Movie Reviewer Andy McKinney gives "Looper" 4 Sawblades

Looper

 

Andy says, "Four saw blades for this innovative, imaginative, important and ultimately wise film.  Producer and star Joseph Gordon-Levitt is re-united with writer/director Rian Johnson.  They worked together in another Rian Johnson writer/director project, the clever and very well done inde flick Brick in 2006.  Gordon-Levitt was young enough then to play a high school student in a film noir crime movie set in a modern day California high school.  It was brilliant, as is Looper."

For more of Andy's comments on Looper and Argo, now showing at the Sawmill Theatre in Payson, go to the Payson Daily Bugle's Movie Review Page.

Movie Reviewer highly recommends low budget wonder, The Words

The Words

Movie Reviewer Andy McKinney says, "This low budget wonder is easily one of the most entertaining and memorable films of the year.  Star Bradley Cooper also produced it and for the tiny sum (by Hollywood standards) of six million dollars.  This is a complicated story deftly told.  Three layers of the tale stack one on top of the other and each layer of storytelling is compelling, engaging and penetrating."

For more of Andy's comments and showtimes at the Sawmill Theatre in Payson, go to the Payson Daily Bugle's Movie Review Page.

Movie Reviewer calls "Total Recall" a waste of money and time

Total Recall

 Movie Reviewer Andy McKinney says, "There is only one reason to re-make a famous movie that is to make a better, more entertaining and more enjoyable version; otherwise you waste the producer’s money and the movie viewer’s time.  This one falls short of the mark, which is a shame because the original was not exactly Casablanca.  It should have been easy to beat."

For more of Andy's comments and showtimes at the Sawmill Theatre in Payson, go to the Payson Daily Bugle's Movie Review Page.

Movie Reviewer says Odd Life of Timothy Green an odd trip into magical realism

The Odd Life of Timothy Green

 

 Movie Reviewer Andy McKinney says, "This odd trip into magical realism is a sort of Russian folk tale meets Disney.  A childless couple, in an act of wine influenced catharsis, writes down the characteristics that their perfect child would have had.  He would have a sense of humor, be artistic and musical but not very athletic and so on.  They put the notes in a box, then bury the box, and they hope their sadness in the back garden.  In true Disney fashion, that night a boy appears from the garden, their perfect son.  But in Russian folk tale tradition, he has a terrible, heart breaking secret."

For more of Andy's comments and showtimes at the Sawmill Theatre in Payson go to the Payson Daily Bugle's Movie Review Page.

Movie Reviewer says summer was invented to watch block busters like "Bourne Legacy" in comfort

The Bourne Legacy

Movie Reviewer Andy McKinney says, "For action fans like me this film is a great treat.  It has everything we could want in terms of story, direction and excellent acting from a cast that includes plenty of famous names.  And there is a chase scene at the end that is beyond spectacular.  For once the director spent his enormous special effect budget on creating thrills rather than simply wrecking the highest possible number of cars or creating the grandest possible explosions.  For pure scariness there is nothing like a 20 minute high speed motorcycle ride through Manila with everybody in the world chasing you."

For more of Andy's comments and show times at the Sawmill Theatre in Payson, go to the Payson Daily Bugle's Movie Review Page.

Movie Reviewer lauds small budget "Moonrise Kingdom"

Moonrise Kingdom

           Movie Reviewer Andy McKinney says,  "This low budget gem is more fun than a barrel.  I enjoyed it and I think you will too.  Especially at this time of year when we are submerged in big budget extravaganzas it is just plain lovely to take a break and enjoy a small film done with courage and imagination.  This quirky little oddity is just that, like a dab of dessert after a big bowl of spaghetti."

