Review: THE LEGO MOVIE

By Mark Saldana Rating: 4 (Out of 4 Stars)  Writer/directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller are on a four film winning streak. Starting with Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs in 2009 and continuing with 21 Jump Street, and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2, this filmmaking duo has achieved fame, success and critical… Continue reading Review: THE LEGO MOVIE

Review: THE MONUMENTS MEN

By Mark Saldana Rating: 2.5 (Out of 4 Stars) Based on the book The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History by Robert M. Edsel, George Clooney’s latest directorial effort hardly feels like an effort, and not necessarily in a good way. The light breezy approach to this, otherwise facinating, story lacks… Continue reading Review: THE MONUMENTS MEN

Review: LABOR DAY

By Mark Saldana  Rating: 3.5 (Out of 4 Stars)  Certainly one of my favorite films of the 2013 Austin Film Festival, Labor Day kept me mostly captivated and on the edge of my seat the first time I viewed the film at the historical Paramount Theater. I had the opportunity to view the film again… Continue reading Review: LABOR DAY

Review: LABOR DAY

By Laurie Coker Rating: C+ Dark and gloomy describes not only the characters of screenwriter/director Jason Reitman’s new film Labor Day; it also expresses tone of every moment in the story. Passionate performances from first class actors, perhaps one of the best of Brolin’s career, kept me engrossed in the tale, but little is new… Continue reading Review: LABOR DAY

Review: RIDE ALONG

By Mark Saldana Rating: 2 (Out of 4 Stars) Kevin Hart pretty much delivers the same performance in all of his films. He portrays a diminutive, squeaky, fast talking cartoon character and it usually fits in okay within his films. I will give him more credit in that as a lead character in Ride Along,… Continue reading Review: RIDE ALONG

Review: THE NUT JOB

By Mark Saldana Rating: 2 (Out of 4 Stars) The Nut Job is another case where children will enjoy the silliness and the colorful visuals, but as for the adults escorting said children, they will probably wish that they hadn’t been dragged to the cinema to see a movie that could have been enjoyed at… Continue reading Review: THE NUT JOB