film criticism by maryann johanson | since 1997
Ten years of Marvel superheroism culminates in a battle for the universe itself. Exhausting, bitterly humorous, and gripped in a stunning finality, it’s almost too much to take in, yet somehow not enough.
It’s astonishing and wonderful how much of why the Iron Man movies work is because Robert Downey Jr. is simply so damn much fun to watch onscreen.
“I am Iron Man.” When Tony repeats that line here, it’s newly thrilling, and far more intriguing than it previously was.
Here’s an at-a-glance look at my picks for Sunday night’s Academy Awards — projected winners are Xed. Keep in mind: this isn’t a list of whom I think should win Oscars but whom I think will win…
The AWFJ is one of the critics’ groups I belong to; my input helped determine these nominees, and I will vote in the final balloting to narrow it down to the winners. I still have to watch a few of these nominees…
Roger Ebert announced earlier this week that he will be producing a new version of At the Movies, the PBS and later syndicated film criticism series he and Gene Siskel pioneered in the 1970s…
…for deciding that two female action stars constitutes a “new normal”: It’s amusing to realize, in hindsight, that Luc Besson’s funky-violent French art-house thriller La Femme Nikita, in 1990, and its rote American remake, Point of No Return, in 1993, were still treating lady-killer heroines with kid gloves. At that point, seeing an actress like … more…
The numbers are in for Inception’s debut in the U.K. and the Republic of Ireland: a smidge under £6 million, exactly on par with the $62.8 million it earned in North America last weekend. (That North American number is actually up from the Sunday estimates, by almost $2.5 million. That speaks to very strong word … more…
Worst. Memorial Day. Evah. Well, not ever, but in 17 years. Which means that the last time the box office was this bad over this major weekend, most of Hollywood’s target audience hadn’t quite been born yet. Neither of the two big newcomers, would-be blockbusters Sex and the City 2 and Prince of Persia: The … more…
obsession: Doctor Who (because it now goes to 11) boyfriend: Robert Downey Jr. in Iron Man 2 (because I’d love to hear him say to me, “You complete me,” even if that line from the trailer didn’t make it into the movie) psyched: The A-Team (because I still love it when a plan comes together) … more…
