Review: GROWN UPS 2

By Mark Saldana  Rating: 1 (Out of 4 Stars) I received some grief from friends and fellow critics for actually enjoying the first Grown Ups and for giving it a favorable review (3 Stars).  The humor in that Happy Madison movie is juvenile and sophomoric, but what can I say? It made me laugh. I… Continue reading Review: GROWN UPS 2

Review: PACIFIC RIM

By Mark Saldana  Rating: 3 (Out of 4 Stars) As a kid I grew up watching animated stories of robots or robot-like machines operated by people (mecha). In fact, my first exposure to Japanese anime came courtesy of cable television which would broadcast the Force Five episodes that inspired the Shogun Warrior toys. As a… Continue reading Review: PACIFIC RIM

Review: THE WAY WAY BACK

By Mark Saldana  Rating: 3.5 (Out of 4 Stars) After reading a synopsis of this film or watching a trailer, one might question the need for another coming-of-age summer vacation movie. Especially after watching and enjoying The Kings of Summer quite recently, not to mention years of countless other films I watched in my youth,… Continue reading Review: THE WAY WAY BACK

Review: THE HEAT

By Mark Saldana  Rating: 2.5 (Out of 4 Stars)   Bridesmaids director Paul Feig tackles a buddy-cop comedy bringing back his Bridesmaids break-out star Melissa McCarthy, but the results are a bit mixed. Actually, this comes as a relief to me as I felt somewhat burned by how bad McCarthy’s Identity Thief turned out. On… Continue reading Review: THE HEAT

Movie Spotlight: Scene Stealers From PRINCE AVALANCHE

While David Gordon Green’s PRINCE AVALANCHE (opening on August 9th) is largely a two-hander between stars Paul Rudd and Emile Hirsch, the performances many people walk away from the film remembering is from non-professional Joyce Payne and veteran character actor Lance LeGault. In just a handful of scenes, Joyce gives the film its real emotional core, and… Continue reading Movie Spotlight: Scene Stealers From PRINCE AVALANCHE