Immortals
(2011)
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Stephen Lambrechts
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With Immortals, Tarsem has created a beautiful and sumptuous mythological epic with visual strengths that far outweigh the weaknesses of its fairly standard script.
Posted Nov 15, 2011
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3/5
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Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps
(2010)
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Stephen Lambrechts
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Maybe Stone's growth as a filmmaker mirrors that of Gordon's as a person; having had time to calm down a bit over the years, he seems to have settled into a more relaxed state.
Posted Nov 15, 2011
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5/5
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Drive
(2011)
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Stephen Lambrechts
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It's a film that has its finger on the pulse of what's current and in style, and one that has solidified its place as the coolest film of the year.
Posted Nov 15, 2011
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4.5/5
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The Social Network
(2010)
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Patrick Kolan
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Fincher has constructed a wonderfully balanced tale of a young narcissistic genius in want of status and recognition.
Posted Oct 23, 2010
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4/5
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Buried
(2010)
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Patrick Kolan
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Buried does do a hell of a lot with very little. Through clever camerawork, it's surprising how much action and tension can be built.
Posted Sep 29, 2010
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3/5
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Dinner for Schmucks
(2010)
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Patrick Kolan
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Dinner for Schmucks, while not as instantly iconic and defined as [Jay Roach's] previous work, still delivers a lot of entertainment.
Posted Sep 28, 2010
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3/5
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Easy A
(2010)
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Patrick Kolan
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The writing definitely reserves the wittiest lines for Stone, who comes off as a winner above all other cast members. Her delivery and physical comedy really underline her skills in ways that other comediennes just can't touch.
Posted Sep 15, 2010
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3.5/5
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The Other Guys
(2010)
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Patrick Kolan
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While Anchorman still stands as Adam McKay's high watermark, The Other Guys manages to take a worn concept and make it feel fresh and lively in a stale mainstream comedy market.
Posted Sep 07, 2010
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4.5/5
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Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
(2010)
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Patrick Kolan
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It's audacious and youthful -- and a film that squarely targets geek culture and revels in it playfully.
Posted Aug 10, 2010
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1.5/5
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The Expendables
(2010)
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Patrick Kolan
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It's a bitter pill to swallow, but it's a dark day indeed when a film can bring together so many promising elements and, when the curtains close, leave you wondering exactly what the heck you just sat through -- and if you even enjoyed it at all.
Posted Aug 06, 2010
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2.5/5
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Splice
(2009)
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Patrick Kolan
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It's a shame -- there's a lot of enjoyment to be extracted from Splice, but it remains a Frankenstein's monster of piecemeal storytelling.
Posted Jul 28, 2010
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4.5/5
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Inception
(2010)
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Patrick Kolan
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Indeed, Hollywood's obsession with 3D has extended to the storytelling process, and with Inception, it also reminds us that story and characterization still rule in the land of a thousand digital vistas.
Posted Jul 20, 2010
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3.5/5
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The Runaways
(2010)
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Patrick Kolan
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The Runaways succeeds in being as brash and trashy as the source material, and just as fun.
Posted Jul 07, 2010
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3.5/5
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Get Him to the Greek
(2010)
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Patrick Kolan
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An overdose of pop-culture and some memorable set-ups make this a very amusing commentary on the foibles of rock stardom.
Posted Jun 02, 2010
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2/5
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Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
(2010)
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Beth Wilson
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With the plot so under-nurtured, the action sequences needed to be spectacular, but many audiences will probably leave the cinema unsatisfied.
Posted May 27, 2010
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3.5/5
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The Losers
(2010)
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Patrick Kolan
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It builds slowly and rhythmically, and leaves audiences with a lot of fuss-free fun that holds its own, and then some, in the face of the blockbuster season.
Posted May 24, 2010
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1.5/5
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The Kings of Mykonos
(2010)
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Patrick Kolan
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A messy comedy, Wog Boy 2 pitches itself at a demographic that, incredibly, it also alienates with cultural insensitivities and stupidity.
Posted May 20, 2010
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2/5
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A Nightmare on Elm Street
(2010)
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Patrick Kolan
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It's not a good film, but if you're feeling jaded and just want to watch a demonic killer pound his fist through the chest of some hapless, cardboard teenager, then this might just scratch that itch.
Posted May 20, 2010
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3/5
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Robin Hood
(2010)
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Patrick Kolan
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Robin Hood merely dots the lines in a tale that, despite wanting to add new dimensions to a worn character, and perhaps kick-start a franchise, still feels like a retread.
Posted May 11, 2010
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5/5
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Animal Kingdom
(2010)
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Patrick Kolan
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This is restrained, powerful filmmaking on all fronts.
Posted May 03, 2010
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4/5
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Iron Man 2
(2010)
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Patrick Kolan
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Like Tony Stark himself, Iron Man 2 is a sleek and cheeky number that almost certainly trumps the fun-factor of Jon Favreau's 2008's surprise hit.
Posted Apr 27, 2010
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1.5/5
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Clash of the Titans
(2010)
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Patrick Kolan
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A constant stream of computer animation that flies at you so quickly and heavy-handedly that you'll eventually tune it out, intentionally or otherwise.
Posted Apr 01, 2010
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4/5
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Hot Tub Time Machine
(2010)
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Patrick Kolan
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It's not high brow stuff, but Hot Tub Time Machine is a comedy with genuine laughs and surprising personality.
