film news stories on Newser

Men in Black 3 : Better Than the First?

Matt Cantor — Fri, 25 May 2012 11:13:46 CDT

Sure, no one was that desperate for a Men in Black 3 —but it's actually a pretty good summer movie. Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones are back defending the planet from aliens, and this time, Josh Brolin's along for the ride as a young Jones. The movie "turns out...

Dark Shadows Has Charm, No Substance

Matt Cantor — Fri, 11 May 2012 09:33:05 CDT

Critics aren't thrilled with Tim Burton's latest offering, inspired by the late-1960s cult TV show of the same name and starring Johnny Depp as an 18th-century vampire who is buried alive, only to be accidentally dug up in 1972. The film isn't sure what it wants to be: Dark Shadows...

PG-13 Rating: Ticket to Box-Office Magic?

Matt Cantor — Tue, 08 May 2012 14:57:00 CDT

One key to The Avengers ' record success this weekend: its PG-13 rating. The top six highest-grossing movies ever made are all rated PG-13; the rating points to a film that's titillating enough for teens but isn't likely to offend adults, the Los Angeles Times notes. The rating has become...

Critics Agree: Avengers a Blast

Matt Cantor — Fri, 04 May 2012 07:37:45 CDT

Sure, it's an effective moneymaking scheme: release movies about individual superheroes, then one about all of them. But with Joss Whedon at the helm, The Avengers really works. What critics are saying: "Even if you don't particularly like comic-book adaptations, this film just might make a believer of you," writes...

Five-Year Engagement a Bit Drawn Out

Matt Cantor — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 11:13:05 CDT

The Five-Year Engagement clocks in at over two hours, which is a bit too long for many critics. But its honesty about relationships makes the Jason Segel-Emily Blunt rom-com stand out from the pack. "Because it's so willing to drill down into Tom and Violet's misery, The Five-Year Engagement involves...

The 13 Most Worthless Majors

Matt Cantor — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 12:57:22 CDT

Hey, college students: If your life plans include getting an actual job, you may want to avoid the stars of the Daily Beast 's "most useless" majors list. Majors are ranked in terms of employment, taking into account unemployment rates among recent and experienced grads, earnings, and likely job growth...

Cabin in the Woods Is Scary Good

Matt Cantor — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 11:30:02 CDT

Critics are applauding Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard's The Cabin in the Woods for its delectable mixture of horror and humor. From a familiar premise—five college students alone in the forest—come all kinds of surprises. "A fiendishly clever brand of meta-level genius propels The Cabin in the Woods...

American Reunion 'Should Be Last Slice of Pie '

Matt Cantor — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 11:10:00 CDT

The latest installment in the American Pie franchise brings back Jason Biggs and Seann William Scott—but it doesn't bring anything new to the table. It's the same story of sexual anxiety, but this time with thirty-somethings. "Remember American Pie ? If you do, this movie is redundant and sad....

Mirror Mirror Looks Great, Feels Flat

Matt Cantor — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 11:40:09 CDT

The latest retelling of Snow White (before June's Snow White and the Huntsman ) is a lot like its vain queen: visually stunning, but kind of shallow. Critics aren't particularly impressed with Mirror Mirror : Though director Tarsem Singh "knows how to make performers and sets look good, he has trouble...