Reel Reviews

Jurassic World -- Not bad. That doesn’t sound like a bang-up review, but this effort could have been much, much worse than it turned out to be. It might have been nice if there had been even more explicit recognition of the stupidity of going down the same rabbit hole again and again--including that idea’s meta aspects--but again, that would be raising the expectations much too high. Keep the expectations humble with this one, and you just get a satisfying action movie experience.

Reel Reviews

John Wick -- Shakespeare it ain't. And I imagine that a lot of the plot points would not hold up under rigorous scrutiny. But oh, man--is this movie a hoot to watch. You pretty much know everything that's going to happen long before it does, but it's still wonderfully kick-ass and entertaining to see it anyway. One of the real delights here is the terrifically and comprehensively imagined underworld of violent yet weirdly urbane criminals--a milieu in which everyone understands each other with barely a nod and dirty deeds can get done by just speaking one well-known phrase (though not necessarily done dirt cheap). You may need to check your brain at the door--and not be easily offended by violence; if you are, stay away from this neighborhood--but you will have a rollicking good time with this one.

Reel Reviews -- J

Jabberwocky (+) -- Probably one of the weirdest movies ever made. One of Terry Gilliam's early directorial efforts; it bares a familial resemblance to the earlier Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Darker and stranger than its older cousin, it's an oddly wry story punctuated by occasional moments of hilarity. Posted 6/15/02.

Jackie Brown (+) -- In many ways, a typically Tarantino movie. The crime, the oddballs, the hip dialogue--it's all there. Yet, it's also a quieter, almost softer movie than Q's other works. But don't worry--people still get shot. Oh, yeah, and the soundtrack is the bomb. Posted 7/30/05.

Jacob The Liar (+) -- Funny and sad at the same time; plenty of gallows humor to be found in the WWII Warsaw ghetto setting. Robin Williams does good work as Jacob, a lowly Jew who became the unlikely source of hope for those trapped in the Nazi nightmare. An unfairly overlooked movie.