This high school production of L.A. Confidential is all forced style and no substance, no meat. Gangster Squad is marginally entertaining, but it also is an utter waste of tremendous potential, especially considering the cast, whose talents are squandered reciting the cheesiest writing. Sean Penn simultaneously overdoes it and phones it in, while Emma Stone’s thoroughly inconsequential role could’ve been played by a mannequin and it would’ve achieved the same effect (plus, it’d be cheaper and less offensive for women). The climax features the dullest boxing match I’ve ever seen.

Filed under: Film Reviews, Flash Reviews Tagged: anthony mackie, blog, bloggers, blogging, committed to celluloid, critic, emma stone, film, gangster squad, giovanni ribisi, l.a. confidential, los angeles, michael peña, movies, nick nolte, review, ruben fleischer, ryan gosling, sean penn ]]> http://fernandorafael.wordpress.com/2013/05/20/flash-review-gangster-squad/feed/ 2 fernandorafael sinsquad 2stars flash review http://fernandorafael.wordpress.com/2013/05/18/extreme-makeover-blog-edition/ http://fernandorafael.wordpress.com/2013/05/18/extreme-makeover-blog-edition/#comments Sat, 18 May 2013 11:25:16 +0000 fernandorafael http://fernandorafael.wordpress.com/?p=3029 Read More →]]> Hey everybody! Fernando here. Just wanted to do a quick post to tell you, in case you haven’t noticed already, that Committed to Celluloid’s got a new look!

I finally got a logo, and it comes courtesy of the very talented Chris Devine at Filmhipster! The colors are inspired by the Mexican flag, of course, and it features two C’s facing each other (Committed to Celluloid) made out of -what else?- celluloid! I cannot even begin to express how grateful I am towards Chris for doing this for me. Thanks again, dude!

My cool new logo didn’t really go with my past black & orange theme, so I changed that one as well. This one’s got a cleaner design and looks more professional.

But, what do you think of C2C’s new look? What about the logo? The new theme? Isn’t Chris the best? Tell me in the comments! 

Directed by: J.J. Abrams

Written by: Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, Damon Lindelof

Starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Benedict Cumberbatch, Zoe Saldaña, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, John Cho, Anton Yelchin, Bruce Greenwood, Peter Weller, Alice Eve, Noel Clarke, Leonard Nimoy

2009’s Star Trek introduced me to the world of the beloved sci-fi franchise, as I’m sure it did for millions of other young cinephiles. J.J. Abrams gave us a reason to become fans of a pop culture phenomenon that had been alive for 43 years, even if we hadn’t ever heard William Shatner yell “Khaaaan!” or watched Leonard Nimoy do the Vulcan salute.

2013’s sequel is a more than worthy follow-up to the thrilling blockbuster that came 4 years earlier.

After the crew of the Enterprise finds an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization, Captain James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one man weapon of mass destruction: John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch).

Into Darkness goes bigger than its predecessor, planet-hopping and warp-speed traveling with ease. It’s up to par with its 2009 sister in terms of breathtaking action set-pieces and sleek costume and set design. The talented cast clearly looks comfortable in their second appearance in the iconic roles, now with the added bonus of one Benedict Cumberbatch, fantastic in the massively hyped villain role.

Cumberbatch occasionally overacts but, in a way, the over-the-top and over-enunciating nature of his performance fits the part. His role is not as prominent as the trailers might’ve led you to believe, though. Fascinating characters though they may be, a little less attention on Kirk and Spock (Zachary Quinto) couldn’t have hurt. Give us more Cumberbatch! I could maybe insert a bad pun here, but honestly I’m very tired. What I’m trying to say is, for a movie that’s 132 minutes long, this one just flies by. You know, like the Enterprise.

If you liked this review, please take a moment and submit it to Reddit (or upvote it, if it’s already been submitted). Thanks!

DVD Court takes place over at The Cinematic Katzenjammer and this is what we do on a weekly basis:

As The Jury, we recommend what should happen to a particular DVD released today. Voting Burn It, Skip It, Rent It, or Buy It, we come together to deliver a verdict and hope to help you decide what to watch or avoid.

So, if you’d like to see us deliberate on Cloud Atlas and Texas Chainsaw 3D, go here.

In my mind, the day when I’d eventually watch Star Wars for the first time would be a big event, a turning point. It wasn’t. I present my thoughts in a Flash Review because of time constraints, but also because I don’t have a lot to say about this film. I didn’t hate it (I had a strong feeling I would), and I definitely didn’t love it. Lucas’s biggest contribution, in my opinion, is the visually striking universe he has created, but when it comes to the actual movie, it’s a little too cheesy for my taste and, frankly, a bit boring and repetitive. Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher are pretty good in their roles, and Episode IV looks terrific on Blu-Ray, but in the end all I could think of was “is this what all the fuss is about?”

You know when you’re bowling and you knock down all the pins except for one? That’s how Dixie Chassay and Jina Jay, who did the casting for Anna Karenina, must’ve (or should’ve felt). Keira Knightley, Alicia Vikander, Kelly McDonald and especially Jude Law, Matthew Macfadyen and Domhnall Gleeson are absolutely fantastic in their respective roles. Aaron Johnson, on the other hand, is woefully miscast. You never buy his Count Vronsky as this Russian Casanova. He’s just some horny kid with bleach-blond hair. Boo! That major qualm aside, Joe Wright’s (Atonement, Hanna) latest is a lush, involving production and a treat for the senses.

DVD Court takes place over at The Cinematic Katzenjammer and this is what we do on a weekly basis:

As The Jury, we recommend what should happen to a particular DVD released today. Voting Burn It, Skip It, Rent It, or Buy It, we come together to deliver a verdict and hope to help you decide what to watch or avoid.

So, if you’d like to see us deliberate on Jack Reacher, Mama and Safe Haven, go here.

You can also check out our Blogger Interview and follow him on Twitter. Thanks again!

DVD Court takes place over at The Cinematic Katzenjammer and this is what we do on a weekly basis:

As The Jury, we recommend what should happen to a particular DVD released today. Voting Burn It, Skip It, Rent It, or Buy It, we come together to deliver a verdict and hope to help you decide what to watch or avoid.

So, if you’d like to see us deliberate on Silver Linings Playbook, The Guilt Trip and Broken City, go here.