The last couple of years have firmly established that – when it comes to big-budget superhero epics – Marvel Studios, Warner Bros. and Fox all have a solid handle of how to translate their respective franchises into multibillion-dollar returns. Only Sony, which is still smarting from the disappointing performance of The Amazing Spider-Man 2, has been left out in the cold. That film was intended to jumpstart a new wave of Spidey flicks, but now the series is stuck in perpetual limbo with all previous plans either put on indefinite hold or cancelled outright.
Continue reading Now Playing: Should Sony Embrace a Spider-Man Multiverse?
All posts by Robert Yaniz Jr.
Review: ‘Paddington’
In today’s day and age of remakes, reboots and retreads, it’s becoming increasingly more difficult to come across major studio films that are truly worthy of moviegoers’ hard-earned dollars. The probability of finding a quality family film is even less promising, as the desire to pander to younger viewers often proves far too tempting for most filmmakers to ignore (even if they manage to defy formulaic storytelling to create something fresh). Even the once-flawless track record held by Pixar Animation Studios has been tainted in recent years (thanks a lot, Cars 2
Review: ‘The Babadook’
If this year’s Oscar hopeful Wild offers a realistic take on the effects of personal tragedy and the difficulty in coping with the resulting revelation that life must in fact go on, Australian horror film The Babadook takes the same themes to terrifying new heights.
Essie Davis stars as Amelia, a single mother who – after her husband’s death – is faced with caring for her young son (Noah Wiseman) amid complaints from both family members and teachers that something is seriously wrong with her son. These mounting issues are only made worse when a disturbing children’s book about a sinister creature arrives on her doorstep. But is the Babadook real or just a figment of a traumatized child’s imagination? Continue reading Review: ‘The Babadook’