Leonard Maltin

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movie review: Rio

By Leonard Maltin
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April 15, 2011 4:35 AM
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0 Comments

When Blue Sky Studio unveiled its debut feature-film, Ice Age, a decade ago, it became clear that Pixar didn’t have a monopoly on clever storytelling or computer imagery. Now, longtime staff director Carlos Saldanha, who was born in Brazil, has returned to his homeland, cinematically speaking, to create a lively, colorful, thoroughly entertaining animated feature.

By Leonard Maltin
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April 15, 2011 4:00 AM
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11 Comments

There’s nothing more frustrating than wanting a movie to be great and having to admit that it falls short. At one point during The Conspirator I found myself willing it to be more exciting and dynamic, to no avail. It isn’t bad, but it never scales the heights of greatness its story promises and demands.

By Leonard Maltin
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April 8, 2011 4:30 AM
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6 Comments

Hanna opens with a bang and sustains both its extraordinary energy and its central enigma for quite a while. If, ultimately, there is a little bit less here than meets the eye, the high-octane action and a riveting performance by Saoirse Ronan still make the film worth seeing.

By Leonard Maltin
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April 8, 2011 4:15 AM
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7 Comments

In theory, I suppose it would be funny—and incongruous—if in the middle of a serious costume drama a noble action hero uttered a four-letter word. Hearing Danny McBride do just that, repeatedly, in Your Highness not only isn’t funny but grows wearisome as the film plods along, seemingly unaware that it’s played all of its cards.

By Leonard Maltin
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April 8, 2011 4:00 AM
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2 Comments

How you react to Arthur will largely depend on your expectations. If you’ve never seen, or heard of, the 1981 movie Arthur you might find the new movie of the same name fairly entertaining. But if you have fond memories of the original, written and directed by Steve Gordon, you’ll know the truth: this occasionally amusing film can’t compare to the original, which was flat-out hilarious, with plum parts for Dudley Moore, as a childlike billionaire, and John Gielgud, as his long-suffering valet and caretaker. The best part of the new movie is the inspired casting of Russell Brand and Helen Mirren in the leading roles.

I also liked Greta Gerwig (who graduated from mumblecore movies to a breakout role in—

By Leonard Maltin
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April 2, 2011 1:13 AM
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8 Comments

Source Code is perfectly agreeable entertainment, so long as you don’t ask too much of it. It has an intriguing science-fiction premise that hints at deeper issues but, in truth, the movie doesn’t want to disturb us or make us think too much.

Duncan Jones didn’t write the screenplay—which is credited to Ben Ripley—but it bears a passing resemblance to his debut feature Moon, in that its protagonist (Jake Gyllenhaal) spends much of the film communicating with an authority figure (Vera Farmiga) over a telecommunication system. As part of an experimental military program he is—

By Leonard Maltin
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April 1, 2011 5:57 AM
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2 Comments

In a Better World triumphed against strong competition to win this year’s Academy Award as Best Foreign Language Film. Now that it’s opening theatrically in the U.S. you can see why. I became a fan and booster of Danish filmmaker Susanne Bier when I saw her breathtaking Brothers (which is far superior to its Hollywood remake). Her films have a rare feeling of intimacy; there is no distance between us and the characters on screen. We almost feel as if we’re experiencing the story in their shoes.

By Leonard Maltin
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March 25, 2011 4:30 AM
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17 Comments

Director Zach Snyder recreated the look and feel of ancient Thermopylae, as pictured by visionary artist/writer Frank Miller, in 300 without ever leaving a soundstage, using the palette of CGI. Then he brought the stylized world of Watchmen to life on screen. Now he has directed and co-written a film that takes place in yet another artificial environment—but these characters are as synthetic as their colorful backdrop. I’ll resist all the puns the title invites and simply say that Sucker Punch is one strange movie.

By Leonard Maltin
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March 18, 2011 4:30 AM
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5 Comments

Tom McCarthy made an impressive filmmaking debut eight years ago as the writer and director of the indie hit The Station Agent, which introduced us to Peter Dinklage and Bobby Cannavale. He followed it with The Visitor, which earned Richard Jenkins an Oscar nomination. Being an actor himself, he writes great parts for performers he admires, and he’s hit the bull’s-eye once again with Win Win, which stars Paul Giamatti and Amy Ryan.

By Leonard Maltin
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March 18, 2011 4:15 AM
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6 Comments

The Lincoln Lawyer is a well-crafted, well-cast adaptation of Michael Connelly’s best-selling novel, shot on interesting Los Angeles locations. It’s a crime thriller with whodunit overtones, and there are twists right to the very end. So why isn’t it better?

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Categories

movie review: Rio

movie review: The Conspirator

movie review: Hanna

movie review: Your Highness

movie review: Arthur

movie review: Source Code

movie review: In A Better World

movie review: Sucker Punch

movie review: Win Win

movie review: The Lincoln Lawyer

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