Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995)
John McTiernan resumes the helm in the series that made him an esteemed action director with the third installment in the Die Hard trilogy. Like the first outing, the action flies fast and furious, with excellent...
John McTiernan resumes the helm in the series that made him an esteemed action director with the third installment in the Die Hard trilogy. Like the first outing, the action flies fast and furious, with excellent...
Are introductions really necessary for Quentin Tarantino’s best film? Pulp Fiction is nearly perfectly executed in every detail, balancing a fine line between tragedy and comedy, the absurdly surreal and the unflinchingly realistic, morally depraved and...
2000s / Action / Adventure / Fantasy / Science Fiction
by Vincent Leo · Published May 20, 2005 · Last modified May 20, 2019
As one of the few critics who does not malign Episode I and Episode II, and in fact, one who enjoys them very much, it should come as no surprise that Episode III, the best of the Anakin...
Trees Lounge marks the first feature film written and directed by actor Steve Buscemi, showing that he has some talent behind the camera, as well as in front of it. This modest film falls into...
S.W.A.T. is the type of movie that can be either side of the same coin, so your enjoyment of it will greatly depend on your expectations going in. The trailer might have you thinking that...
It would seem paradoxical that Vin Diesel gains popularity as his movies get worse. Starting off with his small role in the excellent Saving Private Ryan, then the voice of the Iron Giant in the...
2000s / Action / Adventure / Fantasy / Romance / Science Fiction
by Vincent Leo · Published May 17, 2002 · Last modified March 26, 2019
Perhaps a large part of the reason I seem to be enjoying the new STAR WARS arc more than most comes down to my educational background. Having a degree in Classical Civilization, I have always had...
If Changing Lanes proves anything, it’s that good acting, directing, writing and production values aren’t always enough to make a good film. Changing Lanes doesn’t do anything wrong per se, the main problem is that it just...
by Vincent Leo · Published December 18, 2001 · Last modified December 5, 2019
I’m uncertain as to the reasons why the producers of this film looked to Hong Kong director Ronny Yu to make this Tarantino-esque screenplay fly, but the results are less than impressive. The 51st State (changed to Formula...
2000s / Drama / Fantasy / Mystery / Superhero / Thriller
by Vincent Leo · Published December 14, 2000 · Last modified March 5, 2019
M. Night Shyamalan, the heralded director of The Sixth Sense, follows up his mega-blockbuster with a very subdued but more profound thriller in Unbreakable. Although I admit that liked The Sixth Sense, I also must admit that...
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.