James Mangold continues his string of choice character-driven dramas with Ford v. Ferrari (aka Le Mans ’66 in most other parts of the world). This true story had been in Hollywood for decades before being made,...
Written and directed by Adam McKay, who impressed in his last effort from 2015, The Big Short, Vice is specifically a biopic of sorts about former Vice President of the United States under George W. Bush,...
Absurdist slapstick comedy director Adam McKay (Anchorman 2, Talladega Nights) comes into his own with The Big Short, a semi-comedic adaptation of the Michael Lewis non-fiction novel about the build-up to the calamitous housing market crash...
2010s / Action / Superhero / Thriller
by Vincent Leo · Published July 30, 2012 · Last modified June 12, 2019
Years ago, I had claimed that, despite its faults, X-Men: The Last Stand was the best third film in a superhero series to date, which goes more to show how ideas seem to dissipate once the...
2000s / Action / Science Fiction
by Vincent Leo · Published May 25, 2009 · Last modified March 8, 2019
The Terminator franchise gets dusted off once again, this time without the one sure-fire way to bring people back again for more, Arnold Schwarzenegger. It doesn’t have that big gun, but somehow, Christian Bale (The Dark...
2000s / Action / Superhero / Thriller
by Vincent Leo · Published July 24, 2008 · Last modified May 20, 2019
It’s difficult to believe that, with all of the superhero franchises that have come out prior to 2008, the creative minds didn’t employ the strategy of saving the most popular and interesting villain for...
by Vincent Leo · Published September 14, 2007 · Last modified December 9, 2019
2007’s version of 3:10 to Yuma is the right way to remake a classic film. Instead of a complete rehash with saltier material, or something so divergent as to be unrecognizable, the screenplay by Michael Brand and...
I guess it goes without saying that the success or failure to any magic trick is in fooling the audience. If the audience is fooled, they will think the magician to be a true...
Laurel Canyon made me feel like I was watching the pilot to some new “made for HBO” series, featuring the decadent portrayals of a Hollywood family — their life, their loves, and their lessons learned. ...
I’ve never read Louisa May Alcott’s classic book nor have I seen any of the multitudinous other film adaptations of it so I can’t honestly say if the film does the book justice or...
Reviews from film writer Vince Leo, covering all eras and genres of films from classics to the latest releases.
Film reviews from Vince Leo, from classics to new releases, since 1996.
