Category: Reviews

By Mark Saldana Rating: 2 (Out of 4 Stars) I was nine years-old when my mother and sister dragged me to go see John Huston’s adaptation of Annie in 1982. They dragged me because I had no interest in what I perceived to be a very “girlie” musical.  Though I was partially correct in my… Continue reading Review: ANNIE

By Mark Saldana Rating: 3 (Out of 4 Stars) Peter Jackson’s Hobbit trilogy concludes with this often fun, occasionally thrilling, but somewhat padded movie that will certainly polarize fans of Jackson’s adaptations of J.R.R. Tokien’s Middle Earth series.  I said it before and will probably say it again, but were three films necessary to adapt… Continue reading Review: THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES

By Mark Saldana Rating: 3 (Out of 4 Stars) Progress and prosperity have both positive and negative effects.  During the Industrial Revolution, humanity made advancements in technology; however, initially, living standards declined and in the long run, some of the processes developed during this period would have some negative effects on the environment.  More recently… Continue reading Review: THEO’S HOUSE (Opening Exclusively at the Quad Cinema in New York)

By Mark Saldana Rating: 2.5 (Out of 4 Stars) Actor/comedian Chris Rock writes,directs, and stars in this film which comes across like a reflection on his career and some of the questionable choices he has made as an actor.  With a handful of genuinely funny moments, Top Five does offer some entertainment and smart insight… Continue reading Review: TOP FIVE

By Mark Saldana Rating: 3 (Out of 4 Stars) Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, and Charlie Day are back and the results are not that bad.  I am not  a huge fan of the first film, but I do like it.  I feel that the first movie delivers fun laughs, but ultimately doesn’t use some of… Continue reading Review: HORRIBLE BOSSES 2

By Mark Saldana Rating: 3 (Out of 4 Stars) This spin-off movie, featuring the lovable characters from the Madagascar series, is cute and funny, but often too cartoonish for its own good. Much like the Mr. Peabody and Sherman feature film, Penguins of Madagascar has plenty of old school, cartoon humor with all of its… Continue reading Review: PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR

By Mark Saldana Rating: 3.5 (Out of 4 Stars) This biopic/romance story of physicist Stephen Hawking and his love Jane Wilde Hawking may have a formulaic structure, but that doesn’t make their true story any less compelling. The fact that this film is written directed and performed with much heart makes it that much more… Continue reading Review: THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING

By Mark Saldana Rating: 3 (Out of 4 Stars) For this second-to-the-last installment of the Hunger Games saga, director Francis Lawrence and writers Peter Craig, Danny Strong, and Suzanne Collins have taken a much more serious and dramatic approach.  In fact this movie feels more real-world than the hyper-stylized world established in the first two… Continue reading Review: THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY – PART 1