           "I say small film rather than independent because this is a real movie made by experienced Hollywood pros rather than by film school genius drop-outs.  Producer, writer director Wes Anderson is well known for his sideways take on reality and his creation of memorable characters.  He has directed such off center hits as The Royal Tenenbaums and The Darjeeling Limited."
          "The PG-13 drama has nothing to offend the wee ones but plenty to confuse them.  I found this strong three and a half saw blade movie just the thing to engage my brain between the thunderous, frequently mind numbing major films of the summer.  People frequently ask me why they don’t make good movies any more.  Folks, here it is.  If you don’t watch it, they won’t make it."
         For more of Andy's comments and showtimes at the Sawmill Theatre in Payson, go to the Payson Daily Bugle's Movie Review Page.

Movie reviewer says save your money - no need to watch "The Watch"

The Watch

           

Movie Reviewer Andy McKinney says,  "This two saw blade movie gives the audience no reason to plunk down the admission money.  You may safely skip the details if you like and go on with your life.

"The Watch has an interesting premise.  An alien advance party burrows into the ground beneath a Costco warehouse store and does some exploration while awaiting the main alien horde to arrive.  The Costco is in a small town in Ohio which is made to seem shallow, boring and provincial by the sophisticated Hollywood writers.  The writers haven’t decided if they are writing a comedy, an alien adventure or Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolfe and we in the audience are just as mystified."

For more of Andy's comments on "The Watch" and last week's review of "The Dark Knight" and showtimes for both at the Sawmill Theatre in Payson, go to the Payson Daily Bugle's Movie Review Page.

Movie Reviewer says "Dark Knight Rises" best film this year

The Dark Knight Rises

Movie Reviewer Andy McKinney says, "If you haven’t been to the flickers yet this year, this is the one to see.  This is the first genuine five saw blade film of 2012.   That match made in movie heaven between actor Christian Bale and director Christopher Nolan that we know well from the two previous Batman films in this series continues and improves in the final episode.  I might be sad because the collaboration between Bale and Nolan is over except that this film is a wonderful, apt and fitting culmination.  If you are waiting for a better film to view this year, don’t wait.  Better than this there isn’t."
"Please take the time to pray for the solace of the survivors of the Colorado movie shooting tragedy, all who love the victims, and peace for the souls of the slain."
For more on Andy's comments and showtimes at the Sawmill Theatre in Payson, go to the Payson Daily Bugle's Movie Review Page.  

Movie Reviewer says "Ice Age" a fresh film for 3 year olds

 Movie Reviewer Andy McKinney comments on "Ice Age: Continental Drift"

 

            "For three year olds Ice Age: Continental Drift (aka Ice Age 4) will seem new and fresh.  After all, they haven’t been to many movies.  The tale, as most of us know by now, is about an unlikely band of mammoths, saber tooth tigers, sloths and assorted smaller animals that are caught up in the sudden onslaught of the last ice age.  This is a cartoon for very young children so I won’t even wonder why the alpha predators are nice and cuddly and never hungry.  In a disastrous disruption of the planetary crust, the friends must escape from where they are to somewhere else.  Scary."

         

           " This two saw blade cartoon movie holds nothing of interest to those past the middle grades in elementary school.  It runs a short one hour and 34 minutes to accommodate the attention span of the target audience."

 

For more of Andy's comments and show times at the Sawmill Theatre, go to the Payson Daily Bugle's Movie Review Page.

Movie Reviewer Andy McKinney finds flaws with "Amazing Spiderman", but not at the box office

Andy says, Some "avoidable flaws restrict this genuine blockbuster to a slightly above average three and a half saw blades.  Strict maybe, but who cares?  This is Spiderman, he is back and the public is eating him up.  In my viewer role, I liked it more than the award of three and a half saw blades might suggest.  Emma Stone can make a whole scene work with just the upturn of her lips."

This week Andy offers a bonus film, "Savages" and provides the following comment:
 
"Besides the awesome directing and excellent acting, we have a screenplay that is chock full of clever, sometimes insightful, dialog.  The three young dope growers are so laid back, so vapid and ernest that they could only live in California.  There is a beautiful interchange between the head baddie (Selma Hayek) and the dope dealer’s girlfriend that is truly remarkable.  Oliver Stone, Shane Salerno and Don Winslow crafted the screenplay.

