MOVIE REVIEW: Man of Tai Chi

Keanu Reeves has two features this second half of 2013. The headliner is 47 Ronin, a samurai spectacle slotted to join the blockbusters on Christmas Day with a wide release. The other is the smaller-scale Man of Tai Chi, which premiered at screenings in competition at the Beijing, Cannes, and Toronto Film Festivals. The film is Keanu's directorial debut is now playing in limited release here in the United States (including three locations here in the Chicagoland area) concurrently with Video On Demand offerings on several platforms.

"2 STARS", "2013 Holiday Movies", "2013", "Man of Tai Chi", "Movie Review", "Video On Demand"Don ShanahanNovember 4, 2013Chicago, IL, USAComment

MOVIES IN THE BLIND SPOT: The Road

BLIND SPOT REVIEW #5: The Road

Going back and seeing the movies I should have seen or always wanted to see, but missed.

"2 STARS", "2009", "2013", "BLIND SPOT MOVIES", "Movie Review", "The Road", "Vintage Review"Don ShanahanNovember 4, 2013Chicago, IL, USAComment

MOVIE REVIEW: A Single Shot

A Single Shot attempts some key moments to further the suspense, but they are short and not all that captivating. More so, the movie takes far too many breaks for meandering character moments to spotlight the supporting players clicking with Rockwell.

"2 STARS", "2013 Fall Movies", "2013", "A Single Shot", "Movie Review", "Video On Demand"Don ShanahanSeptember 23, 2013Chicago, IL, USAComment

MOVIE REVIEW: The World's End

Well, this year's culprit for blowing up a good idea and a solid start is The World's End, the third entry in the cult favorite "Three Flavours Cornetto" trilogy that combines writer/director Edgar Wright, producer Nira Park, and buddy lead actors Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. The previous two entries of that team were the zombie romp Shaun of the Dead and the buddy cop spoof Hot Fuzz. Both were fairly successful cult comedies that each added a little extra weirdness layer to their character yarns to varying degrees of success. For The World's End, the third time is not the charm.

"Movie Review", "The World's End", "2 STARS", "2013 Summer Movies", "2013"Don ShanahanSeptember 9, 2013Comment

MOVIE REVIEW: Blue Jasmine

I hate to say this, but it's hard to get behind a movie with an unlikable main character. Call me a chipper optimist at heart, but, unless we are getting the classic "change of heart" story or a "you get what you deserve" comeuppance tale of returned karma, I feel like I waste my time trying to engage and get behind negative main characters.

"2 STARS", "2013 Summer Movies", "2013", "Blue Jasmine", "Movie Review"Don ShanahanAugust 28, 2013Chicago, IL, USAComment

MOVIE REVIEW: Prince Avalanche

"Artful" and "low key" are the two adjectives being tossed around the most for Prince Avalanche and they fit the description. The trouble is "artful" and "low key" can be synonyms for "ponderous" and "boring."

MOVIE REVIEW: Lovelace

Lovelace plays its chipper hand of 1970's decadence like a Boogie Nights prequel.

"2 STARS", "2013 Summer Movies", "2013", "Lovelace", "Movie Review", "Video On Demand"Don ShanahanAugust 10, 2013Chicago, IL, USAComment

MOVIE REVIEW: The Heat

When it works, it's fun, but The Heat could have been better.

"2 STARS", "2013 Summer Movies", "2013", "Movie Review", "The Heat"Don ShanahanJune 29, 2013Chicago, IL, USAComment

MOVIE REVIEW: G.I. Joe: Retaliation

As fun as it is, G.I. Joe: Retaliation isn't breaking any new ground, but, again, it doesn't have to. While it's less out-there than the first film, it still delivers enough cool action to entertain. It was better than A Good Day to Die Hard in this critic's opinion. It's not a movie you'll brag about at the workplace water cooler on Monday, but it's one you'll catch yourself still sitting down to watch again on basic cable for the next several years. It's not dazzling enough to reach a cult status or guilty pleasure level, but if they keep bringing out the big guns, we are likely to keep coming back.

"2 STARS", "2013 Spring Movies", "2013", "G.I. Joe: Retaliation", "Movie Review"Don ShanahanApril 7, 2013Chicago, IL, USAComment

MOVIE REVIEW: Oz the Great and Powerful

I found Oz the Great and Powerful to be a beautiful mess of a movie. It spared no expense to throw so many dumb things together than I learned one new thing that most of these modern fairy tale movies lack: CHARM

MOVIE REVIEW: A Good Day to Die Hard

If it's action you're ordering with A Good Day to Die Hard, you'll get it, but you'll wonder where all the fun and purpose went from what you've seen before.

"2 STARS", "2013 Winter Movies", "2013", "A Good Day to Die Hard", "Movie Review"Don ShanahanFebruary 17, 2013Chicago, IL, USAComment

MOVIE REVIEW: Broken City

About those twists, very little surprises you in Broken City. Remember, the plot was supposed to be bigger than a Law and Order episode but comes across about as daring as sub-par Lifetime movie.

"2 STARS", "2013 Winter Movies", "2013", "Broken City", "Movie Review"Don ShanahanJanuary 24, 2013Chicago, IL, USAComment