Posted Mar 18, 2010
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4/5
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Alice in Wonderland
(2010)
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Patrick Kolan
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Alice in Wonderland is a lovingly filmed and meticulously crafted interpretation of Lewis Carroll's treasured tale, rife with fantasy, coated in gothic iconography and presented by a superb cast who nail their characters' portraits.
Posted Feb 25, 2010
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4/5
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Kick-Ass
(2010)
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Patrick Kolan
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Can this genre make fresh inroads? 'Kick-Ass' proposes an answer of sorts through a marriage of Disney Channel wholesomeness and the kind of foul-mouth dialogue and bloodletting that would make Tarantino proud.
Posted Feb 23, 2010
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2/5
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Shutter Island
(2010)
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Patrick Kolan
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You'll enjoy it casually -- as a career curio, maybe -- but as it stands, it's a far cry from his best. Put simply, Scorsese missed the mark on this one.
Posted Feb 15, 2010
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4/5
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Up in the Air
(2009)
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Patrick Kolan
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Up in the Air is mostly honest and sometimes raw. There is power in that kind of storytelling.
Posted Jan 11, 2010
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3.5/5
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Zombieland
(2009)
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Patrick Kolan
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The one-liners and rapid-fire jokes pull Zombieland back in line when the love hearts begin to fill the screen.
Posted Nov 30, 2009
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4.5/5
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The Road
(2009)
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James O'Connor
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One of the most important and moving films to come along in a long time.
Posted Nov 19, 2009
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3/5
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The Invention of Lying
(2009)
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Patrick Kolan
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It's a shame that the air gets let out of this one so suddenly, as if The Invention of Lying's backbone gets ripped out of the film as the final act kicks into gear.
Posted Nov 17, 2009
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4.5/5
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A Serious Man
(2009)
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Patrick Kolan
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It's also a dark, sometimes profound film that almost certainly sits amongst the best of this year and it's yet another badge on the decorated jackets of Hollywood's most accomplished filmmaking duo.
Posted Nov 15, 2009
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1/5
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2012
(2009)
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Patrick Kolan
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Terrible; wonderfully terrible.
Posted Nov 02, 2009
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4/5
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Paranormal Activity
(2007)
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Patrick Kolan
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The suspense that's missing from so many horror films is there. It's a genuinely scary film -- and that's a rare thing to accomplish in front of today's blase, switched-off audiences.
Posted Oct 27, 2009
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3.5/5
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The Box
(2009)
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Patrick Kolan
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It may fall short of Donnie Darko's clever storytelling, but for his third feature film, Kelly plays confidently with suspense and lays down the right hooks at the right time to keep you drawn into his creepy world.
Posted Oct 21, 2009
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1.5/5
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The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
(2009)
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Patrick Kolan
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Doctor Parnassus parallels Terry Gilliam and his most recent work: many complex ideas, grand intentions and miserable luck leading him down a path to nowhere, forcing him to start over with nothing one more time.
Posted Sep 28, 2009
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3.5/5
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Funny People
(2009)
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Patrick Kolan
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While not Judd Apatow's finest hour, Funny People still strikes the same rich vein of well-produced drama-comedy as previous efforts.
Posted Sep 08, 2009
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4/5
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Moon
(2009)
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Patrick Kolan
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In an era when grey-shaded Hollywood drudge can cost hundreds of millions and deliver nothing, Moon stands out -- and it does so with dignity.
Posted Sep 02, 2009
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4/5
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District 9
(2009)
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Patrick Kolan
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Completely absorbing and intense. As audiences are compelled early in the film to "learn from what has happened", Blomkamp uses District 9 to quietly remind us that it's too late for some.
Posted Aug 10, 2009
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3/5
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Public Enemies
(2009)
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James O'Connor
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A decent look at Dillinger, then, but by no means the masterpiece it could have been.
Posted Jul 06, 2009
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3/5
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Observe and Report
(2009)
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Patrick Kolan
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It's not consistently on-the-money, but Observe and Report's subversive humour should be applauded - even if it isn't as witty as it thinks it is.
Posted May 11, 2009
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3/5
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X-Men Origins: Wolverine
(2009)
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Patrick Kolan
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Hugh Jackman is this film's biggest redeemer - a truly likeable lead actor with screen presence and menace.
Posted Apr 27, 2009
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5/5
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Watchmen
(2009)
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Patrick Kolan
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It's the Watchmen movie you always wanted to see but never expected to get.
Posted Feb 23, 2009
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5/5
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The Dark Knight
(2008)
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Patrick Kolan
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Heath Ledger's Joker is, in many ways, symbolic of Nolan's overall success with The Dark Knight; subtle and restrained, but always two shakes shy of bloody holocaust and a masterpiece of cinema that time will verify.
Posted Jul 17, 2008
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2.5/5
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The Incredible Hulk
(2008)
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Patrick Kolan
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It's a step in the right direction with some top-notch moments, and hardcore fans will still walk away with a giddy smile - but it's not in the same sort of league as Spider-Man 2, Iron Man or Batman Begins.
Posted Jun 13, 2008
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3.5/5
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Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
(2008)
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Patrick Kolan
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When Indy swings a punch or delivers a biting retort, audiences sit up and listen with looks of adoration and reverence. It's all one big spectacle, after all - so why begrudge the old guy one last adventure?
Posted May 19, 2008
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