I love William Shakespeare – more specifically, I love his plays. I think that they were as relevant as social and political criticisms in the 16th century as they are now, in the 21st century. It is not a contentious point that they are timeless and filled with a quality that keeps them from ever…
Category: Action
Deadpool (2016)
I believe it was last year when the legendary Steven Spielberg theorized that the rise in superhero films appears to be closely related to the rise of Western films almost a century ago. He also theorized that the superhero genre itself will soon fade away, just like the western genre did, going from exhilarating and…
The Hunger Games – Mockingjay: Part 2 (2015)
It is very daunting for me to actually criticize this film. The Hunger Games franchise has such a rabid fanbase, that praise it beyond belief. That isn’t without reason – the Hunger Games are a unique and very interesting story, and the films stick to the tone of the books perfectly. The only problem is…
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
The way I see it, in the next twenty years, there are going to be two groups of people – those who saw Mad Max: Fury Road when it came out, and those who wish they saw Mad Max: Fury Road when it came out. I am not one to choose between the cinema and…
Spy (2015)
I adore Melissa McCarthy. In 2011, she accomplished a wonderfully rare and spectacular feat – she managed to give an amazing comedic performance in a straight-out comedy, and ride her brilliance to an Oscar nomination. Her performance in Bridesmaids was just the very beginning for Melissa, because since then, she has just been on a…
Into the Storm (2014)
The disaster film was once a genre that looked to take over the world. The reason it didn’t is very clear – no matter how entertaining they were, they were never good. Even the most beloved disaster films – Poseidon, The Towering Inferno, Airport – are just loved because of what they are and how…
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 (2014)
I will be the very first to admit that I have never been very kind to young adult novel adaptations. I feel the incredible Harry Potter film series set the scene for every fantasy novel to be given the film treatment. This year alone we have had Divergent, The Giver and The Maze Runner. None…
Streets of Fire (1984)
Streets of Fire, the epitome of 1980s romantic action movies, begins with a crowded nightclub. The beautiful and talented (and here quite youthful) Diane Lane begins singing a rousing song that none other than Meat Loaf would go on to record later on. It is a joyous, energetic introduction, filled with 1950s decor combined with…
Edge of Tomorrow (2014)
Tom Cruise – has there ever been a more divisive actor? While he has had some memorable performances, his entire public perception is that of a man who has fallen into a pit of self-parody and plain weirdness. Its a shame, because if you take his personal life out of the equation, you will see…
Lucy (2014)
Luc Besson is a director who makes some very risky choices, and this has been both a gift and curse for him, as it can either give him a remarkable film, or a complete failure. Luckily, his latest film is the former, and while it is possibly one of the most divisive films of the…
The Postmodern Pelican 