            This film is however, horrifying.  The Del Toro character descends beyond brutality and into the truly disgusting.  Nice young pot heads change for the much worse.  This four saw blade film is only for those with a high tolerance for human depravity portrayed by the best in the business."

 

For more of Andy's comments and showtimes for the "Amazing Spiderman" and "Savages" at the Sawmill Theatre in Payson,  go to the Payson Daily Bugle's Movie Review Page.

Movie Reviewer Andy McKinney can't honestly recommend Abe Lincoln Vampire Hunter

See Abe Lincoln Vampire Hunter only if you're seeking an air-conditioned refuge

Andy says, "I can recommend this R rated two saw blade movie only to people seeking an air-conditioned refuge on these hot days.  It runs one hour and 45 minutes which seems short in that they spent $69 million to make the thing.  We should expect more for that kind of money.  It has brought in a tepid $24 million over the three day opening weekend worldwide.  It might be a stretch for the producers to get their money back.  Note to producers, make better movies."

For more on Andy's comments and showtimes at the Sawmill Theatre in Payson, go to the Payson Daily Bugle's Movie Review Page.

Movie Reviewer says Promethius is a watchable, worthwhile film

3 1/2

 Movie Reviewer Andy McKinney says, "Riddly Scott, now in his mid 70’s, is responsible for some iconic films-Alien, Blade Runner, Thelma and Louise-and other truly wonderful movies, like Gladiator.  Prometheus might fall just short of Scott’s very best work, but it remains a very watchable and worthwhile film.  It reaches for the bleachers but manages a deep in the corner triple, if I may use a baseball analogy.  This sci-fi prequel to the Alien franchise rates a very respectable three and a half saw blades."

For more of Andy's comments and showtimes at the Sawmill Theatre in Payson, go to the Payson Daily Bugle Movie Review Page.

Movie Reviewer says "Snow White and the Huntsman" is not your father's Snow White

 4
Movie Reviewer Andy McKinney says, "We all know the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.  Believe me, this is not your father’s Snow White and the sweet, goofy dwarfs are nowhere in sight.  This is a fast paced action flick based closely on the traditional tale, but with a lot of extra plot stuffed in.  And it works, thanks to goodness."
For Andy's comments and showtimes at the Sawmill Theatre in Payson, go to the Payson Daily Bugle's Movie Review Page.

Movie Reviewer Andy McKinney says Men in Black 3 brightens summer scene

4+                     

Just when a fan becomes despondent at the current crop of gigantic summer flicks along comes MIB 3 to bring hope and cheer to his heart.  Producer Steven Spielberg brings back our old pals agents J (Will Smith) and K (Tommy Lee Jones) under the control of MIB and MIB 2 director Barry Sonnenfeld to amaze, delight and choke us up a little.  Grand.  Sonnenfeld also directed such successes as Get Shorty and The Addams Family.  Writer Etan Cohen showed his skill with the comedy about Hollywood movie making Tropic Thunder and hasn’t missed a beat here.

For more of Andy's comments and showtimes at the Sawmill Theatre in Payson, go to the Payson Daily Bugle's Movie Review Page.

Movie Reviewer Andy McKinney can't ignore the fact that Johnny Depp is a blood sucking vampire in Dark Shadows

3

Andy says, "Special effects cannot carry a film.  Good acting cannot carry a film alone.  Even good writing cannot carry a film absent other necessary ingredients.  Films are stories told visually.  For a story to hold our attention, the leading character must be someone we can like.  The challenge for Burton, Depp and the writers was to make Barnabas Collins, the vampire, into someone we like, someone we can identify with.  But in order to like Barnabas we have to ignore the fact that he is a blood sucking vampire.  We have to ignore the fact that he is a mass and serial murderer.  In the end, I just couldn’t do it.  But I still liked the movie for the grand professionalism of everyone involved."

For Andy's comments and showtimes at the Sawmill Theatre in Payson go to the Payson Daily Bugle's Movie Review Page.

Movie Reviewer Andy McKinney surprised by romantic drama, The Lucky One

3 1/2

Andy says, "The Lucky One took me by surprise.  I am not used to romantic dramas, seeing many more of the sister genre, romantic comedies.  I found that it worked quite effectively thanks to the magnetism between the leading man and leading lady."
"The romantic part of this movie is the agonizingly slow courtship with the two young people getting to know one another, to appreciate one another, and eventually coming to trust one another enough that when the inevitable breach comes we can believe that there is enough to the relationship that the breach can be patched.  It is very sweet to watch.  The attraction between the boy and girl seems completely genuine and real."
For Andy's comments and showtimes at the Sawmill Theatre in Payson, go to the Movie Review Page in the Payson Daily Bugle.

2012 "Three Stooges" a hoot, says Movie Reviewer Andy McKinney

3 1/2
    Andy says,  "Remember the Three Stooges from the olden days?  Remember how silly they were, but how you laughed anyway?  Well, the new, un-improved, un-changed 2012 version of the manic trio is just like the original.  If you laughed at the old timey stooges, you will enjoy the new timey stooges just as much.  If you are a girl, you might not get the humor.  If you are a guy and are older than seven, you will only enjoy it if you remember the bygone days of your childhood.  I, and most of the audience with me, laughed like we hadn’t done since grade school.  It was a hoot."
For Andy's comments and showtimes at the Sawmill Theatre in Payson, go to the Payson Daily Bugle's Movie Review Page.

Movie Reviewer Andy McKinney has some choice words for "A Thousand Words"

2 1/2

Movie reviewer McKinney says we are in the doldrums of the movie year

             Andy says, "A Thousand Words is a lukewarm comedy/drama that can best be enjoyed by fans of Eddie Murphy's classic manic comedy style.

            "All in all, this is only average or a little less.  We should think of A Thousand Words as a mathematically average 2 1/2 Saw Blade film. 

            "The people are never wrong (although critics are often wrong).  The optimistic producers spent a whopping $40 million, somehow, on making this film.  Wise members of the viewing public have squandered a mere $18 million in five weeks at the box office.  I think the public wants to see genuinely good films and is prepared to pay for the privilege, but won’t put out much cash for the mediocre." 

          For more on Andy's comments and showtimes for A Thousand Words at the Sawmill Theatre in Payson, go to the Payson Daily Bugle's Movie Review Page.

"One for the Money" not pulling in the cash

3
Movie Reviewer Andy McKinney likes "One for the Money" just fine, gives this average PG13 film 3 Sawblades, but says it's not doing well at the box office.

Andy says, "Producer/star Catherine Heigl is as lovely a lady as any acting today and has a string of light romantic comedies to her credit.  One for the Money continues in that tradition to good purpose.  We are treated to a sharp, hip script, good chemistry between Heigl and Jason O’Mara, her co-star, and a rather charming tale of re-united lovers.  And, of course, because it is also a crime drama, we get deception, death and murder most foul."

For Andy's comments and show times at the Sawmill Theatre in Payson, go to the Payson Daily Bugle's Movie Review Page.

Movie Reviewer Andy McKinney says "Hurrah!" for extremely good "The Hunger Games"

4  

Andy asks, what is the point of a review if hordes of fans spent $214 million worldwide to see "The Hunger Games".

Andy says, "The Hunger Games" has brought in an awe inspiring $214 million worldwide in the last three days.  The producers are dancing for joy with their $78 million investment while the hordes of fans storm box offices around the world.  What is the point of a review?  The people, in their wisdom, in their millions, have spoken.  But what the heck, it is what I do. 

"I say 'hurrah' for this extremely good, but not quite an immortal classic, film.  I literally sat on the edge of my seat through the very long (most of the movie) action sequences.  And I have read the book, at the recommendation of a movie insider friend, so there was nothing that surprised me.  I was still on pins and needles, that’s how good it is as action entertainment."

Andy gives this action film 4 Sawblades. For more of Andy's comments and showtimes at the Sawmill Theatre in Payson, go to the Payson Daily Bugle's Movie Review page.